The Principle of Divine Succour

prayers: That is, if a man prays that the wisdom of the Quran be made known to him, it will befit him to exert himself in pondering upon the Book of God (38:29). The Quran has this to say: “To Him ascend good words, and He exalts righteous deeds.” (35:10). If a man asks for help in earning his living, he shall have to make every possible effort himself to do so. The other pre-condition for deserving divine help is patience, even in the face of stiff opposition from those against whom divine aid is sought (14:12). Patience is a positive reaction to negative acts. This means that no impatient step should be taken against the opponent. There should be no retaliation against his opponents. They should simply be borne; instead of making complaints about the suffering inflicted, the latter should be met with silent selfrestraint and endurance. No doubt the kind of patience and tolerance shown by the companions of the Prophet towards their opponents would ensure God’s help to any group who possessed these qualities to the same degree. Divine help, in fact, is just another name for success.