THE WORD OF GOD

The inner man is revealed on such extraordinary occasions. Thereafter, no one is left with the opportunity to make fictitious claims about what in actual fact one is not. Do those who do evil imagine that they will escape Us? How ill they judge! He who hopes to meet God should know that God’s appointed hour is sure to come. He is the All Hearing, the All Knowing. And whoever strives, strives only for himself—God is independent of all His creation—as for those who have faith and do good works, We shall certainly cleanse them of their evil deeds and reward them according to the best of their actions. (29: 4-7) To be a believer is often synonymous with going against the trend of the times. This amounts to being a God-worshipper in an atmosphere of hero-worship; to subscribe to principles in an atmosphere where importance is given to desires; to endeavour to live for the Hereafter in an atmosphere where people live for worldly interests. This kind of life requires an earnest struggle, and only those who have absolute faith in God and who have made God’s expected reward their sole focus, can remain steadfast on this thorny path. We have enjoined man to show kindness to his parents. But if they bid you associate with Me something about which you have no knowledge, do not obey them. To Me you shall all return, and I shall tell you about all that you have done. We shall surely admit those who believe and do good deeds to the company of the righteous. (29: 8-9) Of all the creatures, a man’s parents have the greatest right over him. But, just as everything has a limit, so also do the parent’s rights have a limit, in the sense that—according to the Prophet’s tradition—‘no obedience may be shown to any creature if it means disobedience to the Creator.’ The rights of parents must be observed, but only so long as they do not clash with the rights of God. o