Before You Regret

Before You Regret...

But as for those who do evil actions and then subsequently repent and have faith, in that case your Lord is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (The Qur’an, 7:153)

Since those who still live by the moral values of the Days of Ignorance do not believe in destiny and the fact that God creates everything for good, they fail to submit to God and desperately try to forget the mistakes they have made yet they fail to do so. Under the influence of the mistakes they have done, they wallow in a troubled state of mind with the guilt and frustration of those mistakes for all their lives.

The life of this world is an important opportunity granted so that man can earn the perfect and eternal life of the Hereafter.

During the time they’ve been given in this world, every human being is offered the opportunity to repent and lead the rest of their lives in a way that would please God.

If it were the time to meet the angels of death right now, would a person who failed to do his duty as a servant of God in the life of this world be able to give an account of all the years he spent in this world?

Does the soul age?

ADNAN OKTAR: Let’s hear another question.

KARTAL GÖKTAN: Mr. Yusuf has a question.

VTR: Hello, I am Yusuf. I meet with many elderly people and I want to ask about how we should treat the elderly?

ADNAN OKTAR: There is no such thing as elderly. There are only people whose organs are not in their best physical condition. For example, they cannot run or lift weight well. Or they have difficulty speaking or hearing. Otherwise, there is no such thing as elderly. The soul does not have an age. It does not age at all. Soul is eternal, so why would it age? It lasts eons without aging. It is the body that ages. Young people, too, can be physically older than their actual age. For this reason, it would be more proper to ask how one should treat people with diminished physical functions. For example, if they walk too slowly to cross the street, we can escort them. Such people might be in their seventeen or seventies or eighties; it does not make any difference. Or they might have sight, hearing or perceptive impediments. This can be a teenager in his nineteen or a man in his nineties. And since we are relatively healthier then such people, we should help them as best as we can. Otherwise, the elderly do not enjoy a distinguished status; everyone deserves the same level of respect. We are obliged to treat people with the same level of respect and politeness, be they in their nineteen or nineties. What matters is whether they need our help or not.

Excerpt from Mr. Adnan Oktar's Live Conversation on A9TV dated May 20th, 2017

Rumism being promoted to replace Islam for Muslims

http://www.harunyahya.com/en/Short-videos---Dont-miss/221171/Rumism-being-promoted-to-replace-Islam-for-Muslims

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People are losing their ability to think and produce by getting addicted to smart phones and TV series

ADNAN OKTAR: Sometimes when I go out, I see young girls with a cigarette in one hand and a phone on the other. They are glued to their phones and they go on and on. What is this never ending phone talk? And when they are not talking on the phone, they are constantly surfing the internet; it’s like the phones are now their best friends; a handheld friend. It seems like their whole world are now their phones. And some telecommunication companies encourage this behavior with special offers like "it is free if you want to call your grandfather", "you will win a lottery if you call your aunt". People should use the phones when it is necessary. I rarely use my phone and when I do, I do it’s not a huge deal. I don't see why a phone conversation should drag on. If it is a person you love, then meet them and talk face to face. What is it that you talk about for hours on the phone? For instance they call their families and talk for hours. What is it that cannot be solved? You are a smart person, you should be able to solve it in a few minutes. But somehow they cannot solve it, they drag on and on, "should we do it or not?". Just cut to the chase. They see each other talking to long on the phone [and begin to think it’s normal] telecommunication companies further encourage it with slogans like: ‘talk as much as you want, don’t miss this opportunity etc.’ When you act this way, of course people will do it.

Some people have now become almost addicted to their phones. Just like smokers, alcoholics, phone mania has emerged. And then there is the TV series mania. They do not even eat so that they don't miss their favorite show.  They drop everything, hold their breaths, put their lives on hold. They cancel  even their business appointments, cancel everything. This is wrong. It shouldn't be like this. They render people almost incapable of thinking through football games, TV series and phones. It is not done deliberately but this is the result. Many people cannot think as a result. Their vocabulary consists of only two hundred words at most. They have narrow perspectives. They cannot think about things, research a subject; and eventually become shallow. You see how most people on internet are unable to even say what they want to say; and they are angry at everything and anything. For instance, when there is a match between Turkey and Greece, they jeer at the Greek team. What are you jeering at? We have lived together like brothers and sisters under the Ottoman rule for hundreds of years, this is a country that is our friend and neighbor, what are you jeering at?

Is this how a friendship supposed to be, how love supposed to be? Why do you jeer? For example, this also happens at houses, daughters, sons sitting with phones in their hands, only interested in their phones. They spend all their lives either playing games or texting all the time. You are tormenting yourselves. Just stand up and get moving, do something nice. Read, research, move.  Even [when they have to] go to a hospital and take selfies there and share even those photos as if there is something entertaining about it. They take photos of their broken legs, broken ribs in encasement and share them. It is not right that they focus so much on this, so absorbed with this. They should take it a little bit easy. For example, when people go somewhere and see a beautiful waterfall, a nice car or beautiful scenery, they are only interested in taking a photo of it. "How should I take the photo?" they think. They do not sit and enjoy the view and reflect on it. They just take the photo and leave. Just admire its beauty for a while, right? Look at it from a believers point of view, say that "How beautiful is God's creation". They run and jump on the streets getting their photos taken when the feet is off the floor, so they look as if they are flying.  Sure it is nice, they do it to show their joy, but one shouldn't spend their life in that state of mind. A constant commotion, noise, state of fuss, an artificial joy; they shout at each other, laugh at redundant stuff; it is as if they are drunk. It takes time for them to become normal and calm again. The other day, two ladies came here and they were exuberant. And they kept riling each other up, making a commotion, bursting with joy. They could hardly calm down. On their second visit, I saw that they were calmer, more poised, more mature. Another bad side effect of phone addiction is that it causes a state of timidity, nervousness, misanthropy and withdrawal in one's soul. It is as if their only friends are their phones, a virtual friend.

Hypocrites are like dust on a believer communities. It goes away leaving believers shining with holy light

ADNAN OKTAR: Hypocrites are like dust on a believer community. When a believer takes a shower, all the grime disappears, right? He gets fresh and clean right?  He washes away the grime with soap and it goes away right, he gets healthy. And you ask, "Why doesn't the dirt stay?" Believers are clean, purified, they cannot live with dirt. He washes the dirt and dirt disappears. The hypocrite is washed away and the believer remains like a divine light. Otherwise, there would not be such cleanliness.

EMRE ACAR: Sir; God gives an example of the separation of  gold and a bubble. Might God be referring to this fact?

ADNAN OKTAR: Sure. In a narrated hadith he says, silver, in another one he says gold. It is also said in the verses. In the verse, it is clearly said that “It disappears as separated from the dross". Furthermore, "they resemble debris floating on the river", he says. "They shake at a bend and vanish", he says "in a bend". Water rapidly flows. Look; unsullied water flows in its way, does it not? The water flows but "dross and trash on the water skid around the bend", he says. "They stay at the bend". It really happens in  rivers. They (dross and dirt) come together at the bend. However, unsullied water flows in its way. Like the water, believers cannot keep the dirt inside. The grime is always washed away. But he says, "How many times is it washed?" A believer takes a shower everyday. When necessary, he takes a shower three times a day. The dirt that is  the hypocrites is constantly washed  off the believers. The more it is washed away, the more refreshed and younger believers will get. What happens when one takes a shower? He feels refreshed, does he not? He is purified completely. It is [like that] the dirt that is  the hypocrites are washed away.

From an Interview with Mr. Adnan Oktar on September 25th 2015, on A9 TV

Growing old is unavoidable

http://www.arabnews.com/islam-perspective/news/827701

THE destructive effects of the passage of years are observable in one’s own body. As the years go by, the body, the most precious possession a human being has, goes through an irreversible process of destruction. The changes a human being experiences throughout his life are recounted in the Qur’an as follows: “It is Allah Who created you in a state of (helpless) weakness, then gave (you) strength after weakness, then, after strength, gave (you) weakness and a hoary head: He creates as He wills, and it is He Who has all knowledge and power.” (Qur’an, 30:54)

The later years of life are the times most neglected in the future plans of an adult, except in the anxious process of saving for old-age pensions. Indeed, being too close to death, people usually develop a hesitant approach to this period. When someone tries to talk about old age, others feel concerned and attempt to change this “unpleasant” topic as soon as possible. The routine of daily life is also a good way of escaping from the thought of these potentially miserable years of life. So, it is postponed until the day one inevitably meets it. No doubt, the main reason for such avoidance is the assumption that one has endless time until death comes upon one.

This mistaken idea often leads to great grief. That is simply because, no matter how old one is, the only real possessions remaining from one’s past are dimly-recalled memories. One barely remembers childhood. It is even hard to recall exactly what happened during the last decade. The greatest ambitions of a young man, important decisions, and the goals to which he is most committed, all lose their significance once they are experienced and done. That is why to tell a “long” life story is a vain endeavor.

Whether a teenager or an adult, this should prompt man to make an important decision about his life. For instance, if you are 40 and expect to live until your mid-sixties — and of that you have no guarantee — those remaining 25 years will surely pass as quickly as the preceding 40 years. The same holds true even if your life is prolonged a great deal, since the remaining thirty or forty years will, likewise, pass before you even notice. This is, surely, a perpetual reminder of the true nature of this world. One day every living soul on this earth will leave this world and there is no return.

Hence, man should set aside his prejudices and be more realistic about his life. Time passes very quickly and each day brings on further physical weakness and more impaired thinking rather than fresher dynamism and a younger figure. In brief, growing old is a manifestation of man’s inability to control his own body, life and destiny. Time’s adverse effects on the body become visible during this period. Allah informs us about this in the following verse: “It is Allah Who creates you and takes your souls at death; and of you there are some who are sent back to a feeble age, so that they know nothing after having known (much); for Allah is All-Knowing, All-Powerful.” (Qur’an, 16:70)

In medicine, advanced old age is also called “the second childhood”. Hence, during this latter stage of life, elderly people just like children need care, since their bodily and mental functions go through certain alterations.

As one grows older, physical and spiritual characteristics pertaining to childhood become more apparent. Elderly people fail to do many tasks requiring physical strength. Changes in judgment, impaired thinking, difficulties in walking, maintaining balance and speech, impediments, memory impairment and gradual memory loss, and changes in mood or behavior are only a few symptoms of diseases commonly seen in old age.

In short, after a certain period, people often regress to a state of childish dependency both physically and mentally. Life both begins and ends in an infant-like state. This is evidently not a random process. It is possible that man could remain young until he dies. Yet Allah reminds man about the temporary nature of this world by making the quality of his life deteriorate at certain stages of life. This process serves as a clear reminder that life is slipping away. 

Allah explains this matter in the verse below: “O mankind! If you have doubt about the Resurrection, (consider) that We created you out of dust, then out of a drop, then out of a leech-like clot, then out of a morsel of flesh, partly formed and partly unformed, in order that We may manifest (Our power) to you; and We cause whom We will to rest in the wombs for an appointed term, then We bring you out as babes, then (foster you) that you may reach your age of full strength; and some of you are called to die, and some are sent back to the feeblest old age, so that they know nothing after having known (much), and (further), you see the earth barren and lifeless, but when We pour rain down on it, it is stirred (to life), it swells, and it puts forth every kind of beautiful growth (in pairs).” (Qur’an, 22:5) 

Growing old is unavoidable. Nobody, without exception, can escape it. Yet seeing celebrities becoming older has a deeper influence on us since their physical deterioration is openly observable. Witnessing the ageing of people renowned for their fame, wealth and beauty is surely a reminder of the shortness and insignificance of this life.

Every day it is possible to observe this fact from hundreds of examples around us. An intelligent, healthy and famous person, once a symbol of beauty or success, one day appears in newspapers, magazines and on television with a physical or mental disability. Each one is the clearest evidence that no matter how beautiful, successful or young you are, the inevitable end for human beings is old age.

Yet, only the body experiences this irreversible process and eventually dies. The soul, on the other hand, lives forever. The only asset one can take with him when one dies is one’s belief or disbelief.

The way to avoid eternal punishment, win eternal bliss and attain the good pleasure of Allah is apparent: Before it is too late, have true faith in Allah and spend your life doing good deeds to attain His good pleasure.

The writer has authored more than 300 books translated in 73 languages on politics, religion and science.

http://www.harunyahya.com/en/Harun-Yahya-Impact/210977/Growing-Old-is-Unavoidable

Understanding The Concepts Of “Sharia” And “Jihad” Correctly

The word “sharia” has become the reason for major apprehension and fear, especially in Western societies, for quite some time now. When you speak of sharia, what comes to people’s mind is such acts as killing, stoning, slitting people’s throats and oppressing women and depriving them of their rights, especially the right to education. In fact, this situation is due to not knowing the true Islam as described in the Qur’an and seen in the practices of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and it derives its strength from the centuries-long presentation of the dark, extremist mindset’s ongoing practices as sharia. But how are we supposed to understand what sharia and jihad truly mean?

Sharia: The path to follow

Sharia literally means “the path that leads to water; method; tradition.” It is described in the Qur’an as the life-giving path God enjoined on the Prophets Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (peace be upon them all). (Qur’an, 42:13) A Muslim can easily tell what “path” to follow by looking at the Qur’an. Few things are forbidden in the Qur’an, and these are made clear with explicit prohibitions; none of them are open to discussion or interpretation. This is one important characteristic of the Qur’an. For example, killing, adultery, earning interest, eating pork or drinking blood are all unlawful actions revealed in verses of the Qur’an in explicit and definitive terms. For this reason, those who aim to come up with prohibitions by interpreting verses in light of their own desires invariably refer to some scholastic explanations, dubious accounts with uncertain sources and fabricated hadiths and proceed to produce their own deductions from them. God reveals the existence of people with this mindset in the Qur’an:

Do not say about what your lying tongues describe: “This is lawful and this is forbidden,” inventing lies against God. Those who invent lies against God are not successful. (Qur’an, 16:116)

Following the time of our Prophet (pbuh), numerous communities emerged who, as described in the verse, “invented lies against God.” These people, who didn’t take the Qur’an as their guide, produced an entirely different conception of Islam by inventing various lawful and unlawful things. The system which is imposed today as “sharia,” but which in fact completely conflicts with Islam and encourages oppression, tyranny and violence, is a result of turning away from the Qur’an. The “true sharia” which is explained in the verses of the Qur’an, that is, the true path of the Qur’an, can be defined in this way:

The sharia of the Qur’an means love, respect, and affection and protection toward people of all faiths and opinions. The sharia of the Qur’an insists upon democracy and freedom of thought. Under the sharia of the Qur’an, people are knowledgeable, educated, open-minded, respectful of other ideas, modern and high quality; they value art and aesthetics and they also value unity, love and friendship. There is no hatred, intolerance, conflict, despotism, imposition, intimidation, or war in the sharia of the Qur’an. In the sharia of the Qur’an there is absolute justice, equality, as well as rendering back the trusts to those who are due. There is no bribery or favoritism. It is forbidden to impose a belief by force in definitive terms in the Qur’an; everyone is free in their own faith, choices and lifestyle. Islamic sharia offers people a life in which a Muslim, a non-Muslim, an atheist, an unbeliever or a pagan all can live freely.

But is there any Islamic country compatible with the sharia of the Qur’an in the world today? Of course there isn’t. Perhaps the names of a few Islamic countries which are considered to be governed under sharia law come to people’s minds, but in fact a conception of law which has nothing to do with the sharia as defined in the Qur’an but which is instead oppressive, tyrannical and unjust, and not giving women the right to a normal life, rules in these countries.

The sharia defined in the Qur’an has not been applied since the time of our Prophet (pbuh). The countries claiming that they are governed under sharia law or those extremist and radical groups that seek to enforce a “sharia” in line with their ideas are actually very far removed from the sharia of the Qur’an: Therefore, they cannot support the oppression, violence and outlandish rules they apply with evidence from the Qur’an and they are merely basing them upon their ulama (religious scholars), general consensus, the tribal notions of their ancestors and their cultural customs and traditions; that is to say, upon various traditions which are in conflict with the Qur’an.

What should the “jihad” of a Muslim be?

Groups or people who embrace extremist or radical ideologies misinterpret the concept of “jihad” just as they do with sharia. Under the jihad which our Lord reveals in the Qur’an, there is no killing, bombing or suicide bombers; under the jihad of the Qur’an there is not violence, oppression, intimidation, or hatred. Islam, contrary to what fanatics describe, is not a faith reeking of death, hatred and rage. These distortions are later additions to Islam, which is in fact based on pure revelation. Therefore, if a person says, “I have learned it from the Qur’an; I should kill, massacre or use violence against anyone who does not think like me”, this person is simply not telling the truth, because this person adheres not to Islam, but to an entirely different faith, an invented pseudo-religion whose source is not the Qur’an. Everything in this faith is completely dark: There is hatred instead of love, rage instead of compassion, enmity instead of brotherhood, and ignorance instead of art, aesthetics, science and culture. It is very easy to put a weapon in the hands of a person who believes in such a faith, to say to him, “That community over there is your enemy,” to incite him to violence and thus build fanatical sects and armed groups.

So, how did this radical and bigoted mindset emerge? The miseducation of a great part of the Islamic world with this wrong-headed concept and far too many Muslims not being genuinely aware of the Qur’an properly are the reasons for the emergence of this mindset. These people have been left ignorant, ghettoized and kept far away from arts, science and human values. They have considered those who do not think as they do and have different lifestyles as their enemies. They have misunderstood both the sharia and the jihad and applied them wrongly. Most of them have not read the Qur’an, even once. They have deluded themselves to be on the truest path despite the fact that they have merely applied what they learned from their ignorant and bigoted ancestors, someone the Qur’an warns against. They have never stopped to think that they have badly damaged themselves, their religion, their families, their communities, and of course, other people. However, the jihad described in the Qur’an is very different from what these radical bigots consider it as.

The word jihad comes from the Arabic word “jahd.” It means “to work, to strive, to exhibit determination and persistence or self-sacrifice.” Waging jihad in Islam means striving to inform people about the truth of the faith, to teach people proper moral values and to turn them away from evil. While doing this, a Muslim must also train his own lower-self in the direction of moral virtue and strive to be a good person and remove himself from rage and hatred. In other words, jihad means to train oneself on the one hand, while simultaneously striving to teach people truth and goodness on the other. What is principally important in Islam is that this spiritual jihad is carried out intellectually.

The word “jahd” is not used in any other meaning apart from the above in any part of the Qur’an. Therefore, those who are now slaughtering people in the name of jihad, taking their own lives as well as those of defenseless civilians as suicide bombers or inciting war are committing a grave sin; this is easily proved in the verses of the Qur’an. Yet most of them do this because of their ignorance and because they simply do not know the true Islam that is described in the Qur’an. That’s why it is essentially an exercise in futility to kill, bomb, imprison or exile these people. What is important is to eliminate the underlying mindset upon which extremism thrives. The core problem is that extremists, both as individuals and as groups, have never been educated in the Qur’an and they do not understand the law of God. Since that is the fundamental problem, so long as these false views persist, there will be radicals who are ignorant of what they do. Therefore the only thing that those who spread violence and terror under the name of jihad need is a proper education; they must be taught the true sharia and the beautiful path of the faith.

Those who think the problem of extremism is inherent in Islam are causing the swamp to grow even further by thinking that the solution to radical terror is to kill these people; these attacks do nothing but cause the further strengthening of radicalism. The solution is certainly not to take a back seat after saying, “Well, Islam is not this; Islam is the religion of peace” as some Muslims do; nor is it to be found in endless conferences and ceaseless debate on some terms and concepts. The solution is to explain the true Islam described in the Qur’an to these extremist groups and people, to educate them and thus turn them away from the radical mindset, and to start an educational campaign that genuinely addresses the root of the problem. There is a problem of a false belief system that has crept into Islam and false beliefs can only be done away with by replacing them with true ones to be found in the Qur’an.

Adnan Oktar's piece on Diplomacy Pakistan:

http://www.diplomacypakistan.com/articles/understanding-the-concepts-of-sharia-and-jihad-correctly/

Freedom lies in God’s embrace

BY HARUN YAHYA - 9 JUNE 2015

http://www.nst.com.my/node/87594

DESPITE the worldwide campaign against it and the atrocious crimes of radicals that add to the effect, Islam is spreading fast and strong. From the pubs of the United Kingdom to the towns of Brazil, people of all ages, genders and backgrounds embrace this beautiful faith at an increasing pace.

But, why?

Islam has a striking simplicity. Despite the numerous sects that have emerged over the course of centuries, all attempting to complicate it, the Islam described in the Quran is beautifully plain and, for this, gives the utmost freedom to people.

It teaches people that there is only one God and it is only He that they will answer to.

The implication in this is profound. While the majority of the world today is bound by thousands of different rules and people’s opinions of what is right and wrong, a person who submits to God is immediately freed from his chains. No longer does he have to work to meet the description of the ideal character imposed by society or exert a significant amount of energy to comply with the wishes of thousands of different people; his character is shaped only according to the wishes of God. He no longer has to put his soul and mind to the Herculean task of pleasing everyone, which is essentially impossible.

As he surrenders to God, his mind is literally liberated and purged of all unnecessary fears and worries. For example, in the case of a teenager, it means no more constantly worrying about the thoughts of his friends, the latest fashion trends at school or fitting in with the popular crowd. He will no longer be ruled by peer pressure, trends on social media or the burden of needing to have as many friends as possible on the Internet.

For someone in the business world, it means no longer feeling inferior in the presence of the boss, constantly having to compete with peers in everything or strive immeasurably to gain approval and admiration. It also means being released of the pressure of assuming the character of one’s profession, which could be condescending in the case of a white-collar job, and insecure and self-conscious for a blue-collar job.

For spouses, they no longer have to fit the description of the perfect husband or wife as dictated by society. Instead, they will be able to channel pure and fortified love to the family, seeing them as a reflection of God’s beauty that has been entrusted to them. All of these people, now with bodies and souls cleared of the influences of fake idols, will turn to and surrender to God, Who had created them, loves them and cares about them infinitely.

As believers enjoy this freedom from their chains, billions of other people who believe that they are free, but instead, are weighed down by the wishes and opinions of countless different people continue to be prisoners to the will of others. Shackled by numerous “must do’s”, like copying the behaviour of characters on popular TV shows, keeping pace with the expectations of parents, trying to be funny around fun-loving friends and changing an attitude immediately when it is no longer wanted, they get exhausted. Amid this emotional whirlpool, they inevitably lose their soul and mind. In the end, they become so disorientated, they no longer recognise themselves.

Yet in Islam, there is only One that a person has to please: God. The only thing a free person has to do it is follow the direction shown by God. There is no trying to please others, worrying about what others might think or constantly struggling — and failing each and every time — in the pursuit of gaining the approval of the world.

Surely, a believer also lives a life like any other member of society with respect for laws, social norms and others, but he doesn’t enslave his body and soul to the thoughts and wishes of others, who are, in fact, powerless servants just like himself.

Many people today are aware of this problem and work to break out of the prison in their mind. They sometimes use inspirational quotes and various mental techniques to do that. But, how can they be successful if they don’t address the real problem? They should know that trying to fight off the beasts in one’s mind one by one, instead of working on the pit they arise from, is a futile attempt.

The truest salvation comes with a real love for God. One has to look at the world, himself and the universe, and think about what he sees. He should try to grasp the infinite power of God, Who created the universe with precise perfection and beauty. He should understand that his life and the lives of everyone else depend on the most sensitive of balances, which could be disrupted at any moment if not for the meticulous protection of God. He should understand that God, Who created everything, has infinite power. He understands that the 300 billion galaxies in the universe, the flawless DNA, one strand of which can accommodate all the data in the world, from Plato to today, or the electrons that travel at a speed of 2,000km per second but never collide depend on God’s protection.

He should see that no one else can have any power if God doesn’t wish it. He should pay attention and watch closely, and see that God regulates, creates and controls every single thing at every single moment, like every heartbeat of the seven billion people on Earth, every blossoming flower, every wing fluttering in the skies, every sugar level that has to be kept in check in everyone’s bodies and all other countless details in the universe. And by looking at the Quran, he will see that the only thing God expects of him is to love Him with all one has and thank Him for all that He has given.

We are made to love God. Only then can we be truly happy and free.

So, embrace God, break your chains and start enjoying real freedom.

The writer has authored more than 300 books, translated into 73 languages, on politics, religion and science

Ways of encouraging believers to do good

A BELIEVER considers having certain human obligations toward not just the people around him, but to the society on the whole.

That responsibility is instrumental in everyone living in the awareness of Islamic moral values. People are free to choose the lifestyle they like but since they are unacquainted with Allah and Islamic moral values, the majority may choose irreligion. Many of them may make mistakes or be unable to resolve their problems because they do not know religious moral values.

There may be millions of people leading unhappy and hopeless lives because they are unfamiliar with the commandments our Lord has revealed in the Qur’an. The responsibility toward these masses that Allah places on believers means they can teach them about Islamic moral values and then make their own choices because since believers are aware of the verses of the Qur’an, they know how the problems that these people cannot resolve can be settled. It is therefore a religious obligation for those who know to tell those who do not. One verse tells us: “So struggle in the way of Allah. You are only answerable for yourself; and spur on the believers. It may well be that Allah will curb the force of the unbelievers. Allah has greater force and greater power to punish.” (Surat an Nisa’, 84)

Being aware of the ways in which people can be rid of their troubles and yet deciding to keep these ways hidden and not tell anyone about them is like having prior knowledge of a disaster but not telling people how to avoid it. If a disaster takes place and people die, then the person who never mentioned it has a heavy responsibility to bear.

For that reason, believers have a grave and great responsibility to all mankind. The seriousness of that responsibility is increased by believers being few in number and unbelievers making up a great part of the world. Allah makes “spurring the believers to fight” obligatory: “O Prophet! Spur on the believers to struggle. If there are twenty of you who are steadfast, they will overcome two hundred; and if there are a hundred of you, they will overcome a thousand of those who are unbelievers, because they are people who do not understand.” (Surat Al-Anfal, 65)

Spurring believers’ consciences

It is certain that in discharging their duty to preach the words, believers can make many errors and exhibit flaws stemming from ignorance or error. They may say a wrong thing, produce an incorrect interpretation, or do something wrong from an intention to do good. In that event, it is essential they be warned and learn the truth preaching the moral values of Islam and calling people to faith is a most important service calling for the greatest care; many people will decide whether or not to live by the moral values of Islam on the basis of the language, attitudes and behavior of the person describing them. If they love and trust the person describing religious moral values, then their hearts will begin warming toward the morals of Islam. That is why preaching a religious moral value is the most serious responsibility in the world. Therefore, believers who act with the aim of Islamic moral values becoming known to, and lived by, more people need to be warned and trained to address people better every day because such advice can overcome deficiencies in a person’s knowledge, manners, language, vocabulary, gestures, clothing and many other such matters and we thus obey Allah’s command regarding preparing believers. However, in the Qur’an Allah reveals that as we prepare believers, we must also encourage and enthuse them. That is why it is of the greatest importance for the advice to be given to be constructive, encouraging and respectful.

Believers must not be discouraged

The person giving advice must be very pure. Advice can only be expected to benefit the other party if it is offered for Allah’s approval, with affection and compassion and without involving earthly desires. But criticism given out of envy, anger and hatred will be harsh and hurtful. Instead of helping people, it will confuse them and leave them wondering what to do.

It will reduce these people’s fervor for what they are doing, and deprive them of joy or strength. The other person should rather be encouraged, his good services mentioned, his well-intentioned activities appreciated and the defect needing to be corrected should be emphasized using kindly words, and the solutions to resolving it should also be shown. A person who speaks incorrectly must be shown how he can speak properly, and if he uses inappropriate language he can be shown what kind of language he should be using.

Religion imposes a responsibility on the believers both to live virtuously and to remind people around them of those moral virtues. Yet it is not only verbal expression that needs to be borne in mind when describing or reminding people of religious moral values because one can still remind people of Allah and the true faith through one’s behavior, appearance and expression.

From that perspective, a believer must also be a role model for everyone with his appearance and behavior. What best befits a Muslim therefore, as someone who represents the religious moral values revealed by Allah, is to aim to reflect the superior characteristics bestowed by those moral values, and to earn as much of Allah’s approval as possible. “They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and enjoin the right and forbid the wrong, and compete in doing good. They are among the good people.” (Surat Al-Imran, 114)

There are various ways of preparing and encouraging believers. Encouraging someone to perform good works may perhaps lead us to enjoying the reward for that good work in the sight of Allah. Therefore, doing all we can to support believers and encouraging them to work harder and strive even further is an observance for which the believer will be rewarded in the Hereafter.

Adnan Oktar's piece on Arab News:

http://www.arabnews.com/islam-perspective/news/756986

An unpredictable state of mind

http://www.arabnews.com/islam-perspective/news/743646

HARUN YAHYA

Published — Friday 8 May 2015

What is the underlying cause of the way that some people suddenly become infuriated or emotional and start weeping or behave in some unexpected way in the face of day-to-day events?

* Why is it essential to avoid falling prey to this disorder, which mainly damages the victim himself and is generally described as someone “having a hair trigger?”

* What must be done to free oneself from the condition?

Some people live their lives according to rules they themselves have invented. These people can easily make concessions regarding these rules when it comes to their own worldly desires. Because they have no guide who will direct the course of their lives, ensure they maintain a stable character, and whom they have a total belief. For that reason, their characters are prone to sudden variations. Among the distinguishing features of such people are, for instance, their suddenly slamming doors and acting aggressively toward people around them or shouting in a loud voice although they had been sitting perfectly calmly just five minutes ago, or suddenly bursting into tears having just said how happy they were.

The fundamental reason for this behavioral defect that all believers must scrupulously avoid, is that such people fail to frame their behavior, speech, actions, thoughts and reactions to events in the light of the moral values of the Qur’an.

The Obstacles to a Balanced Nature

Following one’s worldly desires

In the Qur’an, Almighty God reveals that people have been created with a tendency toward selfish passions. If someone permits his worldly concerns to rule him, then all his behavior will be shaped by selfish wishes. These selfish desires will prevent him displaying a stable, consisted and balanced nature. As a result of the prompting of worldly concerns he may suddenly become enraged, or emotional, or sulky, or jealous and start taking sudden decisions in the light of these emotions. His character will always come as a surprise, therefore, to those around him. There will be no consistency between one moment and another. His state of mind, thoughts, feeling, decisions and perspectives can change at any moment. Because of his unbalanced and inconsistent behavior, such a person will always inspire feeling of unease and distrust in those around him.

In the Qur’an, God warns us that worldly passions will always encourage one to evil and that Satan will oblige people to behave inconsistently, irrationally and emotionally, as dictated by their desires. He also imparts the glad tidings that people who adopt the Qur’an as their guide in the face of this, however, and who act according to the stirring of their consciences, will achieve the ideal character and enjoy superiority in both this world and the hereafter.

A believer achieves this strong and superior character by following the path shown by God. Since the Qur’an is his guide, his behavior and reactions in the face of events are always shaped according to Qur’anic moral values. How he will behave, his perspective on events and the logic he adopts will never come as a surprise to those around him. His mind, conscience, behavior and speech always reflect the stability required by Qur’anic virtue, and his nature is therefore always to be trusted.

Acting emotionally

Emotionality is not regarded as undesirable in societies oblivious to religious moral values. Indeed, it is generally believed that a certain amount of emotionality in a person’s make-up is an important attribute. According to that way of thinking, the behavior caused by emotionality is human feelings that need to be let out. For that reason, character defects stemming from emotionality, such as “touchiness, dissatisfaction, sulking, weeping, an introverted state of mind, apathy, jealousy or anger,” are encouraged by suggesting they are “emotions representing human nature.” Nothing could be more wrong, however.

Emotionality that is widespread in societies oblivious to the moral values of the Qur’an lead to people having weak characters. Since people react to events in the light of their own emotions, they tend to act irrationally. They become unable to think logically and accurately or to make sound deductions. And this leads to people being unpredictable and inflicting material and psychological damage on themselves and those around them.

However, since the Qur’an rules the whole of a believer’s life and character, he possesses the most accurate knowledge regarding the promptings of one’s passions and how to combat it. He knows that emotionality clouds one’s reason, prevents one thinking straight and seeing the truth, and also makes one weak and lacking in resistance.

The solution to an unpredictable character

Sincere devotion to God, genuine submission and knowing that everything transpires under His control and that everything is for the best prevent one falling prey to one’s emotions and behaving badly. Because of his powerful love and fear of God, the believer scrupulously avoids all forms of behavior that might result from emotionality.

Believers regulate their whole lives according to Qur’anic moral virtues. They know that avoiding the defects of personality prevalent in societies devoid of faith and exhibiting a strong character will serve as a role model for others and behave in complete awareness of that responsibility. As God reveals in the Qur’an in the words “It is the people who are safe-guarded from the avarice of their own selves who are successful” (Surat al-Hashr, 9), they strive to cleanse their desires of evil. God has revealed that in return for that effort believers will enjoy peace, blessings and happiness in this world and the hereafter:

“What is with you runs out but what is with Allah goes on for ever. Those who were steadfast will be recompensed according to the best of what they did. Anyone who acts rightly, male or female, being a believer, We will give them a good life and We will recompense them according to the best of what they did.” (Surat An-Nahl, 96-97)

People who are prone to enormous distress, who fall prey to weeping or rage or jealousy, or who sulk in silence and become totally introverted are unaware of God’s might, that He has created all things with goodness, wisdom and justice, that He can perform whatever He wishes whenever He wishes, and that He will heed people’s prayers.

All sorrow, anger and jealousy stem from weakness of faith and errors originating from that perspective.

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The writer has authored more than 300 books translated in 73 languages on politics, religion and science.