Traits of Believers
Continued from page 1
Those who give to charity night and day, secretly
and publicly, receive their recompense from their Lord; they will
have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve. (2:274)
Impatience is a very common human tendency. We want everything
immediately; we don’t want to wait. But God cautions us to
develop patience. The phrase “be patient” occurs in
the Quran 19 times. Clearly it’s something we need to observe,
and that means we will have to work hard to overcome our natural
inclination.
You shall resort to patience—and your patience
is attainable only with God's help. (16:127)
How we can be unappreciative of all God has given us is a mystery.
But we are. We can never encompass all the blessings from God; we
can never be appreciative enough. But we have to try. We have to
know that everything we receive, everything we attain, everything
in the heavens and the earth is a gift from God. And God’s
generosity is so great that He tells us if we show appreciation
He will give us even more.
The more you thank Me, the more I give you. (14:7)
We reward those who are appreciative. (3:145)
You shall be appreciative of God. Whoever is appreciative
is appreciative for his own good. (31:12)
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Anger is an emotion that causes great
difficulty. Any time a person feels wronged, he or she feels a need
to get angry and get even. In Sura 42, God tells us how to react
when we face what we consider an injustice. We must use our judgment
depending on the circumstance, because God gives us the right to
avenge a true injustice, but clearly patience and forgiveness are
the preferred responses:
They avoid gross sins and vice, and when angered
they forgive. When gross injustice befalls them, they stand up for
their rights. Although the just requital for an injustice is an
equivalent retribution, those who pardon and maintain righteousness
are rewarded by God. He does not love the unjust. Certainly, those
who stand up for their rights, when injustice befalls them, are
not committing any error. Resorting to patience and forgiveness
reflects a true strength of character. (42:37, 39-41,43)
And God is the one who cools our temper (94:1) and prevents us
from carrying our anger to extremes. (48:24-25) God does not love
the aggressors. (2:190)
Arrogance is a trait discouraged by God. It was the cause of Satan’s
downfall and is a strong human failing.
Absolutely, God knows everything they conceal and
everything they declare. He does not love those who are arrogant.
(16:23)
We are reminded that all things come from God so we have no reason
to be proud or smug.
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Those who boast about
their works, and wish to be praised for something they have not
really done, should not think that they can evade the retribution.
They have incurred a painful retribution. (3:188)
Thus, you should not grieve over anything you miss,
nor be proud of anything He has bestowed upon you. God does not
love those who are boastful, proud. (57:23)
All of these negative traits are part of the test of being human.
God has told us that He created us this way. That means that we
will experience fear and impatience and anger. God knows that. Losing
your temper or having a selfish moment is human. It’s inevitable
and understandable. But we shouldn’t be satisfied with that
behavior. We should strive to attain the characteristics that God
reveals as traits of the believers. And when we fail, we need to
repent and try harder. The more we try the more God supports us
and the closer we come to being a righteous submitter.
You should eagerly race towards forgiveness from
your Lord and a Paradise whose width encompasses the heavens and
the earth; it awaits the righteous, who give to charity during the
good times, as well as the bad times. They are suppressors of anger,
and pardoners of the people. God loves the charitable. (3:133-4)
You shall advocate righteousness and forbid evil
and remain steadfast in the face of adversity. These are the most
honorable traits. (31:17)
Lydia Kelley |
Ramadan
The Month of Fasting
Dec 30, 1997 — Jan 28, 1998
O you who believe, fasting is decreed for you, as
it was decreed for those before you, that you may attain salvation.
(2:183)
Ramadan is the month during which the Quran was revealed,
providing guidance for the people, clear teachings, and the statute
book. Those of you who witness this month shall fast therein....
(2:185)
The new moon timings to determine the month of Ramadan are as follow:
Dec 29, 1997 at 16:57 GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)
Jan 28, 1998 at 06:01 GMT
Therefore, the first day of Ramadan is Dec 30, 1997, and the last
day of Ramadan is Jan 28, 1998. |