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go through the motions of religion and of the five pillars of Islam<br />
blindly, mechanistically or with some hidden degree of doubt, but<br />
rather have real certainty in God. In this sense, it is like permanently<br />
being on Hajj wherever one is.<br />
If Islam involves certain rites that one must perform, Iman also<br />
necessarily involves the performance of good deeds in general as well<br />
as desisting from evil actions and harming others. This is implied<br />
in belief in God and His Angels and His Books and His Messengers<br />
and the Last Day [the Day of Judgement], and to believe that no<br />
good or evil <strong>com</strong>es but by His Providence, because whoever believes<br />
in God and His Angels, His Books, His Messengers and the Last Day,<br />
knows that these enjoin good deeds and prohibit evil ones, and that<br />
according to God’s Books, on the Last Day, people will be judged<br />
according to their deeds. Indeed, in the Holy Qur’an true Iman is<br />
always associated with good works:<br />
They only are the [true] believers whose hearts feel fear<br />
when God is mentioned, and when His revelations are<br />
recited unto them they increase their faith, and who trust in<br />
their Lord; / who establish worship and spend of that We have<br />
bestowed on them. / Those are they who are in truth believers.<br />
For them are grades [of honour] with their Lord, and pardon,<br />
and a bountiful provision. (<strong>Al</strong>-Anfal, 8:2–4)<br />
In no less than fifty other passages27 in the Holy Qur’an the<br />
phrase ‘do good works’ (‘amilu al-salihat’) <strong>com</strong>es immediately after<br />
the mention of ‘those who believe’ (‘alladhina amanu’). Thus good<br />
deeds are an inevitable con<strong>com</strong>itant of true faith, to the extent that<br />
praying and worship alone—without good deeds and virtue—do<br />
not suffice to make faith (iman) into righteousness (birr). God says<br />
in the Holy Qur’an:<br />
27 The following verses in the Holy Qur’an contain the phrase ‘those who believe and do<br />
good works’ (‘<strong>Al</strong>lathina amanu wa amilu al-salihati’): 2:25; 2:82; 2:277; 3:57; 4:57; 4:122;<br />
4:173; 5:9; 7:42; 10:4; 10:9; 11:23; 13:29; 14:23; 18:30; 18:107; 19:96; 22:14; 22:23; 22:50;<br />
22:56; 24:55; 26:227; 29:7; 29:9; 29:58; 30:15; 30:45; 31:8; 32:9; 34:4; 35:7; 38:24; 38:28; 41:8;<br />
42:22; 42:23; 42:26; 42:36; 45:30; 47:2; 47:12; 48:29; 65:11; 84:24; 85:11; 95:6; 98:7 and 103:3.<br />
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