Volume 8 Surah 9 - Enjoy Islam

Al-Tawbah (The Repentance) | MANIFESTATIONS OF HYPOCRISYhas promised the believers, men and women, gardens through which running waters flow,where they will abide, and goodly dwellings in the garden of Eden. Yet God’s acceptance isthe greatest blessing of all. This is indeed the supreme triumph.” (Verses 71-72)While the hypocrites are all of a kind, having the same characteristics, thebelievers are by nature a community united in furthering every good thing andpromoting what is right. Despite having the same qualities, the hypocrites cannotachieve a status of friends or community. That requires mutual solidarity which isalien to the nature of hypocrisy. Such solidarity cannot be achieved even within agroup of hypocrites, who remain weak individuals, despite their identical qualitiesand behaviour. The Qur’ān points this out in describing both groups: “The hypocrites,both men and women, are all of a kind.” (Verse 67) “The believers, men and women, arefriends to one another.” (Verse 71) An individual believer has the same qualities of thecommunity, where the values of solidarity and mutual care are upheld to promotewhat is good and prevent what is wrong: “They enjoin what is right and forbid what iswrong.” (Verse 71)To achieve the goals of promoting what is good, enjoining what is right andfighting what is wrong and evil requires close ties within the community, mutualsolidarity and true co-operation. Thus the community stands united allowing nodivisive element to have any influence on it.Whenever division appears within the community, it must be a signal pointing tothe existence of a strange factor which is alien to its nature and its faith. There mustbe a purpose or an ailment which prevents the first characteristic of the Muslimcommunity from taking root. That characteristic is described by God, the Allknowingwho is aware of all details: “The believers, men and women, are friends to oneanother.” Their friendship motivates them to enjoin what is right and to censure andforbid what is wrong. Their aim is to make God’s word reign supreme, and to maketheir community fulfil its role in human life.“They attend to their prayers,” for prayer gives them their bond with God. ‘And paytheir zakāt,” for zakāt is the duty which cements the bonds within the Muslimcommunity. It reflects the material and spiritual solidarity within this community.“And obey God and His Messenger.” (Verse 71) They have no desire other than todischarge God’s orders and obey Him and His Messenger. They have no law otherthan that revealed by God, and no constitution other than the faith revealed by Godto His Messenger. When God and His Messenger determine something concerningtheir affairs, they accept it realizing that this is the choice they have. This gives themunity of goals, approaches and methods of action. They have a single course whichthey follow, paying no attention to other courses of action which may cause disunityin their ranks.163