Zeal and Enthusiasm Described in the Qur'an: Their Presence Among Believers

It is surely interesting to note that those in whose hearts is disease prefer to live with believers although they do not share the same ideals. One reason for this preference is that such people desire to benefit from the advantages of religious morality and the peaceful and secure environment believers provide. They find it more comfortable among believers who display virtuous conduct and would rather live in a society of this kind of people not encountered in an ignorant society. While lacking certainty in their hearts, they do not entirely disbelieve, although they cannot integrate completely into the society of ignorance nor into the society of believers. The doubt in their hearts accounts for this dilemma. They find the life of this world more alluring but they also would like to have the blessings Allah promises to believers in this world and the hereafter. Although they have no certainty of faith, thoughts such as, "What if it is correct?" and "What if those promises are really true?" cause them to hope that in addition to worldly pleasures they can also take advantage of the blessings and bounties that believers attain.

They expect that believers with sincere faith will do the duties that are required in the name of religion while they can take advantage of any worldly benefits resulting from them. However, in case of some hardship or problem they avoid joining them. In the Qur’an the attitude of such people at the time of the Prophet Muhammad illustrates this kind of rationale: "And indeed, there is among you he who lingers behind; and if disaster strikes you, he says, ‘Allah has favored me in that I was not present with them.’ But if bounty comes to you from Allah, he will surely say, although there had never been between you and him any affection, ‘Oh, I wish I had been with them so I could have attained a great attainment.’"114 "[There are] those who wait [and watch] you. Then if you gain a victory from Allah, they say, ‘Were we not with you?’ But if the unbelievers have a success, they say [to them], ‘Did we not gain the advantage over you, but we protected you from the believers?’ Allah will judge between [all of] you on the Day of Resurrection, and never will Allah give the unbelievers over the believers a way [to overcome them]."

These people want to take advantage of the benefits believers enjoy, so at times they try to attract their attention and convince believers of their commitment to the religion. However, since the believers have witnessed their indifference and slackness openly displayed up to that point, they cannot succeed in persuading them.

Hypocritical people have such a distorted rationale that they manage to deceive even themselves and think that they can share in the rewards believers will obtain in the next life. In the Qur’an their true position in the hereafter is described: "...On the Day the hypocrite men and hypocrite women will say to those who believed, ‘Wait for us that we may acquire some of your light.’ It will be said, ‘Go back behind you and seek light.’116 And a wall will be placed between them with a door, its interior containing mercy, but on the outside of it is torment. They [i.e., the hypocrites] will call to them [i.e., the believers], ‘Were we not with you?’ They will say, ‘Yes, but you afflicted yourselves and waited and doubted, and wishful thinking deluded you until there came the command of Allah. And the Deceiver [i.e., satan] deceived you concerning Allah. So today no ransom will be taken from you or from those who disbelieved. Your refuge is the Fire. It is most worthy of you, and wretched is the destination." Such people must realize that unless they have sincere faith in their hearts, their living among believers will be of no use to them before Allah. Because Allah has granted people consciences, wisdom and faculties of judgement, He will question everyone individually and reward or punish him accordingly. One‘s sincere efforts to earn His good pleasure will earn His rewards. Expressing one’s devotion will not suffice because the way one conducts himself must conform to his words. Therefore, those who are negligent deceive themselves by thinking that merely being among believers will help them on the Day of Judgement. The consequence in the hereafter for those who work only for self-interest rather than for Allah is revealed in a Hadith of His Messenger: "Whoever makes others hear [of his good deeds] – Allah will make his [true intention] heard; and whoever makes a show [of his deeds] – Allah will expose him." The indifference of those in whose hearts is disease "And of the people is he who worships Allah on an edge. If he is touched by good, he is reassured by it; but if he is struck by trial, he turns on his face [to the other direction]. He has lost the world and the hereafter. That is what is the manifest loss."

This verse reveals the diseased conception of "enthusiasm" held by people who do not hold fast to religion. They seem very zealous as long as personal interests are not affected. However, when there is a conflict of interest, they lose their enthusiasm and excitement. Since they do not believe with certainty, such a situation will allow them to overlook many Islamic obligations. They forget that Allah created this world as a place of trial, that Allah will test man through many occurrences, which seem either good or bad, and that only those who are steadfast will be rewarded. The disease in their hearts causes them to harbor doubts about Allah’s support. Instead of putting their trust in Allah, they fall into despair and begin to entertain unjust thoughts about Him. Thus, the disease concealed in their hearts surfaces. In the Qur’an, Allah describes the way they lose their zeal abruptly in the face of trials and begin to doubt Allah’s promise: "And [remember] when the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is disease said, ‘Allah and His Messenger did not promise us except delusion."

This attitude is surely a result of deficiency in their faith. Such people fail to understand that everything they encounter was created purposely to test them. Those in whose hearts is disease differ from sincere believers by the attitude they assume toward such trials. Believers become more zealous and peaceful by putting their trust in Allah no matter what befalls them and knowing that Allah’s help is always near.