People are in a relentless search for peaceful environments where they can live in safety, have joy and cherish friendship. Despite this longing, however, they never put forth an effort to foster these values, but rather they become themselves the causes of conflicts and misery. Often people expect others to provide peace and safety and be friendly. This applies to family relations, relations among employees of a company, to social peace as well as to international affairs. Yet, maintenance of friendship, peace and safety demand altruism. Conflict and restlessness cannot be avoided when people insist on having the last word, when they consider only their own comfort and are unwilling to make any compromises or sacrifices. However, believers who fear God act differently. They are unselfish, forgiving and forbearing. Even when they are wronged, they renounce their own rights, regard the peace and safety of the society and happiness of others over their own self-interest, and display courteous behaviour. This is a noble attribute that God commands believers to have:
A good action and a bad action are not the same. Repel the bad with something better and, if there is enmity between you and someone else, he will be like a bosom friend. None will obtain it but those who are truly steadfast. None will obtain it but those who have great good fortune.
Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair admonition, and argue with them in the kindest way. Your Lord knows best who is misguided from His way. And He knows best who are guided.
As stated in the verse, in return for this good act of believers, God changes their enemies into "bosom friends". This is one of God's secrets. After all, all hearts are in God's hand. He changes the heart and thought of whomever He wills.
In some other verses, God draws our attention to the effect of good and gentle word. God commands the Prophet Moses and Aaron, peace be upon them, to go to Pharaoh and to speak to him gently. Despite Pharaoh's unfairness, insolence and mercilessness, God has commanded His messengers to speak to him with gentle words. God has explained the reason in the Qur'an:
Go to Pharaoh; he has overstepped the bounds. But speak to him with gentle words so that hopefully he will pay heed or show some fear.
These verses inform believers about the type of attitude they should assume towards disbelievers, their enemies and insolent people. This surely encourages patience, will, modesty and wisdom. God has revealed as a secret that He will render the acts of believers effective and will change their enemies into friends when they obey His commands and act in compliance with good morals.
Provides Room for People
One of the serious mistakes people make is that they consider everything as a consequence of something else. For example, as mentioned in previous pages, they think that they would run out of money if they spent their wealth in God's way. However, there is a secret in God's creation of which they are unaware; that God will increase His blessings on those who give in God's Cause both in this world and in the hereafter. Surely, God makes man perceive these as a cause and effect functioning of the world. For example, the affairs of someone who gives away his wealth for the cause of God is rendered easy and his earnings are increased by God. Or, as explained in the previous section, one may resort to force to cope with a furious person because he believes gentle words would not soothe him. However, for a person who obeys God's commands, the secrets God revealed in the Qur'an provide the only solution.
One of these secrets revealed in the Qur'an is another command of God: You who believe! When you are told:
'Make room in the gathering,' then make room and God will make room for you! And when it is said, 'Get up!' Get up! God will raise in rank those of you who believe and those who have been given knowledge. God is aware of what you do.
God commands believers to obey the call to make room in an assembly for newcomers or thin out the crowd when necessary. This, as well as indicating consideration and kindness, is also a sign of obedience. God revealed that He will provide ample room for believers and will raise them in rank in return to their behaviour. God holds the intention and heart of every man in His hand. If He is pleased with their behaviour, He can give this person any gift and beauty He wills. For that reason, believers expect the result and reward of everything from God. When they make room in an assembly, they do not expect gratitude from people, but hope for God's good pleasure, for the peace He will give to their hearts and for being raised in rank.
