The Importance of Following the Good Word: Complying with the Good Word

Only Those Who Believe in Allah and the Hereafter Comply with the Good Word

The life in this world is a time during which

Allah distinguishes those who engage in good deeds, and those who do evil. During this period, some may commit mistakes. The responsibility upon the faithful is to purify themselves of these shortcomings and weaknesses, in order to earn Allah's good pleasure and to attain a level of morality rewarded with Paradise. Those who are sincere and conscientious eagerly respond to every admonition, for it is their wish to purify themselves of all forms of evil and other defects. Adhering to the good word is not merely a matter of personal preference for the believers. Rather, this is a matter related to a life that is eternal, being either in Hell or in Paradise. Aware of this fact, believers, who fear of Allah and are certain of the Hereafter, carefully avoid all behavior and language that may put into jeopardy this eternal destination, and abide immediately by every cautionary advice and warning they receive. This attribute, which is a fundamental trait of Muslims, is referred to in the Qur'an as follows:

Remaining arrogant, despite all admonitions and reminders, and rejecting them, is a response peculiar to disbelievers. Believers, on the other hand, as the verse above maintains, pay careful attention to every reminder guided by the light of Allah's verses, and obey them. Aware that every admonition is intended to keep them from the infinite punishment of Hell, the faithful respond submissively. The answers, expressing this submission, are recounted in the Qur'an as follows: [Believers say,] "Our Lord, we heard a caller calling us to faith:

'Believe in your Lord!' and we believed. Our Lord, forgive us our wrong actions, erase our bad actions from us and take us back to You with those who are truly good." (Surah Al `Imran, 193)

As the above verse maintains, those who comply with the good word, without becoming arrogant, are sincere and conscientious believers. According to the verse, "And remind them, for truly the believers benefit from being reminded." (Surat adh-Dhariyat, 55), Allah informs us of this fact.

Another verse reminds us about those who will benefit from admonishments and reminders:

According to a verse in Surat an-Nazi`at, Allah relates that only those who fear the Day of Judgment will heed these admonitions:

These statements make it clear that faith in Allah and the Hereafter are at the root of the modesty and submissiveness of believers. Believers ponder about the reality of the Hereafter throughout their lives, never forgetting that any sin could be a cause of shame for them in Allah's sight, and cause them great regret. Cognizant of the severity of the punishment of Hell, as related in the Qur'an, they avoid meticulously any action contrary to Allah's good pleasure, causing them to deserve Allah's punishment, and seek to quickly purify themselves of any faults or shortcomings. In order to best live by the moral excellence described in the Qur'an, they make the greatest effort. In one verse, Allah describes those believers, who considercarefully every admonition they receive with such concern, following the good word, as the "people of intelligence." Those who listen well to what is said and follow the best of it, they are the ones whom Allah has guided, they are the people of intelligence. (Surat az-Zumar, 18)

As mentioned in the verse above, a telling attribute of a believer is his turning to that which he recognizes as just. Surely, this is the best response to an admonition and reminder. In the following verse, Allah relates that the quality of considering what is reminded, and being compliant, is a criterion of superiority:

As the verse maintains, those who fail to see the truth, and, thereby, cannot heed admonitions, are described as "the blind." Surely, no one would like to be blind when they could be of those who can see. Therefore, they would not wish to be blind either in the spiritual sense of the term. For this reason, a person of conscience would regard a warning while still in this world as a great blessing, especially if the admonition issues from a believer, who warns him in the light of Allah's verses. A conscientious person does not offer any excuses, or strives to exonerate himself. For as the verse "… The self indeed commands to evil acts— except for those my Lord has mercy on." (Surah Yusuf, 53) informs, he is aware that the lower-self dislikes being purified. In everyday life, people are confronted with many such examples. For instance, a person may act in a way that is offensive towards someone else, and a believer witnessing his error may remind him that his behavior is inappropriate, and that he ought to maintain his composure under all circumstances, as this is a command from Allah. In such a situation, through the evil insinuations of the lower-self, the person in question might have actually thought that he was acting correctly. However, the faithful, being aware of this tendency of the lower-self, do not heed these evil suggestions. Relying always on their conscience, they recognize the truth and comply with it. Even if they are in the right, they do not try to exonerate themselves. Thinking that there is always a better and more perfect way of behaving, they aim to do better at the next opportunity. One who is faithful knows very well that the excuses issuing from his lower-self will be of no avail in the Hereafter, and that disregarding its insinuations and instead obeying the good word, is what will bring him benefit. For, as the Qur'an refers to the Day of Judgment as "the Day when the excuses of the wrongdoers will not help them." (Surah Ghafir, 52)

In this way, that is, through awareness of the Day of Judgment, thereby being willing to adhere to one another's counsel, believers address one another's shortcomings, and thus advance towards perfection in their morality. Something that goes unnoticed by one is recognized by another. Most importantly, no believer shows the slightest adverse reaction to such warnings. Indeed, in the Qur'an, believers are described as those who

Contrary to the reactions of those who are ignorant of the religion, the faithful never respond to an admonition with haughtiness, arrogance, or such deviant mindsets issuing from the lower-self. Both the one who enjoins it, and the one who complies with it, submit to the good word, without hesitation, for they fear Allah and seek His good pleasure. Such moral excellence is a blessing, granted by Allah only to His modest and obedient servants. As a result, believers benefit also from the blessings brought about by mutual friendship, brotherhood, modesty and sincerity.

It is not only the weaknesses, shortcomings or mistakes which believers warn one another about. Their common goal is to earn Allah's good pleasure. They already possess admirable qualities like good morality, spiritual profundity, and sincerity. However, they are not self-satisfied with these; they still aim to better themselves, and encourage one another to this end. And, no matter what the issue, believers heed advice with submission every time they receive it, for they know that these words and solutions are from the Qur'an, and are means to help them attain Paradise. Another factor which makes these admonitions beneficial is the believers' aim of seeking Allah's good pleasure, rather than the approval of others, and their determination in telling the truth. This is also the case with those matters which go against one's lower-self. What is important is the benefit their words will bring; they aim to be instrumental in the correction of the other person's mistakes, and allowing him to draw nearer to Allah. To this end, believers state frankly what is good, without hesitation. Yet, behind this frankness, there is always respect, compassion and mercy. Before offering some advice with regard to some weakness or failure, stated in the light of the Qur'an, they first consider how they are to say such things so as to be most effective and beneficial. When speaking, they try to be easy on the believers, though through with the "best words," they reflect, and plan, striving always to be helpful to other believers.

Surely, none except sincere believers, who seek Allah's good pleasure, show forth such sensitivity. As long as their personal well-being is not in detriment, those who do not live by the religion never aim to correct others' mistakes and weaknesses. The faults of others, despite the regret and shame they will entail on the Day of Judgment, do not concern them. For, they pursue nothing but the mundane things of this world. If they are required to admonish another for some reason, they are not careful of the words they use, but say whatever comes to their minds, thereby causing anxiety for the other party. However, their normal course is to not interfere with anyone. For, to criticize someone, to admonish them, telling them that they need to reform a particular mode of behavior, are difficult tasks, since such attempts will often entail a negative reaction from the other.

As we explained in detail, in the previous sections, believers accept all such risks, and, without expecting anything in return, enjoin the good and forbid evil, only because it has been commanded in the Qur'an. Allah describes this attribute of the believers as follows:

As recompense, to those who comply with the Qur'an, Allah has made it easy for them to offer advice, and made it a blessing. In a verse of the Qur'an, Allah advised our Prophet that believers should not fear giving advice, but encouraged them, by informing them that it was for this very reason why the Qur'an was sent down:

Being aware of the significance of these verses, believers warn one another, merely to earn Allah's good pleasure. And, towards those believers who offer them advice, thereby summoning them to the truth, they respond in the best way.

Disbelievers Do Not Heed the Good Word

When they are summoned by the good word to Allah, His just Book, and the path of messengers, disbelievers do not obey it. As is stated in the following verse, "If you call them to guidance they will not follow you. It makes no difference if you call them or stay silent." (Surat al-A`raf, 193), they react negatively. Behind every word said to them, they are suspicious of some crooked intention. They often assume that the one giving counsel is doing so for some personal motive, and found their denial on such suspicions. The fact is, however, as we mentioned earlier, Muslims who call through the good word do not do so for personal gain; their only aim is to fulfill Allah's command. Reacting negatively to such a sincere call is a type of response that results only in harm to one's self. Yet, the disbelievers fail to grasp this fact; they fail to realize that the matter concerns the outcome of that life they will live in eternity. Furthermore, they falsely feel relieved, wrongly assuming that ignoring such advice will be of benefit to them. In one verse, the end of those who oppose to the reminders made to them is declared as follows:

Then, why do people not comply with the words that will save them from spiritual darkness, purify them of their faults, and help them to attain good, beauty, and most importantly, Allah's approval? We can cite several reasons to explain this; the absence of the fear of Allah, and concern for the Hereafter, their thinking themselves self-sufficient, assuming themselves to be infallible. As the verse maintains,

In the following pages, we will explore the reasons for which the disbelievers do not act in accordance with these reminders.

They Have No Faith in Allah or Certainty of the Hereafter

If you were to ask anyone around you, "Do you heed Allah?," they most probably will answer, "Yes." Yet, mere words do not suffice to prove one's awareness of Allah. Only Allah knows whether one truly heeds Him that is, what he harbors in his heart. However, believers may also ascertain this from both the speech and behavior of a person. A person's actions must not contradict his words. If a person fails to fully comply with his responsibilities towards our Lord, has no qualms about trangressing His limits, or has no will to adhere to Allah's verses when he is reminded of them, then there is no reason to believe that such a person heeds Allah's commands.

In the Qur'an, Allah recounts the condition of those who turn their faces when they are reminded:

As the above verses also reveal, the reason why disbelievers turn their faces away when they receive a reminder, or even flee from it, is their having no fear of Allah or concern for the Hereafter. Yet, they ought to be aware that, on the Day of Judgment, they will be called to give an account of every time they had received a reminder, to which they had turned their faces, and every good word about which they feigned ignorance, and will be rewarded with a terrible punishment. Every time they pretend to not understand the facts conveyed to them, and reject lessons they ought to take from the many reminders offered to them, they take further step towards the fire of Hell. Allah has granted them a certain period of respite, and sends them messengers so as

The time that has been granted to them often deceives those who do not heed Allah, nor believe in the Hereafter. Wrongly assuming that they have still many years ahead of them, they do not listen to the reminders, and see nothing wrong in their obstinacy. Furthermore, in a manner that is extremely disrespectful and rebellious, they maintain,

One would not expect such people, who are so far from any awareness of Allah, and thought of the Hereafter, to heed the call of believers.

These people will only come to understand the loss they are to suffer, because of their rebellion against the good word, at that moment when they meet their demise. Only then will they feel the fear of Allah in their hearts, as they ought to have. At that time, though, they will taste the severity of the punishment of Hell as they are made to enter into it. In the Qur'an, Allah informs us of what they will encounter in Hell:

On the Day when disbelievers are exposed to the Fire, they will be asked,

They Follow Not Their Conscience, But Their Lower-Selves When disbelievers are summoned to the path of Allah, one of the reasons why they do not heed this call is their inclination towards their lower-selves, rather than to their conscience. When faced with a trying situation, or when one of them needs to make an important decision, or choose between right and wrong, one hears specific inner suggestions.

While one of these voices guides him to the truth and to the good, the other one leads him to that which is wrong and wicked. Every soul knows this voice. When a helping hand ought to be extended to another in need, for instance, one of these voices will suggest that he should do the best he can for him. The other voice, however, whispers to him that if he were ever to extend such a helping hand, then he will place himself in detriment, or diminish his own means, and that there are others better disposed to provide such assistance, etc. The voice that whispers the truth and the more honourable option is the conscience, while the lower soul whispers that which is evil, and is actually the voice of Satan. In Surat ash-Shams, Allah commands to avoid the wicked tendencies of the lower-soul. And the self and what proportioned it and inspired it with depravity or heedfulness, he who purifies it has succeeded, he who covers it up has failed. (Surat ash-Shams, 7-10)

As these verses also maintain, Allah inclined the human soul to both depravity and to the ways to avoid it. Conscience is that which inspires avoidance of evil, and consistently leads the soul to that which will please Allah. Compliance to this voice brings about a life of good and contentment, which can lead to earning Allah's approval. The conscience inspires adherence to the good word, to submission to Allah, and being more meticulously observant of His limits, whereas the lower-self commands evil, disbelief and disregarding the reminders. If a person does not follow his conscience, then he will conform instead to the inclinations of his lower-self, which can lead only to great loss. In a verse of the Qur'an, Allah explains the tendency of the lower-self to command evil as follows:

[Yusuf said,]

Conscience is one of the greatest blessings granted by Allah to man, that he may avoid the evil of his lower-self, for Allah puts man to various tests throughout his life. When confronted with certain events in his life, or instances when he is admonished or given certain reminders, he must be able to distinguish between right and wrong. It is his responses to these situations that will determine his state in the Hereafter. No matter what a man is doing, or whereever he may be, his conscience commands him to act in the most honourable way. Whether one wishes it or not, or even if he were to strive to supress the voice of his conscience, he could never silence it; it persistently insists on what is just. What is incumbent upon him is to follow this voice, and submit to Allah, and answer the call of those who summon to the truth, enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong.

Every person, through his conscience, recognizes the sincerity of the advice he receives when he is called to Allah's guidance, moral excellence, compliance with the true religion, worship, to prepare himself for the next life and purify himself of mundane ambitions. Yet, the disbelievers ignore the voice of their conscience, being led astray by the evil of their lower-selves.

Let us consider the example of an atheist who denies Allah's existence. This person is one who has turned a deaf ear to the voice of his conscience, and who has been overcome by his lower-self. For each person is endowed with a conscience and understanding to enable him to recognize the signs of Allah's creation around him, and the existence of the Creator Who has created everything with a superior wisdom. If this person were asked to believe that spilled paint had formed itself into a work of art by pure accident, that it was not the result of some intelligent effort, he would certainly not believe it. Ironically, the same person, neglecting the use of his logicical abilities, his conscience or his wisdom, would claim that a tree came into being accidentally, and that it was not created. This is truly a clear example of rejecting one's conscience, and insisting instead on denial by obeying one's lower-self.

Indeed, we encounter many such people today, who continue to exemplify this warped way of thinking. Every effort to counsel them proves futile. They insist on not believing in the signs presented to them, do not follow the good word, for they do not adhere to their conscience. Yet, they ought to remember that, on the Day of Judgment, they will regret not having complied with the reminders, and failed to appreciate Allah's infinite might.