Day 35 · Surah Ali Imran Verses 122-140

Ali 'Imran 122–140

The struggle between truth and falsehood is Allah's decree until the end of time, and today are mentioned the keys to facing it: patience, God-consciousness, abandoning usury, and hastening to seek forgiveness and paradise.

• Facing hostility is a test of faith, and Allah's help will surely come to those who are patient and have God-consciousness as proven in the Battle of Badr despite their small number.
• The believers are asked for absolute obedience to Allah, including abandoning usury in all economic transactions because usury will never unite with faith and God-consciousness.
• Proof of faith is hastening to seek forgiveness and paradise whose vastness is like the heavens and earth.
• The characteristics of those who have God-consciousness are mentioned: spending in abundance and hardship, restraining anger, forgiving people, being professional, and quickly repenting after committing sin.
• The believers will not be free from trials, but the suffering in striving for Islam is balanced by the reality that those who fight Islam also suffer.

Verses 122-132 explain that the logical consequence of faith in Allah includes readiness to face the enemies of Allah when they fight or commit various injustices against the believers. Such things are a test of faith. Allah's help will surely come as long as the believers are patient and have God-consciousness toward Allah, as happened in the Battle of Badr and the like, even though the number of believers was small.

The struggle between truth and falsehood is a law of Allah until the end of time. The believers need not fear or doubt. Allah has ways to give them victory, for He is the Owner of the heavens and earth.

For this reason, the believers are asked for absolute obedience to Allah, including abandoning the system of usury in all economic and business transactions. Usury will never unite with faith and God-consciousness, as explained in Surah Al-Baqarah verses 286 and 287. God-consciousness toward Allah is the main condition for attaining victory.

You believers must distance yourselves from beliefs, words, and deeds that lead to the Fire, for the Fire is prepared for those who disbelieve in Allah and His messengers. Obedience to Allah and His Messenger is absolute, in order to attain the mercy of Allah.

Verses 133-140 explain two basic principles in Islam. The first principle is that the key to success in this world and the Hereafter is faith that produces God-consciousness toward Allah. Proof of having faith in Him is hastening to seek His forgiveness and paradise whose vastness is like the heavens and earth. Among the proofs of God-consciousness toward Allah are:

1. Spending in abundance and hardship.
2. Being able to restrain anger.
3. Forgiving toward people.
4. Being professional in all matters.
5. If one slips into sin or injustice, quickly return and repent to Allah.

The second principle is that in this life there is a law of Allah (Allah's decree) that people who believe and obey Allah will never be free from His trials. However, if they are patient and always maintain the quality of their faith and God-consciousness toward Allah, they will have victory in this world and great success in the Hereafter, namely His paradise. Furthermore, if in practicing and striving for Islamic teachings one experiences suffering, then we must also remember that those who fight Islam also make many sacrifices and experience suffering. All this is to prove our faith in Allah.

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