merce in this verse is because the desire for material profit is one
of the biggest weaknesses among human beings. Some people
are prepared to neglect the precepts of the deen for the sake of
earning more money, obtaining more property or gaining more
power. For example, they don't say their prayers or fulfil any other
obligations, and they don't display fine qualities of character even
though they are able to do so.
There are a number of things that these people expect in re-
turn for their labours. They want a good life in this world, to be
prosperous, to gain position and respect and be honoured in soci-
ety, to have a good marriage and praiseworthy children… These
are a few of the things that people divorced from the values of the
Qur'an even go so far as to choose instead of the afterlife. Indeed,
all these things are legitimate blessings to which everyone who
aims to win Allah's pleasure and attain the afterlife may also as-
pire. Believers also want to have the same blessings: useful em-
ployment, to earn money and own property. But they have some
qualities that separate them from other people: they do all their
work to please Allah, spend their money in ways that Allah has
advised, and in their business, as in everything else, they meticu-
lously obey Allah's commands.
In a verse of the Qur'an, Allah draws
our attention to the dangers of regarding
commerce as preferable to the deen:
Say: "If your fathers or your sons or
your brothers or your wives or your
tribe, or any wealth you have acquired,
or any business you fear may slump, or
any house which pleases you, are dearer
to you than Allah and His Messenger
and doing jihad in His Way, then wait
until Allah brings about His command.
Harun Yahya
r
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