steadfastness and prayed to Allah. Allah answered his prayer and showed
him a way out.
Nuh, peace be upon him, displayed steadfastness when people
mocked him because of the Ark he built. He remained calm and
counselled them. These are the extraordinary examples of steadfastness
displayed by these noble people. Allah relates in many verses that He
loves His slaves who are steadfast.
Allah, on the contrary, does not love arrogant people who show off.
Not all people enjoy the same material benefits in this world. Some have
beautiful houses and cars while others may possess nothing, but what
matters is that one conducts oneself correctly. For instance, assuming that
one is superior to one's friends because one has better clothes is an
attitude that displeases Allah. That is because Allah commands us to
value people according to their faith, not their appearances.
For Allah, the measure of superiority is not wealth or might, beauty
or strength. Allah values people according to their taqwa (awe of Allah),
the love they feel for Him, their loyalty and their commitment to living
by the values of the Qur'an. These are the criteria for assessing superiority
in Allah's sight. In the Qur'an, Allah relates the story of Qarun to teach us
a lesson.
Qarun was a very wealthy man. He was so rich that the keys to his
treasure had to be carried by several people. Ignorant people around him
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ET'S LEARN OUR ISLAM
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