T h e V i s i o n o f I s l a m
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prayers: That is, if a man prays that the wisdom of the Quran be
made known to him, it will befit him to exert himself in pondering
upon the Book of God (38:29). The Quran has this to say: “To Him
ascend good words, and He exalts righteous deeds.” (35:10). If a
man asks for help in earning his living, he shall have to make every
possible effort himself to do so.
The other pre-condition for deserving divine help is patience,
even in the face of stiff opposition from those against whom divine
aid is sought (14:12). Patience is a positive reaction to negative acts.
This means that no impatient step should be taken against the
opponent. There should be no retaliation against his opponents.
They should simply be borne; instead of making complaints about
the suffering inflicted, the latter should be met with silent self-
restraint and endurance.
No doubt the kind of patience and tolerance shown by the
companions of the Prophet towards their opponents would ensure
God’s help to any group who possessed these qualities to the same
degree. Divine help, in fact, is just another name for success.
