creation was brought into being is praised by Allah; it is what abides to the credit of its doer—those are the righteous deeds.
For this reason people divide into four types:
- Whoever acts for Allah with courage and open-handedness—these are the believers who deserve Paradise.
- Whoever acts with courage and open-handedness but for other than Allah profits from that in this world yet has no share in the Hereafter.
- Whoever acts for Allah but without courage or open-handedness possesses, to that extent, hypocrisy and a deficiency of faith.
- Whoever neither acts for Allah nor possesses courage or open-handedness has neither this world nor the Hereafter.
Such virtues and deeds are required of every believer—especially during times of hardship and grave turmoil—for then they must reform their own souls and repel sin when temptation arises, and they must also command and forbid others in proportion to their ability. Each of these two duties involves its own difficulties, though they become easy for the one to whom Allah grants ease.
This is because Allah has commanded the believers to have faith and to do righteous works, and He has commanded them to invite others and struggle against them until they too embrace faith and righteous works, as the Exalted says:
“Allah will surely help those who help His cause—Allah is Strong, Almighty—those who, if We establish them in the land, maintain the prayer, give the zakat, enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong; and to Allah belongs the outcome of all affairs.” (al-Hajj 40–41)
And He also says:
“Indeed, We shall certainly aid Our messengers and those who believe, in the life of this world and on the Day when the witnesses rise.” (Ghafir 51)