lie for the sake of a greater benefit. He may tell one of them, for instance, “So-and-so has done nothing that harms you,” and the like, intending something other than what he outwardly says until peace is restored between them—for reconciliation is best.

The second verse is the Almighty’s words: “O you who believe, whoever among you turns back from his religion, Allah will soon bring forth a people He loves and who love Him—humble toward the believers, mighty against the disbelievers” (Q 5:54). That is, were you to apostatize, it would not harm Allah in the least; He would replace you with a people He loves and who love Him because they devote themselves to His worship and follow the Messenger ﷺ. One of the strongest reasons for Allah’s love for a servant is the servant’s adherence to the Messenger, as Allah says: “Say, ‘If you love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins’” (Q 3:31). So if you wish Allah to love you, follow the Messenger—the way is plain and unmistakable. Allah further says, “He will soon bring forth a people He loves and who love Him—humble toward the believers, mighty against the disbelievers.”

This, then, is the true believer: with his Muslim brothers he is humble, modest, accommodating, and forgiving; but toward the disbelievers he is mighty—firm before them, never yielding, never flattering, never compromising. All such courting of the disbeliever is forbidden to the believer, and it is equally forbidden for him to abase himself before them, for Allah has granted him a religion that stands above all others. We are obliged to hate the disbelievers, to regard them as our enemies, and to realize that they will not do anything truly in our interest; whatever apparent benefit they offer is only a means to inflict on us a harm greater than we could have imagined, for they are enemies—and what does an enemy wish for you except every evil, even if he outwardly pretends