Introduction

There are many people who have no faith in the Qur'an despite claiming to be faithful believers. They spend their lives clinging to delusions and live with contradictions and deficiencies, refusing to adopt the Qur'an as their guide. Yet, only the Qur'an provides a lifetime of true knowledge for every person and contains the secrets of God's creation in its truest and purest form. Any piece of information not based on the Qur'an is in contradiction, and therefore is a deception and an illusion. Therefore, those who do not adhere to the Qur'an live in a state of delusion. In the hereafter they will be condemned to eternal punishment (unless God wills otherwise).

In the Qur'an, along with prayers, commands, prohibitions and high moral standards, God communicates many secrets to mankind. These are truly important secrets, and an attentive eye can witness these throughout his life. No other source than the Qur'an holds these secrets. The Qur'an is the unique source of secrets that those people, no matter how intelligent, literate or astute they are, could never hope to find anywhere else.
That some people cannot see while others have a grasp of some hidden messages in the Qur'an is another secret created by God. Those who do not seek these secrets revealed in the Qur'an, live in distress and difficulty. Ironically, they never know the cause of their distress. Those who learn about these secrets of the Qur'an, on the other hand, lead an easy, joyful life.

That is because the Qur'an is clear, easy and straightforward enough to be understood by anyone. In the Qur'an, God states the following:

O Mankind! A clear proof has come to you from your Lord. We have sent down a Clear Light to you. As for those who believe in God and hold fast to Him, He will admit them into mercy and favour from Him and will guide them to Him on a straight path. (Surat an-Nisa': 174-175)

However, many people, despite being capable of solving the most complicated problems, understanding and putting the most puzzling and ambiguous philosophies into practice, fail to grasp the clarity and simplicity found in the Qur'an. As this book explains, this itself is an important mystery. Not being able to grasp the fleeting nature of life in this temporal world, these people draw closer to inevitable death every day. The secrets in the Qur'an are a grace for believers while they bring down torment on disbelievers both in this world and in the hereafter. God relates this fact in a verse as follows:

We sent down in the Qur'an that which is a healing and a mercy to the believers, but it only increases the wrongdoers in loss. (Surat al-Isra': 82)

This book deals with the subjects related to some verses God has revealed to mankind as a secret. When a person reads these verses, and his attention is drawn to the secrets in these verses, what he must do is to seek the divine purposes hidden in events and evaluate everything in the light of the Qur'an. Then, people will realise with excitement that the secrets of the Qur'an control both their own lives and those of others alike.

From the moment one wakes up in the morning, the manifestations of these secrets created by God can be seen. To accomplish this, he only needs to remain heedful, turn to God and think. Then, he will realise that his life is by no means dependent on the laws many people prejudicially adopt and that the only valid authority and laws are the laws of God. This is a very important secret. Many of the rules and practices the majority of people have accepted for centuries as the most definitive truths have no validity. As a matter of fact, these people are greatly deluded. The truth is what is revealed in the Qur'an. Anybody who reads the Qur'an sincerely, evaluates events in the light of the Qur'an and faith, and lives as a friend of God, will clearly see these secrets. This will lead to a better grasp that God is the only One Who holds control over every being, every heart and every thought. As God states in a verse:

We will show them Our Signs on the horizon and within themselves until it is clear to them that it is the truth. Is it not enough for your Lord that He is a witness of everything? What! Are they in doubt about the meeting with their Lord? What! Does He not encompass all things? (Surah Fussilat: 53-54)

God Answers Everyone's Prayers

God, the All-Mighty, Merciful and Compassionate, revealed in the Qur'an that He is close to man and will answer people when they pray to Him. One of the relevant verses is as follows:

If My servants ask you about Me, I am near. I answer the call of the caller when he calls on Me. They should therefore respond to Me and believe in Me so that they will be guided aright. (Surat al-Baqara: 186)

As stated in the verse above, God is close to everybody. He has knowledge of everyone's wishes, feelings, thoughts, every word uttered, anything whispered and even what is concealed deep in one's thoughts.

Consequently, God hears and knows everyone who turns to Him and prays to Him. This is God's blessing on mankind, and a manifestation of His mercy, grace and infinite power.

God has infinite might and knowledge. He is the Possessor of everything in the entire universe. Every being, every object, from the seemingly most powerful people to the greatest riches, from the magnificent celestial bodies to a tiny animal dwelling on the Earth, all belongs to God and are all under His complete will and control.

A person who has faith in this truth can pray to God for anything and can hope that God will answer those prayers. For example, a person who is seized by an incurable disease will surely resort to all forms of medical care. Yet, knowing that only God restores health, prayers will be offered to Him for recovery. Alternatively, a person with some kind of fear or anxiety can pray to God for relief and to remove all forms of fear. A person who encounters difficulties in accomplishing a task can turn to God for the removal of difficulties. One can pray to God for countless things; for guidance to the true path, for acceptance into paradise with other true believers, for a better grasp of paradise, hell and the Might of God, for good health and so on. This is what God's Messenger, peace be upon him, stressed when he said:

Shall I introduce to you a weapon which will protect you both from the evils of enemies and increase your sustenance? They said: Yes, O Messenger of God. He said: Call your Lord day and night, for 'Prayer' is the weapon of a believer.1

However, there is another secret disclosed in the Qur'an, which deserves mention at this point. As God states in the verse, "Man prays for evil just as he prays for good. Man is prone to be impetuous." (Surat al-Isra': 11).

For example, a person may ask God for more property and wealth for his children's future. However, God may not see any goodness in this request. It may well be that prosperity will turn the children away from God. In this sense, God hears this person's call and answers it in the best way. Alternatively, a person may pray not to be late for an appointment. However, it may well be that it is better for him to reach the destination after the specified time and instead, meet someone who would contribute something beneficial for his eternal life. God knows this and He answers the prayer, not in the form the person thought, but in the best way. That is, God hears that person, but if He sees no good for him in his prayer, He creates what is best for him. This itself is a very important secret.

When prayers appear to go unanswered, those unaware of this secret assume that God did not hear their call. This is indeed a perverted belief of ignorance because "God is closer to man than his own jugular vein". (Surat Qaf: 16) He knows every word one speaks, every thought and every instant pertaining to one's life. Even while one is asleep, God knows what he experiences in his dreams. It is God Who creates everything. Consequently, each time one prays to God, he should be aware that God will accept his prayer as a worship and believe that God will answer his call in the most appropriate time and create what is best for him.
Prayer, as well as being a form of worship, is also a precious gift from God to mankind. This is because, through prayer, God enables man to attain anything He deems good and beneficial for him. God relates the importance of prayers in the verse stating: "Say: 'What has My Lord to do with you if you do not call on Him? But you have denied the truth, so punishment is bound to come.' " (Surat al-Furqan: 77)

GOD ANSWERS THE PRAYERS OF THOSE WHO ARE IN DISTRESS AND NEED

Prayers are the times when one's closeness to God is explicitly felt; it is a time when one grasps God's closeness and how, as a servant of God, he is in need of Him. This is because when one prays, he grasps how weak and humble he is before God, and perceives that no one except God can ever help him. The sincerity and candidness in one's prayer depends on how desperately he is in need. For example, everybody prays to God for peace in the world. Yet, someone -who is desperate in the middle of a war would pray more earnestly and humbly to God. Similarly, people, during a storm in a ship or in an airplane in danger of crashing, would beg humbly to God. They will be sincere and submissive in their prayer. God relates this fact in a verse as follows:

Say: 'Who rescues you from the darkness of the land and sea? You call on Him humbly and secretly: "If you rescue us from this, we will truly be among the thankful." (Surat al-An'am: 63)

In the Qur'an, God commands man to pray with humility: 

Call on your Lord humbly and secretly. He does not love those who overstep the limits. (Surat al-A'raf: 55)

In another verse, God states that He answers the calls of the oppressed and those who are in need:

He Who responds to the oppressed when they call on Him and removes their distress, and makes you inheritors of the earth. Is there another deity besides God? How little you pay heed! (Surat an-Naml: 62)

No doubt, one does not necessarily have to face death to implore God and to pray to Him in need. These examples are given so as to make people have a grasp of the mood with which to pray sincerely and ponder over the moment of death, when one can no longer be heedless and definitely turn to God with an inner sincerity. Believers who are wholeheartedly devoted to God, on the other hand, being aware of their weaknesses and feeling the need, always turn sincerely to God even if they are not in a situation of death or life. This is an important characteristic which distinguishes them from disbelievers and those of poor faith.

NOT SETTING ANY LIMITS ON PRAYING

A person can ask God for anything within the limits of the permissible (halal). This is because, as mentioned earlier, God is the only ruler and owner of the entire universe; and if He wills, He grants man anything He desires. Every person who turns to God and prays to Him should credit God's power to do anything and "be firm in supplication" as our beloved Prophet, peace be upon him, said.2 He needs to know that it is easy for Him to fulfil any wish, and He will grant a person's request if there is anything good for that person in his prayer. Prayers of prophets and true believers mentioned in the Qur'an set an example to believers about the subjects they can ask from God. For example, the Prophet Zachariah (Zakariyya), peace be upon him, prayed to God for a pleasing heir and, God answered his prayer, despite his wife's barrenness:

When he called on his Lord in secret and said, 'My Lord, my bones have lost their strength and my head is crowned with white, but in calling on You, My Lord, I have never been disappointed. I fear my relatives when I am gone and my wife is barren, so give me an heir from You to be my inheritor and the inheritor of the family of Jacob (Ya'qub), and make him, my Lord, pleasing to You.' (Surah Maryam: 3-6)

God answered the Prophet Zachariah's prayer and gave him the good news of the Prophet John (Yahya), peace be upon him. Having received the tidings of a son, the Prophet Zachariah was surprised since his wife was barren. The answer of God to the Prophet Zachariah reveals a secret which believers should always keep in mind:

He said, 'My Lord! How can I have a boy when my wife is barren and I have reached advanced old age?' He said, 'It will be so! Your Lord says, "That is easy for me to do. I created you before, when you were not anything."' (Surah Maryam: 8-9) 

There are many other prophets mentioned in the Qur'an whose prayers were answered. For example, the Prophet Noah (Nuh), peace be upon him, asked God to inflict a torment on his people, who went astray despite his best efforts to guide them to the right path. As an answer to his prayer, God inflicted a great torment on them which went down in history.

The Prophet Job (Aiyub), peace be upon him, called out to God because of his distress, saying "... Great harm has afflicted me and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful" (Surat al-Anbiya': 83). The response to the Prophet Job's prayer is related as follows:

We responded to him and removed from him the harm, which was afflicting him and restored his family to him, and the same again with them, as a mercy direct from Us and a Reminder to all worshippers. (Surat al-Anbiya': 84)

God answered the Prophet Solomon (Sulayman), peace be upon him, who prayed, "My Lord, forgive me and give me a kingdom the like of which will never be granted to anyone after me. Truly You are the Ever-Giving." (Surah Sâd: 35). And God bestowed a great power and wealth on him.

Accordingly, those who pray should keep in mind the verse "His command when He desires a thing is just to say to it, 'Be!' (Surah Ya-Sin:82). As stated in the verse, everything is easy for God and He hears and knows every prayer.

God gives blessings of this world to those who desire them, but in the hereafter they will suffer heavy loss
The desires of those who do not harbour a deep-rooted fear in their heart for God and lack a profound faith in the hereafter are worldly-oriented. They ask for wealth, property and status only for the life of this world. God informs us that those who desire only the world will have no reward in the hereafter. Believers, on the other hand, pray both for this world and the hereafter since they believe that the life in the hereafter is as certain and near as this life. Of this, God states the following:

... There are some people who say, 'Our Lord, give us good in the world.' They will have no share in the hereafter. And there are others who say, 'Our Lord, give us good in the world, and good in the hereafter, and safeguard us from the punishment of the Fire.' They will have a good share from what they have earned. God is swift at reckoning. (Surat al-Baqara: 200-202)

Believers, too, pray for good health, wealth, knowledge and bliss. Yet, all their prayers carry the intention to please God and have something to do for the good of the religion (deen). They ask for wealth, for instance, to use it in God's way. With regard to this, God gives the example of The Prophet Solomon in the Qur'an. Far from being a worldly ambition, the Prophet Solomon's call for unprecedented possessions was for the noble purpose of using them in the way of God, calling people to God's religion and to keep himself occupied with the remembrance of God. The words of the Prophet Solomon related in the Qur'an indicate this sincere intention:

"... Truly do I love the love of good, with a view to the glory of my Lord." (Surah Sâd: 32) 

God answered this very prayer of Solomon, granted him a great property in the world and rewarded him with the blessings of the hereafter. On the other hand, God also grants the wishes of those who desire only the life of this world, yet a painful punishment awaits them in the hereafter. No blessing they possess here in this world will be accessible to them in the hereafter.

This important fact is related in the Qur'an as follows: 

If anyone desires to cultivate the hereafter, We will increase him in his cultivation. If anyone desires to cultivate the world, We will give him some of it but he will have no share in the hereafter. (Surat ash-Shura: 20) 

As for anyone who desires this fleeting existence, We hasten in it whatever We will to whomever We want. Then We will consign him to Hell where he will roast, reviled and driven out. (Surat al-Isra': 18)

God Increases His Blessings on Those Who Are Grateful

Every person is in need of God at every instant of life. From the air one breathes to the food he eats, from the ability to use one's hands to the faculty of speech, from being sheltered to being in a joyful spirit, one lives completely in need of what God creates and grants him. Still, a vast majority of people do not perceive their weaknesses and that they are in need of God. They suppose that things develop spontaneously or that they acquire everything by their own efforts. This is an important error, as well as a serious ingratitude towards God. Ironically, people who render their thanks to a person for even an insignificant gift, spend all their lives ignoring the countless blessings that God gives them all through their lives. However, so great are the blessings granted to a person that one could never count them. God relates this fact in a verse as follows:

If you tried to number God's blessings, you could never count them. God is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surat an-Nahl: 18)

Despite this fact, most people fail to give thanks for any of the blessings they have. The reason for this is related in the Qur'an: Satan, who pledged to misguide people from God's way, said that his ultimate aim is to make people be ungrateful to God. Satan's defiant statements to God emphasise the importance of giving thanks to God:

'Then I will come at them, from in front of them behind them, from their right and from their left. You will not find most of them thankful.' He (God) said, 'Get out of it, reviled and driven out. As for those of them (mankind) who follow you, I, will fill up Hell with every one of you.' (Surat al-A'raf: 17-18)

Believers, on the other hand, aware of their weaknesses and in humility before God, render their thanks to Him for every blessing granted. Wealth and possessions are not the only blessings for which believers render their thanks to God. Knowing that God is the Owner and Possessor of everything, believers express their inner gratefulness for good health, beauty, knowledge, wisdom, love of faith and hatred from disbelief, understanding, insight, foresight and for power. They are thankful for being rightly guided and for being in the company of believers. A beautiful landscape, easy handling of their affairs, fulfilment of their wishes, tidings of great joy, respectful conduct or any other blessings make believers immediately turn to God, express their gratefulness to Him and reflect on His mercy and compassion.

In return for good morals displayed, a reward awaits believers. This is another of the secrets revealed in the Qur'an; God increases His blessings on those who are grateful. For example, God grants even more health and power to those who render their thanks to God for the good health and strength they have. God bestows even more knowledge and property to those who are grateful for their knowledge or wealth. This is because they are sincere people who are contented with what God gives and are pleased with the blessings and who take God as their friend. God relates this secret in the Qur'an as follows:

And when your Lord announced: "If you are grateful, I will certainly give you increase, but if you are ungrateful, My punishment is severe."' (Surah Ibrahim: 7)

Being grateful is also a sign of one's closeness to and love of God. People who give thanks have the insight and capability to perceive the beauties and blessings that God creates. God's Messenger, peace be upon him, also referred to this when he said:

When God gives you property, the bliss of God's blessing and offering must be reflected on you.3

On the other hand, a disbelieving or ungrateful person will only see the imperfections and faults even in the most beautiful environment, and thus will be unhappy and discontented. Indeed, as a divine purpose in God's creation, such people, always come across with seemingly unfavourable events and unpleasant scenes. On the other hand, God displays more of His bounties and blessings to those who have a sincere and insightful outlook.

That God increases His blessings to those who are grateful is one of the secrets of the Qur'an. However, one needs to keep in mind that sincerity is a prerequisite for being grateful. No doubt, one's way of showing his gratitude without turning sincerely to God and feeling the inner peace of God's infinite mercy and compassion, which is solely intended to impress people, would be sheer insincerity. God knows what hearts harbour, and will bear witness to this insincerity. Those who have insincere inner intentions may conceal it from other people, but not from God. Such people may render their thanks with affected manners when there is no affliction, but at times of hardship, it is possible that they may readily lapse into ungratefulness.

It should be also noted that true believers remain grateful to God even under harshest conditions. Someone thinking superficially may see the diminishing of some blessings believers enjoy. However, believers, who are able to perceive the good aspect of every event and situation, see goodness in this too. For example, God states that He will test people with fear, hunger and loss of wealth or life. In such a situation, believers rejoice and feel grateful, hoping that God will reward them with the gifts of paradise in return for the steadfastness they displayed in this test. They know that God does not impose on anyone more than he can bear. The steadfastness and submission of such awareness lead them to patience and gratitude. Therefore, it is an obvious attribute of believers to show unwavering dedication and submission and God promises to expand His blessings on His grateful servants both in the life of this world and in the hereafter.

Secrets of Submission To One's Fate and Putting One's Trust in God

Putting one's trust in God is an attribute peculiar to believers who have profound faith, who can appreciate God's power, and who are close to Him. There are important secrets and blessings to placing one's trust in God. Putting one's trust in God implies a definite submissiveness to and reliance on God and the fate He creates. God has created all beings, animals, plants, as well as non-living objects - each with its own purpose or fate. The sun, moon, seas, lakes, trees, flowers, a tiny ant, a single leaf falling, a single particle of dust on your desk, a rock that you trip over, the shirt that you bought ten years ago, the peach in your refrigerator, your mother, your father, your relatives, your primary school friends, yourself - briefly everyone and everything has its fate which was predetermined millions of years ago in God's sight. The fate of every being is kept in a book, which is called "The Mother of the Book" in the Qur'an. The moment of death, the moment a particular leaf falls, the moment when the peach in your fridge starts decaying, and all the stages of rock until you tripped over it - briefly, every event, insignificant or important - is kept in this book. Believers have faith in fate and they know that the fate God creates is the best for them. That is why, at every moment of their lives, they put their trust in God. In other words, they know that God creates all events in compliance with a divine purpose and there is goodness in whatever God creates. For example, catching a fatal disease, confronting a bitter and merciless enemy, being subjected to false accusations despite being innocent, or encountering the most terrifying events one can imagine do not shake the faith of believers nor arouse any fear in their hearts. They welcome what God has created for them. Believers derive great pleasure from encountering situations which normally terrify or bring despair to a disbeliever. That is because even the most dreadful scenario was previously planned by God to test them. Those who respond to these situations with steadfastness and put their trust in God and to the fate He creates, will earn the love and good pleasure of God. They earn paradise for all eternity. Therefore, believers enjoy the comfort and joy of putting their trust in their Lord throughout their lives. This is a blessing and secret that God discloses to believers. God states in the Qur'an that He loves those who put their trust in Him. (Surah Al 'Imran: 159) God's Messenger, peace be upon him, also remarked this when he said: A servant of God can have no real faith unless he believes in fate with its good and evil sides and knows that he cannot prevent anything that befalls him (good or evil) and he cannot catch anything that escapes from him (good or evil).4   Another point mentioned in the Qur'an about putting trust in God is "taking measures." The Qur'an informs us about numerous measures believers can take in various situations. In many other verses, God also reveals the secret that those measures which are accepted as a form of worship by God, cannot change the fate. The Prophet Jacob, peace be upon him, advised his sons to take some measures while entering the city but afterwards he reminded them to place trust in God. The relevant verse is as follows: He said, 'My sons! You must not enter through a single gate. Go in through different gates. But I cannot save you from God at all, for judgement comes from no one but God. In Him I put my trust, and let all those who put their trust, put it in Him alone.' (Surah Yusuf: 67) As seen in the words of the Prophet Jacob, believers definitely take precautions, but they know that they cannot change what fate God has willed for them. For example, a person should follow traffic rules and not drive carelessly. This is an important measure and a form of worship performed for one's life and that of others. Yet, if God wills that person to die in a car accident, no measure can be taken to prevent his death. Sometimes a precautionary action or an act may seem to have enabled that person to escape death. Or one may take a crucial decision, which changes the entire course of his life; or one may recover from a fatal disease by showing strength and endurance. Yet, all these occur because God decrees so. Some people misinterpret such events as "overcoming one's fate" or "changing one's fate". But, no one, not even the seemingly strong and most resolute person in the world, can change what God has decreed. No man has such a power. On the contrary, every being is weak before God's decree. The fact that some people do not accept the fact, does not alter the truth. In fact, denying their fate is also decreed. For that reason, those who escape death or a disease, or whose course of life completely changes, experience these events because they were decreed. God relates this in the Qur'an as follows: Nothing occurs, in the earth or in you, but is inscribed in the Book of Decrees before We make it happen. That is easy for God. In order that you will not be grieved about the things that pass you by or exult about the things that come to you. God does not love any vain or boastful man. (Surat al-Hadid: 22-23) As stated in the above verses, any event that occurs is predetermined and kept in a book in God's sight. Therefore, God tells man not to grieve about what may have escaped him. For example, a person who loses all his property in a fire or in a commercial venture experiences this loss because it was decreed. It is not possible for him to prevent or avoid these happenings. Thus, it would be senseless to have a sense of grievance at such a loss. God puts his people to test by many events that were decreed for them. Those who put their trust in God when they encounter such events earn the good pleasure and love of God. Those who fail to put their trust in God, on the other hand, will never be free of troubles, restlessness and unhappiness all through their lives in this world, and are punished eternally in the hereafter. It is crystal-clear that putting one's trust in God is a gain and comfort both in this world and in the hereafter. By revealing these secrets to believers, God has relieved them of difficulties and has rendered their test in the life of this world easy.

There is Good in Every Event

God informs us that He creates every event with goodness in it. This is another secret that makes it easy for believers to place firm trust in God. God states that even events that seem to be unfavourable have a lot of good in them:

... It may well be that you dislike something in which God has placed a lot of good. (Surat an-Nisa': 19)

... It may be that you hate something when it is good for you and it may be that you love something when it is bad for you. God knows and you do not know. (Surat al-Baqara: 216)

Aware of this secret, believers seek goodness and beauty in every event. No seemingly adverse incident, hardship or mischief ails or worries them. They maintain their composure whether the experience is insignificant or a serious ordeal. Sincere Muslims even see goodness and divine purpose in the loss of all their hard earned possessions. They express gratitude to God for the gift of life. They have faith that God may have protected them from committing an evil act or against too much attachment for possessions. Accordingly, they give their most inner thanks to God because no loss in this world equals the loss in the hereafter. Loss in the hereafter means eternal and intolerable punishment (unless God wills otherwise). Those who keep themselves occupied with the remembrance of the hereafter view every event as goodness and beauty leading to the hereafter. Those who overcome such ordeals will recognise their weaknesses before God, and will reconsider how much they are in need of Him. They will turn to God with more humility through prayers and that remembrance will bring them closer to Him. This is surely an enormous benefit to one's hereafter. These aside, by putting absolute trust in God and showing steadfastness, they will earn God's pleasure and will be rewarded with eternal bliss.

Man should seek goodness and beauty not only in ordeals, but also in daily routines. For example, burning the food one has painstakingly prepared may lead that person to take numerous measures which would, by the Will of God, prevent a more serious accident in the future. A young person might have failed the college admission test he had pinned his hopes for a future on. He should, however, know that there is goodness in his failure, too; he should be able to think that God might have willed him to avoid some adverse circumstances or people and thereby feel pleased with the result. Alternatively, thinking that God has placed in every event many other blessings which are either obvious or are way beyond the imagination, believers see the beauty of full submission to the guidance of God.

A person may not always see the goodness and divine purpose behind every incident. Even if this is the case, he knows for certain that there is goodness in all events. He offers prayers for God to show him the goodness and divine purpose hidden behind everything that happens.

Those who are aware that everything has a purpose in God's creation never use phrases "I wish I had not done this..." or "I wish I had not said that" and so on. Mistakes, defects, or seemingly unfortunate events essentially include blessings and each one of them are the trials of destiny. God gives important lessons and reminders to man in the destiny he creates individually for each person. For those who can evaluate with insight, there are no mistakes or adversities, but lessons, warnings and wisdom from God. For example, a Muslim whose shop burns down will search his soul, and becomes even more sincere and true in his faith, deeming it as a warning by God against over indulgence in worldly goods and attachments.

Consequently, no matter what one encounters in this life, the ordeals will all eventually end. A person who recalls a hardship will be amazed that it is nothing more than a reminiscence in the mind. This is also how people recall the scenes from a film. Accordingly, one day will come and the most painful experience will become only a memory, more like the image of a scene from a movie. Only one thing will remain: the attitude a person assumed during the time of hardship and whether God is pleased with him or not. A person will not be called to account for the experiences, but for his attitudes, thoughts and sincerity he displayed at the time of these experiences. Therefore, being in an endeavour to see the goodness and the divine purpose God creates in the situations one encounters and a positive attitude will bring bliss to believers both in this world and in the hereafter. No sorrow or fear awaits these believers who are aware of this secret. Similarly, no one, no event can create fear, harm or distress in this world and in the hereafter. God reveals this secret in the Qur'an as follows:

We said, 'Go down from it, every one of you! Then when guidance comes to you from Me, those who follow My guidance will feel no fear and will know no sorrow.' (Surat al-Baqara: 38)

Yes, the friends of God will feel no fear and will know no sorrow: those who believe and have done their duty, there is good news for them in the life of the world and in the hereafter. There is no changing the words of God. That is the great victory! (Surah Yunus:62-64)

There is Surely Ease With Every Difficulty

God has created the world to test mankind. As an inherent feature of this examination, He tests man sometimes with blessings and at other times with hardships. People who do not evaluate events in the light of the Qur'an, fail to give the appropriate interpretation to events, and become downhearted and fall into hopelessness. However, God reveals an important secret in the Qur'an, which only true and submissive believers can perceive. This secret is revealed as follows:

For truly with hardship comes ease; truly with hardship comes ease. (Surat al-Inshirah: 5-6)

As God informs us in these verses, no matter what sort of adversity a person experiences or how a situation is overcome, God creates a path that will lead to a way out and gives relief to believers. Indeed, a believer will witness that God grants ease along with all hardships if he remains steadfast in his patience. In other verses, God has given the good news of guidance and blessings to His servants who have fear for Him:

... Whoever has fear of God - He will give him a way out and provide for him from where he does not expect. Whoever puts his trust in God - He will be enough for him... (Surat at-Talaq: 2-3)

God does not place a burden greater than one can bear 

God, the Merciful, Compassionate and Just, creates ease in everything and tests people within the limits of their strength. Forms of prayers God commands man to perform, difficulties He creates to test him, responsibilities that He charges man with are all in proportion to his individual capabilities. This is a good news and comfort to believers, and a manifestation of God's mercy and grace. God relates this secret in verses as follows:

And that you do not go near the property of orphans before they reach maturity - except in a good way; that you give full measure and full weight with justice - We impose on no one any more than they can bear; that you are equitable when you speak - even if a near relative is concerned; and that you fulfil God's covenant. That is what He instructs you to do, so that hopefully you will pay heed. (Surat al-An'am: 152)

As for those who believe and do righteous deeds - We impose on no one any more than they can bear - they are the Companions of the Garden, remaining in it forever. (Surat al-A'raf: 42)

We do not impose on any one any more than they can stand. With Us there is a Book, which speaks the truth. They will not be wronged. (Surat al-Muminun: 62)

IT IS EASY TO LIVE BY GOD'S RELIGION

A great majority of people think that religion will make their lives difficult and impose on them hard obligations. This is a delusion that Satan whispers to man to lead him astray. As mentioned earlier, religion is easy. God states that He wills ease for believing people after difficulties. Besides this, the fundamentals of religion such as putting trust in God and having an understanding of fate, removes all burdens, difficulties and causes of distress or sorrow. For a person who lives by God's religion, there is no distress, sorrow or despair. In many verses, God promises to support those who submit themselves to Him and who help His religion, and to give them a good life both in this world and in the hereafter. Our Lord, Who never breaks His word, states as follows:

When those who have fear of God are asked, 'What has your Lord sent down?' their reply is, 'Good!' There is good in the world for those who do good, and the abode of the hereafter is even better. How wonderful is the abode of those who have fear of God. (Surat an-Nahl: 30)

God gives the good news to believers that He will render those who comply with His religion successful:

As for him who gives (in charity) and has fear of God and confirms the good, We will pave his way to ease. (Surat al-Layl: 5-7)

As these secrets reveal, one who sincerely turns towards God's religion has chosen right from the beginning, a path of ease that will bring success and benefit both in this world and in the hereafter. To disbelievers, on the other hand, just the opposite applies. Disbelievers already have a life filled with sorrow, sadness and loss both in this world and in the hereafter. At the moment they decided on disbelief, they lose both the world and the hereafter. This is related in verses as follows:

But as for him who is stingy and thinks he is self-sufficient, and denies the good, We will pave his way to difficulty. (Surat al-Layl: 8-10)

God is the Possessor and Creator of everything. It is surely above and over any power or support for a person to earn God's friendship, aid and support. The one who takes God as his friend and submits fully to Him will live, both in the world and in the hereafter, in bounty and blessings, and no hurt will come to him from any source. This is an immutable fact. Since this is the case, every man of wisdom and conscience should comprehend these secrets revealed in the Qur'an and choose the wise and correct path. That disbelievers cannot understand these clear facts is another secret by itself. No matter how intelligent or well-educated they are, they do not use their reason so they are unable to understand and see these facts.

God Obscures the Comprehension of Disbelievers

That some people cannot understand the Qur'an is one of the most important secrets revealed in the Qur'an. This is indeed an important secret, because the Qur'an is a very clear, easy and straightforward book. Anyone who wishes can read the Qur'an and learn about God's commands, the good morals that He is pleased with, the attributes of paradise and hell, and about many secrets some of which are presented in this book.

However, as an immutable law of God, some people cannot understand the Qur'an despite all its clarity. Furthermore, these people can be atomic engineers or professors of biology, can understand very complicated branches of science such as physics, chemistry or mathematics, can grasp Buddhism, Hinduism, Shintoism, materialism or communism, and yet fail to understand the Qur'an. These people who adopt the complicated structures of non-Qur'anic systems somehow cannot grasp God's clear and easy religion, and fail to understand even the most evident subjects therein.

Their being unable to grasp even the most evident facts is a miracle in itself. By showing that they have such a serious deficiency in understanding, God explains that some people possess a different nature. On the other hand, this provides evidence to the fact that all hearts, reason and comprehension is in God's hands. God declares that He will cover the hearts and comprehension of those who are seized by feelings of grandeur, that is who do not submit to God. The fact that they understand anything but the Qur'an reveals that God has diverted them from His signs, and they are debarred from the Qur'an because of their insincerity. Some of the verses pertaining to this are:

When you recite the Qur'an, We place an obscuring veil between you and those who do not believe in the hereafter. We have placed covers on their hearts, preventing them from understanding it, and heaviness in their ears. When you mention your Lord alone in the Qur'an, they turn their backs and run away. (Surat al-Isra': 45-46)

Some of them listen to you but We have placed covers on their hearts, preventing them from understanding it, and heaviness in their ears. Though they see every Sign, they still have no faith, so that when they come to you, disputing with you, those who are disbelievers say, 'This is nothing but the myths of previous peoples!' (Surat al-An'am: 25)

Who could do greater wrong than someone who is reminded of the Signs of his Lord and then turns away from them, forgetting all that he has done before? We have placed covers on their hearts, preventing them from understanding it, and heaviness in their ears. Though you call them to guidance, they will nonetheless never be guided. (Surat al-Kahf: 57)

As revealed in the verses, the secret why disbelievers cannot understand the Qur'an is that God has placed a barrier to their comprehension and set a seal upon their hearts because of their denial. This is a great miracle displaying the grandeur of God and that He is the possessor of hearts and thoughts of every man.

God Bestows Understanding on Those Who Fear Him

Another secret revealed in the Qur'an is that God gives those who fear Him the ability to judge and discriminate between right and wrong. It is referred to as "wisdom". God relates this secret in Surat al-Anfal as follows:

You who believe! If you have fear of God, He will give you a criterion (by which to judge between right and wrong) and erase your bad actions from you and forgive you. God's favour is indeed immense. (Surat al-Anfal: 29) 

As explained in the previous chapter, God obscures the wisdom and comprehension of disbelievers. These people, no matter how intelligent they may be, cannot grasp even the most obvious concepts pertaining to religion. Wisdom is an attribute peculiar to believers. The majority of people take it for granted that intelligence and wisdom mean very much the same thing. However, intelligence is the mental capacity that everyone possesses. For example, being an atomic scientist or a mathematical genius indicates intelligence. Wisdom, on the other hand, is the consequence of the fear a person has for God and the adherence to the conscience, and is by no means related to intelligence. A person may be very intelligent, yet he remains unwise if he has no fear of God.

Therefore, wisdom is a blessing God bestows on believers. Those deprived of such understanding is not even aware of their situation. For instance, those who assume they are the source of power and possessions, become arrogant. This is simply an indication of lack of wisdom. Because if there is wisdom, there is the realisation that nothing is as powerful as the Will of God. This awareness would ultimately lead one to conduct oneself with humility. This person, however, does not think that, if God wills, all his property can be reduced to insignificance in a few seconds, or that he can face death, leaving everything behind in the world and stand by the fire to receive reckoning. All these are more certain and real than what one possesses in this world. Only believers, who fear God, have this understanding, and do not drift toward the deceitful nature of the life of this world. They spend their lives knowing the real essence of things. God bestows understanding on the believers through their faith. As they feel closer to God, their comprehension deepens and they become more cognisant of the secrets in God's creation.

Those Who Do Good Meet Goodness

Another secret that God reveals in the Qur'an is that those who do good will be rewarded with good both in the world and in the hereafter. Of this God says the following:

Say: 'My servants who believe! Have fear of your Lord. For those who do good in the life of this world there is good and God's earth is spacious. The steadfast will be paid their wages in full without any reckoning.' (Surat az-Zumar: 10) 

However, one needs to know what the actual "goodness" is. Each society has developed its own understanding of goodness; being pleasant, giving money to the poor, behaving with tolerance towards every sort of treatment are often perceived as signs of "goodness" in society. However, God informs us what the actual "goodness" is in the Qur'an:

It is not righteousness to turn your faces to the East or to the West. Rather, truly righteous are those who believe in God and the Last Day, the Angels, the Book and the Prophets, and who, despite their love for it, give away their wealth to their relatives and to orphans and the very poor, and to travellers and beggars and to set slaves free, and who establish regular prayer (salat) and pay regular charity (zakat); those who honour their contracts when they make them, and are steadfast in poverty and illness and in battle. Those are the people who are true. They are the people who have fear for God. (Surat al-Baqara: 177)

As the verse above draws our attention, true goodness is to have fear of God, to keep oneself occupied with the remembrance of the day of reckoning, to follow one's conscience and always to engage in deeds which would please God. God's Messenger, Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, also bid believers to fear God and to do good:

Fear God wherever you are. Do good immediately after a sinful act to erase it, and always be well-mannered in your relationship with people.5

God has revealed in the Qur'an that He loves those who always do good due to their faith and their fear and love for God, and adds that He will reward them with good:

So God gave them the reward of the life of this world and the best reward of the hereafter. God loves the good-doers. (Surah Ali 'Imran: 148)

... There is good in the life of this world for those who do good, and the abode of the hereafter is even better. How wonderful is the abode of those who have fear of God. (Surat an-Nahl: 30)

This is good news given in the Qur'an to those who do good, who are self-sacrificing and who strive to earn God's good pleasure.

God gives these people the glad tidings of a good life both in this world and in the hereafter, an increase in blessings - both material and spiritual. The Prophet Solomon, who was given an entire kingdom, the like of which was never granted to anyone, and the prophet Joseph(Yusuf), who was placed in authority over the treasures of Egypt, are examples given in the Qur'an. God informs us about the blessings He granted on the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, in the verse "Did He not find you impoverished and enrich you?" (Surat ad-Duha: 8).

One needs to remember that a beautiful and glorious life is not a blessing granted only to earlier generations of believers. God promises that, in each period, He will give His believing servants a good life:

Anyone who acts rightly, male or female, being a believer, We will give them a good life and We will recompense them according to the best of what they did. (Surat an-Nahl: 97)

Believers never chase after the world; that is to say, they do not demonstrate greed for worldly wealth, status or power. As God states in a verse, they have sold their lives and their wealth in return for paradise. Trade or commerce do not distract them from the remembrance of God, the performance of prayers and serving for religion. Furthermore, they show steadfastness and submission even when they are tested with hunger or loss of wealth, and they never complain. Believers who emigrated in the Prophet's time were an example. They immigrated to another city, leaving their houses, occupations, commerce, property and gardens behind and there, they were contented with little. In return they only wanted to earn God's pleasure. Their contentment and sincere remembrance of the hereafter earned them God's blessings and good lives and gifts. These gifts and wealth did not increase their attachment to this world, but rather led them to render their thanks to God and to remember Him. God promises every believer who displays high morals a good life in this world.

God has promised to multiply the deeds of His servants who do good 

God has promised to multiply the deeds of His servants who do good. Some of the verses related in the Qur'an on this subject are as follows:

Those who produce a good action will receive ten like it. But those who produce a bad action will only be repaid with its equivalent and they will not be wronged. (Surat al-An'am: 160)

God does not wrong anyone by so much as the smallest speck. And if there is a good deed God will multiply it and pay out an immense reward direct from Him. (Surat an-Nisa': 40)

The most obvious sign that God multiplies every good deed is the difference between the life of this world and the hereafter. The life of the world is quite a short period, which lasts 60 years on average. However, those who purify themselves and engage in good deeds in this world will be rewarded with an infinite goodness in the hereafter in return for what they did during this short life. God has given this promise in a verse as follows:

Those who do good will have the best and more... (Surah Yunus: 26)

One needs to contemplate the concept of "infinity" in order to comprehend the greatness of this reward. Let's assume that all people who have ever lived on earth so far and those who will live in the future spend every single second of their lives counting. This figure will surely become too large to articulate. Yet, next to "infinity", even this enormous number would mean nothing. Because "infinite" means endless, having no limits in time. The abode of those who display devotion to God in this world will be paradise in the hereafter. There, they will remain for all eternity, attain anything their souls desire and will have no limits for this. This is surely an example that should be reflected on in order to comprehend the enormity of God's mercy and grace.

There is Light in Believers' Faces, But Disgrace in Those of Disbelievers

One of the secrets that God reveals in the Qur'an is that belief and disbelief are reflected on people's faces and skins. In many verses, God informs that there is light on believers' faces, whereas there is disgrace on disbelievers':

And you will see them brought forward to it (hell) made humble by disgrace, looking with a stealthy glance... (Surat ash-Shura: 45)

Those who do good will have the best and more! Neither dust nor debasement will cover their faces. They are the Companions of the Garden, remaining in it timelessly, forever. But as for those who have earned bad actions - a bad action will be repaid with one the like of it. Debasement will overshadow them. They will have no one to protect them from God. It is as if their faces were covered with a strip of darkest night. Those are the Companions of the Fire, remaining in it timelessly, forever. (Surah Yunus: 26-27)

As stated in these verses, disbelievers' faces are shadowed by debasement. On the other hand, believers have light on their faces. God states that they are recognised by the traces of prostration on their faces:

Muhammad is the Messenger of God, and those who are with him are fierce to the disbelievers, merciful to one another. You see them bowing and prostrating, seeking God's good favour and His pleasure. Their mark is on their faces, the traces of prostration... (Surat al-Fath: 29)

In other verses, God informs that disbelievers and evildoers are recognised by their faces:

The evildoers will be recognised by their mark and seized by their forelocks and their feet. (Surat ar-Rahman: 41) 

If We wished, We would show them to you and you would know them by their mark and know them by their ambivalent speech. God knows your actions. (Surah Muhammad: 30) 

It is a miracle and an important secret revealed in the Qur'an that, depending on one's faith or evildoing, physical changes occur on one's face. Spiritual feelings produce physical effects on body; although the contour remains the same, the expression of the face changes or the face is lightened or overshadowed. A man of faith, can, by the Will of God, see this miracle God performs on people.

The Secret That God Erases Bad Actions

The aim of believers is to earn the good pleasure, mercy and paradise of God. However, man is created weak and forgetful; therefore, makes many mistakes and possesses many failings. God, Who knows His servants best and Who is the most merciful and compassionate, has informed us that He will erase the bad actions of His sincere servants and will give them an easy reckoning:

As for him who is given his Book in his right hand, he will be given an easy reckoning and return to his family joyful. (Surat al-Inshiqaq: 7-9)

No doubt, God does not change the bad actions of every person into good. The attributes of those believers whose bad actions God erases and forgives are informed in the Qur'an.

THOSE WHO AVOID SERIOUS WRONG ACTIONS

In a verse, God states: "If you avoid the serious wrong actions you have been forbidden, We will erase your bad actions from you and admit you by a Gate of Honour." (Surat an-Nisa': 31). 

Believers who are aware of this fact observe the limits set by God meticulously and avoid committing what is forbidden. If they ever err out of forgetfulness or heedlessness, they immediately turn to God and repent and ask for forgiveness.

God informs us in the Qur'an about His servants whose repentance will be accepted. In this sense, knowing the commandments of God, yet deliberately committing sins, saying "no matter what happens I will be forgiven" shows completely flawed reasoning. That is because, God forgives the wrong actions of His servants who commit them out of ignorance and who, without losing any time, repent and display no insistence on them and make up for them:

God only accepts the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and then quickly repent after doing it. God turns towards such people. God is All-Knowing, All-Wise. There is no repentance for people who persist in doing evil until death comes to them and who then say, 'Now I repent,' nor for people who die while they are disbelievers. We have prepared for them a painful punishment. (Surat an-Nisa': 17-18)

As the verses suggest, studious avoidance of sins is essential if a person wants his bad actions to be erased and to feel no regret on the day of judgement. A believer who commits a sin, on the other hand, should lose no time in asking for repentance from God.

THOSE WHO ENGAGE IN GOOD DEEDS

In other verses, God states that He will cover the bad actions of those who act rightly. Some of the relevant verses are as follows:

On the Day He gathers you for the Day of Gathering - that is the Day of Profit and Loss. As for those who believe in God and act rightly, We will erase their bad actions from them and admit them into Gardens with rivers flowing under them, remaining in them timelessly, forever and ever. That is the Great Victory! (Surat at-Taghabun: 9)

Except for those who make sincere repentance and believe and act rightly: God will transform the wrong actions of such people into good - God is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful - (Surat al-Furqan: 70)

Each act and all behaviour displayed to seek the favour of God are a "righteous deed". For instance, any attitude such as communicating the morality of the religion to people, reminding someone who does not put his trust in God about fate, hindering someone from gossiping, keeping one's house and body clean, expanding one's horizons by reading and learning, talking graciously, reminding people about the hereafter, caring for the sick, showing love and compassion to the elderly, earning money through lawful means so that one can use it for the good of people, staving off evil with good and patience can become righteous deeds when they are done to earn the good pleasure of God. Those who desire their wrong actions to be remitted and transformed into good in the hereafter should always choose to act in the way that God will be most pleased with. For such an end, one should constantly remember the reckoning on the Day of Judgement. It is obvious how one would act, for example, if he were made to stand before the fire of hell, he were shown the bad actions he had done in his life, and were warned that he had to act in the right way in order to be forgiven. A person who sees the fire, who hears the despair, remorse and groaning of the people of hell under that painful punishment and who witnesses the punishment of the hell with his own eyes would surely act in the way that would most please God and strive with his utmost striving. This person would pray on time, perform good deeds, would never be careless, would never dare to choose an act when he knows there is another act that would please Him. Because hell, which remains right beside him, would always remind him of his eternal life and of God's punishment. Such a person could not defer his deeds. He would immediately and perfectly perform what his conscience commands him to. He would be meticulous and persistent in prayers. So, in the life of this world, the wrong actions of only those who perform good deeds, fearing God and the day of judgement, as if they had seen the hell and returned back to the world, or as if they always see the fire right beside them will be transformed into good. These believers are certain about the hereafter and they greatly fear and try to avoid God's punishment.

Divine Purposes in Spending in God's Way

One of the most important acts of worship that cleanses material and spiritual dirt, and enables man to discipline his souls and thus to attain a state of high morality that God would be pleased with, is to spend in God's way for benevolent causes. God has told the Prophet, peace be upon him, to take alms out of believers' property and to cleanse and purify them thereby.

Take alms from their wealth to purify and cleanse them... (Surat at-Tawba: 103)

However, the act of spending that purifies and cleanses people is the one that is made in the way specified in the Qur'an. People believe themselves to have exceedingly fulfilled their duty when they give some small change to beggars, when they give away some of their old clothes to the poor or when they feed a hungry person. No doubt these are the acts that would be rewarded in God's sight if they were performed with the intention of earning the good pleasure of God. Yet, there are limits specified in the Qur'an. For example, God commands man to spend whatever is surplus to his needs:

... They will ask you what they should give away. Say, 'Whatever is surplus to your needs.' In this way God makes the Signs clear to you, so that hopefully you will reflect; (Surat al-Baqara: 219)

Man needs very little to live in this world. Property that is in excess of one's needs is surplus goods. What is important is not the amount given but whether one sincerely gives away what he can really afford. God has knowledge of all things and He has left it to man's conscience to decide the things he actually does not need. Giving away is a very easy form of worship for those who are not seized by worldly ambitions and who have not sold out to this world, but yearn for the hereafter. God has ordered us to give away out of our wealth to avoid attachment to this world. This is a means to purify ourselves of greed. No doubt, this form of worship is very important for believers in respect of their reckoning in the hereafter. God's Messenger, peace be upon him, also said that he who spends in the way of God is favoured:

Two people are favoured: One is someone to whom God gave the Qur'an and who lived by it. He accepted as lawful whatever it commanded as lawful, and as unlawful whatever it commanded as unlawful. The other is someone to whom God gave property and who allotted this property among his relatives and spent it on God's path.6 

MAN SHOULD GIVE OF WHAT HE LOVES TO THE NEEDY

People often tend to do someone a favour if that favour does not harm their interests. For example, when someone gives away possessions to the needy, he often gives things that are no longer desired, or disliked, out of style, or no longer fit for use.

God, however, commands man to give away the entities he cherishes for himself. One may find it difficult to give away beloved possessions, but such generosity is essential to purification and the attainment of righteousness. This is an important secret that God has revealed to mankind. God has stated that man could, in no other way, attain goodness:

You will not attain true goodness until you give of what you love. Whatever you give away, God knows it. (Surah Ali 'Imran: 92)

You who believe! Give away some of the good things you have earned and some of what the earth produces for you. Do not have recourse to bad things when you give, things you would only take with your eyes tight shut! Know that God is Rich Beyond Need, Praiseworthy. (Surat al-Baqara: 267)

SPENDING IN GOD'S WAY IS A MEANS TO DRAW NEARER TO HIM

For a believer, nothing is dearer than earning God's good pleasure and love. A believer seeks the means to get closer to God throughout his life. Of this God states the following:

You who believe! Have fear of God and seek the means of drawing near to Him, and strive in His Way, so that hopefully you will be successful. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 35)

As a secret and good news to believers, God revealed in the Qur'an that what is spent should be a means of obtaining nearness to Him. Therefore, for a believer, giving away what he loves and what is beyond his needs is not a hardship, but rather a precious opportunity to demonstrate devotion and love for God. Of this God states the following:

And among the desert Arabs there are some who believe in God and the Last Day and regard what they give as something, which will bring them nearer to God and to the prayers of the Messenger. It does indeed bring them near. God will admit them into His mercy. God is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surat at-Tawba: 99)

WHATEVER IS SPENT IN GOD'S WAY WILL HAVE AGOOD RECOMPENSE

Another secret revealed in respect of giving away one's property in the Qur'an is that whatever is spent will certainly be replaced. This is God's promise. Those who spend their property in God's way with no fear of poverty, are presented astonishing blessings all through their lives. Whatever is spent in God's way is paid back in full. Some of the verses that relate to the promise are as follows:

You are not responsible for their guidance, but God guides whosoever He wills. Whatever good you give away is to your own benefit, when you give desiring only the Face of God. Whatever good you give away will be repaid to you in full. You will not be wronged. (Surat al-Baqara: 272)

... Anything you spend in the Way of God will be repaid to you in full. You will not be wronged. (Surat al-Anfal: 60)

Say: 'My Lord expands the provision of any of His servants as He wills or restricts it. But He will replace anything you spend. He is the Best of Providers.' (Surah Saba': 39)

Believers desire to earn only God's good pleasure and paradise when they give away their properties and extend themselves; but as a secret revealed by God, whatever they spend is paid back to them. As stated in the verse, God replaces what is spent. These repayments are both blessings in the world and, above all else, gifts in paradise God has prepared for believers. On the other hand, contrary to those who give away, God lessens the provision of those people who are miserly in giving away their wealth or who desire to accumulate more wealth by disregarding the limits of God. One of the relevant verses relates the state of those who charge interest:

God obliterates usury but makes deeds of charity grow in value! God does not love any persistently ungrateful wrongdoer. (Surat al-Baqara: 276)

God informs about the abundance that those who give away their properties attain as follows:

The metaphor of those who spend their wealth in the Way of God is that of a grain which produces seven ears; in every ear there are a hundred grains. God gives such multiplied increase to whomever He wills. God is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing. (Surat al-Baqara: 261)

You who believe! Do not nullify your charity by demands for gratitude or insulting words, like him who spends his wealth, showing off to people and not believe in God and the Last Day. His likeness is that of a smooth rock coated with soil, which, when heavy rain falls on it, is left stripped bare. They have no power over anything they have earned. God does not guide disbelieving people.

The metaphor of those who spend their wealth, desiring the pleasure of God and firmness for themselves, is that of a garden on a hillside. When heavy rain falls on it, it doubles its produce; and if heavy rain does not fall, there is dew. God sees what you do. (Surat al-Baqara: 264-265)

Each one of these verses is a secret that God reveals to believers in the Qur'an. Believers spend their wealth only to earn the good pleasure and mercy of God and His paradise. However, being aware of these secrets revealed in the Quran, they also hope for God's blessings and grace. The more they spend their goods and extend themselves in God's way and the more meticulous they become in observing what is forbidden and lawful, the more God increases their wealth, makes their tasks easy, and provides more of the opportunities to spend in His way. Every believer who fears God and harbours no fear in his heart for future, experiences this secret in the course of his life.

The Effect of Good Actions and Good Words

People are in a relentless search for peaceful environments where they can live in safety, have joy and cherish friendship. Despite this longing, however, they never put forth an effort to foster these values, but rather they become themselves the causes of conflicts and misery. Often people expect others to provide peace and safety and be friendly. This applies to family relations, relations among employees of a company, to social peace as well as to international affairs. Yet, maintenance of friendship, peace and safety demand altruism. Conflict and restlessness cannot be avoided when people insist on having the last word, when they consider only their own comfort and are unwilling to make any compromises or sacrifices. However, believers who fear God act differently. They are unselfish, forgiving and forbearing. Even when they are wronged, they renounce their own rights, regard the peace and safety of the society and happiness of others over their own self-interest, and display courteous behaviour. This is a noble attribute that God commands believers to have:

A good action and a bad action are not the same. Repel the bad with something better and, if there is enmity between you and someone else, he will be like a bosom friend. None will obtain it but those who are truly steadfast. None will obtain it but those who have great good fortune. (Surah Fussilat: 34-35)

Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair admonition, and argue with them in the kindest way. Your Lord knows best who is misguided from His way. And He knows best who are guided. (Surat an-Nahl: 125)

As stated in the verse, in return for this good act of believers, God changes their enemies into "bosom friends". This is one of God's secrets. After all, all hearts are in God's hand. He changes the heart and thought of whomever He wills.

In some other verses, God draws our attention to the effect of good and gentle word. God commands the Prophet Moses and Aaron, peace be upon them, to go to Pharaoh and to speak to him gently. Despite Pharaoh's unfairness, insolence and mercilessness, God has commanded His messengers to speak to him with gentle words. God has explained the reason in the Qur'an:

Go to Pharaoh; he has overstepped the bounds. But speak to him with gentle words so that hopefully he will pay heed or show some fear. (Surah Ta Ha: 43-44)

These verses inform believers about the type of attitude they should assume towards disbelievers, their enemies and insolent people. This surely encourages patience, will, modesty and wisdom. God has revealed as a secret that He will render the acts of believers effective and will change their enemies into friends when they obey His commands and act in compliance with good morals.

The Secret That God Provides Room For People

One of the serious mistakes people make is that they consider everything as a consequence of something else. For example, as mentioned in previous pages, they think that they would run out of money if they spent their wealth in God's way. However, there is a secret in God's creation of which they are unaware; that God will increase His blessings on those who give in God's Cause both in this world and in the hereafter. Surely, God makes man perceive these as a cause and effect functioning of the world. For example, the affairs of someone who gives away his wealth for the cause of God is rendered easy and his earnings are increased by God. Or, as explained in the previous section, one may resort to force to cope with a furious person because he believes gentle words would not soothe him. However, for a person who obeys God's commands, the secrets God revealed in the Qur'an provide the only solution.

One of these secrets revealed in the Qur'an is another command of God:

You who believe! When you are told: 'Make room in the gathering,' then make room and God will make room for you! And when it is said, 'Get up!' Get up! God will raise in rank those of you who believe and those who have been given knowledge. God is aware of what you do. (Surat al-Mujadila: 11)

God commands believers to obey the call to make room in an assembly for newcomers or thin out the crowd when necessary. This, as well as indicating consideration and kindness, is also a sign of obedience. God revealed that He will provide ample room for believers and will raise them in rank in return to their behaviour. God holds the intention and heart of every man in His hand. If He is pleased with their behaviour, He can give this person any gift and beauty He wills. For that reason, believers expect the result and reward of everything from God. When they make room in an assembly, they do not expect gratitude from people, but hope for God's good pleasure, for the peace He will give to their hearts and for being raised in rank.

God Certainly Helps Those Who Help His Religion

God reveals a secret in the Qur'an as follows:

You who believe! If you help God, He will help you and make your feet firm. (Surah Muhammad: 7)

Throughout their lives, believers make a serious effort to spread the values of the Qur'an amongst people and spread the message of God. On the other hand, throughout history, there have always been groups of disbelievers who have been against believers and tried to hinder them through force and pressure. In the Qur'an, God states that He is always with believers against disbelievers, that He will make their affairs easy, and that He will help and support believers. Believers who put sincere effort in God's way experience this at every single instant of their lives. God brings all their affairs to a conclusion with ease, and gives them success and beauty. Even in very difficult situations, He provides ease for the believers. Even in cases when those with poor faith said "alas", give way to despair and see no way out, God has sent down His help to the believers and made them successful.

Believers who are certain that God helps and supports them, never give up hope and wait with excitement to see how God will conclude an event. The Prophet Moses and his people are an example of this. The Prophet Moses and the people of Israel left Egypt to be protected from the cruelty of Pharaoh. But Pharaoh and his army chased them. When the Prophet Moses and the people of Israel reached the sea, some of them who had poor faith panicked and lost hope, thinking that they would be overtaken by the Pharaoh. Yet, the Prophet Moses said: "... My Lord is with me and He will guide me." (Surat ash-Shu'ara': 62) And thus displayed his faith in God's support to believers. Indeed, God parted the waters of the sea and allowed the Prophet Moses and his companions to cross to the other shore safely. Meanwhile, He closed the sea over the Pharaoh and his soldiers and they drowned.

A believer, who is close to God, who takes God as his friend and knows He supports those who believe, will see the manifestation of this secret in every instance of his life. Surely, miracles like the parting of the sea are signs that God shows to some of His messengers. However, if believers ponder sincerely, reflect on God's creation and the verses of the Qur'an in every incident, they can see the miracle-like manifestations of God's support and help in every situation.

GOD HELPS BELEIVERS ALSO THROUGH IMPERCEPTIBLE WAYS

In many verses, God has informed believers about the support He bestows on them. For example, in a verse, God has stated that He will make their enemies see believers as twice their number:

There has already been for you a Sign in the two armies that met (in combat): One was fighting in the cause of God, the other resisting God; these saw with their own eyes twice their number. But God does support with His aid whom He pleases. In this is warnings for such as have eyes to see. (Surah Ali 'Imran: 13)

GOD HELPS BELEIVERS BY MEANS OF FOILING THE PLOTS HATCHED AGAINST THEM

As previously mentioned, disbelievers cause various difficulties for believers and hatch plots against them in order to hinder them from the way of God. But God informs in the Qur'an that all plots against believers will be foiled, will be returned back against the plotters and will not harm believers in any way. Some of these verses are as follows:

... But then when a Warner did come to them, it only increased their aversion, shown by their arrogance in the land and evil plotting. But evil plotting envelops only those who do it. Do they expect anything but the pattern of previous peoples? You will not find any changing in the pattern of God. You will not find any alteration in the pattern of God. (Surah Fatir: 42-43)

If something good happens to you, it galls them. If something bad strikes you, they rejoice at it. But if you are steadfast and have fear of God, their scheming will not harm you in any way. God encompasses what they do. (Surah Ali 'Imran: 120)

Prophet Joseph's life is exemplary in the sense that the schemes hatched against believers will ultimately turn in their favour and against hatchers. As related in Surah Yusuf, the prophet Joseph's brothers, who were consumed with envy, devised a plan and threw him to a well. When Prophet Joseph, peace be upon him, was still young, another scheme was devised by the governor's wife, in whose house prophet Joseph resided. The promise of God entailed the failure of all these plots and protection from harm. Following the plans devised, God placed the prophet Joseph in authority over the treasures of the land. After all these, the prophet Joseph commented that the plots of the disbelievers are fated to failure:

(Then Joseph said: I asked for this) so that he (my former master) may know at last that I did not dishonour him behind his back and that God most surely does not guide the deviousness of the dishonourable. (Surah Yusuf: 52)

Quarrelling Causes Loss of Strength

One of the important secrets God reveals to believers is not to quarrel. Or else their strength will depart and they will be weak in heart. The relevant verse is as follows:

Obey God and His Messenger and do not quarrel amongst yourselves lest you lose heart and your momentum disappear. And be steadfast. God is with the steadfast. (Surat al-Anfal: 46)

Qur'anic morality is marked by humility. Those adhering to the moral values of the Qur'an settle quarrels, find solutions to problems, make things easy for people and do not display greed. In the absence of Qur'anic morality, disputes and conflicts are unavoidable. It is perfectly natural that everybody holds different opinions. For instance, 20 people can propose 20 different solutions to a problem. Each solution may be right or consistent within itself. If each one insists on being right, it is obvious that there will be disorder and conflict. In such a case, rather than unity by consensus of 20 people, there will be quarrels and personal ambitions that will impede good deeds engaged in for the cause of God. Consequently, the whole strength of these 20 people will dissipate, the union and brotherhood among them will be dissolved.

Believers should feel a profound love for one another, make sacrifices and establish a strong solidarity and co-operation among themselves. Especially at times of hardship, they should keep themselves occupied with the remembrance of God, and be much more patient and supportive towards one another. Quarrelling reduces strength, whereas co-operation increases the strength among the believers. In another verse, God has revealed the secret that if believers are not friends and protectors of one another, there will be confusion and great corruption in the land:

Those who disbelieve are the friends and protectors of one another. If you do not act in this way (protect each other) there will be turmoil in the land and great corruption. (Surat al-Anfal: 73) 

Each one of these is a secret God has revealed and charged Muslims with responsibilities. No Muslim should consider a quarrel with another Muslim trivial, by saying, "So what if we quarrelled?" Because, as God informs us, every dispute among Muslims, means the diminishing of the strength of believers for which Muslims will give an account to God. That is why our beloved Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Fear God. Make peace among you. Certainly, God makes peace among the Muslims."7
 
Muslims should not look for one another's mistakes or failings, but rather cover faults of other Muslims with compassion. The strength believers derive from this unity, means devoting all energy to spread God's religion and the morals of the Qur'an. With unity they can concentrate on communicating the signs of the existence of God through scientific works and render praiseworthy services to humanity. One must remember, however, that everyone renders his services essentially to earn an eternal life in the hereafter and to be safeguarded from God's punishment.

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Only in the Remembrance of God Do Hearts Find Satisfaction

All men living on earth seek ways to attain real happiness. Hopes are pinned on a goal of attaining happiness. Some seek happiness in an opulent life style, some in a prestigious career, a good marriage, plastic surgery, college admission. Once these goals are attained, however, whatever happiness results is usually transitory. Or often there is no joy or satisfaction at all in achieving the goal. However, there has been no one on earth who has ever attained true happiness through these methods. There are many issues that bother or disquiet even someone who believes the goal of complete happiness has been achieved.

True happiness, peace, pleasure and ease can only be found in the remembrance of God. God relates this fact in a verse as follows:

Those who believe and whose hearts find peace in the remembrance of God. Only in the remembrance of God can the heart find peace. (Surat ar-Ra'd: 28)

This is a very important secret that God reveals to mankind in the Qur'an. Unaware of this fact, many people spend their lives under the delusion that worldly gifts would bring satisfaction. As if they would never die and meet the day of reckoning, they greedily strive to possess the values pertaining to this world.


Yet this is a great delusion. Nothing poss essed in this world can bring true peace and happiness. Only believers who are sincerely devoted to God and who are cognisant of God's mercy, compassion and protection over them can attain the peaceful state of the heart. God grants this relief on the heart of the person who sees the evidences of God's creation and remembers Him at all times. Therefore it is vain to seek for ease or peace and happiness by any other means.

The Cunning of Satan is Weak

Man's greatest enemy, since the Prophet Adam, peace be upon him, has always been Satan. Satan pledged himself to lead people astray when the Prophet Adam was created, and has committed himself to this cause by devising schemes that make the world appear charming and alluring to mankind. The Qur'an also informs us that his scheming is feeble and that he can exercise no authority over people:

Those who believe fight in the Way of God. Those who disbelieve fight in the way of false gods. So fight the friends of Satan! Satan's scheming is always feeble. (Surat an-Nisa': 76)

Diabolis (Iblis) was correct in his assessment of them and they followed him, except for a group of believers. He had no authority over them except that We might test those who believe in the hereafter from those who are in doubt about it. Your Lord is The Preserver of all things. (Surah Saba': 20-21) 

In fact, that Satan's scheming is feeble and that he has no power over people is God's making things easy for mankind. Satan is the only negative power against religion and His weakness implies that believers will not experience any difficulty in living by the values of the Qur'an. However, for this to happen, sincere faith is essential. In the Qur'an, God informs us that those with sincere faith will not be affected by the tricks of Satan:

He (Satan) said, 'My Lord, because You misled me, I will make things on the earth seem good to them (mankind) and I will mislead them all, every one of them, except Your servants among them who are sincere.' (Surat al-Hijr: 39-40)

In other verses, God has revealed that Satan will have no power over those who believe and put their trust in their Lord:

He has no authority over those who believe and put their trust in their Lord. He only has authority over those who take him as a friend and associate others with God. (Surat an-Nahl: 99-100)

THE SECRET OF HOW TO ESCAPE FALSE HOPES AND THE WHISPERINGS OF THE SATAN

Despite Satan's inefficacy on the believers, he may sometimes attempt to bother them with his whisperings because of a deed they have committed.

Another important secret God reveals in the Qur'an is how to escape the whisperings of Satan. This is a very important subject for believers who fear God and hope to attain paradise, because the whispers of Satan are misleading words that divert man from God's way and keep him occupied with vain and trivial issues. Satan tries to inject feelings of sorrow, fear and distress to people, to sow discord amongst them, to cause them to feel doubts about God, the Qur'an or the religion (deen). He fills them with false hopes. Some of the verses that describe Satan's whisperings to man are as follows:

"I will lead them astray and fill them with false hopes. I will command them and they will cut off cattle's ears. I will command them and they will change God's creation." Anyone who takes Satan as his protector in place of God has clearly lost everything. 

He (Satan) makes promises to them and fills them with false hopes. But what Satan promises them is nothing but delusion. (Surat an-Nisa': 119-120)

(The insidious whisperer) who whispers in people's breasts (hearts) (Surat an-Nas: 5)

No matter what Satan whispers to believers, he will not be able to distract them from God's guidance as long as they follow the path that God shows. God reminds believers of the following against Satan:

If an evil impulse from Satan provokes you, seek refuge in God. He is All-Hearing, All-Seeing. As for those who have fear of God, when they are bothered by visitors from Satan, they remember and immediately see clearly. (Surat al-A'raf: 200-201)

As can be understood from the verse, believers remain alert to the whisperings of Satan. They lose no time on thinking about his whisperings, and, aware that it would not please God, they never allow themselves to be carried away by pessimism, fear or sorrow, which are all negative feelings shunned by believers. When believers are troubled with something not in compliance with Qur'anic morality, they immediately recognise it to be a noxious whisper from Satan that would not please God. They dismiss the whisperings of the Satan through the remembrance of God and the verses of the Qur'an.