Being Patient and Self-Sacrificial at All Times
Prophets and believers have always encountered many hardships, for their people seldom welcome them. Their attempts to spread the Qur'an's high morality conflicted with the interests of those societies inhabited by unbelievers, hypocrites, and idolaters. Such people thought that being honest and having good intentions, engaging in self-sacrifice and generosity, doing good deeds without expecting any return, treating people justly and kindly, and regarding everyone as equal without distinguishing between rich and poor would undo their social system. They understood that the unjust and immoral practices so far in effect would attract far more attention once people who practiced such a morality became the majority. These worries caused them to harbor a great enmity toward all believers, which, in turn, blinded them to the good that following the Qur'an's morality would bring them or the wisdom of the advice contained therein. The prophets spread the message through every kind of self-sacrifice and without expecting any reward, but their people, unable to conquer their own hostility, did whatever they could to stop them and invalidate the message in their people's eyes.
The unbelievers' reaction is always the same. The Qur'an tells us that this is a special test created for believers:
You will be tested in your wealth and in your selves, and you will hear many abusive words from those given the Book before you and from the idolaters. But if you are steadfast and guard against evil, that is the most resolute course to take. (Surah Al 'Imran: 186)
 Believers know that all accusations and destructive calumny leveled against them are only part of the test sent by Allah. Therefore, they are not swayed by hardship; rather, they eagerly continue to spread the importance of good morality, hoping to be rewarded in the Hereafter. They experience full contentment and security in the knowledge that Allah always helps, advocates for, and supports sincere believers.
Unbelievers set traps for believers, thinking that they can put them off with accusations and attacks. But the Qur'an reveals that He will bless all believers with success and disprove all of the accusations made against them. For example, people slandered Prophet Musa (as), but Allah exonerated him:
O you who believe. Do not be like those who abused Musa. Allah absolved him of what they said, and he was highly honored with Allah. (Surat al-Ahzab: 69)
Historically, all accusations made against prophets and believers have been pretty much the same. Whenever they called upon their unbelieving societies to practice true religion and high morality, the people accused them of sorcery and of being crazy poets:
Do people find it so surprising that We should reveal to a man among them: "Warn humanity and give good news to those who believe that they are on a sure footing with their Lord?" The unbelievers say: "This is downright magic." (Surah Yunus: 2)
They say: "You, to whom the Reminder has been sent down, are clearly crazy." (Surat al-Hijr: 6)
Furthermore they say: "A muddled jumble of dreams!" "He has invented it!" "He is a poet!" and "Let him bring us a sign like those sent to previous peoples." (Surat al-Anbiya': 5)
[They said:] "Out of all of us, has the Reminder been given to him? No indeed! He is an impudent liar." (Surat al-Qamar: 25)
The ruling circle of his people who did not believe said: "He is nothing but a human being, like yourselves, who simply wants to gain ascendancy over you. If Allah had wanted, He would have sent down angels. We never heard of anything like this among our ancestors, the earlier peoples." (Surat al-Mu'minun: 24)
Those who do not believe say: "This is nothing but a lie that he has invented, and other people have helped him do it. They have brought injustice and falsehood." (Surat al-Furqan: 4)
Unbelievers use such slander to diminish the influence of the believers' words. But what makes the believers' words so effective is their sincerity, honesty, awareness, and truthfulness, not to mention the fact that they are calling people to solid truth. Only Allah can cause these words to influence people and move their hearts. So, such events do not affect the people in the way that the unbelievers had hoped.
In addition, other believers pay no attention to the slander directed toward fellow believers, for the Qur'an states: "O you who believe. If an unbeliever brings you a report, scrutinize it carefully in case you attack people in ignorance and later on come to regret greatly what you have done" (Surat al-Hujurat: 6). Knowing that all prophets and sincere believers have encountered such accusations, believers think good things about their fellow believers and support each other to prove that the accusations have no foundation. As befits their character, they pay no heed to these accusations and slurs, for they "strive in the way of Allah and do not fear the blame of any censurer" (Surat al-Ma'ida: 54).
The unbelievers' war of words is not limited to making false accusations; sometimes, they actually threaten and oppress the believers in an effort to stop the spread of religious morality among their people. They threaten the believers with death, exile, prison, and torture; sometimes, they actually assault them. The Qur'an tells us that this is nothing new, for:
When those who do not believe were planning to imprison you or kill you or expel you, they were planning and Allah was planning. However, Allah is the Best Planner. (Surat al-Anfal: 30)
Clearly, the unbelievers seek to get the believers arrested, killed, or exiled. But instead of doing so openly, they set traps to stop the spread of the Qur'an's morality. The Qur'an tells us of these traps in many verses. One example is the case of Prophet Lut (as) and his family, whom the unbelieving inhabitants of the land wanted to expel for trying to live a pure and upright life among them. Prophet Lut (as) called upon the people to live a moral life and to abandon their shameless immorality, but:
The only response of his people was to say: "Drive the family of Lut out of your city! They are people who keep themselves pure!" (Surat an-Naml: 56)
Right after he and his family left, Allah destroyed the city and turned the traps set for believers against those who had set them.
Believers were also threatened with imprisonment. In fact, the Qur'an reveals that Pharaoh threatened Prophet Musa (as) with prison if he did not obey him:
He [Pharaoh] said [to Musa]: "If you take any deity other than me, I will certainly throw you into prison." (Surat ash-Shu'ara': 29)
Another method was execution, based upon their mistaken belief that killing the prophets would prevent the spread of the Qur'an's morality and intimidate other believers. The people's threat to stone Prophet Shu'ayb (as) to death was a result of this hostile attitude:
They said: "O Shu'ayb, we do not understand much of what you say and we see you are weak among us. Were it not for your clan, we would have stoned you. We do not hold you in high esteem!" (Surah Hud: 91)
Pharaoh and his inner circle made plans to kill Prophet Musa (as). But with Allah's help, Musa (as) learned of this trap:
A man came running from the furthest part of the city, shouting: "Musa, the council is conspiring to kill you, so leave! I bring you good advice." (Surat al-Qasas: 20)
Prophet Ibrahim's (as) people tried in vain to burn the prophet who called upon them to abandon their idols and worship Allah. But Allah miraculously rescued His messenger from this difficult situation:
The only answer of his people was to say: "Kill him or burn him!" But Allah rescued him [Ibrahim] from the fire. There are certainly signs in that for people who are believers. (Surat al-'Ankabut: 24)
Unbelievers act with as much hostility toward sincere believers as they do toward prophets. But no matter how aggressive their assaults may be, all prophets and believers continue to call their people to accept the Qur'an's morality with great patience. Despite all of their hardships, they remain examples of courage and self-sacrifice. They submit themselves to Allah in trust and resignation, knowing that He controls everything:
Say: "Call on your partner deities, try all of your wiles against me, and grant me no reprieve. My Protector is Allah, Who sent down the Book. He takes care of the righteous." (Surat al-A'raf: 195-196)
[Believers are] those to whom people said: "The people have gathered against you, so fear them." But that merely increased their faith, and they said: "Allah is enough for us and the Best of Guardians." (Surah Al 'Imran: 173)
[Their messengers said:] "And why should we not put our trust in Allah, when He has guided us to our ways? We will be steadfast however much you harm us. Those who trust put their trust in Allah." (Surah Ibrahim: 12)
Say: "Nothing can happen to us except what Allah has ordained for us. He is Our Master. It is in Allah that the believers should put their trust." (Surat at-Tawba: 51)
These traps and assaults, which always end favorably for believers, reveal those people who have a sickness in their heart, who work against believers, and who refuse to sacrifice for His sake. The Qur'an describes the attitudes of those who lose their zeal to spread the message in times of difficulty and who even rejoice in their lack of eagerness:
Among you there are people who hang back and if you encounter a setback then they say, "Allah has blessed me in that I was not there with them." (Surat an-Nisa': 72)
However, being slow and lazy in proclaiming the Qur'an's morality, avoiding self-sacrifice and putting the responsibility on others is not the proper way to behave. Those who ignore their conscience and abandon the truth, even though they understand it in their mind and conscience, must not think that they have gained anything. Those who are slow and among the last to live the kind of moral life pleasing to Allah will find themselves held accountable for such serious errors. Those who remain passive in this world in order to preserve their own comfort and protect their own interests will, in the Hereafter, suffer misery beyond their most vivid imaginations. Their ensuing pangs of conscience will cause them great anxiety. Besides this, if Allah wills, He may give such people misery in this life, too:
Leave them then until they meet their Day, when they will be struck down by the Blast, the Day when their ploys will not profit them at all and they will not be helped. And those who do wrong will have a punishment besides that. But most of them do not know it. (Surat at-Tur: 45-47)
Believers place their trust in Allah when confronted with the pressure exerted on them by those seeking to block the spread of the Qur'an's morality. They will do their best to live according to the Qur'an's moral teachings regardless of their circumstances. Allah gives these people the following glad tidings:
If Allah helps you, no one can defeat you. If He forsakes you, who can help you after that? So the believers should put their trust in Allah. (Surah Al 'Imran: 160)
O Prophet! Allah is enough for you and for the believers who follow you. (Surat al-Anfal: 64)
But if they turn away, say: "Allah is enough for me. There is no deity but Him. I have put my trust in Him. He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne." (Surat at-Tawba: 129)
Even in the face of hardship, sincere believers continue to spread the message with great enthusiasm, because they want to outdo each other in goodness and be in the forefront of those who win Allah's pleasure. They know that the self-sacrifice enjoined in the Qur'an is not limited to certain situations only, and realize that they must live every moment undaunted by hardship and determined to practice this morality. This moral character is praised in the Qur'an, and Allah promises them the following reward:
Many a prophet has been fought when there were many thousands with him. They did not give up in the face of what assailed them in the way of Allah, nor did they weaken or yield. Allah loves the steadfast. All they said was: "Our Lord, forgive our wrong actions and any excesses that we went to in what we did. Make our feet firm and help us against these unbelieving people." So, Allah gave them the reward of this world and the best reward of the Hereafter. Allah loves good-doers. (Surah Al 'Imran: 146-148)
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