Foreword

There are considerable differences between believers, who truly believe in Allah and adhere to the Qur'an and the Prophet, peace be upon him (pbuh), as a guide to the righteous path, and unbelievers, who have no faith in Allah. These two groups are people of different worlds, for as the Qur'an informs us, just as they are separated here, they will be separated in the Hereafter: One group will be sent to Paradise while the other group will be sent to Hell. 

However, this great gap can be bridged, for some unbelievers may, at some time in their life, comprehend the facts and, by Allah's guidance, seek forgiveness and repent of their errors. Mostly, what makes this possible is the believers' communication of Allah's message, which is an act of worship incumbent upon them. They do their best to inform all others, especially those who are ignorant of religion as well as those who have been deceived by the life of this world, of Allah's existence, unity, and His right way (the commandments of the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet [pbuh]). People who have grown up in a society that is ignorant of religion, and yet posses wisdom and conscience, come to have faith in Allah thanks to believers' efforts and Allah's guidance.

However, this does not mean that people who confirm Allah's existence and the Qur'an as a guide to the true path can overcome their ignorant habits, erroneous value judgements and point of view right away. Until they truly understand the Qur'an and begin to judge everything from the Qur'anic stance, they may well retain some mistaken ideas. Furthermore, their former ignorance may make it hard for them to understand some of the attributes displayed by the believers with whom they have recently become acquainted.

Therefore, it is quite likely for new believers, who are doing their best to learn all they can about Islamic morality, to ask questions when confronted with certain matters. As the Word of Allah, the Qur'an defeats all distorted views and behaviors based upon ignorance, provides explicit answers, and brings the truth.

This book seeks to provide answers from the Qur'anic verses and the Sunnah of the beloved Prophet (pbuh) to those questions and doubts that may be raised by new believers, and to remind believers of the correct behaviors and attitudes shown in the Qur'an.

Introduction

Societies all over the world have different social structures and values. As a result of their specific ideologies, traditions, and cultures, dissimilar and even contrasting opinions and behaviors, inevitably arise. Hence, what is accepted as true and right for one person might well be wrong for another.

However, beyond these cultural and ideological differences, there exists one distinction that is far more important and fundamental than the others. As the Qur'an informs us, humanity is divided into two groups: believers and unbelievers. The distinction between these two groups is so broad that, when compared to other differences, the ideological and cultural differences are insignificant.

Believers are fully aware of Allah's existence. They realize that Allah created them and everything surrounding them, that He controls everything in the universe, and that He possesses all wealth. They also are conscious of the facts that this world is transient and that Allah will hold them accountable for their actions. But unbelievers are totally unaware of these facts. According to their erroneous beliefs, all of the affairs in this world are random, and the world is its own master. In this setting, unbelievers seek to maintain their existence and pursue their interests. Thus, they may readily resort to fraud or dishonesty, for they are heedless of Allah's existence and their accountability to Him. 

The outlook, and thereby the characteristics, moral values, and behaviors of these two groups of people, are mutually exclusive. The Qur'an provides detailed examples of these differences.

According to the Qur'an, an unbelieving society is made up of people who are unaware of Allah, who "made Him into something to cast disdainfully behind their backs" (Surah Hud,  92) and "do not measure Allah with His true measure." (Surat al-An'am, 91) The Qur'an refers to such a society as the "society of ignorance." A society may consider itself contemporary and civilized, but as long as its members fail to give Allah all of the respect due to Him and remain unaware of the Hereafter and the purpose of their existence, its people are, in actuality, ignorant (of religion).

In all societies ignorant of religion, believers are always in minority. As the accounts of the Prophets' lives related in the Qur'an indicate, throughout history, believers have always emerged within such societies but have been purified from the dirt of the ignorance, and gained sincerity and wisdom.

However, just because believers have their own unique structure does not mean that they never associate with those who do not know Allah. On the contrary, in compliance with Allah's orders, believers maintain their bonds with unbelievers so that they can summon them to live by the values of the Qur'an, for every unbelieving society contains people of intelligence and conscience who have remained ignorant because they have not yet received Allah's message of morals. For this reason, believers communicate the values of the Qur'an to these people with compassion and courtesy. This is also a recommendation of Allah's Messenger (pbuh) who said, "The best of you is he who has learnt the Qur'an and then taught it."  (Bukhari)

When such unbelievers encounter Muslims for the first time, they are likely to have many questions, because devoted believers, who possess the morality of the Qur'an, are unlike all other people they have ever known. Being used to living among selfish, conceited, remorseless, and arrogant people, they may well feel amazed when meeting conscientious, self-sacrificing, modest, reliable, self-possessed, and tolerant people. 

Nevertheless, believers are sincere and honest people, for they follow Allah's guidance, which is the unique true guidance. How could it not be, since it was determined by humanity's Creator? All of the doubts and questions belonging to those who have only recently been introduced to the Qur'an's morality stem from the ignorant beliefs and concepts upon which they were raised.

This book seeks to clarify the probable questions likely to occur to people who are new to the Qur'an's morality.

Answer to the "If religion is between Allah and His servant, why do we communicate religious moral values to other people?" Deceit

In the  Qur'an, Allah commands Muslims to enjoin the good and remind people of the truth. Those believers who are aware of an unbeliever's vulnerability or of a new believer who does not practice religious morality correctly, feel responsible and therefore warn that person. All conscientious believers are told to give such warnings and admonitions with compassion and kind words. The Qur'an refers to this as "enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong." Allah's Messenger (pbuh), called attention to the same issue by saying: "By Him in Whose hands my soul lies, you should enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, otherwise He (Allah) will descend punishment upon you, and then you will ask Him but your supplications will never be answered.” (Tirmidhi)

Similar to other acts of worship (e.g., prayer, fasting, or giving alms) specified in the Qur'an, enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong is a religious obligation for every Muslim, and fulfilling it is one of the believers' basic attributes, for:

	The male and female believers are friends of one another. They command what is right and forbid what is wrong, perform prayer and pay alms, and obey Allah and His Messenger. They are the people on whom Allah will have mercy. Allah is Almighty, All-Wise. (Surat at-Tawba, 71) They believe in Allah and the Last Day, enjoin the right and forbid the wrong, and compete in doing good. They are among the righteous. (Surah Al 'Imran, 114) Those who repent, those who worship, those who praise, those who fast, those who bow, those who prostrate, those who command the right, those who forbid the wrong, and those who preserve the limits of Allah: give good news to the believers. (Surat at-Tawba, 112)

In another verse, Allah informs us that attaining salvation is associated with enjoining good and forbidding evil:

	Let there be a community among you who call to the good, enjoin the right, and forbid the wrong. They are the ones who have success. (Surah Al 'Imran, 104)

No Muslim is entirely irreproachable, for all Muslims can sin or make mistakes. Making mistakes out of ignorance, forgetfulness, or giving in to one's lower-self is a means to attain perfected faith and spiritual maturity. However, what distinguishes believers from unbelievers in this matter is that once believers recognize their mistakes, they abandon them and adopt what is right. This is revealed in the Qur'an, as follows:

	Those who, when they act indecently or wrong themselves, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their bad actions [and who can forgive bad actions except Allah?] and do not knowingly persist in what they were doing. (Surah Al 'Imran, 135)

Therefore, it is incumbent upon Muslims to advise other Muslims to abandon their mistakes or wrong actions. When a believer's rationale or attitude reveals any degree of incompatibility with the Qur'an, other believers must remind him or her of the truth immediately. This is a very important service that one believer can offer another.

As this explanation suggests, enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong is one of the major acts of worship in Islam. This way Muslims will purify themselves of all their mistakes, attain the perfection of faith described in the Qur'an, and thereby will hope to draw nearer to Allah. For this reason, Allah praises the compassionate believers who duly fulfill this act of worship in the following terms:

	You are the best nation ever to be produced before mankind. You enjoin the right, forbid the wrong, and believe in Allah. (Surah Al 'Imran, 110) Among those We have created is a community who guides by the Truth and acts justly according to it. (Surat al-A'raf, 181)

The scope of enjoining good and forbidding evil is quite broad, for communicating Islam's message to people who are far from the Qur'anic morality, summoning them to live by the values of true religion, and describing the Qur'an's values are essential acts of worship. Inviting people to the true path has been one of the major responsibilities of all Prophets and their followers. As the Qur'an tells us, the Prophets devoted their lives to carrying out this act of worship by inviting people to the truth and never yielding to any difficulty. The Qur'an quotes Prophet Nuh (Noah) (pbuh), as follows:

	He said: "My Lord, I have called my people night and day, but my calling has only made them more evasive. Indeed, every time I called them to Your forgiveness, they put their fingers in their ears, wrapped themselves up in their clothes, and were overweeningly arrogant. Then I called them openly. Then I addressed them publicly and addressed them privately." (Surah Nuh, 5-9)

As stated in the Qur'an, there is no compulsion or oppression in religion, for faith is a matter of conscience that is left to people's preference after they have been provided with all of the relevant evidence and explanations. Those who convey this information have done their duty, and in no way will be held accountable if the people reject faith. Many verses relate this fact, among them the following:

	We are only responsible for clear transmission. (Surah Ya Sin, 17) So remind them! You are only a reminder. You are not in control of them. (Surat al-Ghashiyya, 21-22)

 Our Prophet (pbuh) has said that there is no compulsion in Islam and that religion is well wishing.

“It is narrated on the authority of Tamim ad-Dari that the Messenger of Allah (may Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) observed: Al-Din is a name of sincerity and well wishing.” (Sahih Muslim, The Book of Faith (Kitab Al-Iman) Chapter 24, Book 1, No.0098)

Calling people to Islam and conveying the Qur'an's message do not interfere with humanity's bond with Allah. On the contrary, conveying the message is a religious obligation that makes it possible for all people to become informed of Islam's values and observe Allah's orders and prohibitions.

Answer to the "Religion is only a part of life. So, why do people need to live by the Qur'an's values in all aspects of life?" Deceit

Religious morality is not just one part of life; rather, it encompasses and regulates all aspects of it and offers well-being and goodness to its every moment. Naturally, with the word "religion", what is referred to is Islam, the true religion.

Muslims spend 24 hours a day in a manner that will be pleasing to Allah. When rising in the morning, eating, working, going to school, engaging in business or shopping, they abide by the moral values of the Qur'an commanded by Allah and strictly avoid any behavior which will not be pleasing to Him. The moral values of Islam cover not just part of life, but all of it, and even beyond.

 Advocating an un-Islamic suggestion means accepting some parts of the Qur'an and disregarding the rest. Rejecting some part of the Qur'an, however, means rejecting the entire book, for:

	… Do you, then, believe in one part of the Book and reject the other? What repayment will there be for any of you who do that, except disgrace in the world? And on the Day of Resurrection, they will be driven off to the harshest of punishments. Allah is not unaware of what you do. Those are the people who trade the Hereafter for this world. The punishment will not be lightened for them. They will not be helped. (Surat al-Baqara, 85-86)

The religious morality described in the Qur'an has no room for any doubts or unfounded concerns, given that it relies on having faith in Allah, which is displayed through each believer's unconditional submission to Him and scrupulous observance of His commands and prohibitions. This unique attribute is related in many verses, some of which are given below:

	The believers are only those who have believed in Allah and His Messenger, and then have had no doubt, and have struggled with their wealth and their selves in the Way of Allah. They are the ones who are true to their word. (Surat al-Hujurat, 15) Say: "My prayer and my rites, my living and my dying, are for Allah alone, the Lord of all the worlds." (Surat al-A'nam, 162) … There are men who proclaim His glory morning and evening, not distracted by trade or commerce from the remembrance of Allah, the performance of prayers, and the payment of alms; fearing a day when all hearts and eyes will be in turmoil. (Surat an-Nur, 36-37)

As these verses make clear, Muslims truly devote themselves to Allah by making it their sole goal to earn Allah's good pleasure at every instant of life, by seeking the goodness in everything that happens, and pondering about the Hereafter. The Qur'an refers to these Muslims, as follows:

	Those who remember Allah, standing, sitting, and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and Earth: "Our Lord, You have not created this for nothing. Glory be to You! So safeguard us from the punishment of the Fire." (Surah Al 'Imran, 191) We purified their sincerity through sincere remembrance of the Abode. (Surah Sâd, 46)

People who have no faith may not be able to understand such a noble morality, submission to Allah and deep faith. According to their materialistic and false point of view, since death is a disappearance once and for all, one needs to make the most of this life. For those people who nurture such a distorted outlook, every moment that does not bring them pleasure is a loss.  

On the other hand, some people who claim to have faith but has not comprehended what deep faith is,  may also claim falsely that religion covers only a minor part of life. According to the false point of view of these people, it is not possible for a person to seek the approval of Allah in every minute of his life. These people spread their distorted ideas and try to guide people to a weak and superficial faith.

Allah warns believers against the lies of such people:

	İnsanlardan öylesi vardır ki, dünya hayatına ilişkin sözleri senin hoşuna gider ve kalbindekine rağmen Allah'ı şahit getirir; oysa o azılı bir düşmandır. (Bakara Suresi, 204)

These people's corrupted outlook on life manifests itself in such ignorant phrases as "Religion is important, but it should be limited to certain aspects of life" or "Do not ponder deeply about religion, or you may lose your mind." They  turn their faces and act arrogantly when reminded of the Qur'an's morality. Allah explains the situation of such people, as follows:

	But there are some people who trade in distracting tales to guide people away from Allah's Way, knowing nothing about it and to make a mockery of it. Such people will have a humiliating punishment. When Our Signs are recited to such a person, he turns away arrogantly as if he had not heard, as if there was a great weight in his ears. So give him news of a painful punishment. (Surah Luqman, 6-7)

The Qur'an refers to such people as hypocrites, for they are assumed to have an Islamic identity, although they have nothing to do with Islam. Moreover, as they are aware of this fact, they act in ways that do not violate social norms and customs in order to avoid hostile reactions and to persuade people to follow their examples.

By claiming that they have faith, hypocrites seek to maintain their worldly interests. Furthermore, through distorted explanations, they try to alienate other people from the essence of Islam and the Qur'an. Their ultimate aim is to eliminate the people of sincere faith, who are likely to stir up pangs of conscience in them, for:

	Among the people are some who say: "We believe in Allah and the Last Day," when they are not believers. They think they deceive Allah and those who believe. They deceive no one but themselves, but they are not aware of it. There is a sickness in their hearts, and Allah has increased their sickness. They will have a painful punishment on account of their denial. When they are told: "Do not cause corruption in the land," they say: We are only putting things right." No indeed! They are the corrupters, but they are not aware of it. (Surat al-Baqara, 8-12)

Rather than Allah, these people take their whims and desires as their deities and serve them. The Qur'an relates this situation, as follows:

	Have you seen him who has taken his whims and desires to be his deity? Will you then be his guardian? Do you suppose that most of them hear or understand? They are just like cattle. Indeed they are even more astray! (Surat al-Furqan, 43-44)

Hypocrites will surely gain nothing by assuming that they can deceive Allah and believers by professing belief and then concealing their efforts to harm believers and to divert them from the right path. The Qur'an informs us that their punishment will be even more severe than that of the unbelievers, atheists, and irreligious people, for they say lies in the name of Allah and show hypocrisy, insincerity, and dishonesty:

	The hypocrites are in the lowest level of the Fire. You will not find any one to help them. (Surat an-Nisa', 145)

Answer to the "Does the Qur'an, which was revealed in seventh-century Arabia, address today's needs?" Deceit

Some biased people who do not appeal to their wisdom and conscience frequently repeat their heretical ideas regarding that the Qur'an addresses the Arab community of 1400 years ago and that it would not be  acceptable for today's societies. However, Qur'an is the last holy book which Allah sent down to every people who lived on earth since our Prophet's (pbuh) time and will live in future.

Qur'an is the word of Allah, it is protected and has not been distorted. One of the many proofs of this fact is the miracles in the Qur'an. The scientific, mathematical and historical miracles in the Qur'an prove that it is the word of Allah. 

Those who have doubts about the Qur'an, despite these facts, are referred to as follows:

	If you have doubts about what We have sent down to Our servant, produce another sura equal to it, and call your witnesses, besides Allah, if you are telling the truth. If you do not do that—and you will not do it—then fear the Fire whose fuel is people and stones, made ready for the unbelievers. (Surat al-Baqara, 23-24)

People who read the Qur'an with an open mind recognize that the kind of people and societies described therein have existed throughout history as well as in our day. The Qur'an gives an account of all of the wrongs, misdeeds, and distortions committed by those societies that are far from religious morality. Their reactions to Allah's message and the detailed character descriptions instruct us today, which are further indications that the Qur'an addresses all times and all people. Those who are committed to reading the Qur'an and to living by it will witness, with an ever-deepening faith, that it permeates their lives, for the Qur'an gives a detailed account of what events they will face and the ideal behaviors expected of them. 

In the Qur'an,  the unreasonable judgments and fallacies against the Qur'an are referred as lack of comprehension unique to unbelievers. As the Qur'an informs us, unbelievers who lived thousands of years ago also referred with their simple minds to religion  as "myths and legends of previous peoples"(Surat an-Nahl, 24) In the same manner, unbelievers who lived at the time of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), asked him ignorantly to amend certain parts of the Qur'an. As we read:

	When Our Clear Signs are recited to them, those who do not expect to meet Us say: "Bring a Qur'an other than this one or change it." Say: "It is not for me to change it of my own accord. I follow nothing except what is revealed to me. I fear, were I to disobey my Lord, the punishment of a Dreadful Day." (Surah Yunus, 15)

The unbelievers to whom the above verse refers were living at the Prophet's (pbuh) time and actually witnessed the Qur'an's revelation. They objected only because adhering to the Qur'an's morality would, in their opinion, harm their interests.

Today, some people with similar reasons oppose the morality and the lifestyle introduced by Islam, even though in their conscience they know that the Qur'an is the truth. However, their struggle against Qur'an, their slanders and false claims  are all futile efforts, for in compliance with "We have sent down the Reminder, and We will preserve it," (Surat al-Hijr, 9) each letter of the Qur'an is preserved exactly as it was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The Qur'an is Allah's final message to humanity, and so divine revelation has ceased. Thus, the Qur'an and the hadiths of our Prophet (pbuh) are —and will remain—the only way to salvation for the rest of time.

Answer to the "I already have a sound heart" Deceit

We are informed in the Qur'an that Allah considers people's hearts, as He reveals in "But only he [will prosper] who brings to Allah a sound heart." (Surat ash-Shu'ara', 89)

But the Qur'an's concept of a "sound heart" is not the pureness of heart that some people understand it to be. People who believe themselves to possess moral excellence because "they do not mean any harm to people" or "now and then they help the needy" only deceive themselves, for the Qur'an defines a sound heart as turning to and submitting fully to Allah, having fear and love of Allah as much as one can and a sincere faith. Some people are believed to have a sound heart because they feed stray dogs, smile at neighbors, or sometimes help the needy. And of course these are good morals. But being saved from Hell and earning Allah's good pleasure and mercy require far more than being known as a "good person": One must be the type of believer described in the Qur'an. Allah reveals in the Qur'an:

	Do you make the giving of water to the pilgrims and looking after the Masjid al-Haram the same as believing in Allah and the Last Day and struggling in the Way of Allah? They are not equal in the sight of Allah. Allah does not guide wrongdoing people. (Surat at-Tawba, 19) It is not devoutness to turn your faces to the East or to the West. Rather, those with true devoutness are those who believe in Allah 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, to orphans and the very poor, to travellers and beggars, to set slaves free, and who establish prayer and pay alms; those who honor 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 havetaqwa [consciousness of Allah]. (Surat al-Baqara, 177)

People with sound hearts, in the Qur'anic sense, have faith in Allah, observe the limits and prohibitions that He has established, and submit to Him fully. In the Islamic sense, there is no other form of a sound heart, for the Qur'an defines a person with a sound heart as someone who constantly brings Allah to mind and feels at peace with His remembrance. The following verse makes this quite clear:

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

In another verse, Allah describes believers as those

	"whose hearts quake at the mention of Allah" .(Surat al-Hajj, 35)

In yet another verse, He states: "Has the time not arrived for the hearts of those who believe to yield to the remembrance of Allah and to the truth He has sent down?" (Surat al-Hadid, 16) 

This sensitivity of the heart is one of the main characteristics of a believer what enables him to derive pleasure from the Qur'an's morality and to feel a great pleasure and peace in obeying Allah. Allah describes this sensitivity as "Allah's guidance":

	Allah has sent down the Supreme Discourse, a Book consistent in its frequent repetitions. The skins of those who fear their Lord tremble at it, and then their skins and hearts yield softly to the remembrance of Allah. That is Allah's guidance, by which He guides whoever He wills... (Surat az-Zumar, 23)

Consequently, a sound heart in the Islamic context means a heart that is purified from all forms of impurity that draw one away from Allah. Such people stay away from worldly greed, selfishness, fears, and insecurity. As a result, they do not become attached to any person or thing other than Allah or feel a type of love for them that is independent of Allah.

Those who claim to have a pure heart and thus falsely consider it unimportant to comply with Islamic principles may assume that they deceive Allah and believers. But in fact, they only deceive themselves, and their self-proclaimed pure heart only indicates the insincerity of a person who avoids fulfilling his or her religious acts of worship and presents a flawed way of life as Islam. Such insincerity is not accepted either in Allah's sight or in the eyes of Muslims.

Answer to the  "I am still young. I will become religious when I am old." Deceit

Indifference and apathy, two features that mark today's lifestyle of the societies which are ignorant of religion, influence some people's understanding of religion.. According to a prevalent false understanding based upon people's observations of daily life, Islam is the religion of elderly people who come together every now and then to pray. Therefore, they falsely consider religion to be a means of relief and tranquility when faced with grief and trouble, or when close to death. According to this distorted outlook, adhering to religion while still young and when one can make the most of life is not accepted. Under the influence of such thinking, those who still hold religious beliefs and respect religion should postpone living by it until they are old.

Without a doubt, this understanding is very wrong. First of all, the true Islam described in the Qur'an is not a religion only for elderly people; on the contrary, it is a well-being and salvation for everyone who is able to distinguish right from wrong.

Furthermore, mostly elderly people experience physical weakness and sicknesses. Whereasyouth is one of Allah's greatest blessings. It would be a great display of disrespect to turn away from Him at a time when people are at their mental and physical peaks. If people do not undertake their responsibilities of enjoining good and forbidding evil, communicating Allah's message, and glorifying Him when they are young, strong, and healthy, how can they accomplish such duties when they are old and weak?

In fact, Allah praises the young people of faith who submit to Him wholeheartedly, as the verses below indicate:

	When the youths took refuge in the cave and said: "Our Lord, give us mercy directly from You and open the way for us to right guidance in our situation." So We sealed their ears with sleep in the cave for a number of years. Then We woke them up again so that we might see which of the two groups would better calculate the time they had stayed there. We will relate their story to you with truth. They were young men who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance. We fortified their hearts when they stood up and said: "Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and Earth, and We will not call upon any deity apart from Him. We would, in that case, have uttered an abomination." (Surat al-Kahf, 10-14)

During the time of Prophet Musa (Moses) (pbuh), only a small group of young people followed him:

	No one believed in Musa, except [some] offspring [i.e., youths] among his people, out of fear that Pharaoh and the elders would persecute them. Pharaoh was high and mighty in the land. He was one of the profligate. (Surah Yunus, 83)

Many of the Prophets undertook this important duty when they were young. Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) (pbuh), one of these noble men who intellectually struggled against his idolatrous people, earned a reputation among them. Indeed, the prominent people of his tribe said: "We heard a young man mentioning them (our deities). They call him Ibrahim." (Surah al-Anbiya', 60)

According to the Qur'an people are liable for living according to religious morals after they gain consciousness and attain mental maturity. As nothing can guarantee another five minutes of life to a person, how can someone decide to lead a life far from religious morality while young and then fulfill his or her religious obligations when old? Noone has guaranteed that he or she will live so long. As stated in the Qur'an:

	Truly Allah has knowledge of the Hour, sends down abundant rain, and knows what is in the womb. And no self knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no self knows in what land it will die. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (Surah Luqman, 34)  Do the people of the cities feel secure against Our violent force coming down on them in the night, while they are asleep? Or do the people of the cities feel secure against Our violent force coming down on them in the day, while they are playing games? Do they feel secure against Allah's devising? No one feels secure against Allah's devising except those who are lost. (Surat al-Araf, 97-99)

The Qur'an describes the grievous end of those who turn a blind ear to Allah's call when they are young, strong, and healthy in the following verses:

	On the Day when legs are bared and they are called upon to prostrate, they will not be able to do so. Their eyes will be downcast, darkened by debasement, for they were called upon to prostrate when they were in full possession of their faculties. (Surat al-A'raf, 42-43)

Some people hold a superstitious belief that they can make the most of life when young and then repent before death. Clearly, this mistaken idea stems from a lack of knowledge and a lifestyle that is far from religious morality, for it is sheer insincerity toward Allah. Actually, this is the same as saying: "I can commit all forms of sins, engage in any evil, or transgress Allah's limits and then, toward the end of my life, repent and attain the afterlife." But Allah, Who knows what is concealed in hearts, informs us that such an insincere mentality can never succeed and that He will never accept the repentance of such people, for:

	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 as unbelievers. We have prepared for them a painful punishment. (Surat an-Nisa', 18)

Those who are devoid of such wisdom and thus fail to appreciate the extent of Allah's knowledge take it for granted that once they repent, Allah will forgive them and let them enter Paradise. They assume that they can deceive Allah, just as they deceive people in this life. Yet such people only deceive themselves and eventually fall into a desperate situation. At an unexpected time, death will seize them and start them on a journey that has no end. Meanwhile, they still maintain that stealthy mentality. This impudent yet desperate struggle is related in the Qur'an, as follows:

	If only you could see the evildoers hanging their heads in shame before their Lord: "Our Lord, we have seen and we have heard, so send us back again and we will act rightly. Truly we now have certainty." [Allah replies:] "Had We so willed, We could have given guidance to everyone, but now My Words are shown to be true: that I shall fill up Hell entirely with jinn and human beings. So taste it. Because you forgot the meeting of this Day, We have forgotten you. Taste the punishment of eternal timelessness for what you did." (Surat as-Sajda, 12-14) When death comes to one of them, he says: "My Lord, send me back again so that perhaps I may act rightly regarding the things I failed to do!" No indeed! It is just words he utters. Before them there is a barrier until the Day they are raised up. (Surat al-Muminun, 99-100)

In the Qur'an, Allah provides guidance to believers so that they can avoid such an irreversible and irrecoverable end:

	Give from what We have provided for you before death comes to one of you and he says: "My Lord, if only you would give me a little more time so that I can give alms and be one of the righteous!" Allah will not give anyone more time, once their time has come. Allah is aware of what you do. (Surat al-Munafiqun, 10-11) O you who believe, heed Allah the way He should be heeded and do not die except as Muslims. (Surah Al 'Imran, 102) O you who believe, heed Allah and let each self look to what it has sent forward for tomorrow. Heed Allah. Allah is aware of what you do. (Surat al-Hashr, 18)

A close look at these verses reveal that the attitude that we have been discussing is not based upon the utter denial of Allah, but upon the failure to appreciate Him with the appreciation due to Him. In other words, those who employ this attitude fail to heed Allah and observe the limits that He has set as one should. People may accept Allah's being; however, being aware of His infinite power, wisdom, knowledge, as well as acknowledging that He controls all affairs at every moment, that no one is guaranteed security against His punishment, is wholly a different thing. Satan has firm faith in Allah's being, yet rebels against Him in heedlessness. The Qur'an refers to those who accept Allah's being and yet fail to appreciate Him with the appreciation due to Him and become rebellious, as follows:

	Say: "Who provides for you out of heaven and Earth? Who controls hearing and sight? Who brings forth the living from the dead and the dead from the living? Who directs the whole affair?" They will say: "Allah." Say: "So will you not then do your duty?" That is Allah, your Lord, the Truth, and what is there after truth except misguidance? So how have you been distracted? In that way the Word of your Lord is realized against those who are deviators, in that they do not believe. (Surah Yunus, 31-33) If you asked them who created them, they would say: "Allah!" So how have they been perverted? (Surat az-Zukhruf, 87)