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Allah said,

﴿وَلاَ تَطْرُدِ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُمْ بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِىِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُ﴾

(And turn not away those who invoke their Lord, morning and evening seeking His Face.) meaning, do not turn away those who have these qualities, instead make them your companions and associates. In another Ayah, Allah said;

﴿وَاصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِىِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُ وَلاَ تَعْدُ عَيْنَاكَ عَنْهُمْ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا وَلاَ تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُ فُرُطًا ﴾

(And keep yourself patiently with those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face, and let not your eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp and glitter of the life of the world; and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance, one who follows his own lusts and whose affair (deeds) has been lost.)﴿18:28﴾ Allah's statement,

﴿يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُمْ﴾

(invoke their Lord...) refers to those who worship Him and supplicate to Him,

﴿بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِىِّ﴾

(morning and evening.) referring to the obligatory prayers, according to Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib, Mujahid, Al-Hasan and Qatadah. In another Ayah, Allah said;

﴿وَقَالَ رَبُّكُـمْ ادْعُونِى أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ﴾

(And your Lord said, "Invoke Me, I will respond (to your invocation).'') ﴿40:60﴾, I will accept your supplication. Allah said next,

﴿يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُ﴾

(seeking His Face.) meaning, they seek Allah's Most Generous Face, by sincerity for Him in the acts of worship and obedience they perform. Allah said;

﴿مَا عَلَيْكَ مِنْ حِسَابِهِم مِّن شَىْءٍ وَمَا مِنْ حِسَابِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِّن شَىْءٍ﴾

(You are accountable for them in nothing, and they are accountable for you in nothing,) This is similar to the answer Nuh gave to his people when they said,

﴿أَنُؤْمِنُ لَكَ وَاتَّبَعَكَ الاٌّرْذَلُونَ﴾

(Shall we believe in you, when the meekest (of the people) follow you'') ﴿26:111﴾. Nuh answered them,

﴿قَالَ وَمَا عِلْمِى بِمَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ - إِنْ حِسَابُهُمْ إِلاَّ عَلَى رَبِّى لَوْ تَشْعُرُونَ ﴾

(And what knowledge have I of what they used to do Their account is only with my Lord, if you could (but) know.) ﴿26:112-113﴾, meaning, their reckoning is for Allah not me, just as my reckoning is not up to them. Allah said here,

﴿فَتَطْرُدَهُمْ فَتَكُونَ مِنَ الظَّـلِمِينَ﴾

(that you may turn them away, and thus become of the wrongdoers.) meaning, you will be unjust if you turn them away. Allah's statement,

﴿وَكَذلِكَ فَتَنَّا بَعْضَهُمْ بِبَعْضٍ﴾

(Thus We have tried some of them with others) means, We tested, tried and checked them with each other,

﴿لِّيَقُولواْ أَهَـؤُلاءِ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّن بَيْنِنَآ﴾

(That they might say: "Is it these (poor believers) that Allah has favored from amongst us'') This is because at first, most of those who followed the Messenger of Allah were the weak among the people, men, women, slaves, and only a few chiefs or noted men followed him. Nuh, was also addressed by his people

﴿وَمَا نَرَاكَ اتَّبَعَكَ إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ هُمْ أَرَاذِلُنَا بَادِىَ الرَّأْى﴾

(Nor do we see any follow you but the meekest among us and they (too) followed you without thinking.) ﴿11:27﴾ KHeraclius, emperor of Rome, asked Abu Sufyan, "Do the noblemen or the weak among people follow him (Muhammad )'' Abu Sufyan replied, "Rather the weak among them.'' Heraclius commented, "Such is the case with followers of the Messengers.'' The idolators of Quraysh used to mock the weak among them who believed in the Prophet and they even tortured some of them. They used to say, "Are these the ones whom Allah favored above us,'' meaning, Allah would not guide these people, instead of us, to all that is good, if indeed what they embraced is good. Allah mentioned similar statements in the Qur'an from the disbelievers,

﴿لَوْ كَانَ خَيْراً مَّا سَبَقُونَآ إِلَيْهِ﴾

(Had it been a good thing, they (weak and poor) would not have preceded us to it!) ﴿46:11﴾, and,

﴿وَإِذَا تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـتُنَا بِيِّنَـتٍ قَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ أَىُّ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ خَيْرٌ مَّقَاماً وَأَحْسَنُ نَدِيّاً ﴾

(And when Our clear verses are recited to them, those who disbelieve say to those who believe: "Which of the two groups is best in position and station.'') ﴿19:73﴾ Allah said in reply,

﴿وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا قَبْلَهُمْ مِّن قَرْنٍ هُمْ أَحْسَنُ أَثَاثاً وَرِءْياً ﴾

(And how many a generation (past nations) have We destroyed before them, who were better in wealth, goods and outward appearance) ﴿19:74﴾. Here, Allah answered the disbelievers when they said,

﴿أَهَـؤُلاءِ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّن بَيْنِنَآ أَلَيْسَ اللَّهُ بِأَعْلَمَ بِالشَّـكِرِينَ﴾

("Is it these (poor believers) that Allah has favored from amongst us'' Does not Allah know best those who are grateful) Meaning is not Allah more knowledgeable of those who thank and appreciate Him in statement, action and heart Thus Allah directs these believers to the ways of peace, transfers them from darkness to light by His leave, and guides them to the straight path. In another Ayah, Allah said;

﴿وَالَّذِينَ جَـهَدُواْ فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴾

(As for those who strive hard for Us (Our cause), We will surely guide them to Our paths (i.e. Allah's religion). And verily, Allah is with the doers of good'') ﴿29:69﴾. An authentic Hadith states,

«إِنَّ اللهَ لَا يَنْظُرُ إِلَى صُوَرِكُمْ وَلَا إِلَى أَلْوَانِكُمْ، وَلَكِنْ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى قُلُوبِكُمْ وَأَعْمَالِكُم»

(Allah does not look at your shapes or colors, but He looks at your heart and actions.) Allah's statement,

﴿وَإِذَا جَآءَكَ الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِـَايَـتِنَا فَقُلْ سَلَـمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ﴾

(When those who believe in Our Ayat come to you, say: "Salamun `Alaykum'' (peace be on you);) means, honor them by returning the Salam and give them the good news of Allah's exclusive, encompassing mercy for them. So Allah said;

﴿كَتَبَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ الرَّحْمَةَ﴾

(your Lord has written Mercy for Himself,) meaning, He has obliged His Most Honored Self to grant mercy, as a favor, out of His compassion and beneficence,

﴿أَنَّهُ مَن عَمِلَ مِنكُمْ سُوءًا بِجَهَالَةٍ﴾

(So that, if any of you does evil in ignorance...) as every person who disobeys Allah does it in ignorance,

﴿ثُمَّ تَابَ مِن بَعْدِهِ وَأَصْلَحَ﴾

(and thereafter repents and does righteous good deeds,) by repenting from the sins that he committed, intending not to repeat the sin in the future, but to perform righteous deeds,

﴿فَأَنَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ﴾

(then surely, He is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.) Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

«لَمَّا قَضَى اللهُ الْخَلْقَ كَتَبَ فِي كِتَابٍ فَهُوَ عِنْدَهُ فَوْقَ الْعَرْشِ: إِنَّ رَحْمَتِي غَلَبَتْ غَضَبِي»

(When Allah finished with the creation, He wrote in a Book that He has with Him above the Throne, `My mercy prevails over My anger'.) This Hadith was also recorded in the The Two Sahihs.

﴿وَكَذَلِكَ نفَصِّلُ الاٌّيَـتِ وَلِتَسْتَبِينَ سَبِيلُ الْمُجْرِمِينَ - قُلْ إِنِّى نُهِيتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ الَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ قُلْ لاَّ أَتَّبِعُ أَهْوَآءَكُمْ قَدْ ضَلَلْتُ إِذاً وَمَآ أَنَاْ مِنَ الْمُهْتَدِينَ - قُلْ إِنِّى عَلَى بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّى وَكَذَّبْتُم بِهِ مَا عِندِى مَا تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ بِهِ إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلاَّ للَّهِ يَقُصُّ الْحَقَّ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الْفَـصِلِينَ - قُل لَّوْ أَنَّ عِندِى مَا تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ بِهِ لَقُضِىَ الاٌّمْرُ بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالظَّـلِمِينَ - وَعِندَهُ مَفَاتِحُ الْغَيْبِ لاَ يَعْلَمُهَآ إِلاَّ هُوَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِى الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِن وَرَقَةٍ إِلاَّ يَعْلَمُهَا وَلاَ حَبَّةٍ فِى ظُلُمَـتِ الاٌّرْضِ وَلاَ رَطْبٍ وَلاَ يَابِسٍ إِلاَّ فِى كِتَـبٍ مُّبِينٍ ﴾

(55. And thus do We explain the Ayat in detail, that the way of the criminals, may become manifest.) (56. Say: "I have been forbidden to worship those whom you invoke (worship) besides Allah.'' Say: "I will not follow your vain desires. If I did, I would go astray, and I would not be one of the rightly guided.'') (57. Say: "I am on clear proof from my Lord, but you deny it. I do not have what you are hastily seeking (the torment). The decision is only for Allah, He declares the truth, and He is the best of judges.'') (58. Say: "If I had that which you are asking for impatiently (the torment), the matter would have been settled at once between you and I, but Allah knows best the wrongdoers.'') (59. And with Him are the keys of the Ghayb (all that is hidden), none knows them but He. And He knows whatever there is on the land and in the sea; not a leaf falls, but he knows it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything fresh or dry, but is written in a Clear Record.)