The Evil's Greatest Fear: The Alliance Of The Good

The previous sections of this book stressed the fact that since time immemorial, the evil have been the perpetrators of mischief on earth, have oppressed people, and brought about unrest, insecurity, conflicts and enmity. It is also stressed that the evil have established a strong union to root evil in society. However, it would be a rather pessimistic and negative approach to assume that there is nothing that can be done to change this dismal reality.

A person who adheres to the Qur'an and lives by it does not succumb to such hopelessness, and under no circumstance does he turn a blind eye to the wrongs around him. A conscientious and thoughtful Muslim strives to save not only those around him, but the society he lives in, and even the rest of humanity, from violence, conflict, war, immorality and mischief in general. It is clear that sincerity, conscience, honesty, compassion, love and respect, will eradicate immorality and all wickedness. In other words, the unity and co-operation of the good will defeat the alliance of the evil. In a verse of the Qur'an, God gives glad tidings regarding this fact:

Rather We hurl the truth against falsehood and it cuts right through it and it vanishes clean away! Woe without end for you for what you portray! (Surat al-Anbiya': 18)

Therefore, aside from exposing the true threat the alliance of evil poses to humanity, most beneficial would be the conscientious and sincere coming together against the evil, to support one another and protect the poor and those who are oppressed. This is the approach adopted by those striving to attain the good pleasure of God, and is highly praised in the Qur'an;

...Those who believe in him and honour him and help him, and follow the light that has been sent down with him, they are the ones who are successful.' (Surat al-A'raf: 157)

In the above verse, God commands believers to support, help and defend His messengers. In a similar manner, believers should also support and defend one another.

The Believers are the Guardians of One Another

There are several verses in the Qur'an that relate to us of believers as the guardians of one another. The following is one of them:

And (as for) the believing men and the believing women, they are guardians of each other. They command what is right and forbid what is wrong, and establish prayer and pay alms, and obey God and His Messenger. They are the people on whom God will have mercy. God is Almighty, All-Wise. (Surat at-Tawba: 71)

The word "guardian" means intimate, protector, helper and supporter. In this sense, believers, honest, sincere and conscientious people with high moral values, should support each other, and be helpers and protectors of one another. Our Beloved Prophet (pbuh) also stated this in his following saying:

A believer is a mirror to another believer. A believer is a brother to another believer. He saves him from losses. He safeguards his interests in his absence.5

The stories related in the Qur'an about the prophets provide many examples about this practice. Moses, for instance, killed a man by mistake when he sided with a man who was in trouble. Then, he had to run away from the city to save himself from the cruelty of the Pharaoh and the leaders of the city. This is related in the verses as follows:

A man came running from the furthest part of the city, saying, 'Moses, the Council are conspiring to kill you, so leave! I am someone who brings you good advice.' So he left there fearful and on his guard, saying, 'My Lord, rescue me from the people of the wrongdoers!' (Surat al-Qasas: 20-21)

The Prophet Moses (as) managed to leave the city through a man who helped him as a favour to him. He then reached a watering place in the land of Madyan and helped two women who kept back their flocks because they did not want to mix with the shepherds near the water. Upon their return home, the women mentioned to their father, the Prophet Shu'ayb (as), the help Moses had offered them. Upon this, Prophet Shu'ayb (as) invited prophet Moses to his home. This is revealed in the verses as follows:

One of them came walking shyly up to him and said, 'My father invites you so that he can pay you your wage for drawing water for us.' When he came to him and told him the whole story he said, 'Have no fear, you have escaped from wrongdoing people.' (Surat al-Qasas: 25)

Because Prophet Shu'ayb (as) recognized the inherent goodness and trustworthiness of the Prophet Moses (as), he helped him in his difficult time and allowed him to stay in his household and to work for him. Shu'ayb's manner sets an example for the good in protecting and guarding other good people who encounter hardship. Unless the good offer help and support to one another in times of adversity, then they will leave each another alone and unable to defend themselves against the cruel people. In a verse of the Qur'an, God commanded our Prophet (pbuh): "...take the believers who follow you under your wing" (Surat ash-Shu'ara': 215). Taking believers under one's wing, protecting them against dangers and difficulties is a command of our Lord, and also a Sunnah of our Prophet to follow.

The Good Should Avoid Bickering and Unite

Unity, cooperation, solidarity, friendship, self-sacrifice, support, and similar other qualities are some of the beautiful attributes which are the underlying foundation of the Qur'anic morality. This is stated in many sayings of Our Prophet (pbuh). One of them reads:

'Believers are like the different parts of a building, each one supporting the other.' Then he demonstrated what he meant by interlocking his fingers.6

The religion of Islam ensures the establishment of a better world where there is love, peace, tolerance and understanding to one another. Societies possessing these features experience rapid development and achieve greater power. Once unity and cooperation are attained, individuals of such a society could channel their strength and energy towards goodness and good deeds rather than into disputes, fights, conflicts and wars. Essentially, a cause to which people commit themselves and devote all their effort, power, zeal and support, both material and spiritual, results in an ultimate success and beauty. What is more important is that God gives glad tidings that individuals working in unity and solidarity for good will receive God's help, support and power. For this reason, God reminds believers not to dispute among themselves so as not to lose strength. The verse below makes this point clear:

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

Establishing unity among the righteous is an exalted virtue recommended by God. Especially in a time where evil has permeated every aspect of society, not a single evil feature like peevishness, resentment or bickering should be tolerated among the good. Putting forth effort to remove such evil influences and adopting a compromising and conciliatory attitude is a great act of worship:

The believers are brothers, so make peace between your brothers and have fear of God so that hopefully you will gain mercy. (Surat al-Hujurat: 10)

Disputes, enmity, hatred and anger are the features of immoral conduct inspired by the evil. True Muslims never conduct themselves under the influence of these undesirable feelings; they have fear for God and are always modest, friendly, thoughtful and full of love in their relations. People who are not sincere in their cause may feel jealous of their closest friends and even of their own brothers and sisters. Each other's success may stir up feelings of envy in their hearts. On the contrary, a true Muslim takes pride in other believers' success, and is happy for them as if it were his own accomplishment, and feels grateful to God for the blessings He has granted believers. Furthermore, he supports them in their endeavour and offers guidance if necessary. Those lacking such morals, on the other hand, hamper the progress of others. Feelings of rivalry and jealousy spoil the good deeds engaged in to attain the good pleasure of God, and accordingly, ruins any beauty or blessings. God's Messenger, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), also drew attention to this point and advised the believers to guard against such bad manners:

Do not envy each other, do not bid against each other, do not hate each other, do not turn your backs on each other, and let none of you sell upon the sale of another. Be slaves of God, brothers. A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim, he does not wrong him, fail to assist him, lie to him nor despise him.7

Said Nursi, also known as Bediuzzaman (the Wonder of the Age) who is one of the greatest Islamic scholars of the 20th century gives extensive reference to these issues in his Risale-i Nur collection, a commentary on the Qur'an. In the sincere style that is peculiar to him, Bediuzzaman relates that believers should strictly avoid corrupt feelings such as competitiveness when they strive for a common goal:

The service of the truth is like carrying and preserving a great and weighty treasure. Those who carry that trust on their shoulders will be happy and grateful whenever powerful hands rush to their aid. Far from being jealous, one should proudly applaud the superior strength, effectiveness and capacity of those who in upright love come forward to offer their help. Why then look on true brothers and self-sacrificing helpers in a spirit of rivalry, thus losing sincerity? You will be exposed to fearsome accusations in the eyes of the people of misguidance, such as pursuing worldly interest through religion, even though it is something a hundred times lower than you and your belief, earning your livelihood through the knowledge of truth and rivalling others in greed and acquisitiveness. The sole remedy for this disease is to accuse your own soul before others raise these charges, and always to take the side of your fellow, not your own soul.8

As Bediuzzaman Said Nursi also states, offering one's service towards establishment of the moral values of the Qur'an can be seen as preserving a treasure for the believers; one that is extremely precious. To this invaluable service, everybody must provide his wholehearted support and help. Feeling jealous of another believer who offers his devoted and unwavering support, or considering him as a rival, is unacceptable for a true Muslim. A believer should be proud of others' commitment and provide his support.

Jealousy is an attribute of the evil alliance. The existence of such an evil trait among individuals collaborating for a righteous end does nothing but diminish the strength of the alliance. It is surely the evil alliance that benefits from such detriment. As Bediuzzaman says, the only cure for this illness is not following one's ego and always taking the side of one's fellow.

In the Risale-i Nur collection, Bediuzzaman draws a comparison between the machinery of a factory and believers. The harmonious and smooth functioning of this machinery is essential for a productive output. A similar harmony is also required in the co-operation among believers. Said Nursi explains that believers should avoid talk which could cause jealousy and bitterness as follows:

This is not to criticize your brothers who are employed in this service of the Qur'an, and not to excite their envy by displaying superior virtues. For just as one of man's hands cannot compete with the other, neither can one of his eyes criticize the other, nor his tongue object to his ear, nor his heart see his spirit's faults. Each of his members completes the deficiencies of the others, veils their faults, assists their needs, and helps them out in their duties. Otherwise man's life would be extinguished, his spirit flee, and his body be dispersed. Similarly, the components of machinery in a factory cannot compete with one another in rivalry, take precedence over each other, or dominate each other. They cannot spy out one another's faults and criticize each other, destroy the other's eagerness for work, and cause them to become idle. They rather assist each other's motions with all their capacity in order to achieve the common goal; they march towards the aim of their creation in true solidarity and unity. Should even the slightest aggression or desire to dominate interfere, it would throw the factory into confusion, causing it to be without product or result. Then the factory's owner would demolish the factory entirely. And so, O Risale-i Nur students and servants of the Qur'an! You and I are members of a collective personality such as that, worthy of the title of 'perfect man.' We are like the components of a factory's machinery which produces eternal happiness within eternal life. We are hands working on a dominical boat which will disembark the Community of Muhammed (PBUH) at the Realm of Peace, the shore of salvation. So we are surely in need of solidarity and true union, obtained through gaining sincerity -for the mystery of sincerity secures through four individuals the moral strength of one thousand one hundred and eleven- indeed, we are compelled to obtain it.9

As also exemplified here, just as how a factory ensures a timely and efficient output only when its machinery works in harmony and does not conflict with itself, so should believers working for a common goal to earn the good pleasure of God exhibit similar harmony. They should strive together without searching for one another's mistakes and defects. In a world where disbelievers ally themselves against the good, are filled with feelings of hatred and envy for the believers, and oppress the poor, the homeless, women, children, and the elderly, all these oppressed people hope for the help of the conscientious. In this case, if wise, sincere, conscientious and honest people use their powers against each other, they may be held accountable for this in the sight of God. It is essential that believers see no limits in improving their alliance, cooperation, friendship, solidarity and affection for another, and never fall into a disagreement which will weaken them. This spirit of believers is best stated in the words of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh):

You will observe that the believers are like the parts of the body in relation to each other in matters of kindness, love and affection. When one part of the body is afflicted, the entire body feels it; there is loss of sleep and a fever develops.10

The solidarity of the people, who purify themselves of every form of worldly ambition, jealousy and competitiveness, who channel every positive feeling, every effort, and every activity for the good of others, without making it a matter of personal pride, will break the resolve of the alliance of the evil.

Not Valuing The Words of the Evil

The ultimate aim of the evil is to stir up enmity among believers, to wreak their unity and weaken them. As the foregoing makes clear, they are known by their efforts in inventing lies and slandering the good, disgracing them and bringing doubt upon their credibility. However, the stance assumed by the good and conscientious will render such efforts of the slanderers and those committed to evil ineffective. That is because, the existence of people who do not take these slanders seriously, turn a deaf ear to them, and state they do not believe in them, will prevent any harm to the wronged and hinder the evil ones from attaining their mischievous goals.

Indeed, we know that the noble wife of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) also became the target of such slanderous accusations. God informs us about the kind of attitude the conscientious people should assume when they hear such slander against a believer:

You were bandying it about on your tongues, your mouths uttering something about which you had no knowledge. You considered it to be a trivial matter, but, in God's sight, it is immense. Why, when you heard it, did you not say, 'We have no business speaking about this. Glory be to You! This is a terrible slander!'? (Surat an-Nur: 15-16)

It is certain that a non-God-fearing person, or someone who has no faith in God, will readily tell lies, concoct slanders, and spread rumours without considering the possible trouble he will inflict on people. That is why, it is unreasonable and wrong to trust people who have no fear in their hearts for God, who have weak religious values, and who thus assume that they will not have to give an account of their deeds in the hereafter. For the same reasons, it is wrong to respond to their accusations without first verifying their validity. In a verse, God explains what the approach of believers should be in such a situation:

You who believe! If a deviator brings you a report, scrutinize it carefully in case you attack people in ignorance and so come to greatly regret what you have done. (Surat al-Hujurat: 6)

An evil-doer is someone who rejects God's commandments. That is the reason why those who are conscientious and just should first investigate the information brought by such people before arriving to a decision.

The Good Only Seek the Good Pleasure of God

That evil, merciless and aggressive people represent the majority, or seem to possess great material wealth, may cause some spiritually weak and ignorant people to develop inaccurate interpretations about them. These people may exaggerate their power and attach more importance to them than they actually deserve. However, the power of people who are distant from God is short-lived and illusory. God is the actual possessor of all the power and resources and it is He who grants such capabilities to people for a time to test them. No man has the power to harm another or to be superior over others merely through his wealth or power. Rather, God grants such potency to test man, though it is all within His grasp.

A man without a strong faith fears cruel people and hesitates to confront them. For this reason, the evil go to great lengths as to please such people and strive to earn their respect. They direct all their talk and behaviour in such a way as to convey the message that they are "on their side", and think that they will earn wealth and power as long as they are under their "wing". Little do they know, however, that such an inclination degrades and dishonours them before God and His sincere servants. It is similar to a man who fears a burglar and thus tries to please him, or someone who tries to behave like a murderer because he is afraid of one.

What is important is to become a person valued by God, the One Who is the Creator and Possessor of everything. For this reason, those who fail to grasp the might of God must be told about the importance of the fear for God and love for Him. They must be told that the evil are actually weak and unable to accomplish anything unless by the Will of God.

In a verse, God informs us of the fact that the good should only have fear for Him and only keep company with those who observe His limits:

You who believe! Have fear of God and be with the truly sincere. (Surat at-Tawba: 119)

The Good Do Not Fear the Censure of Censurers

A devout person only fears God and has a good grasp of the fact that God is the possessor of all power. The only reality these people are concerned with is the Day of Judgement, which they prepare for all their lives. For this reason, it is impossible to threaten such a person with something related to this world, to dishearten them, or to cause them anxiety, fear, hopelessness and pessimism. That is why, the exuberant energy of such a person never abates, no matter what comes upon him in life. Aware that God is his protector, he turns to Him, Who has infinitive mercy, compassion and forgiveness. If he confronts an adversity, a plot, a slander or an unexpected circumstance, he keeps in mind that God is with him, seeing and hearing what the evil are doing. God is the al-Khabir, the one who has knowledge of the most hidden of secrets. That is why, none of those events in life, which would generally be deemed disasters by disbelievers, are intimidating or discouraging to believers. Below are some of the verses in which God mentions people of the past who faced every form of affliction but stood up to them:

How many a prophet has fought with many devout man alongside him! They did not give up in the face of what assailed them in the Way of God, nor did they weaken, nor did they yield. God loves the steadfast. All they said was, 'Our Lord, forgive us our wrong actions and any excesses we went to in what we did and make our feet firm and help us against these disbelieving people.' So God gave them the reward of the world and the best reward of the hereafter. God loves good-doers. (Surah Ali 'Imran: 146-148)

There is another feature to recognise of true believers who are protected and supported by God; they do not fear the censure of any censurers. God conveys this in the answer Prophet Noah (as) gives to his people:

Recite to them the story of Noah when he said to his people, 'My people, if my standing here and reminding you of God's Signs has become too much for you to bear, know that I have put my trust in God. So decide, you and your gods, on what you want to do and be open about it. Do with me whatever you decide and do not keep me waiting. (Surah Yunus: 71)

If one aims to be among the righteous blessed with God's love, favours and the company of His true servants in paradise, then he has to commit himself to remain forthright and honest. Even under the severest threat or unjust treatment, a true believer should not abandon telling and advocating what is true and just. What makes prophets superior is their unyielding insistence in defending the truth, even in hardest of times. Such a resolute and courageous disposition stems from their deep-felt faith. A great example of the commitment and determination of believers is seen in the answer the Prophet Shu'ayb (as) gave under threat of death:

My people! Do as you think best. That is what I am doing. You will certainly come to know who will receive a punishment to disgrace him, and who is a liar. So look out. I will be on the lookout with you.' (Surah Hud: 93)

Just Saying "I Believe" is Enough for a Person to be Considered As a Good Person

One of the attributes of Muslims and the conscientious is that they do not discriminate between people because of their sex, culture, social status or any other reason. For instance, one does not have the right to say "You are not a believer because you fail to do this..." to someone who clearly maintains that he is a Muslim. No prejudice is held against a person who says he believes. In any case, people should always be eager to help when such a person is in need. God commands in a verse as follows:

You who believe! When you go out to fight in the Way of God verify things carefully. Do not say, 'You are not a believer", to someone who greets you as a Muslim, simply out of desire for the goods of this world. With God there is booty in abundance. That is the way you were before but God has been kind to you. So verify things carefully. God is aware of what you do. (Surat an-Nisa': 94)

This approach is manifested in the acts of God's Messenger, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in the best way. One hadith that describes the dialogue between the Prophet Muhammad and a believer reads:

I said, 'Messenger of God, say to me something on Islam about which I will not ask anyone other than you'. He said, 'Say, "I believe in God" then go straight'.11

One's faith in God, his closeness to Him and the fear he has for God is only known by God. Therefore, raising negative charges against someone who conducts himself like a sincere Muslim and says that he is with the good is utterly prohibited to believers.

The Support of the Good to One Another Should Not be Limited to Words

The majority of people actually have a good grasp of what good, righteous and conscientious conduct is. For this reason, when talking to others, one will find that the majority of people usually accept the good and positive and affirm their commitment to side with the good. However, when it is time to act, most of them remain silent and passive. Although they encounter many situations for which they could side with the good and defend them, they remain ambivalent.

There are many reasons for this silence. Fear of material loss is one of them. For instance, someone defending an innocent person from the alliance of the evil may attract the reaction of the evil and thus, with the fear of some material loss, stop defending him. Accordingly, he may be seized by certain concerns; he may fear that his status, career and reputation may be tarnished, or that he be subjected to slander. Paralysed by fear, they may not say or do what they actually know is just.

However, these people should be aware of the fact that words only please God when they are turned into action. God informs us about people who promise to engage in good deeds but withdraw when it is time to take action:

More fitting for them would be obedience and honourable words. When some matter is resolved, it would be better for them if they acted sincerely towards God. (Surah Muhammad: 21)

For this reason everyone who has faith in God, who is aware that he will give an account of his deeds on the Day of Judgement and, who believes himself to be a sincere and conscientious servant of God, must absolutely ally himself with the good and act with them. God warns people who fail to side with the righteous as follows:

You who believe! Why do you say what you do not do? It is deeply abhorrent to God that you should say what you do not do. (Surat as-Saff: 2-3)

Nobody Should Say "Will My Support Be of Any Help?"

It would be wrong for a person, who witnesses the violence committed against the innocent, recognises the cruelty, mercilessness, immorality, faithlessness around him, and thus feels restless and longs for the establishment of a peaceful and positive environment, to remain passive. Everyone must invest his best effort to spread the moral values of the Qur'an, which is the only way to resolve problems originating from evil, and strive for good and righteousness.

However, Satan certainly aims to gain control over every person who devotes himself to goodness and weaken his resolve. One method Satan employs to discourage a person striving for the good is to make him belittle his efforts and say "What difference would my efforts make?" Faced with all the evil, cruelty, wars and massacres taking place in all corners of the world, a person may feel himself to be feeble and impotent. However, the fact of the matter is quite otherwise. First of all, neither an individual, nor a society, or any other power can bring peace, security, tolerance, love, compassion, friendship and understanding to the world. The One who will establish this blissful environment is our Lord, who has power over all things, who possesses endless might, and who knows what is inside our hearts, and the substance of our thoughts and words.

We, on the other hand, should strive for the good solely as a demonstration of our true and sincere intentions and our service to God, and as a way to earn the rewards of God. A sincere word from someone, a pleasing manner in another, or the patience and commitment one displays, may well set an example for others, make them feel closer to the morality of the Qur'an, and eventually become a propelling force in increasing the number of the good. Ultimately, God will give strength to the good and turn this world into a happy one. Therefore, saying "Would my efforts be of any help?" is only a temptation from Satan, and lending an ear to this temptation is simply a way of avoiding one's responsibility.

As long as one is determined to do what is right and remain conscientious, there are great things that can be accomplished for the cause of good. For example, let us assume that there is a very heavy weight to carry. If only 4 people among 15 commit themselves to carry this weight while the others stand aside because they think "they are too weak to carry the weight", it would not be a wise assertion. However, when 15 of them take on the responsibility and do their best to carry the weight, it would surely lessen the burden of the first 4. What really matters is not "Who does what, to which extent" but to what extent one exerts his own strength.
In a verse of the Qur'an, God informs us that He does "not impose on anyone more than he can stand". For a good person, there is always an easier way of doing things:

Such people are truly racing towards good things, and they are the first to reach them. We do not impose on any self any more than it can stand. With Us there is a Book which speaks the truth. They will not be wronged. (Surat al-Muminun: 61-62)