The Intricacies Of The Evil's Alliance

As stressed throughout the book, that the evil ally themselves against the good to render them ineffective, and that they will strive to do harm to them, is a fact proclaimed in the Qur'an. God has made clear in several verses that people complying with the call of Satan will expend great effort to hinder people from living by the principles of the Qur'an. That is the reason why the good must always be alert and cautious of evil, and interpret all that happens around them in the light of the Qur'an.

However, we must not forget that everything occurs within the destiny ordained by God, and that nothing happens by coincidence. There is a good and a divine purpose in such an alliance formed against sincere and conscientious people. God will reveal the good and purpose in such evil plans when He wills; either in this world or the hereafter. Accordingly, believers must remember that "…God will not give the disbeliever any way against the believer."(Surat an-Nisa':14). It is confirmed in other verses that God will help His good servants:

Those who were expelled from their homes without any right, merely for saying, 'Our Lord is God'. If God had not driven some people back by means of others, monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques, where God's name is mentioned much, would have been pulled down and destroyed. God will certainly help those who help Him -God is All-Strong, Almighty; Those who, if We establish them firmly on the earth, will establish salat (regular prayer) and pay zakat (regular charity), and command what is right and forbid what is wrong. The end result of all affairs is with God. (Surat al-Hajj: 40-41)

Though we must bear in mind that the activities carried out by the collaboration of the wicked are complex, the fact remains that a person who interprets the world according to the Qur'an will have no difficulty in recognising these intricacies, and grasp that many of the events he once took for granted are in reality part of a plan implemented by the wicked.

In the following pages, a number of examples of the devious and subtle approaches of the alliance of the evil will be provided. The purpose here is to help the sincere servants of God to recognise the evil around them and to show them a way out.

The Evil Try to Harm the Good by Speaking Out Against Them

The most apparent trait of an insincere and devious person is his presenting of himself as a totally different person. He seems to oppose immorality, rebellion, disloyalty, prostitution, and similar forms of wickedness, while he himself lives a despicable life. Typically, such a person, would one day act as a fervent advocator of religious values, and another as a guardian of chastity, who sternly condemns others for their immoral conduct. As if he were the most honest or sincere person on earth, he would criticise the deceitful conduct of others, even as far as saying he is astounded by such immoral conduct and condemn it. Those who are unable to consider such things carefully and who readily accept anything they hear and see, are likely to be deceived by the type of person who feigns "innocence and goodness".

These "phony righteous" people see themselves as the ones who "put society aright". However, they are the real perverted ones who encourage people into immorality. God informs us about the state of these people as follows:

When they are told, 'Do not cause corruption on the earth,' they say, 'We are only putting things right.' No indeed! They are the corrupters, but they are not aware of it. (Surat al-Baqara: 11-12)

How will it be when a disaster strikes them because of what they have done, and then they come to you swearing by God: 'We desired nothing but good and reconciliation'? (Surat an-Nisa': 62)

Another tactic employed by the evil to present themselves as good, virtuous, honest and sympathetic, is to speak ill of the truly good. While they chastise them, they also claim especially that they merely want to protect the public from the "evil" of such people. The Pharaoh is the most glaring example, and one who went down in history for this very aspect. The Pharaoh was a cruel, aggressive, vulgar, merciless, arrogant person who subjected his people to unbearable punishment and denied the existence of God. He strove to provoke his people against Moses, by showing him to be evil, and portraying himself as a person of "good intentions". This deceptive ploy of Pharaoh is mentioned in the Qur'an as follows:

Pharaoh said, 'Let me kill Moses and let him call upon his Lord! I am afraid that he may change your religion and bring about corruption in the land.' (Surah Ghafir: 26)

They said, 'These two magicians desire by their magic to expel you from your land and abolish your most excellent way of life, so decide on your scheme and then arrive together in force. He who gains the upper hand today will definitely prosper.' (Surah Ta ha: 63-64)

As stated in the above verses, Pharaoh attempted to make the prophet Moses (as) appear guilty in the eyes of the public, while assuming the role of a saviour and a self sacrificing person who cares for his subjects. Most likely, those people who did not act wisely, and who were not guided by their conscience, were deceived by the lies of the Pharaoh and sided with him. However, the truth is evident today; both who were the evil and who were the good of that time are now known to us. What is more important is that, God knows and sees everything. In the Hereafter, God's justice will prevail and the true good and evil will be apparent. Pharaoh hatched a plot against Moses but faced great disappointment both in this world and beyond. By the same token, those striving to show the good ones as evil, the trustworthy ones as traitors, and the loyal ones as liars, today have already committed themselves to a similar end, unless they repent and cease their evil ways. As God's messenger (peace be upon him) also said "Accursed is he who harms a believer, or acts deceitfully towards him."2

We must also bear in mind that, no matter how they much strive to the contrary, the wicked ones cannot lure God's devoted servants to their side, nor make them resemble themselves. That is because, good and righteous people are far from what the evil say:

Corrupt women are for corrupt men and corrupt men are for corrupt women, good women are for good men and good men are for good women. The latter are innocent of what they say. They will have forgiveness and generous provision. (Surat an-Nur: 26)

For this reason, the evil, although greater in number, are always much weaker than the good. Being well aware that by nature believers are good and tender-hearted people, they can resort only to"slander". To this end, they exploit every possible opportunity.

As the Qur'an informs, throughout history, good and sincere people were blamed of sorcery, lying, opportunism, perversion, and subjected to various other forms of slander. That is why, in no period of history, believers who became the object of such slanderous accusations, were neither surprised nor upset. On the contrary, experiencing these events which also befell the prophets and true believers add to their zeal.

In the case of the Prophet Joseph (as), for instance, both his brothers and the wife of the master who adopted him plotted against him. However, there is a time, in absolutely certainty, when this plotting and slandering against believers will be punished. The slander made against Joseph by his brothers was the following:

They said, 'If he steals now, his brother stole before.' But Joseph kept it to himself and still did not disclose it to them, saying, 'The plight that you are in is worse than that. God knows best the matter you describe.' (Surah Yusuf: 77)

Those who raised false charges of adultery against Mary, and the honourable wife of our Prophet, and the ones who blamed other prophets with perversion and sorcery, all shared the same attitude. They knew without a doubt that the blessed people, who exhibited moral perfection throughout their lives, were far too virtuous and noble to commit any of these supposed misdeeds. However, only to degrade these noble people in the eyes of the public, and to shatter the trust and commitment people placed in these true believers, they resorted to such lowly forms of slander. Some of the words disbelievers uttered according to this rationale are mentioned in the Qur'an as follows:

They are surprised that a warner should come to them from among themselves. The disbelievers say, 'This is a lying magician. Has he turned all the gods into One God? That is truly astonishing!' Their leaders went off saying, 'Carry on as you are! Hold fast to your gods. This is clearly something planned. We have not heard of this in the old religion. This is merely something contrived. Has the Reminder been sent down to him out of all of us?' They are in doubt about My Reminder. They have yet to taste My punishment. (Surah Sad: 4-8)
The ruling circle of his people said, 'We see you in flagrant error.' (Surat al-A'raf: 60)

However, these plots failed and ultimately back-fired. Believers, on the contrary, were publicly cleared of every accusation, and, as always, bore themselves with dignity. Prophet Joseph (as), who was charged with theft, for instance, was so evidently trustworthy that the King entrusted Egypt's entire stores to him. People spoke against Mary, accusing her of being unchaste, although she has been preferred over all women. Prophet Joseph (as) also became the subject of a similar slander, despite the fact that he was a noble person, who meticulously observed God's limits. God informs us in the Qur'an that in the afterlife the accusers will be punished for what they have done to the believers:

Those who have brought up such slander form a clique among you. Do not suppose it to be bad for you; rather it is good for you. Every one of them will incur the evil he has earned and whoever has assumed his leadership over them (through such gossiping) will have serious torment. (Surat an-Nur: 11)

And so that He might punish hypocritical men and women as well as associating men and women – those who think bad thoughts about God. They will suffer an evil turn of fate. God is angry with them, and has cursed them and prepared Hell for them. What an evil destination! (Surat al-Fath: 6)

The Wicked Employ All Their Resources Against the Good

Among the most recognised characteristics of disbelievers are greed and selfishness. Particularly, they avoid spending their money for a good cause. They are often reluctant to give away even a portion of their money and property to earn the good pleasure of God. However, when they are called to evil, they never avoid spending of what they have. Furthermore, each group within the alliance of evil competes with the others in inflicting the most harm on the good. They motivate those who may be slow or perhaps hesitant in hatching plots against the good, and make sure they spend as much energy as possible towards this cause.

These people, who never attempt to engage in anything good, strive to their utmost when it comes to something bad. God informs us in the following verse that they do not hesitate to spend their wealth for evil:,

Those who are disbelieving spend their wealth barring access to the Way of God. They will spend it; then they will regret it; then they will be overthrown. Those who are disbelieving will be gathered into Hell. (Surat al-Anfal: 36)

They Threaten the Good and Try To Intimidate Them

The evil alliance resort to threat and intimidation against the righteous, and thus, by frightening them, try to lead them astray of the right way. This method, frequently used against the good in the past, is being used likewise in our day. The most threatening alliance of evil known in history was established by Pharaoh and his immediate circle, of which we mentioned in previous sections. Pharaoh threatened the Prophet Moses (as) and his followers with torture and execution. Pharaoh's cruelty is referred to in the verses that follow:

Pharaoh said, 'Have you had belief in him before I authorised you to do so? This is just some plot you have concocted in the city to drive its people from it. I will cut off your alternate hands and feet and then I will crucify every one of you.' (Surat al-A'raf: 123-124)

From the Qur'an we learn that, apart from death, believers were also threatened by the evil alliance with exile and loss of their property:

They were very near to scaring you from the land with the object of expelling you from it. But had they done so they would only have remained there a short time after you. (Surat al-Isra': 76)

Do not lie in wait on every pathway, threatening people, barring those who believe from the Way of God, desiring to make it crooked. Remember when you were few and He increased your number: see the final fate of the corrupters! (Surat al-A'raf: 86)

The ruling circle of those of his people who were arrogant said, 'We will drive you out of our city, Shu'ayb, you and those who believe along with you, unless you return to our religion.' He (Shu'ayb) said, 'What, even though we detest it? (Surat al-A'raf: 88)

Disbelievers sometimes employ covert forms of threat. The tone of their speech sounds as if they are concerned with the good, safety and well-being of the good. They strongly advise the good not to collaborate with believers, and stress that that they say so to ensure their safety and well-being, and that otherwise, they will have to suffer the dire consequences. With this approach, they hope to imply that everyone who sides with the believers and supports them will get into trouble, undergo great tribulation, and suffer much loss. In addition, as a warning to others, they punish a few of the good through their various methods and broadcast their menacing message. On the other hand, they will never neglect to give promises to them to provide all forms of support and protection, on the condition of breaking with the good. The leaders of the Prophet Shu'ayb's (as) people also covertly threatened the followers of Shu'ayb:

The ruling circle of those of his people who were disbelieving said, 'If you follow Shu'ayb, you will definitely be lost.' (Surat al-A'raf: 90)

The true good, patient, brave and resistant believers, who were committed to their cause and harboured only the fear of God in their hearts, guarded against evil and ignored such threats. None of the threats or pressure employed by the disbelievers changed their attitude; they proceeded on the right way as commanded by God. The answer the Prophet Shu'ayb (as) gave to his people who had threatened him, and the words of magicians to the Pharaoh, are telling examples:

We would be inventing lies against God if we returned to your religion after God has saved us from it. We could never return to it unless God our Lord so willed. Our Lord encompasses everything in His knowledge. We have put our trust in God. Our Lord, judge between us and our people with truth. You are the best of judges.' (Surat al-A'raf: 89)

They said, 'We are returning to our Lord. You are only avenging yourself on us because we believed in our Lord's Signs when they came to us. Our Lord, pour down steadfastness upon us and take us back to You as Muslims.' (Surat al-A'raf: 125-126)

The Evil Try to Humiliate the Good Before the Eyes of People

Mocking believers and speaking ill of them are some of the methods adopted by the wicked against the righteous, in an attempt to humiliate believers and make them seem insignificant and worthless in the eyes of others. Their purpose in this case is to eradicate the good, to hinder the spread of moral values based on the teachings of the Qur'an, and prevent people from following their way.

The truly good, conscientious and sincere, also invite their fellow men to live by the same conscientiousness and sincerity. They are highly committed to communicating to them the blessings of Qur'anic morals, the reality of the Day of Judgement and the hereafter, and the importance of having fear for God. Their sincerity usually makes a positive impression on the majority of people, fostering faith in God, good morals, righteousness, blessings, conscientiousness, loyalty, support, respect and love. Those harbouring enmity towards one another or otherwise dissidenting people unite, thanks to the positive influence effected by the good.

No doubt, such improvements to society are not in accordance with the plan of the evil, the envious and those indulging in immorality. In order to reverse these positive effects, the evil mock the good, accuse them of insanity, shallow-mindedness, bigotry, deceit, imposture, the intention being to bring them into disrepute. They think the views and efforts of a person who is portrayed as insane or as a forger could no longer win people's respect. This is a tactic which has been employed for thousands of years by deceitful and devious people, all disbelievers and hypocrites, but which has never attained success.

History abounds with the stories of prophets, the followers of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Islamic scholars and true Muslims, who struggled for the good of humanity and the improvement of morality, and who constantly met insults and mockery. The insults and mockery only revealed the true hatred and jealousy the wicked felt for the good. God informs us that what they hide in their hearts is far worse than what they say:

You who believe! Do not take any outside yourselves as intimates. They will do anything to harm you. They love what causes you distress. Hatred has appeared out of their mouths, but what their breasts hide is far worse. We have made the Signs clear to you if you use your intellect. (Surah Ali 'Imran: 118)

As mentioned earlier, the underlying reason for the aggressive attitude and hatred felt by the wicked towards the good, is their not adhering to the wishes of the immoral and unscrupulous people who do not observe God's limits, and their considering God's commands and prohibitions over and above their own desires. Meeting a conscientious Muslim, who guards against evil and does not follow his ego (an-nafs), such people adopt an aggressive attitude and attempt to hurt him both physically and verbally.

One of the terms most frequently used by the evil in their attack on the good is that of "insanity". As is stated in the Qur'an, many true servants of God were accused of being insane. No doubt, the accusers were very well aware that these people were by no means lacking in reason. On the contrary, they knew very well that everyone of them was a highly intelligent person with high morals. Yet, as mentioned earlier, the intention of the accusers is to shatter the credibility of the good in the eyes of society. The Qur'an also informs us that throughout history, the prophets and the righteous have been accused of insanity:

'He is nothing but a man possessed so wait a while and see what happens to him.' He (Noah) said, 'My Lord, help me because of their calling me a liar!' (Surat al-Muminun: 25-26)

The ruling circle of those of his people who were disbelieving said, 'We consider you a fool and think you are a liar.' He (Hud) said, 'My people, I am by no means a fool, but rather am a Messenger from the Lord of all the worlds, transmitting my Lord's Message to you, and I am a faithful counsellor to you.' (Surat al-A'raf: 66-68)

Other offensive methods disbelievers employ to humiliate the good is to insult them and call them and their associates foolish, weak and shallow-minded, so as to portray them as ordinary, simple and even unimportant. These words, repeated by the evil throughout history, are related in the verses of the Qur'an. Some of those are as follows:

When they are told, 'Believe in the way that the people believe, 'they say, 'What! Are we to believe in the way that fools believe?' No indeed! They are the fools, but they do not know it. (Surat al-Baqara: 13)

The ruling circle of those of his people who were disbelieving said, 'We do not see you as anything but a human being like ourselves. We do not see anyone following you but the lowest of us, unthinkingly. We do not see you as superior to us. On the contrary, we consider you to be liars.' (Surah Hud: 27)

They said, '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)

Wicked people are innately prone to using derision and sarcasm against the good. In this regard, both the good and sincere themselves, and the values they advocate, become the target of their derision. From the Qur'an, we learn that derision was something all the messengers encountered. This is the reason why a believer subjected to mockery knows it is something to endure with patience, following the example of the messengers of God, and hopes that it increases his reward in the hereafter. He is sure of one thing; that the mockery will ultimately overcome the one who ridicules, and that he will some day greatly regret what he had done.

Messengers before you were also mocked, but those who jeered were engulfed by what they mocked. (Surat al-Anbiya': 41)

They Strive to Spread Immorality and Diminish the Number of the Good

One of the hopes of the leaders of evil is to lead a carefree and indulgent life, for which they will not have to give account, and so not have to observe any limits. As we have discussed earlier, in doing so, they do not confess their real intentions, but instead employ deceitful methods to cover their aims.

Firstly, they associate themselves with a group that consists of people who respect no principles, who do not feel any shame, who openly perpetrate immoral acts and use vulgar language. These are the types of people who indulge in all forms of depravity, like homosexuality, prostitution, drugs or gambling. Nevertheless, regardless of their characteristics, some of them have earned positions of respect in society. They are often famous, or known as intellectuals or recognised for other talents. This being the case, their indulgence in immorality is regarded by the rest of society as acceptable. While otherwise socially inadmissible, contemptible and despicable manners and behaviour somehow become tolerated in society when they are associated with such people. The immoral behaviour exemplified by them becomes a defining feature of what is considered "bravery, modernity, freedom and intellectualism." This not being sufficient, these people are also presented as role models, especially to the young, as if they are living a good life. Ultimately, society abounds with those who imitate these people. Their clothing styles, make-up, their manner of speaking, the way they deal with people, and even their preferences in home decoration or social relations, are adopted by their followers. In this way, within a very short period of time the majority of the society is lured into this form of degeneracy.

This process develops so rapidly that manners and conduct one would not dare to consider or even to utter, in just a few years suddenly become socially acceptable. For instance, attitudes towards homosexuality, once a highly scorned and denounced practice, have changed dramatically in some social circles. It is no longer regarded as unusual to make close friends with homosexuals. Surely there exists an alliance somewhere that promotes this gradual transformation of social norms, by way of taking people within its sphere influence, through its concealed methods and organisations. It is the alliance of the evil.

Each and every member of this alliance, intentionally or otherwise, contributes to this degenerate propaganda, and supports its spread until the ultimate goal is finally attained. Considering the modern society of today, it would not be an exaggeration to say that certain fashion designers, film producers, song-writers, journalists, authors, movie directors, night club owners, etc. are involved in this alliance. (No need to say that there are always exceptions, with those who do not serve the purposes of this insidious alliance, and who remain conscientious and ally themselves with the good.)

Committed to spread wickedness in all domains of life, and to attract greater numbers of adherents to their alliance, the evil ones endeavour to keep the number of the good to the bare minimum. Yet, the fact remains that such efforts merely elevate the status of the good and increase the torment of the evil. God reveals this fact in His verses:

People who love to see filth being spread about concerning those who believe will have a painful punishment both in the world and the hereafter. God knows and you do not know. (Surat an-Nur: 19)

They would not restrain one another from any of the wrong things that they did. How evil were the things they used to do! You see many of them taking those who disbelieve as their friends. What their lower selves have advanced for them is evil indeed, bringing God's anger down upon them. They will suffer punishment timelessly, for ever. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 79-80)

They Try to Make People Believe They are Right

As stressed throughout this book, today, the evil represent the majority in society, as it had also been in the past. Their narrow outlook makes them see this as a factor that makes them superior over the good. Being the majority misleads them into thinking they are more powerful. They assume that the attracting of many adherents proves their correctness. A person that had been misled in this manner was the Pharaoh. This false assumption of his is related in the following verses:

Pharaoh sent marshals into the cities: 'These people are a small group and we find them irritating and we constitute a vigilant majority.' We expelled them from gardens and springs, from treasures and a splendid situation. (Surat ash-Shu'ara': 53-58)

However the vanquishers were not the armies and the Pharaoh but the Prophet Moses (as) and his followers, who were driven out of their land, and who were oppressed and despised because they were in the minority.

Essentially, that those under the command of Pharaoh represented the majority by no means proved their rightness. From the Qur'an we learn that the majority put their faith not in what is right, but in what misleads one from the right path. Also, we learn that they are liars:

If you obeyed most of those on earth, they would misguide you from God's Way. They follow nothing but conjecture. They do nothing but lie. (Surat al-An'am: 116)

Moreover, the good, even if they are the minority, will always prevail over the evil ones, though they outnumber the good. God gives glad tidings of this in this verse:

'How many a small force has triumphed over a much greater one by God's permission! God is with the steadfast. (Surat al-Baqara: 249)

Ultimately, it is a fallacy and misconception when some put forward various excuses to the good saying, "but these are the beliefs, moral values and the life-style maintained by the majority". Therefore, we must keep in mind that adhering to the path the majority follow is not necessarily the safest way, since, as also stressed in the verses above, it is nothing but a grand delusion.

The Evil Make Provocations Against the Good

Another feature of the alliance of the evil is their provocations against the good. The evil provoke others against the good through their works, by inventing stories, spreading rumours, through slander, false and ridiculous analogies or gossip. In the Qur'an, it is stated that it was the leaders of the people of Pharaoh who assumed a provocative approach:

The ruling circle of Pharaoh's people said, 'Are you going to leave Moses and his people to cause corruption in the earth (Egypt) and abandon you and your gods?' He (Pharaoh) said, 'We will kill their sons and let their women live. We have absolute power over them!'

Moses said to his people, 'Seek help in God and be steadfast. The earth belongs to God. He bequeaths it to any of His servants He wills. The successful outcome is for those who have fear of God.' (Surat al-A'raf: 127-128)

As these verses suggest, at the time when Pharaoh almost allowed Moses and his adherents to leave, the leaders tried to change his mind by making up lies and unfounded slanders about Moses to provoke the Pharaoh into oppressing the prophet and his followers. As is evident in this example, the alliance of the evil always focuses its efforts on inciting the evil against the good.

God, in the Qur'an, relates the following about such people who spread rumours about the good:

If the hypocrites and those with sickness in their hearts and the rumour-mongers in Madina do not desist, We will set you onto them. Then they can only be your neighbours there a very short time. (Surat al-Ahzab: 60)

Another method the evil have employed for thousands of years to such an end has been to coax the good into a conflict against their brothers and friends. All civil wars, conflicts and senseless enmities that have come about in history, originated from the all-out efforts of the evil. As a result of the enmity stirred up by the provocation of the evil, fellow citizens, even close friends and brothers, struggled against each other, and tortured and killed one another.

Also, in our day, through publications, speeches, lobbying and diplomacy, such people stealthily manage to bring two countries into a war, or stir up enmity among a people by dividing a nation into factions. This is an evil scheme that turns brother against brother. The purpose is to weaken these countries by civil wars and internal conflict so as to reconcile the structure of the target countries to their own goals and ideologies.

Another method employed by the evil alliance against the good is, as mentioned in previous sections, to portray some of the good as wicked in the eyes of other good people. To this end, they initiate underhanded strategies, ranging from spreading unfounded accusations to outright insults, so as to make the disparaging message "Look! We have unmasked the good; as you see, they are not on the right way." The intention in this case is to prevent the good to come together, and to support and protect the oppressed.
However, people of conscience who are able to analyse these tactics, so as to recognise and avert the secret plans of the evil, thanks to their conscience and sound mind, will never be deceived by such tricks. God warns believers against the traits of the evil in many of His verses, for example:

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)

God's Messenger, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), also said that "To harbour good thoughts (about a brother) is a part of well-conducted worship."3, reminding Muslims to be on guard against the whisperings of Satan which tries to make mischief among the believers.

Consequently, you should keep in mind that, even if the alliance of the evil has provoked a whole city, or even the whole world against the good, God protects and guards the good. No plot of the evil can hurt the good, scare or worry them, unless by the Will of God.

Alliance of the Evil is Based on Interests

The leaders of the evil make promises to people and offer them certain privileges in order to attract them to their side. In the Qur'an, a promise given by Pharaoh to the magicians is related as follows:

When the magicians came, they said to Pharaoh, 'Will we be rewarded if we are the winners?' He said, 'Yes, and in that case you will be among those brought near.' (Surat ash-Shu'ara': 41-42)

However we should also mention that the evil alliance is in reality based on a rather feeble foundation. Every member has certain stipulations or a price in mind in joining the alliance. If they feel their personal interests are at stake, they lose no time in breaking with the alliance. That is because this alliance is not established on just grounds, but on falsehood. Every individual who does not believe in God and the hereafter, who has no fear for God and does not guard against evil, is afflicted with certain weaknesses, which the leaders of the evil take advantage of in every way they can, and which they use to gain further supporters.

Also, in our day, promises of money, property, fame or status, are sufficient to convince most people to take action against the good. Accordingly, unless he has fear for God, a person who is offered such promises will readily become so cruel as to make up slanderous accusations or tell lies about an innocent and pure person whom he has never met.

Contrarily, those individuals who side with the good only seek the mercy, consent and paradise of God. This alliance is formed according to the one and only just path of God, and those who are truly good never demand a "price". No worldly gain can divert them from doing what is right. In this regard, believers are following the messengers' examples. In the Qur'an, the messengers addressed their people as follows:

My people! I do not ask you for any wage for it. My wage is the responsibility of Him who brought me into being. So will you not use your intellect? (Surah Hud: 51)

The Two-faced Members of the Evil Alliance:

Hypocrites

The most errant and troublesome members of the evil alliance are the hypocrites. Hypocrites are those insincere people who dubiously present themselves as the allies of the good. From the Qur'an, we know that these people conduct themselves as believers outwardly, though they actually keep company with the evil. These people feign forthrightness and honesty while they are among the good, but in privacy, or once they return to their real allies, they disclose their true wicked intentions. God reveals this trait of the hypocrites in the Qur'an as follows:

They have the word, 'Obedience!' on their tongues but when they leave your presence, a group of them spend the night plotting to do other than what you say. God is recording their nocturnal plotting. So let them be and put your trust in God. God suffices as a Guardian. (Surat an-Nisa': 81)

When they meet those who believe, they say, 'We believe.' But then when they go apart with their satans, they say, 'We are really with you. We were only mocking.' But God is mocking them, and drawing them on, as they wander blindly in their excessive insolence. (Surat al-Baqara: 14-15)

There are two main reasons why hypocrites associate themselves with the good despite the fact that they are inwardly wicked. First, they want to spy on the good for the evil. Secondly, they endeavour to stir unrest and carry out mischief among the good, and provoke the wicked against the good. These devious aims of the hypocrites are related in several of the verses:

If they had gone out among you, they would have added nothing to you but confusion. They would have scurried about amongst you seeking to cause conflict between you, and among you there are some who would have listened to them. God knows the wrongdoers. (Surat at-Tawba: 47)

O Messenger! Do not be grieved by those who rush headlong into disbelief among those who say 'We believe' with their tongues when their hearts contain no belief. And among the Jews are those who listen to lies, listening to other people who have not come to you, distorting words from their proper meanings, saying, 'If you are given this, then take it. If you are not given it, then beware!' If God desires misguidance for someone, you cannot help him against God in any way. Those are the people whose hearts God does not want to purify. They will have disgrace in the world and in the hereafter they will have a terrible punishment. (Surah al-Ma'ida: 41)

The character of the hypocrites and their end is also referred to in the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh):

On the Day of Resurrection, the one in the vilest of conditions will be a two-faced person. He says one thing (in favour) of one person and then another thing (in regard to the same affair) to another person.4

We should still remember that, although these people seem to attain their goal in the short term, God definitely renders their striving futile and inflicts indefinable suffering on them both in this world and beyond.

In Secret Meetings They Take Action Against the Good

The alliance of evil generally prefers night as the opportune time to plot against the good. This is stated in many verses in the Qur'an. That night is the time for the wicked to congregate and implement their evil plans is stated in the verses as follows: They try to conceal themselves from people, but they cannot conceal themselves from God. He is with them when they spend the night saying things which are not pleasing to Him. God encompasses everything they do. (Surat an-Nisa': 108)

Arrogant towards it (the Qur'an), talking arrant nonsense all night long. (Surat al-Muminun: 67)

In Surat an-Naml, God informs us about an event in the past, where a gang of nine men who committed mischief in a city where believers lived, and who at night would scheme in secret to attack them. The relevant verses are the following:

There was a group of nine men in the city causing corruption in the land and not putting things right. They said, 'Let us make an oath to one another by God that we will fall on him and his family in the night and then say to his protector, "We did not witness the destruction of his family and we are telling the truth."' (Surat an-Naml: 48-49)

As the verses reveal, these people devised secretive and malicious plans against believers but in return were confronted by the plot God prescribed for them. The end of those who harm the innocent and plot against them at night is stated in the following section of the same verses:

They hatched a plot and We hatched a plot while they were not aware. So look at the end result of all their plotting; We utterly destroyed them and their whole people! These are the ruins of their houses because of the wrong they did. There is certainly a Sign in that for people with knowledge. (Surat an-Naml: 50-52)

Another trait of the oppressors who focus all their efforts to harm the good and cause trouble for them, is their devising of plans secretly God states this in many verses:

Moses said to them, 'Woe to you! Do not fabricate lies against God or He will annihilate you with His punishment. Fabricators of lies are bound to fail.' They argued among themselves about the matter and had a secret conference. (Surah Ta Ha: 61-62)

There is no good in much of their secret talk, except in the case of those who enjoin charity, or what is right, or putting things right between people. If anyone does that, seeking the pleasure of God, We will give him an immense reward. (Surat an-Nisa': 114)

We know how they listen when they listen to you, and when they confer together secretly, and when the wrongdoers say, 'You are only following a man who is bewitched!' (Surat al-Isra': 47)

These people with no faith in God, nor the mental faculties to grasp His power, talk freely among themselves, assuming that nobody hears them while they talk nonsense in the dark, or while they conceive plots against the good. However, they are wrong. Actually, they can hide their secret and evil plans or talks from people, but God knows, sees and hears every sentence, every word, every detail of their plotting, even the very inner thoughts a person keeps to himself. They believe their devious plans will never come to light and that their victims will never be able to save themselves. Nevertheless, God thwarts their plans even before they are hatched, and hears every word they speak. No matter where they hide or how elaborate are the precautions they take, they can never evade God. Every word one says and every inner thought one may have is kept in the sight of God, and will be presented to him on the Day of Judgement. As such, those plotting against the good will also have to give account of their secretive plans. Therefore, those who hatch insidious plots at night in their secret meetings should keep in mind that God hears and sees everything. In one verse, God says:

Do you not see that God knows what is in the heavens and on the earth? Three men cannot confer together secretly without Him being the fourth of them, or five without Him being the sixth of them, or fewer than that or more without Him being with them wherever they are. Then He will inform them on the Day of Rising of what they did. God has knowledge of all things. (Surat al-Mujadila: 7)

The Alliance of the Evil Today Has Intensified Its Efforts

Throughout this book, we mentioned that the evil unite to eradicate religion and believers, and resort to numerous forms of oppression and pressure tactics to this end. The existence of people of faith is the main reason why the evil unite, because a believer is the representative of Islam, God's true religion, and the guarantee of implementation of the moral values of the Qur'an on earth. For the evil, the threat of such a possibility requires the immediate removal of believers. What hinders the evil ones from living by their system of unbelief and of evil morals are the limits set by God and the moral principles prescribed by His religion. It is to remove these hindrances that the disbelievers are so strongly committed to co-operating with one another. Wherever there is prostitution, bribery, imposture, gambling, swindling, cruelty to orphans and the poor, extravagance, lack of love and respect, immorality, there is the evil alliance.

We are living in a period when the alliance of the evil has intensified their efforts, and believers, along with the innocent, poor and weak people, in all corners of the world, have been subjected to more oppression and suffering than ever before. It is essential that believers assess this reality according to the guidance of the Qur'an. According to the Qur'an, turning a blind eye to the ongoing cruelty, not engaging in an ideological struggle against the evil, watching everything silently and remaining inconsiderate towards the ongoing suffering in the world, is great oppression in itself. Keeping silent about the repression and cruelty inflicted on the Muslims and people striving to spread the morals of the Qur'an, makes one a silent member of the cruel alliance, or worse still, a participator in it.

Glancing through newspapers or magazines should suffice to see the rapaciousness of this alliance. For instance, 10-15 years ago, homosexuality was accepted as completely unacceptable and was severely condemned. However, this fact has dramatically changed today, giving way to an actual advocacy of the rights of homosexuals, as far as presenting this perversion as modern and a normal and "personal preference". This outlook is propagated by the popular media and the entertainment world. The public's inculcation into similar immoral trends as perfectly acceptable "preferences", thus laying the groundwork for their further diffusion throughout society, is merely a consequence of the evil plans orchestrated by the alliance of the evil.

In this time, when gambling, prostitution, and murder evoke little reaction, it is essential that people wake-up to reality. This is a time when the good, who are already deprived of their essential rights and freedoms, are oppressed and unjustly treated, whereas swindlers, murderers and tyrants have the freedom to do what they want. If innocent and defenceless people are murdered all around the world, merely because they have faith in God and because they say they are Muslims, and again, if those who call themselves "Muslim" can remain ambivalent to all this suffering, and dares to refer to it with a smile on his face, then this is the work of the alliance of the evil. Restoring peace and securing welfare, happiness, justice, tolerance, love and respect in the world is only possible through recognition and adherence to the values of the Qur'an. It is the believers who are the living examples of this good character, and it will be the alliance of the good that will ensure the prevalance of the values of the Qur'an; this is the definite promise of God.

God has promised those of you who believe and do right actions that He will make them successors in the land as He made those before them successors, and will firmly establish for them their religion with which He is pleased and give them, in place of their fear, security. 'They worship Me, not associating anything with Me.' Any who are disbelieving after that, such people are deviators. (Surat an-Nur: 55)