[AceOfHearts]

Great thread. Thanks for starting it. As the Verse states, we are guranteed to go from stage to stage. The only thing that will set apart people are the good and bad they did, and their faith in Allah in those time they left behind - as per Surah Al-Asr....'By Time, the human being is in loss save those who believe and work righteous deed and exhort to the truth and patience'.

Anything the human being does other than the intention to get near to Allah, by praising and thanking Him for it, is in vain and will not show up in the Hereafter.

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"Righteousness is not to turn your faces towards the east nor the west, but true righteousness is (the righteousness of) the one who believes in God and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Scripture, and the Prophets. and who gives money out of love to the near relatives, and the orphans, and the needy and the traveller, and those who ask, and to free the slaves, and who upholds the Prayer, and gives the Charity; and the one who keep their pledge when they make a pledge, and of those who are patient in the face of good and bad and when in despair. These are the ones who have proved sincere, and they are the ones who are conscious of Allah." [Qur'an 2:177]

Simply uttering the words "I am a Muslim" is not enough in the sight of Allah. Faith in Allah has to manifest itself in the person who we are. However, giving away of wealth is not restricted to giving charity to the very poor only, but to those among us who are in need of it, the relatives etc. The believer has no attachment to wealth. Mankind must keep away from a deep an irrational attachment of worldy possesions. Thus the Verse says ..."those who give their wealth away 'alaa hubbihee (despite love for it)". This bit may be interpreted slightly differently...like "upon love of Allah", or out of a love of helping others (for the sake of Allah).

The Qur'an develops the believing person in such way that these believer attributes are generally developed in the guided reader from within him/her out of mindfulnes of Allah. This Verse describes the attributes of the believer whom Allah is content with.

I think the term 'Righteousness is not turn your faces towards the east or the west' is of importance. It probably means that outward acts of physical rituals is not enough in the sight of Allah, as they can be easily done while not having real faith, the certain faith required by the Qur'an. Allah describes elsewhere in the Qur'an those who worship outwardly only to show-off, and also people who say they believe, but they really dont believe in their hearts. There are some things that are much harder to achieve without real faith, and these are the things described in this Verse. Our Creator wants us to really prove that we are worthy of paradise by being the kind of people He wants us to be.

This Verse also tells us to keep to our pledges: "and those who keep their pledges when they make a pledge". This should extend to "little" things like trying best to turn up in time for an arranged meeting, to turn up at all. When giving the word to some one that you will do someting for them, do it. If you cant, make necessary and kind way to dissolve the resposnsibility.

Also commanded for the believers is to be patient in times of hardship and stress. Other Verses of the Glorious Qur'an indicates all trouble and misfortune falls by Allahs will only. This means we must accept Allah's destiny and persevere untill His help comes, whenever it is destined to be. This understanding of Allah's complete control over all events, as well as the knowledge that with hardship there is ease as per a Qur'anic Verse, leads one to not moan or complain to human beings about their situation, but remain patient till Allah's help comes. Thus the Verse reads "those who are patient in the face of good and bad and when in despair". With this level of steadfastness and grip on emotions, the believer is able to take rational and beneficial actions to improve the situation he or she is in without becoming emotional. We also deduce from the Verse that afflictions WILL fall on man (which is why the Verse mentions how the believer responds to them).

As the Verse indicates, simple acts of worship are not enough in the sight of Allah and this Verse indicates some of the other attributes of a true believer. The Verse ends saying "They are those who have proved sincere (sadaqoo) and they are those who are conscious (of Allah) (muttaqoon)". I take this to mean that it is only then one truly achieved being the kind of believer who earns Allah's consent. This person is the difinition of the believer. So simply performing Salah, while during other moments of life not being aware of Allah and thus taking part in unwise and imprudent deeds, does not fit the believer model by Qur'anic definitions.