Introduction

Allah sent down the Qur'an as guidance to man. Living by the "morality of the Qur'an" in its true sense can only be possible through practicing all that is enjoined in these verses.

There are some who fail to recognise this fact and pay meticulous attention to complying with some commands of the Qur'an while disregarding others. They perform some forms of worship to the letter, yet fail to display the moral perfection of which Allah gives a clear picture in the Qur'an. According to such people, saying, "I believe in Allah" alone is sufficient. However, in the Qur'an Allah warns people against this rationale: "Do people imagine that they will be left to say, 'We believe,' and will not be tested?" (Surat al-'Ankabut, 2) This verse makes it clear that, as well as what he professes, the way a believer conducts himself must also prove that he truly lives to earn Allah's approval. That is to say that he must display the morality that he hopes to please Him.

That is the way to become a true believer. One's sincere endeavour to display the values that pleases Allah is the sole criterion of one's sincerity.

There is a misconception prevalent among people about this. The majority of them believe that displaying the values of the Qur'an is a virtue peculiar to the prophets and the believers with moral perfection exemplified therein. This is simply not so. The lives of these people are exemplified in the Qur'an so that others may also adopt the same values and follow in their footsteps. In this way, Allah summons all believers to comply with the commands of the Qur'an and to live scrupulously by Islamic principles.

When one sincerely follows the voice of one's conscience and strives for the cause of religion, one can live by the values of the Qur'an just as well as the true believers described in its verses. One verse reads:

Then We caused Our chosen servants to inherit the Book. But some of them wrong themselves; some are ambivalent; and some outdo each other in good by Allah's permission. That is the great favour. (Surah Fatir, 32)

As the above verse maintains, some people may either fail to follow the path to which Allah invites him and thus suffers loss, or some become the forerunners in moral perfection and hope for salvation.

A believer of strong faith strives to attain the highest levels of moral perfection of which he is capable. He knows that he can please Allah and earn His love and pleasure only in this way. This is indeed the purpose of his existence on earth; to be able to earn the good pleasure of Allah and His consent through properly appreciating Him.

Everyone is responsible for aiming at moral perfection and striving towards that end. No boundaries limit such a noble human endeavour. Each believer who has a deep-seated faith in Allah and strives sincerely to draw closer to Him can display this moral perfection and thus attain the "maturity of faith".

One of the purposes of this book is to define the "perfected faith" one can attain through turning to Allah for every deed, striving to earn the approval and friendship of Allah and displaying moral perfection under all circumstances. Another purpose is to make it clear that nothing hinders man from attaining the moral perfection displayed by prophets, provided that he fears and reveres no one but Allah and strives sincerely for His cause. Over and above this, the intention in writing this book is to stress that putting forth a "sincere" effort to attain the hereafter is a praiseworthy act in Allah's sight. In one verse, Allah states the following about this issue:

But as for anyone who desires the hereafter, and strives for it as he ought to, being a true believer, shall have his endeavours be gratefully acknowledged. (Surat al-Isra', 19)

What is Perfected Faith?

"Such people (the pious) are truly racing towards good deeds, and they outstrip (others) therein."(Surat al-Mu'minun, 61)

The adjective "kamil" in Arabic means perfect, genuine, and complete. The "perfected faith" (kamil iman) discussed in this book represents the highest level of maturity and depth of faith an individual can ever attain. But how does a believer's faith grow mature and become perfect?

"Having faith in Allah" is to grasp that Allah is the sole Creator and Owner of everything and that He is the only Judge. It is one's submission to Allah at every moment of his life; it is being aware that one is in need of Him, that Allah is rich beyond need and that He creates all things in compliance with a specified destiny.

"Submission to Allah" becomes possible only through having a profound fear of Allah, being deeply attached to Him and loving Him more than anything or anybody else. One who submits himself to Allah, in the real sense, takes Allah alone as his intimate friend. Throughout his life, he knows that each event he encounters occurs by Allah's will and that behind every one of them there are particular divine purposes. For this reason, he never strays from his submissive attitude and always remains obedient and grateful to Allah.

To attain perfected faith, one needs to comply strictly with the commands of the Qur'an, the revelation of Allah through which He introduces Himself and conveys His commands to His servants. For this reason, a believer pays the utmost attention to observing Allah's limits till the day he dies. Throughout his life, he displays the qualities of the true believer without departing from patience. The determination a person of perfected faith shows in living by the values of the Qur'an is a very important and distinctive quality. Because, it is with this very quality that a man of perfected faith excels others in his efforts to do good. The Qur'an also refers to those "who become foremost in good deeds" (Surah Fatir, 32) in their efforts to earn the approval of Allah. The Qur'an however, refers also to those who do not fully live by religion: "Among the people there are those who profess to worship Allah, but who stand on the very fringe of true religion..." (Surat al-Hajj, 11)

Here appears the distinctive feature of perfected faith. Those who do not embrace faith wholeheartedly worship Allah right on the "very fringe" while the people of perfected faith adopt the Qur'an as an essential guide for themselves at every moment of their lives. While insincere people stipulate certain conditions for keeping their faith, people of perfected faith are truly unconditional in their observances. The former group remain devoted to the religion and pretend to display the values praised by the Qur'an as long as they enjoy the blessings given to them and everything goes their way. Yet, whenever they are deprived of blessings or adversity befalls them, they simply turn away from religion or show disloyalty to it. The people of perfected faith, however, show an unshakable commitment to their faith and loyalty. The basic impetus behind this commitment is their "assured faith." "Assured faith" is true acknowledgement of Allah's existence and the hereafter with one's wisdom, heart and conscience. Believers who possess this character trait are described in the Qur'an as"those who have faith in what has been sent down to you and what was sent down before you, and are certain about the hereafter." (Surat al-Baqara, 4)

Perfected faith manifests itself through unceasing attention to one's conscience. Conscience is a spiritual quality that engenders a good attitude and worthy thoughts, and helps man think straight and tell right from wrong. A person of perfected faith listens to the voice of his conscience under all circumstances. Such inclination ensures the morality and attitudes that comply with the Qur'an. The Prophet Muhammad (saas) pointed out the importance of conscience in this way:

A person asked Allah's Messenger (saas): What is faith? He said: When a good deed becomes a source of pleasure for you and an evil deed becomes a source of disgust for you, then you are a believer. He again said Allah's Messenger (saas): What is a sin? Whereupon he said: When something pricks your conscience, give it up. (Ahmad)

Of the alternatives he encounters, the believer chooses the attitude with which, he hopes, Allah will be pleased. He never stoops to baseness. The difficulties he encounters while displaying the ideal attitude never make him feel frustrated. He does not compromise the most appropriate attitude by being overtaken by the whims and desires of his lower self.

An example from daily life will make this issue clear. Let's assume that a big factory is on fire. Beset with such adversity, the owner of the factory is faced with many alternatives. He may, for instance, remain inside and, mobilizing the workers, struggle to put out the fire. Another course would be to leave the building and save his own life without notifying the workers. Or, he can do everything to save all his workers and meanwhile call the fire department.

All these alternatives may seem reasonable from different points of view. The conscience, however, guides man to the choice that would please Allah most. Perfected faith is the faith of one who unconditionally assumes the most noble attitude to which his conscience guides him, without feeling any trivial regret or disappointment.

The Belief In Allah of Those of Perfected Faith

THEY FEAR ALLAH

"… they stand in awe and reverence of His Glory." (Surat al-Anbiya', 28)

People of perfected faith who grasp the greatness, might and eternal wisdom of Allah, feel a "fear full of respect" for our Lord. Keeping in mind the verse of the Qur'an, "So have fear of Allah, as much as you are able to..." (Surat at-Taghabun, 16), they set no limit to their fear.

Every event they encounter, everything they see around them draw them nearer to Allah and deepen their faith and thus their fear.

Such deep fear ensures that the highest degree of attention is paid to the observance of the limits Allah has determined. The standard of these observances manifests itself in the meticulousness of one's obedience to all of Allah's commands and advice and the strict avoidance of the things He forbids. This attitude of the people of perfected faith is referred to in the following verse:

They fear their Lord above them and do everything they are ordered to do. (Surat an-Nahl, 50)

In the Qur'an, Allah gives an example that will help us attain a better understanding of those points, and draws our attention to the kind of fear that will please Him most:

If We Had sent down this Qur'an upon a mountain, you would have seen it humbled, crushed to pieces out of fear of Allah. In such parables We speak to people so that hopefully they may reflect. (Surat al-Hashr, 21)

As the above verse states, the fear of those who have a deep faith in Allah is intense and deep.

The fear of Allah that the people of perfected faith feel is very intense yet, by no means, distressing such as the false fears experienced by those who do not live by the values of the Qur'an. This is the kind of fear which is based on the profound respect and inner love that caused believers to be devoted to Allah, their Creator. This is a fear that gives man zeal, excitement and determination. This is, moreover, the kind of fear that makes man avoid any deed that would not please Allah. This is the fear that prompts believers to engage in good deeds, imbues them with the good morals prescribed by Islam and thus is a feeling that provides "spiritual satisfaction". This fear can be felt only through the deep love one has for Allah. People of faith love Allah as much as they fear Him. These two concepts remain side by side in a believer's heart and remain as two important signs of perfected faith.

What makes people of perfected faith apprehensive about their Lord is their proper appreciation of Him. Allah is al-Qahhar (the All-Conquering, the One Who, by His Might, has subdued everything He created to His Authority and Power), al-Mu'adhdhib (the Tormentor), al-Muntaqim (the Avenger), as-Sa'iq (He Who drives to hell), al-Muthill (the One Who debases or humiliates whomsoever He pleases). Believers, who are aware of these attributes of Allah, know that He can inflict any form of punishment on anyone at any time He wills. They are aware that only those who carry out their duty to Allah can be saved from this punishment. For this reason, they fear nobody but Allah, the Almighty.

THEY LOVE ALLAH MORE THAN ANYONE AND ANYTHING ELSE

"… they said, 'Allah is enough for us and the Best of Guardians.'" (Surah Al 'Imran, 173)

The love of those who have perfected faith is as strong as the fear they have for Him. They know that Allah is the One Who has created them out of nothing and bestowed upon them countless blessings. They are also aware that He watches and protects them at every moment. They believe that all living things have come into existence solely by His permission, and that one day they will perish at His will. They know that He is the only Being Who will exist for all eternity.

Having grasped this fact, they direct all their love to Allah, their Creator and Owner in accordance with the counsel of Allah's Messenger (saas), "Love Allah because He nourishes and sustains you…" (Tirmidhi). They love Allah more than anyone or anything else they see, know or comprehend. They are aware that there is no friend and helper better than Allah, "... the Best of Masters, and the Best of Helpers!" (Surat al-Anfal, 40) In a prayer of the Prophet Ibrahim (as), who was a devoted believer, this awareness is abundantly clear:

It is He Who created me and guides me; He Who gives me food and gives me drink; and when I am ill, it is He Who heals me; He Who will cause my death, then give me life; He Who I sincerely hope will forgive my mistakes on the Day of Reckoning. My Lord, bestow upon me right judgement and unite me with the righteous. (Surat ash-Shu'ara', 78-83)

As the verses state, the Prophet Ibrahim (as) is well aware that it is Allah Who gives him life, governs every event on earth, gives him food, causes illness and creates the means of recovery and that He is the only Ruler of the earth. So, he is attached to Him with love. This is the type of love felt for Allah that people of perfected faith take as an example.

The love the people of perfected faith have for other created beings is in direct relation with the love they have for Allah. The criterion for loving people depends on the extent to which they exhibit the good morals that please Allah. Believers nurture a great love for those people who pay attention to the commands and prohibitions of Allah and strive hard to live by good moral standards. The main reason why they love these people is the deep love they feel for Allah and their commitment to take Him as their sole friend.

True faith makes believers genuinely grasp that all beauty, wisdom and the faculties they see in this world belong to Allah. When believers meet a good-looking, wise and talented person, for instance, they derive great pleasure from these qualities, remembering that Allah is the Creator and Giver of all these traits. For this reason, the pleasure they take in these qualities is not a pleasure apart and distant from the love they feel for Allah. On the contrary, it is a source of profound love and respect for Allah.

Those who have no deep faith have no great love for Allah. These people, in actuality, know that it is Allah Who gives them life, guards them at every moment, bestows upon them countless blessings and forgives them. However, for the greater part of their lives, they forget these facts or simply disregard them. Assuming that the living things Allah created possess a power independent from Him, they feel a separate love towards these created beings. In the Qur'an, the situation of these people is stated as follows:

Some people set up equals to Allah, loving them as they should love Allah. But those who have faith have greater love for Allah… (Surat al-Baqara, 165)

In another verse, the difference between these people and people of perfected faith is explained as follows:

Allah is the Protector of those who have faith. He brings them out of the darkness into the light. But those who disbelieve have false gods as protectors. They take them from the light into the darkness. Those are the Companions of the Fire remaining in it timelessly, for ever. (Surat al-Baqara, 257)

THEY DO NOT SET UP ANY OTHER GOD BESIDE ALLAH

… "They worship Me, not associating anything with Me." … (Surat an-Nur, 55)

The belief of people of perfected faith is a strong credo based on wisdom and conscience. In the words of the Qur'an, "they believe in Allah and His Messenger, then they have no doubts..." (Surat al-Hujurat, 15) Since they have a full grasp of the might and greatness of Allah, they affirm from the beginning that there is no god that is equal or similar to Him. In the Qur'an, the sole guide of believers, Allah states this fact as follows:

Allah: there is no god but Him, the Living, the Self-Sustaining. He is not subject to drowsiness or sleep. Everything in the heavens and the earth belongs to Him. Who can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before men and what is behind them, but they can grasp only that part of His knowledge which He wills. His throne encompasses the heavens and the earth and their preservation does not tire Him. He is the Most High, the Magnificent. (Surat al-Baqara, 255)

Beside this, some people, despite believing in the existence of Allah, also assume that some worldly living beings possess a power apart and separate from Allah and take them, in a sense, as "idols". We should not, therefore, limit the concept of the "idol" to pieces of sculptured stone or wood, or fake gods fabricated by false religions. Today, there are many material or nonmaterial things that are not so named, but which are taken as idols.

Any endeavour in the part of an individual to please a being other than Allah-assuming that that being is capable of helping him and re-orienting his life according to will of that being-can be described as taking it as "an idol". Some people, for instance, aim at attaining money, beauty, respect, a career or satisfying the desires of their lower selves. Such people neglect to work towards attaining the approval of Allah, which should ideally be their main purpose. These are the ones who set up gods beside Allah.

This is the point on which the distinctive quality of the people of perfected faith becomes most obvious. That is because, unlike those mentioned above, the people of perfected faith confirm with their hearts and entire lives that there is no God but Him. They turn to Him and do not set up partners with Him, thus "making religion pure for Him alone." (Surat az-Zumar, 11) Allah describes His sincere servants as:

... Those who repent and mend their ways, who hold fast to Allah and dedicate their religion to Allah alone; they are with the believers. Allah will give the believers an immense reward. (Surat an-Nisa', 146)

The Acts of Worship of People of Perfected Faith

A man of perfected faith also distinguishes himself through the meticulous attention he pays to his acts of worship. Throughout his life -as long as he is able-, he zealosly performs his salat (regular prayers), fasts, pays his alms, that is, fulfills the acts of worship Allah made obligatory. In many verses, Allah informs us about the excitement true Muslims feel while performing their acts of worship:

Those who are steadfast in seeking the face of their Lord, and establish salat and give from the provision We have given them, secretly and openly, and stave off evil with good, it is they who will have the Ultimate Abode (Surat ar-Ra'd, 22)

...(Those) whose hearts quake at the mention of Allah, and who are steadfast in the face of all that happens to them, those who establish salat and give of what We have provided for them. (Surat al-Hajj, 35)

THE IMPORTANCE OF SALAT

Salat (obligatory prayers which are performed five times a day), is one of the most important acts of worship after faith. A believer is obliged to perform salat, which is an act of worship prescribed at specific times, throughout his life.

Man is prone to forgetfulness. Engrossed in everyday routines, he may easily become distracted from the real issues to which he actually needs to pay attention. He may easily forget that Allah encompasses him all around, that He watches him at every moment, that He listens to him, and that he will one day have to give an account of his actions to Allah. He may well forget about the certainty of death, the grave, Paradise and Hell, that nothing happens other than that which is Allah's will, and that there is ultimately a reason for everything.

Performing salat five times a day, however, removes this state of forgetfulness and keeps the believer's will and conscious vivid. Salat makes him constantly turn to Allah and live by the commands of our Lord. A person of perfected faith who stands before the presence of Allah to perform his salat secures a strong spiritual bond with Allah. That salat reminds man of Allah and that it hinders him from all kinds of evil is stated in a verse as follows:

Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish salat. Salat precludes indecency and wrongdoing. And remembrance of Allah is greater still. Allah knows what you do. (Surat al-'Ankabut, 45)

Salat is an act of worship that is obligatory upon all prophets and believers. The prophets sent to humanity throughout history summoned their people to this obligatory act of worship. Meanwhile, they performed it themselves in the most accurate manner and became role models to follow for all believers. In this respect, salat is a form of message communicated by Allah's prophets to their individual peoples.

In the Qur'an, there are several verses about Allah's commands to His prophets about establishing salat, the importance attached to this act of worship, the prophets' meticulous observance of it, and their commands to their peoples about establishing salat:

- In one verse, Allah relates the following about the Prophet Ibrahim (as):

My Lord! Make me and my descendants people who establish salat. My Lord! Accept my prayer. (Surah Ibrahim, 40)

- In the Qur'an, the Prophet Isma'il (as) is related thus:

Mention Isma'il in the Book. He was true to his promise and was a Messenger and a Prophet. He used to command his people to do salat and give zakat and he was pleasing to his Lord. (Surah Maryam, 54-55)

- In another verse, Allah says to the Prophet Musa (as) the following:

I am Allah. There is no god but Me, so worship Me and establish salat to remember Me. (Surah Ta Ha, 14)

Allah also commanded Maryam, who is given as an example in the Qur'an to all women in the world, to establish salat:

Maryam, obey your Lord and prostrate and bow with those who bow. (Surah Al 'Imran, 43)

'Isa (as), who is decribed as the "word of Allah" in the Qur'an also received the same command:

He said, "I am the servant of Allah, He has given me the Book and made me a Prophet. He has made me blessed wherever I am and directed me to do salat and give zakat as long as I live." (Surah Maryam, 30-31)

WHAT ARE THE TIMES OF THE SALAT?

In the Qur'an, salat is described as an obligatory act of worship that is prescribed for believers at certain times. The related verse reads:

When you have finished salat remember Allah standing, sitting and lying on your sides. When you are safe again do salat in the normal way. The salat is prescribed for the muminun at specific times. (Surat an-Nisa', 103)

The times of the five obligatory salats are "morning", "noon", "mid-afternoon", "evening" and "night". The times of salat are made explicit in many verses of the Qur'an. One of them reads:

So be steadfast in the face of what they say and glorify your Lord with praise before the rising of the sun and before its setting. And glorify Him during part of the night and at both ends of the day, so that hopefully you will be pleased. (Surah Ta Ha, 130)

Our Prophet (saas), who best understood and interpreted the Qur'an, thanks to the revelation and inspiration of Allah, described to believers the beginning and ending times of the five performances of salat during the course of a day. The following hadith narrated by Abdullah b. Amr b. Al- As is one of the most well-known of these hadiths:

Our Prophet (saas) said:

The time for the morning prayer (lasts) as long as the first visible part of the rising sun does not appear, an the time of the noon prayer is when the sun declines from the zenith and there is not a time for the afternoon prayer and the time for the afternoon prayer is as long as the sun does not become pale and its first visible part does not set, and the time for the evening prayer is that when the sun disappears and (it lasts) till the twilight is no more and the time for the night prayer is up to the midnight. (Muslim)

Both the verses of the Qur'an and the hadiths of our Prophet (saas) and the explanations of Islamic scholars make it certain that the obligatory salat is to be performed five times a day.

The total number of rakats for the five obligatory prayers is 40. The allocation of these rakats according to the times is as follows:

- Morning prayer: 2 rakats sunnat, 2 rakats fard
- Noon prayer: 4 rakats initial sunnat, 4 rakats fard, 2 rakats last sunnat
- Midafternoon prayer: 4 rakats sunnat, 4 rakats fard
- Evening prayers: 3 rakats fard, 2 rakats sunnat
- Night prayers: 4 rakats initial sunnat, 4 rakats fard, 2 rakats last sunnat, 3 rakats witr.

A PERSON OF PERFECTED FAITH PRAYS IN AWE

Awe is a kind of fear mixed with respect. Feeling awe while praying, on the other hand, is to feel the majesty and might of Allah before His presence and harbour a deep seated fear while performing this act of worship. A believer who is aware that he is before Allah, the Lord of all the worlds, will surely feel this might and draw near to Allah in relation with the fear and respect he feels for Him.

A believer who aims to perform his prayer with due care must take all measures against the obstacles likely to hinder his concentration and pay the utmost attention to ensure the required mood and concentration. Before His presence, our Lord commands us to remember and glorify Him alone and be people of pure, natural belief in Him. Praying with due care is a great opportunity to realize all these. Indeed, Allah commands us to perform prayers to remember Him:

I am Allah. There is no god but Me, so worship Me and establish salat to remember Me. (Surah Ta Ha, 14)

FARDS (OBLIGATIONS) OF SALAT

A- There are seven fards (obligations) a believer must fulfill before he establishes his prayer. These are:

- Ritual Cleanliness

- Actual Cleanliness

- Covering the Private Parts of the Body

- Facing the Qiblah

- Proper Time

- Intention

- Glorifying

B- The other five fard actions, called the Pillars of Prayer, are executed during the actual performance of prayer.

- Qiym

- Qirah

- Rükû'

- Sajdah

- Qadah

Ritual Cleanliness: Cleansing by performing the minor ritual ablution or major ritual ablution.

Actual Cleanliness: Cleansing actual impurities on the body, clothes or the place that are likely to hinder the prayer.

Time: Performing the prayers within the prescribed times.

Facing the Qiblah: Performing the prayer by turning to Mecca.

Intention: is the remembrance and inner declaration of the believer's intention to perform the specific prayer.

Glorifying: Glorifying Allah with the words, "Allahu akbar".

Qiym: Standing position (for those who are able)

Qirah: Reading a few verses from the Qur'an while in qiym.

Rükû': Bowing Position, in which the knees are grasped by the palms of both hands, thus supporting the body

Sajdah: Prostration, in such a way that only the nose, forehead, both palms of hands, knees and toes are touching the ground

Qadah: Sitting in the last rakat of the prayer as long as reading "Ettehiyyatu."

Below, we will expand on ablution, Covering the Private Parts of Body and Qiblah.

WHAT IS COVERING THE PRIVATE PARTS OF THE BODY?

Every person who is liable to religious duties needs to cover her/his private parts of her/his body that need to be covered during prayer and forbidden to exposure to others at other times. Dress for men should be such that it covers from the navel to the knees at least. The dress of the woman should be such that it covers her whole body, from head to feet, leaving only the face and the hands uncovered.

ABLUTION

Before offering prayers, a believer must first perform ablution. There are certain conditions of ablution. There are:

-Washing the face once

- Wash the hands up to the wrists once

-Wiping the one fourth of head

- Washing the two feet up to the ankles once

There are also sunnats of ablution. The sunnats of ablution that must be performed by a believer of perfected faith is as follows:

- Starting by saying "Bismillah."

- Washing the hands up to the wrists, three times

- Rinsing out the mouth with water, three times

- Cleansing the nostrils of the nose by sniffing water into them, three times

- Wetting the hidden skin below eyebrows, beard and mustache

- Wetting below the eyebrows

- Wetting the protruding part of the beard

- Cleansing the teeth, rubbing them with something if possible

- Wiping both sides of the head once

- Wiping both ears once

- Wiping the back of the neck once with three fingers joined

- Thoroughly wetting the spaces between fingers and toes

- Thoroughly wetting all the organs that needs to be washed.

- Making an inner intention while washing the face

-Washing and wiping both hands, mouth, nose, face, arms, head, ears and scruff and feet one after the other

- Rubbing the organs that are washed

- Washing every organ one after the other, without any interruption.

QIBLAH

In the Qur'an, it is stated that Muslims have to face Kabah in Mecca while performing their prayers. It is sufficient for those who are not in Macca to stand in a direction that makes one say "he is standing in the direction of Qiblah."

The religion of Islam introduces Kabah as the center of worship of Allah and Muslims are commanded to turn to Qiblah whereever they may be on earth, so that solidarity, unity and order can be maintained among them.

Praying in the direction of Qiblah is an opportunity to bring the memories of the Prophet Ibrahim (as) and the Prophet Isma'il (as), the noble messengers of Allah who built the Kabah, to mind and turning to Allah for worship. Also, turning in the direction of Kabah while eating and sleeping is good. In addition, the deceased are also buried with their faces turned to the Qiblah.

HOW IS THE QIBLAH DETERMINED?

Qiblah is not the building of Kabah but the land on which it stands. That is to say, that space from the earth to the sky is the Qiblah. For this reason, if one is under the water or in the sky, he can still pray.

It is possible to determine the direction of the Qiblah through mathematical calculations. This can also be accomplished by a compass. Even if a very accurate determination of the Qiblah can not be made by calculations and equipment, one can have a strong conviction of the true direction, and this conviction is acceptable.

At places where equipment, compass, stars etc. are not available, believers must consult Muslims who know the direction of the Qiblah.

In moving vehicles such as ships or trains, one must stand in the direction of the Qiblah and put a compass next to the place of the sajdah. In this way, as the vehicle turns, the person must also turn to the Qiblah. Alternatively, another person may turn him in the right direction.

If a person performs his prayer without consulting a Muslim who knows the direction of the Qiblah, establishing the direction himself or exhausting all the other methods to learn it, he will not totally fulfill the obligations of prayer, even if he has coincidentally prayed in the right direction.

The Submission of People of Perfected Faith to Destiny

"Say: 'Nothing can happen to us except what Allah has ordained for us. He is Our Master. It is in Allah that the believers should put their trust.'" (Surat at-Tawba, 51)

"Indeed, all things We created with predestination." (Surat al-Qamar, 49) As the verse states, Allah has created every thing, living or non-living, with its own destiny. This destiny that Allah ordained is invariable; any good or evil that is preordained can in no way be prevented or diverted by anyone. The people of perfected faith are those who are aware that "nothing can happen to them except what Allah has ordained for them."

This fact is, in actuality, a source of infinite comfort. Each event on earth, whether important or insignificant, is planned, in all its details, by an infinite intelligence. Therefore, each one of them develops in a controlled way, to bring the best of benefits to believers.

Aware that Allah creates each event to the advantage of the religion and for the benefit of the believers' lives in the hereafter, the people of perfected faith live in sincere submission to Allah's eternal wisdom and the destiny He has preordained. As the verse, "... Allah will not let the disbelievers triumph over the believers" (Surat an-Nisa', 141) makes clear, all events culminate in a way which is, in all cases, in favour of believers. "... Allah will certainly help those who help Him," (Surat al-Hajj, 40) for Allah is the friend and protector of believers.

The people of perfected faith who take Allah as their Protector and put their trust in Him never despair of Allah's help. Especially in the case of a seemingly disadvantageous situation, they never swerve from this stance, aware that there is goodness in whatever happens.

The world is a setting in which Allah puts human beings to the test. The majority of the people display submission to Allah and feel grateful to Him when they receive some form of goodness or blessing, thinking that it is bestowed upon them by Him. But when it comes to an unfavourable event that is not going their way, they suddenly lose their submissive attitude. They display mistrust and ungratefulness that may at times be as serious as rebelling against Allah. This attitude is referred to in the Qur'an as follows:

… When We let a man taste Our mercy, he exults in it. But if something bad strikes him for what he has done, he is ungrateful. (Surat ash-Shura, 48)

The people of perfected faith, however, have grasped the secret revealed by the verse, "…We put you to the test with both good and evil. And you will be returned to Us." (Surat al-Anbiya', 35) Never forgetting that any event that seems favourable or unfavourable is specially created to test their faith, they are never lacking in the submission they display to the will of Allah and their trust in their Creator never lessens. They know that any seemingly unfavourable event befalling them may, in actuality, produce very good results when the next life is considered, since Allah creates every event with many hidden purposes that man fails to see. This fact is recorded in a verse as follows:

… It may be that you hate something when it is good for you and it may be that you love something when it is bad for you. Allah knows and you do not know. (Surat al-Baqara, 216)

As stressed in the above verse, an event initially deemed to be bad might do good to man, because Allah, the Possessor of infinite wisdom, has planned all events befalling him. Man's wisdom and faculty of thinking are limited. This being the case, what a man is expected to do is to submit himself to the destiny Allah has preordained with His eternal wisdom. That is what will benefit man in all cases.

An event might seem to be unfolding unfavourably; but never forget that it may well be a trial of one's submission to Allah. This event may turn out to be a great blessing at some time. People failing to put their trust in Allah initially forget this fact and thus suffer great loss. Those, on the other hand, having perfected faith, and displaying a good attitude, both gain the pleasure of Allah and ultimately enjoy the beneficial consequences of so doing.

The Qur'an provides us with some excerpts from the lives of those prophets, who became role models for all humanity in the perfected faith they displayed. One of these concerns the seemingly hopeless situation of the Prophet Musa (as), who led his people out of Egypt to escape the Pharaoh's oppression. As they reached the shore, Pharaoh and his army were almost upon them. This difficult situation, which in no way inspired the faintest hope of salvation, became a means by which those who sought goodness in destiny under all circumstances and the ones who doubted were set apart from each other. In the Qur'an, Allah relates this event as follows:

So they pursued them towards the east. And when the two hosts came into sight of one another, Musa's companions said, "We will surely be overtaken!" He said, "Never! My Lord is with me and He will guide me." So We bade Musa strike the sea with his staff, and it split in two, each part like a towering cliff. In between We made the others follow up. We rescued Musa and all those who were with him. Then We drowned the rest. There is certainly a Sign in that, yet most of them do not believe. (Surat ash-Shu'ara', 60-67)

As the verses also inform us, some of the Prophet Musa (as)'s people quailed and thought, "We will surely be overtaken." The Prophet Musa (as), however, did not despair for a moment. He remembered that Allah's help was at hand. Following this trial, Allah miraculously divided the waters of the sea, leaving a dry path in the middle, and guided them to the other shore. Meanwhile, the waters suddenly began to close in on the Pharaoh and his soldiers, who blindly set foot on the same path, and they all drowned. Once the submission of believers became obvious, Allah turned a bad situation into a great blessing.

In the Qur'an, Allah also gives the submission of Our Prophet (saas) to His will as an example:

If you (the believers) do not help him (the Prophet), Allah will help him as He did when the disbelievers drove him out and there were two of them in the Cave. He said to his companion, "Do not be despondent, Allah is with us." Then Allah sent down His serenity upon him and sent to his aid invisible warriors. He routed the unbeliever and exalted the word of Allah. Allah is Almighty, All-Wise. (Surat at-Tawba, 40)

In times of difficulty, the Prophet Muhammad (saas) put his trust in Allah and called upon his companions to be submissive to Him.

People of perfected faith take the Prophet (saas)'s good conduct as their example. Never swerving from this standard of moral perfection, they meet every difficulty they face with the words:

… "Allah is enough for me. All those who truly trust put their trust in Him." (Surat az-Zumar, 38)

The Outlook of People of Perfected Faith on the Life of This World

"The life of the world is nothing but a game and a diversion. The abode of the hereafter-that is truly Life, if they only knew it." (Surat al-'Ankabut, 64)

Allah has created this world as a temporary place to put man to the test, to purify him of his wrongdoings, to make him attain a soul worthy of paradise and to reveal the evil of disbelievers… Very few people, however, ponder upon and grasp this truth: it is they who are the people of perfected faith.

The outlook on life of a believer who has attained perfected faith is based on this very important fact which is stressed in the Qur'an. Unlike disbelievers, such a person does not feel attached to the life of this world. On the contrary, he strives for the life in the hereafter. Aware that he is created "to serve Allah alone", he remembers the verse, "I only created jinn and man to worship Me." (Surat adh-Dhariyat, 56)

As mentioned earlier, serving Allah is not limited to observing some forms of worship such as the regular saying of prayers or fasting. On the contrary, being Allah's servant encompasses the entire life of the individual. A believer of perfected faith is one who may be defined as spending his entire life serving Allah. He lives for Allah alone, works for Allah alone, and devotes all his resources to the cause of Allah. He is truly aware that this world is but a place of trial. In the Qur'an, Allah draws attention to this: "We created man from a mingled drop to test him, and We endowed him with hearing and sight." (Surat al-Insan, 2)

Allah, moreover, draws attention to the deceptive nature of this world and warns people:

Mankind! Allah's promise is true. Do not let the life of the world delude you and do not let the Deluder delude you about Allah. (Surah Fatir, 5)

People of perfected faith are those who are not deceived by the beauties of the life of this world, no matter how enticing they may seem. This is because the book of Allah has shown them the true face of the life of this world. As the Qur'an puts it, the life of this world is "a game", "an amusement", "pomp", "boasting among people" and "a vying in the multiplication of wealth and children". The following analogy in the Qur'an makes the nature of this world clear:

Know that the life of this world is merely a game and a diversion, ostentation and a cause of boasting among yourselves and trying to outdo one another in wealth and children. It is like the plant-growth after the rain which delights the cultivators, but then it withers and you see it turning yellow, and then it becomes broken stubble. In the hereafter there is terrible punishment but also forgiveness from Allah and His pleasure. The life of this world is nothing but the enjoyment of delusion. (Surat al-Hadid, 20)

As this example reveals, nothing in this world can resist the detrimental effects of time; neither beautiful mansions, eye-catching cars, gorgeous landscapes, nor young people with brilliant careers can save themselves… Everything new wears out, young people grow old… Time crushes the most precious of good things and makes them lose all their charm. The most cherished moments pass quickly and become history. After some time, everything good becomes a faint memory. In one verse, Allah informs us of the passions that make man feel attached to this world:

To mankind the love of worldly appetites is painted in glowing colours: women and children, and heaped-up mounds of gold and silver, and horses with fine markings, and livestock and fertile farmland. All that is merely the enjoyment of the life of this world. The best homecoming is in the presence of Allah. (Surah Al 'Imran, 14)

The common trait of the worldly blessings stressed in the verse above is their temporary and limited nature. For this reason, nothing exists in this world to which man can greedily attach himself. Neither the physical make-up of man, which is simply of bones and flesh, nor other material things, all of which are very vulnerable and ultimately perishable, allow man to attach himself to this world. The blessings we see around us are but imperfect copies of the blessings of paradise and are created with the purpose of foreshadowing the hereafter.

People of perfected faith who have grasped this important fact receive the best benefits possible in this world. But there is one essential difference between them and those who are allured by this world; they don't feel greedy for these blessings. On the contrary, they feel grateful to Allah for what He has bestowed upon them, because, they know that the real owner of all things on earth is Allah.

Those who assume that they possess property, beauty or power in fact deceive themselves, because it is not they who have created all these things. They are incapable of creating even a single one of them. Furthermore, they cannot prevent them from disappearing. They are beings who are created themselves… One day, they will certainly taste death, leaving behind everything that belongs to this life. Awareness of the verse, "These people love this fleeting world and have put the thought of a Momentous Day behind their backs". (Surat al-Insan, 27) is what distinguishes people of perfected faith from those who live in a state of heedlessness. People of perfected faith prepare themselves for the next life rather than for this one. The Qur'an records the prayers of such people:

And there are others who say, "Our Lord, give us good in the world, and good in the hereafter, and safeguard us from the punishment of the Fire." (Surat al-Baqara, 201)

In return for their sincere behaviour and prayers, Allah gives them the blessings of this world and the hereafter alike. Allah gives the glad tidings of this in the Qur'an as follows:

So Allah gave them the reward of this world and the best reward of the hereafter. Allah loves the righteous. (Surah Al 'Imran, 148)

There is good news for them in the life of this world and in the hereafter. There is no changing the words of Allah. That is the great victory! (Surah Yunus, 64)

The Outlook of People of Perfected Faith on Death

"Every soul shall taste death. You shall receive your rewards only on the Day of Resurrection. Anyone who is spared the Fire and admitted to the Garden will surely triumph. The life of this world is just the enjoyment of delusion." (Surah Al 'Imran, 185) Death will come upon every man existing in this world at a predestined time in compliance with the verse, "Every soul shall taste death. In the end you shall return to Us". (Surat al-'Ankabut, 57) Nothing a man possesses, neither property, fortune, status, fame, grandeur nor good looks can ward off death. Death is a law of Allah; no one can escape this absolute and unavoidable fact. As the verse, "Wherever you are, death will catch up with you, even if you are in impregnable fortresses…" (Surat an-Nisa', 78) reminds us, there has never been anyone who could succeed in escaping from death. This fact is an issue about which people of perfected faith attain a profound understanding. Once they comprehend the certainty and closeness of death, they understand that they need to prepare for the life after death. Fearing an imminent death that may come upon them before attaining the moral perfection Allah demands from His servants and earning His approval, they embrace the religion of Allah with great sincerity and enthusiasm. They lose no time in drawing nearer to Allah and earning His approval, since they realise that they may meet death at any moment. The prayer of the people of perfected faith in the Qur'an is as follows: ... Our Lord, give us patience and take us back to You as Muslims. (Surat al-A'raf, 126) ... Originator of the heavens and earth, You are my Protector in this world and the Next. So take me as a Muslim at my death and unite me with those who are sincere. (Surah Yusuf, 101) The people of perfected faith accept death with full submission, since it is a law of Allah. Over and above this, they consider it as a gate through which to attain paradise. Meanwhile, they never forget that they must strive hard to avoid the punishment of hell and earn the approval of Allah. Believers unceasingly feel fear and hope until they meet death. They hope for paradise because they believe. Likewise, they fear hell since they never find themselves self-sufficient. Their fear of evil reckoning, the good behaviour they display and the good results they attain are stated in the Qur'an as follows: Those who fulfill the covenant of Allah and do not break their pledge; those who join what Allah has commanded to be joined and are afraid of their Lord and dread the terrors of an evil reckoning; those who are steadfast in seeking the face of their Lord, and attend to their prayers and give from the provision We have given them, secretly and openly, and stave off evil with good, it is they who will have the Ultimate Abode-The Gardens of Eden which they will enter, along with all of their parents, wives and children who were true. Angels will enter to welcome them from every gate: "Peace be upon you because of your steadfastness! How wonderful is the reward of the Ultimate Abode!" (Surat ar-Ra'd, 20-24)