The Essence of Islam – Volume IV — Page 294
294. Essence of Islam-IV. I have no personal objective. Even if there were no heaven and no hell, this worship should be carried on, and it should make no difference to the personal love which creatures should bear to their Creator. Thus heaven and hell should be irrelevant with reference to the obligations due to Allāh. . As regards sympathy with mankind, it is my belief that until one prays for one's enemy, one's mind cannot by wholly cleansed. God in His injunctions: 154 ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ has not placed any restriction that He will not accept a prayer in respect of an enemy. I believe that to pray for an enemy was also the practice of the Holy Propheta. It was as a result of such a prayer that Haḍrat 'Umar became a Muslim. The Holy Prophet sa had often supplicated in respect of him. One should not harbour personal enmity with anyone based on miserliness, nor should one be cruel. I am grateful to God that I cannot recall even one among my enemies for whom I have not prayed at least two or three times. . This is what I also ask of you and teach you. God. Almighty is as averse to anyone being persecuted and being unjustly treated with animosity out of sheer obduracy, as He is to someone being associated with. Him. In one relationship, He does not desire cutting asunder; and in the other, He does not desire association. He does not desire that mankind should cut 154 Pray unto Me; I will answer your prayers. -Al-Mu'min, 40:61 [Publisher]