Testimony of the Holy Quran — Page 152
T E S T I MON Y OF T HE HOLY Q U R AN 152 are still so hard-hearted that they treat the poor from among the Community like wolves and do not greet them with salutation of as-sal a mu ‘alaik [peace be on you] in good spirit, out of con - ceit, much less behave courteously and sympathetically towards them. Some of them I see to be so mean and self-centred that they start quarrelling over petty issues out of selfishness, and engage in scuffles and attack each other over minor issues. At times, mat - ters become so bad as to reach the point that they start abusing each other and they develop rancour in their hearts. They argue selfishly over petty issues like eating and drinking. Of course, there are certainly more than 200 pious and upright people in our Community as well, whom God has blessed and who weep when admonished and give preference to the hereafter, and exhortation affects their hearts in wonderful ways. But for now I am speaking only about those with perverted hearts and I exclaim, wonder - ing: O God, what is happening and who are these people around me? Why are their hearts ever inclined towards selfish desires and why does one brother cause trouble for another and seeks to assert superiority over him? I say most truly that a person’s faith can cer - tainly not be sound until one prefers the comfort of his brother over that of his own as far as possible. If a brother of mine sleeps on the floor in front of me, despite being weak and ill, whereas I, being hale and healthy, take posses - sion of the bed so that he may not sit on it, then how pitiable is my condition. And how sorrowful would be my condition if I were not to get up and give the bed to him by way of love and compas - sion, preferring the floor for myself. If my brother were to be ill and suffering from some pain, then how pitiable would my con - dition be if in such a situation I would be sleeping comfortably