Allah (swt) did not say: They pray, rather He said:

يُنفِقُونَ فِي السَّرَّاء وَالضَّرَّاء{spend [in the cause of Allah] during ease and hardship}: When he is in a state of ease, the believer should give thanks, but how does he thank Allah? The Messenger (saws) said:

“prayer is a light, charity is proof”

Charity is proof of good faith, Allah (swt) says:

خُذْ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ صَدَقَةً تُطَهِّرُهُمْ وَتُزَكِّيهِم بِهَا

{Take, [O, Muhammad], from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and cause them increase} (At-Tawba: 103)

It is purification, increasing, and ascension of the soul, then, those who have been promised Paradise are those who spend their money in all circumstances, during ease and hardship, not only if a calamity befalls them, the Prophet (saws) said:

“Cure your patients with charity”[1]

So in affliction and in adversity, treat your sick with charity, but also in times of prosperity you must spend, this is the order of the Qur’an, so those who are promised Paradise are the ones who spend, not only with money but with property and knowledge.

وَالْكَاظِمِينَ الْغَيْظَ {and who restrain anger}: Here comes the psychological states. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated: ‘A man said, “O Messenger of Allah, advise me.” The Messenger of Allah (saws) said:

“Do not get angry.”

The man repeated that several times and he replied,

“Do not get angry.”[2]

Anger takes the mind out of its control over the organs, that is why Islam enjoins man to control anger because when a person is angry his emotions are a result of his anger not from the inspiration of his mind, and Satan enters a person when he is angry. So if a person offends you, what is required from you? Will you hit him if he hits you? Or do you insult him if he insults you? Of course not, let’s see what the Holy Quran mentions about this to know whether our religion is a religion of violence. Let’s see if the seeds of violence, as others claim, are found in the teachings of the Qur’an. The Noble Qur’an says: Those who will enter Paradise are those who spend during ease and hardship and who not only restrain anger, rather follows it by saying:

وَاللّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ {and Allah loves the doers of good;}: Meaning, to repel the evil by that which is better. as Allah (swt) says:

وَلَا تَسْتَوِي الْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا السَّيِّئَةُ ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ (34) وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلَّا الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلَّا ذُو حَظٍّ عَظِيمٍ

{ And not equal are the good deed and the bad. Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better; and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend. (34) But none is granted it except those who are patient, and none is granted it except one having a great portion [of good].} (Fussilat: 34-35)

Allah (swt) asked you to restrain anger first, second, evil must be met with goodness, for a person forgives those who wronged him and gives those who deprived him, as the Prophet (saws) said. These are the morals of Islam, the morals of oppression, coercion, killing, cruelty and violence does not exist in Islam at all.

We do not come up with words from our own, but rather this is the approach of the Qur’an and not a curriculum written by humans. They are words of Allah (swt) addressing all believers in all places and in all times:

وَاصْبِرْ وَمَا صَبْرُكَ إِلاَّ بِاللّهِ وَلاَ تَحْزَنْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ تَكُ فِي ضَيْقٍ مِّمَّا يَمْكُرُونَ (127) إِنَّ اللّهَ مَعَ

الَّذِينَ اتَّقَواْ وَّالَّذِينَ هُم مُّحْسِنُونَ

{And be patient, [O Muhammad], and your patience is not but through Allah. And do not grieve over them and do not be in distress over what they conspire. (127) Indeed, Allah is with those who fear Him and those who are doers of good.} (An-Nahl: 127-128)

Allah (swt) loves goodness in everything and in every matter, so how can we do evil while Allah (swt) loves goodness, and He asks us to restrain anger, to forgive people and give them, to preserve the rights of the neighbors, and He asks us as well to only say a good word and do not lie to anyone, to give people preference over ourselves, and He (swt) asks us not to kill anyone or steal. This is really the Islam, so where are the seeds of violence in it? Where are the seeds of cruelty? Where do the action of takfirist, terrorists, murderers and criminals who raise religious slogans come from? Islam is innocent of all these actions; they pretended to be Muslims in order to kill, explode, booby trap, to do all the abominations and prohibitions, and violate the sanctities in the name of Islam, whereas Islam is innocent of them.

[1] Musnad Ash-Shamiyyen: Ibrahim bin Abi ‘Abla, hadith No. 18.

[2] Sahih Al-Bukhari, Book of Good Behaviour, Chapter of Avoiding the Anger, Hadith No.5765.