Zeal and Enthusiasm Described in the Qur'an: Communicating the Good Values of the Qur’an

Allah ordered the development of a community among people which summons others to good conduct, kindness and righteousness: "And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful."

In compliance with this verse sincere Muslims endeavor to convey the beauty of Qur’anic morality, point out the moral corruption inherent in ignorant societies and, by the will of Allah, guide people to the right path. Since they have personally attained peace and comfort through the Islamic way of living, they also wish others to experience the same. Furthermore, knowing that hell is a definite truth, they want to protect all people from eternal torment by encouraging them to lead the kind of life that will please Allah because one’s deeds in this world determine an eternal life in either paradise or hell. Even a single person’s eternal salvation means a lot to believers. For this reason they commit themselves to any sacrifice to save someone from hell and guide him toward attaining Allah’s mercy. They might even spend months or years, day and night, to help a person adopt the good values of Islam. Similarly, they eagerly spend their wealth for this cause. The zeal they feel grants them great power both in the physical and spiritual sense. To the end of their lives they never stop communicating the message of Allah in the best and wisest way.

However, it should be made clear that even if all their efforts do not result in a single person’s guidance, they will never feel frustrated because the duty of a believer is only to communicate the message, while it is Allah Who actually guides an individual. From the Qur’an it is known that many of the idolaters in Makkah did not embrace Islam in spite of all the sincere and great efforts of the Prophet Muhammad. But his effort was rewarded, and Allah revealed to him: "Indeed, [O Muhammad], you do not guide whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills. And He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided."

It is stated in the Qur’an that all prophets showed the same commitment in communicating the message. The difficulties they encountered along the way never discouraged them. On the contrary, they continually resorted to every method to show their peoples the right path. The zealous efforts of the Prophet Noah have been described as follows: "He said, ‘My Lord, indeed I invited my people [to truth] night and day. But my invitation increased them not except in flight [i.e., aversion]. And indeed, every time I invited them that You may forgive them, they put their fingers in their ears, covered themselves with their garments, persisted, and were arrogant with [great] arrogance. Then I invited them publicly. Then I announced to them and [also] confided to them secretly and said, "Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver." As revealed in the verses, the Prophet Noah conveyed the message with great zeal to reconcile the hearts of his people. He never faltered in conveying the attributes of Allah. His people, however, stubbornly turned away each time they heard the truth. Owing to the zeal and excitement the Prophet Noah felt about fulfilling Allah’s command and conveying His message, he did not denounce their behavior but continued his duty with an unyielding determination. Despite the arrogance they showed, he sought other viable methods to reconcile their hearts. His intent was to relieve them of the corruption of their ignorant society by reminding them about Allah, both openly and through less obvious methods. It must be kept in mind that the efforts of the Prophet Noah and others who convey the message with great zeal and sincerity will not remain unrewarded. By Allah’s will each word uttered and every second spent for His cause will be generously compensated. "[Such believers are] the repentant, the worshippers, the praisers [of Allah], the travelers [for His cause], those who bow and prostrate [in prayer], those who enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, and those who observe the limits [set by] Allah. And give good tidings to the believers."