(49:8)” This is a grace and a bounty from God and this rank...

(49:8)” This is a grace and a bounty from God and this rank in Faith and piety, which involves bitterness of sin in one’s heart is given by God only to him whom God considers worthy of it. Wretched, vicious and rebellious people cannot reach this rank. God knows everyone better than they know themselves. He is the knower of secrets and mysteries. He is Wise. Due to His wisdom, He never puts saffron before a donkey. He does not grant this Light of Faith and truthfulness to an undeserving person.

It is indeed a wonderful and lofty stage to be reached by a man when Faith becomes the dear-most things for him, every sin tastes bitter to him and he is the Infallible one, fortunate to receive the Proof of his Lord. God is omniscient. He knows the proper place. He is Wise. So He grants only to the deserving person, not to anyone until one earns it. O People! One who cries ‘money, money’ from the morning till night, how can the light of Faith be given to him?

His every desire and effort is only for material advancement and multiplication of property and financial power. What has such a fellow to do with Faith? As he does not deserve it, it is not given to him.

Reach truth through practice One who is not a seeker of Faith, who is not one of those who want to give up sinning, how can one be worth: ﴿وَكَرَّهَ إِلَيْكُمْ الْكُفْرَ وَالْفُسُوقَ وَالْعِصْيَانَ﴾ “…and He has made hateful to you unbelief and transgression and disobedience… (49:7)” How can a sin taste bitter to him unless he shows forbearance? There is a narration:[^1] Unless one does not donate money and wealth, how can one develop the virtue of charity?

Similarly one cannot attain the virtue of patience also. Unless one has a wound, how and why should he apply ointment? The ointment of Divine Mercy has no meaning for one has no pain for religion. One whose heart has nothing like sympathy, is not worthy of Divine favor. Relation of these two verses with preceding and succeeding ones Commentators have discussed a great deal regarding these verses.

Its summary is that, they were recited from the pulpit, while showing the relation of the one prior to them: O believers! That is, O the ones who believed apparently or verbally, those of you who call themselves believers in Islam! There is a transgressor among you and so also there is a believer. Do not think that all of them are similar? No, it is not so. It is not enough for one to say that I am a Muslim.

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