﴿ وَٱلَّذِينَ يُمَسِّكُونَ بِٱلْكِتَٰبِ وَأَقَامُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ إِنَّا لَا نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ ٱلْمُصْلِحِينَ ﴾

“For [We shall requite] all those who hold fast to the divine writ and are constant in prayer: verily, We shall not fail to requite those who enjoin the doing of what is right!”

This happens in the case of every prophet’s community. In the beginning, its individuals are God-fearing and pious. But in later generations, this spirit vanishes. They become just like other worldly people. Religion is still amongst them. The Holy Book is still read and taught. But all this is done in the context of a national heritage and not as a real fulfilment of a pledge to God. They proceed in the way of the world and in practice forget the Hereafter. Being completely unmindful of right or wrong, they make their desire their religion. At the same time they are proud of being the best of all communities. They are the members of the community of one who is God’s favourite; they are the inheritors of the Holy Book; by the grace of the belief in monotheism they shall certainly be granted salvation. But the truth is that man should hold fast to God’s Word; he should regularly say his prayers. And the sign of holding fast God’s Book and of having said his prayers sincerely is that he should have become a maintainer of peace and harmony (muslihun). Communion with God’s Book and God’s worship are what makes a man opposed to one who disturbs the peace.