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On his arrival in the UK last week, Geert Wilders hailed it as a victory for freedom of speech. Funny that—as comedian Jeremy Hardy pointed out on The News Quiz last year—given that he wants to ban the Qur’an. And with that thought, his presence escaped me.

It was left to our Qur’an teacher to inject some insight on the topic just before he drew our class to a close on Sunday morning. With the fresh round of news coverage, he had been pondering on Mr Wilders’ widely-discredited film, Fitna.

The word fitna, he told us, is of the Arabic root alfatn. In the olden days, when men would mix lesser metals with gold in order to make a quick profit, genuine coins would be distinguished from counterfeit change by tossing them into the fire. This process of separating true gold from false using fire is know as alfatn.

In every tribe, nation and country—he went on—you will find pious people working for peace. Yet at the same time you will find the war monger, the backbiter, the slanderer. You will also find the one whose sole job is to cause contention between individuals, communities, countries and beyond. Of both types you will find people of high ranks in societies, just plain commoners and those in between.

To know a man of peace, it is not by his race nor by the outer garment he wears, nor by the nice promises he makes, nor his rank in society, nor by his education. Is it not written: ‘by their fruits you shall know them’?

It is the law of God—the Creator—to put people through tribulation to separate those made from gold from the rest. The Man of Gold strives for peace and harmony. The False Man of Gold shines only in front of the blind.

Before us, our teacher opened an English rendering of the Qur’an and turned to Surah al-Ankabut¹. Usually he asks us to read from our respective translations to compare them side-by-side, but this time he read the Arabic and English in turns himself:

2. Do the people think that they will be left to say, “We believe” and they will not be tried?

3. But We have certainly tried those before them, and God will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will surely make evident the liars.

4. Or do those who do evil deeds think they can outrun Us? Evil is what they judge.

5. Whoever should hope for the meeting with God—indeed, the term decreed by God is coming. And He is the Hearing, the Knowing.

6. And whoever strives only strives for the benefit of himself. Indeed, God is Free from need of the worlds.

7. And those who believe and do righteous deeds—We will surely remove from them their misdeeds and will surely reward them according to the best of what they used to do.

8. And We have enjoined upon man goodness to parents. But if they endeavour to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them. To Me is your return, and I will inform you about what you used to do.

9. And those who believe and do righteous deeds—We will surely admit them into Paradise among the righteous.

These words ring in my mind a lot, but it is true that often we do ponder them as deeply as we should. The tribulations of the day—be they the renewed babblings of Mr Wilders, the rantings of the BNP or the hideous bloodshed wrougt by Muslim hands—serve to separate the wheat from the chaff, true gold from false gold.

And—making his closing supplications and rising to his feet—with these thoughts our teacher left us, reminding us of our homework for next week. By our fruits shall we be known.