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I awoke this morning with these sentiments foremost in my mind:

Do you order people to righteousness and forget yourselves, even while reciting the scripture? Have you no sense?

Quran 2:44

How daft to make it your life’s work to call others to faith, but have nothing to show for it.

Did you let the lessons you preached change you for the better? Did the message reach your heart? Did you allow it to reform your character?

While you were demanding right conduct from the people, did anyone at all witness the piercing light of faith in you? Did your behaviour appeal to anyone? Did it change the world for the better?

What is faith if it’s not practiced? What is it good for? Is there not a reason that your Lord makes eleven consecutive oaths regarding your soul? Eleven oaths sworn on the weightiest phenomena on our horizons.

By the sun and his brightness,
and the moon when she follows him,
and the day when it reveals him,
and the night when it enshrouds him,
and the heaven and Him who built it,
and the earth and Him who spread it out,
and a soul and Him who perfected it
and inspired it with awareness of what is wrong for it and what is right for it,
he is indeed successful who purifies it,
and he is indeed a failure who neglects it.

Qur’an 91:1-10

If the faith you proclaim isn’t making you a better person, you’re doing it all wrong. If it makes you arrogant and self-righteous, it’s something else entirely.

Respond to the One who calls you, and if you must be a caller, call yourself.