In fact, its discussion here ends in the same way as the discussion of the other topic earlier. Both endings warn those hardened disbelievers disbelievers “who conceal what God has sent down.”

Indeed, Islam makes the questions of the direction of prayer and the slaughtering of animals two rituals that give a Muslim his distinctive character,

just like he is distinguished by declaring his belief in God’s oneness and by his prayer. The Prophet says: “Whoever offers our prayer, turning towards our qiblah, and eats our slaughtered animals is a Muslim who qualifies to be party to the covenant with God and His Messenger.”

The innovation of prohibition without basis in respect of food and earnings is not limited to those who turn away from the faith.

Indeed, some Muslims at the time of the Prophet were close to falling prey to this disease that affected earlier communities.

They declared their intention either to refrain from marriage or to prohibit themselves certain types of wholesome food or other things.

They did not wish to declare these as forbidden to all people, but rather they looked upon them with contempt.

Righteousness is, indeed, a word that combines all aspects of goodness, theoretical and practical, relating to the treatment of people, to worship of the Creator and to a lofty morality.

It is with all these that true believers should be preoccupied.

Consider also how when the surah begins to detail these aspects, it does not relate them all, in full, at the same time.

Rather, it moves towards them progressively, beginning with a statement that gives more than a general idea, but which remains short of giving them in full detail.

Thus, it serves as an index to the principles of faith and to the codes of Islam:

“But truly righteous is he who believes in God and the Last Day, and the angels and the Book and the Prophets; and gives his money, much as it is dear to him, to his kinsfolk,

to the orphans, to the needy, to the traveller in need, and the beggars and for the freeing of slaves; who attends to his prayers and pays zakat;

[and righteous are they] who remain true to their promises whenever they promise, and are patient in misfortune and adversity and in the time of peril. Such are those who have proved themselves to be true, and such are those who fear God.”

The Third Purpose of the Surah (Verses 178-283)

Having laid the foundation, the surah now begins the job of raising the structure.

When the outer structure is firmly established, attention is paid to completing its internal parts.

The surah has attended fully to purifying the faith, which is the essence of religion. Now it provides the details of the law, which give the religion its appearance.

All doubts raised by critics have been dispelled and their arguments refuted.

The task now is to illuminate the way for those who wish to follow it, and to make clear to them the purpose of the law.

Attention so far has been given to clarifying the principles of faith; but now it turns to explaining the laws of Islam.

We have seen how the surah has prepared the way for this transition. It included a linking passage to relate the different parts of the discourse.

If we were to cast a quick side glance, we will find that the final verse in this passage is the one quoted earlier, verse 177, which outlines the theoretical and practical aspects of righteousness.