to speak, an end in themselves; for they are counted for righteousness. Having faith in God and His revelation, the believer's aim must be to gain or attain to righteousness by a life manifesting submission, and a spirit of obedience to God and His Apostle, and by the performance of works of righteousness.

In this respect the attitude of the Qur'an is not far from the teachings of Judaism in the lifetime of Jesus Christ. The strict observance of the commands of the Qur'an in respect of conduct and walk covers a mass of actions the performance of which, in the right spirit, may be summed up in one word as righteousness. We find the following explanation of what is meant by righteousness. 'There is no piety in turning your faces (in prayer) towards the east and the west, but he is pious who believeth in God, and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Scriptures, and the Prophets; who for the love of God ('ala hubbihi) disburseth his wealth to his kindred, and to the orphans, and the needy, and the wayfarer, and those who ask, and for ransoming of captives; who observeth prayer, and payeth the legal alms; and who is of those who perform their engagements, when they have engaged in them, and who is patient under ills and hardships, and in time of trouble: these are they who are just, and these are they who fear the Lord.' ¹

They who do such things are the righteous. Their good deeds are accepted of God, seeing that they are done in faith. 'Whoso shall do the things that are right, and be a true believer, his efforts shall not be disowned: and surely will we write (it) down for him'.²

Here comes in the Qur'anic doctrine of justification. Justification is of works. These works must be the outcome of faith, but there is no such thing as justification by faith apart from works. According to a man's work and life, so is he justified or condemned, i.e. so is he held to be righteous or unrighteous.

Man is so apt and ready to deceive himself that he cannot be a true judge of his own motives and the essential moral value of his good works. It is God alone who is able to judge, and in this judgment, He follows that which seemeth best to Himself; yet there is and can be no unfairness in this judgment. Each may be certain that God will not wrong him in the slightest matter. 'Hast thou not marked those who hold themselves to be righteous? But God holdeth righteous whom He will, and they shall not be wronged the husk of a date stone.' ¹ The justice of God's judgment is brought out in many passages, of which we may quote the following as a further example. 'Verily thy Lord best knoweth him who erreth from His way; and He best knoweth him who hath received guidance. And whatever is in the heavens and in the earth is God's: that He may reward those who do evil, according to their deeds; and those who do good will He reward with good things. To those who avoid great crimes and scandals but commit only lighter faults; verily, thy Lord will be diffuse of mercy. He well knew you when He produced you out of the earth, and when ye were embryos in your mothers' wombs. Assert not then your own purity. He best knoweth who feareth Him.' ²

As to the ground of justification-the explanation