of how God can regard as just and declare to be just the believer who in himself is far from being just — the Qur'an has nothing to say. Justification is regarded simply as an act of God's mercy, and the idea of there being possibly any incompatibility between absolute justice and unconditional forgiveness never seems once to come up in the whole book. That Muhammad ever had this question rise up within his mind we can see no proof in the Qur'an. And it is at this point that the doctrine of justification as taught in the Qur'an appears to the Christian theologian to be superficial; and it is therefore sometimes said, not without a certain amount of truth, that there is no true doctrine of justification in the Qur'an, which simply asserts that if one repents and seeks to obey the divine commands, God pardons. This is, however, consistent with what we have elsewhere seen of the teaching of the Qur'an on sin.

We must next ask what the Qur'an has to say as to the motives which ought to influence a man in the performance of good works.

Such works when done in faith must be done for the sake of God, that is, with a desire to please God, and to gain His favour, and not for self-glory or temporal gain. This is to be seen clearly in such a passage as the following. 'They who fulfilled their vows, and feared the day whose woes will spread far and wide, who though longing for it themselves, bestowed their food on the poor, and the orphan, and the captive, (saying) "We feed you for the sake of God only: we seek from you neither recompense nor thanks: A stern and calamitous day dread we from our Lord".' ¹

Yet while done 'for God's sake' that the believer may gain the approbation of God — such deeds must be accompanied by a certain moral act or attitude. This is seen, perhaps, most clearly in regard to alms-giving. Alms-giving, as in Judaism, is one of the principal of the means of attaining righteousness, but the giving of alms must not be considered as a mere outward act. He who in his alms-giving does not give sympathy, and perform an act of real self-sacrifice, cannot, according to the Qur'an, expect thereby to gain any righteousness. 'Ye shall never attain to goodness till ye give alms of that which ye love: and whatever ye give, of a truth, God knoweth it.' ¹ The essence of alms-giving is self-sacrifice, self-renunciation. The following passage also brings out this idea very clearly. 'There is also a man who selleth his soul for the things which are pleasing unto God: and God is gracious unto (His) servants.' ²

Good works are not merely a duty demanded of the believer, but he must ever aim to excel in them. The more he excels in all good deeds the more certain proof does he exhibit of the reality of his faith and his repentance and his desire to be pleasing to his Lord. Thus we find such passages as, 'And vie in haste for pardon from your Lord, and a paradise, vast as the heavens and the earth, prepared for the God-fearing: who give alms alike in prosperity and in success and, who master their anger and forgive others: for God loveth the doers of good.³ ' Be emulous, then in good deeds. To God shall ye all return, and He will tell you concerning the subjects of your disputes.' ⁴