Saying

God says in the Quran:

"Do men think that they will be left alone on saying, We believe, and not be tried?
And certainly We tried those before them, so Allah will certainly know those who are true and He will certainly know the liars."

This verse was one of the first, if not actually the first to draw my attention to how the message of Islam approves my own feelings and common sense about the whole religion thing. I could easily say to my fellow Muslims that I am just like them, I am a Muslim and a believer, this is all I needed to put everyone at ease, especially my parents, who were sad and upset thinking that I was no longer a believer. When having a debate about religion, my fellow Muslims would easily jump to the conclusion that I had gone astray, and they still think the same sometimes when I say something that is not so "familiar" to them, although in everything I said and say, I always thought to be closer to the true message of Islam than they believe.

It is easy to "say" that we believe. But I thought that it was far better to try to name my feelings as close to what they are as possible. Instead of saying that I am a believer in God, I would say that I would be stupid to say that there is no God. I know how limited our human knowledge is, and it's silly to decide that there is no God when we didn't even leave the planet Earth. I like those who say: "we don't know", or "we are not sure." They are being honest, and I think that they are closer to God than someone who says loud: "I BELIEVE IN GOD" out of a heart that still seeks refuge in a lie, gets scared from a fellow human being, thinks that he is really in control of everything or feels deeply depressed for missing a pleasure or enduring a difficulty ("and despair not of the Spirit of Allah; surely none despairs of Allah's mercy except the unbelieving people" Joseph, verse 87).

The first step that would allow us to be accepted by God is honesty and true words. Whoever knows a little about God knows that He sees what's in our heart, and how insulting to God's knowledge is saying "We believe" while knowing we didn't exactly get there yet!

When this verse reached me, I felt assured that what God really cares about is for us to be honest with ourselves. And even after we really believe, here is what we are told in the Quran:

"O you who believe! why do you say that which you do not do?
It is most hateful to Allah that you should say that which you do not do."
Chapter 61, Verse 3

"O ye who believe! Guard your duty to Allah, and speak words straight to the point; (the right word)
That He may make your conduct whole and sound and forgive you your sins."
Chapter 33, Verses 70-71

See how "saying" the right words results in God's help "doing" the right actions?!