There is a nearly paradoxical relationship between affectionate mercy and swift justice in the Qur’an, a parallel view of God as both a nurturing creator and a powerful deliverer of retribution. In the Feast, it is written, “Be mindful of God: He is swift to take account,” a phrase that is echoed multiple times throughout the selection, conjuring an image of an omnipresent deity watching his creations with constant vigilance, a keen eye aware of any possible moral transgressions. However, in lines following, God is said to “wipe out” the sins of anyone who keeps up with prayer and almsgiving. The text points out that God forgives those who are “mindful of him,” an interesting concept that all shall be forgiven, at least on the level of the soul, if an individual attempts to ask for forgiveness and acknowledge that he stands in shame before his creator. Yet the concept of mercy only seems to apply to the soul and mind; corporally, sinners still face grave punishments at the hands of other men who act in keeping with the laws God has set forth. (“Cut off the hands of thieves…as a punishment for what they have done,” is a directive set forth in the Qur’an, though it is quickly followed by, “God is most forgiving, most merciful.” Sinners must pay a price, it seems, though ultimately, they will be forgiven on a level higher than that of bodily mutilation.) The text specifies that God has “no intention to cleanse” those who are entirely misguided with no real belief in their heart; faith is twofold in the Qur’an, an internal passion, trust, and devotion coupled with an external display of certain rites and rituals.