The concept of religion is exceedingly misunderstood in many countries today. There is an enormous difference between the religious moral values revealed by Allah in the Qur'an and those perceived by society.
The most obvious indication is the way that besides referring to people's religion, one may also speak of their world view, ideology, philosophy of life or lifestyle. According to this logic, a person may be a member of any religion—a Muslim, for example—but there is no contradiction in their also adopting a philosophy of life or world view that is outside Islam. Being Muslims is concerned with their beliefs, but there are also the facts of life.
By far the greater part of the members of the Religion of the Ignorant do not openly deny the true religion. On the contrary, they all claim to be good Muslims, but they do not much appreciate certain rules of Islam according to their unhealthy mindset, and claim these need to be changed. They accept those aspects of the religious moral values that do not run contrary to their own interests. While doing so, they still maintain that they are good Muslims. The fact is, though, that what they're doing does not represent the sincere features described in the Qur'an. In one sense, they are engaged in disbelief.
This situation is described in the Qur'an the example of those who “believe in one part of the Book and reject the other.” (Surat al-Baqara, 85)
Here we need to accurately determine why members of the Religion of the Ignorant accept Islam only partially, and why this is so characteristic of unbelievers. Someone turns to Islam and lives by it because of his or her acceptance of Allah and submission to Him. If Islam is adopted for other reasons, then that cannot be true faith. The hypocrites—a human community mentioned in the Qur'an—is the best example of this. They appear to have accepted Islam yya live the same way that Muslims live, but their aim is not to obtain Allah's approval but to put on a show for others. They calculate that by accepting Islam, they will obtain a better status and achieve certain advantages. These people are described thus in the Qur'an:
Among the people there are some who say, "We believe in Allah and the Last Day," when they are not believers. They think they deceive Allah and those who believe. They deceive no one but themselves but they are not aware of it. (Surat al-Baqara, 8-9)
The hypocrites are an example of why adopting Islam for any other reason than Allah's approval is worthless. In any case, these people do not practice all the stipulations of Islam, avoiding those observances that involve making sacrifices.
Ignorantists are in a similar position. They have accepted Islam not because they believe in Allah and seek His approval. Their reason for their accepting Islam is the logic of abiding by one's forefathers, one of the basic characteristics of the unbelievers. They regard their ancestors as guides. Their real religion is that handed down from them. They accept Islam since they regard it as a part of that tradition. In addition, they also accept many non-Islamic teachings inherited from their forefathers and accept only those aspects of Islam that do not conflict with their own interests. This shows that they do not possess sincere faith. They regard Islam as a cultural, traditional component of the nation they say they belong to.
Since they regard Islam as a tradition, they also have no fear of Allah, the very basis of Islam. The religious expressions they use are generally the same as those in the Qur'an. They refer to Allah, faith, Paradise and Hell, fasting, and the need to pray five times a day. Yet since they fail to approach these with the sensitive conscience that fear of Allah brings with it, they never listen and fulfill. In the description of believers in the Qur'an, it is revealed that they are most sensitive to remembering Allah and His verses:
The believers are those whose hearts tremble when Allah is mentioned, whose faith is increased when His signs are recited to them, and who put their trust in their Lord. (Surat al-Anfal, 2)
In contrast, members of the Religion of the Ignorant are unaffected by remembering Allah, in other words they have no awe of Him. They attest to Allah and the Hereafter only in words, and their hearts are entirely empty. They do not live by the moral values of the Qur'an. These characteristics are emphasized in various verses of the Qur'an:
Say: "To whom does the Earth belong, and everyone in it, if you have any knowledge?" They will say: "To Allah." Say: "So will you not pay heed?" Say: "Who is the Lord of the seven heavens and the Lord of the Mighty Throne?" They will say: "Allah." Say: "So will you not pay heed?" Say: "In Whose hand is the dominion over everything, He Who gives protection and from Whom no protection can be given, if you have any knowledge?" They will say: "Allah's." Say: "So how have you been bewitched?" The fact is that We have given them the truth and they are liars. (Surat al-Muminun, 84-90)
If you ask them, "Who sends down water from the sky, bringing the earth back to life again after it was dead?" they will say, "Allah." Say: "Praise be to Allah." But most of them do not use their intellect. (Surat al-'Ankabut, 63)
Adherents of Ignorantism are unaffected by the existence of Allah and are easily able to carry on living in violation of His commandments because they lack the reason with which to comprehend the meaning of what they attest to. They affirm the existence of Allah in words because belief in Allah in the tradition has come down to them from their forebears. They have certainly not thought in a conscious manner or displayed the behavior of a believer, who are described in the verse as:
those who remember Allah, standing, sitting and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the Earth: "Our Lord, You have not created this for nothing. Glory be to You! So safeguard us from the punishment of the Fire." (Surah Al 'Imran, 191)
It is revealed in the Qur'an that such people lack the means for such thought because they are devoid of reason:
Do you suppose that most of them hear or understand? They are just like cattle. Indeed they are even more astray! (Surat al-Furqan, 44)
For instance the adherents of the religion of ignorant express that they will perform their regular prayers when they grow old. However this is an utterly erroneous reasoning. Devout people perform their prayers also in their young days.
It is revealed in the Qur'an that believers perform their daily prayers in the instant and pray scrupulously five times a day, in fear of Allah.
In one of his hadiths our Prophet (saas) relates the peril of not performing the prayer or missing the due time for prayer as follows:
According to Imam Safi and Bayhaqi, our Prophet (saas) said: “Those who pass their time without performing any particular prayer are like those who have lost all their home and possessions.” (Imam Ghazali - The Discovery of Hearts)
Believers deem this act of worship as a great opportunity to earn Allah's good pleasure, to draw closer to Him, to display their submission to Him, and perform this act of worship in a state of awe. A prayer performed solely as a tradition to conform to others may not be acceptable.
The nature of the prayers of many who live by Ignorantism is different from that of the prayers of believers. It should be noted that it is important for a person to turn to Allah in every means and pray Him sincerely knowing his helplessness before Him. However, the adherents of the Religion of Ignorant pray only for their worldly interests.Instead of praying for greater fear of Allah and for the continuation of their observances and faith, they pray Him only for matters such as to remedy their difficulties, to be able to buy a better car, or to be able to marry the boy or girl they love. Whenever they land in trouble—for example, when they are seriously ill or facing a major problem—they pray to Allah, but forget Him (Surely Allah is beyond thisat!) again as soon as that problem is resolved, and again begin ascribing partners to Him. This state of mind has been revealed in the Qur'an:
Any blessing you have is from Allah. Then when harm touches you, it is to Him you cry for help. But when He removes the harm from you, a group of you associate others with their Lord, ungrateful for what We have given them. Enjoy yourselves. You will soon know! (Surat an-Nahl, 53-55)
The most obvious indication is the way that besides referring to people's religion, one may also speak of their world view, ideology, philosophy of life or lifestyle. According to this logic, a person may be a member of any religion—a Muslim, for example—but there is no contradiction in their also adopting a philosophy of life or world view that is outside Islam. Being Muslims is concerned with their beliefs, but there are also the facts of life.
By far the greater part of the members of the Religion of the Ignorant do not openly deny the true religion. On the contrary, they all claim to be good Muslims, but they do not much appreciate certain rules of Islam according to their unhealthy mindset, and claim these need to be changed. They accept those aspects of the religious moral values that do not run contrary to their own interests. While doing so, they still maintain that they are good Muslims. The fact is, though, that what they're doing does not represent the sincere features described in the Qur'an. In one sense, they are engaged in disbelief.
This situation is described in the Qur'an the example of those who “believe in one part of the Book and reject the other.” (Surat al-Baqara, 85)
Here we need to accurately determine why members of the Religion of the Ignorant accept Islam only partially, and why this is so characteristic of unbelievers. Someone turns to Islam and lives by it because of his or her acceptance of Allah and submission to Him. If Islam is adopted for other reasons, then that cannot be true faith. The hypocrites—a human community mentioned in the Qur'an—is the best example of this. They appear to have accepted Islam yya live the same way that Muslims live, but their aim is not to obtain Allah's approval but to put on a show for others. They calculate that by accepting Islam, they will obtain a better status and achieve certain advantages. These people are described thus in the Qur'an:
Among the people there are some who say, "We believe in Allah and the Last Day," when they are not believers. They think they deceive Allah and those who believe. They deceive no one but themselves but they are not aware of it. (Surat al-Baqara, 8-9)
The hypocrites are an example of why adopting Islam for any other reason than Allah's approval is worthless. In any case, these people do not practice all the stipulations of Islam, avoiding those observances that involve making sacrifices.
Ignorantists are in a similar position. They have accepted Islam not because they believe in Allah and seek His approval. Their reason for their accepting Islam is the logic of abiding by one's forefathers, one of the basic characteristics of the unbelievers. They regard their ancestors as guides. Their real religion is that handed down from them. They accept Islam since they regard it as a part of that tradition. In addition, they also accept many non-Islamic teachings inherited from their forefathers and accept only those aspects of Islam that do not conflict with their own interests. This shows that they do not possess sincere faith. They regard Islam as a cultural, traditional component of the nation they say they belong to.
Since they regard Islam as a tradition, they also have no fear of Allah, the very basis of Islam. The religious expressions they use are generally the same as those in the Qur'an. They refer to Allah, faith, Paradise and Hell, fasting, and the need to pray five times a day. Yet since they fail to approach these with the sensitive conscience that fear of Allah brings with it, they never listen and fulfill. In the description of believers in the Qur'an, it is revealed that they are most sensitive to remembering Allah and His verses:
The believers are those whose hearts tremble when Allah is mentioned, whose faith is increased when His signs are recited to them, and who put their trust in their Lord. (Surat al-Anfal, 2)
In contrast, members of the Religion of the Ignorant are unaffected by remembering Allah, in other words they have no awe of Him. They attest to Allah and the Hereafter only in words, and their hearts are entirely empty. They do not live by the moral values of the Qur'an. These characteristics are emphasized in various verses of the Qur'an:
Say: "To whom does the Earth belong, and everyone in it, if you have any knowledge?" They will say: "To Allah." Say: "So will you not pay heed?" Say: "Who is the Lord of the seven heavens and the Lord of the Mighty Throne?" They will say: "Allah." Say: "So will you not pay heed?" Say: "In Whose hand is the dominion over everything, He Who gives protection and from Whom no protection can be given, if you have any knowledge?" They will say: "Allah's." Say: "So how have you been bewitched?" The fact is that We have given them the truth and they are liars. (Surat al-Muminun, 84-90)
If you ask them, "Who sends down water from the sky, bringing the earth back to life again after it was dead?" they will say, "Allah." Say: "Praise be to Allah." But most of them do not use their intellect. (Surat al-'Ankabut, 63)
Adherents of Ignorantism are unaffected by the existence of Allah and are easily able to carry on living in violation of His commandments because they lack the reason with which to comprehend the meaning of what they attest to. They affirm the existence of Allah in words because belief in Allah in the tradition has come down to them from their forebears. They have certainly not thought in a conscious manner or displayed the behavior of a believer, who are described in the verse as:
those who remember Allah, standing, sitting and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the Earth: "Our Lord, You have not created this for nothing. Glory be to You! So safeguard us from the punishment of the Fire." (Surah Al 'Imran, 191)
It is revealed in the Qur'an that such people lack the means for such thought because they are devoid of reason:
Do you suppose that most of them hear or understand? They are just like cattle. Indeed they are even more astray! (Surat al-Furqan, 44)
For instance the adherents of the religion of ignorant express that they will perform their regular prayers when they grow old. However this is an utterly erroneous reasoning. Devout people perform their prayers also in their young days.
It is revealed in the Qur'an that believers perform their daily prayers in the instant and pray scrupulously five times a day, in fear of Allah.
In one of his hadiths our Prophet (saas) relates the peril of not performing the prayer or missing the due time for prayer as follows:
According to Imam Safi and Bayhaqi, our Prophet (saas) said: “Those who pass their time without performing any particular prayer are like those who have lost all their home and possessions.” (Imam Ghazali - The Discovery of Hearts)
Believers deem this act of worship as a great opportunity to earn Allah's good pleasure, to draw closer to Him, to display their submission to Him, and perform this act of worship in a state of awe. A prayer performed solely as a tradition to conform to others may not be acceptable.
The nature of the prayers of many who live by Ignorantism is different from that of the prayers of believers. It should be noted that it is important for a person to turn to Allah in every means and pray Him sincerely knowing his helplessness before Him. However, the adherents of the Religion of Ignorant pray only for their worldly interests.Instead of praying for greater fear of Allah and for the continuation of their observances and faith, they pray Him only for matters such as to remedy their difficulties, to be able to buy a better car, or to be able to marry the boy or girl they love. Whenever they land in trouble—for example, when they are seriously ill or facing a major problem—they pray to Allah, but forget Him (Surely Allah is beyond thisat!) again as soon as that problem is resolved, and again begin ascribing partners to Him. This state of mind has been revealed in the Qur'an:
Any blessing you have is from Allah. Then when harm touches you, it is to Him you cry for help. But when He removes the harm from you, a group of you associate others with their Lord, ungrateful for what We have given them. Enjoy yourselves. You will soon know! (Surat an-Nahl, 53-55)
For Muslims, each day is as equally beauteous and valuable as the others. Every day and every hour are important for the believer to keep Allah in mind, seek His forgiveness and be close to Him. They fulfill all their religious obligations with the same meticilousness even when they are on their own.
For members of Ignorantism, on the other hand, it is important that religious observances be carried out visibly. For that reason, they tell stories to other people about how scrupulous they are in performing their five daily prayers, even though they do not perform them at all when they are alone. Although they should perform their prayers because they fear Allah and hope for His mercy, actually they perform them to show off and seek others' approval. Allah says the following in the Qur'an about those who perform their observances for purposes of show:
So woe to those who perform prayer, and are forgetful of their prayer, those who show off. (Surat al-Ma'un, 4-6)
For members of Ignorantism, on the other hand, it is important that religious observances be carried out visibly. For that reason, they tell stories to other people about how scrupulous they are in performing their five daily prayers, even though they do not perform them at all when they are alone. Although they should perform their prayers because they fear Allah and hope for His mercy, actually they perform them to show off and seek others' approval. Allah says the following in the Qur'an about those who perform their observances for purposes of show:
So woe to those who perform prayer, and are forgetful of their prayer, those who show off. (Surat al-Ma'un, 4-6)
As we have seen, the most distinct aspect of the Religion of the Ignorant is that despite being totally at odds with the essence of Islam and the Qur'an, most of its adherents imagine themselves to be true believers. That is because Ignorantism—in contrast to the Qur'an—sets out in detail the kind of religious conception a person will have and what they will practice, the kind of belief in Allah they will possess, and what their ethical conception must be. The beliefs and observances of this superstitious religion are totally different from those of a true believer. Indeed, in many regards they are the exact opposite.
Some of the major deceptions of the Religion of the Ignorant is making people believe they are Muslim, while adopting a religion that is actually far removed from Islam. Those who adopt the rules, beliefs and ethics of Ignorantism are even unaware that this is their actual religion. Such people live by a false religion adorned and set in front of them in accordance with their passions and weaknesses by satan—but they are completely unaware of the fact.
This religion has a perspective that feels no proper fear of Allah but accepts His existence, according to its own preconditions. Allah's title of the Creator is accepted, but with a prevailing belief that He has control over His creations only under particular circumstances. (Surely Allah is beyond that!) It is Allah Who will save a person in an instant or cure them of a hopeless disease, and He will determine the moment of their death. Beyond that, however, Allah's control over and intervention in daily life, the stock exchange, technology, scientific research, trade and politics are denied. It is believed that here, it is human power, reason and intervention that apply. Allah is regarded as a deity who created only various natural phenomena, as was the case in primitive beliefs. (Surely Allah is beyond that!) According to that distorted mentality, it is Allah Who causes the wind to blow, storms to arise and earthquakes to strike. But it is infinite human knowledge that makes jet planes, spacecraft, and nuclear power stations!
According to this erroneous belief system, there are certain places where Allah observes human beings. When performing such observances as fasting or praying, one is in the sight of Allah. But it is believed that apart from that, there are times when Allah does not see or hear. (Surely Allah is beyond that!) There is therefore a superstitious idea that falsehoods, gossip and the like can be hidden from Allah. The erroneous nature of this belief is revealed in the Qur'an:
The keys of the Unseen are in His possession. No one knows them but Him. He knows everything in the land and sea. No leaf falls without His knowing it. There is no seed in the darkness of the Earth, and nothing moist or dry which is not in a Clear Book. (Surat al-An'am, 59)
[He is] the Knower of the Unseen and the Visible, the Most Great, the High-Exalted. It makes no difference whether you keep secret what you say or voice it out loud, whether you hide in the night or go out in the day. (Surat ar-Ra'd, 9-10)
Another verse describes the error of adherents of the Religion of the Ignorant thus:
Or do they imagine that We do not hear their secrets and their private talk? On the contrary Our messengers are right there with them writing it down! (Surat az-Zukhruf, 80)
Since members of Ignorantism do not fear Allah as they ought, they try to distort the concepts of religious moral values in ways appropriate to their own interests. Instead of the one described in the Qur'an, they interpret the concept of being a Muslim in a distorted way. For example, statements such as "I will perform my daily prayers in due course. I do no harm to anyone. I am not a murderer or a thief. I read, I have a good job, I am successful. Why should I go to Hell?" have no place in Islam, but can frequently be heard uttered by adherents of the Religion of the Ignorant. These people think that being a Muslim consists of not wronging anyone. They fail to understand that the foundation of the religion is unconditional obedience to Allah, and are deceiving themselves. These people think that it is sufficient to please Allah by giving small amounts of money to beggars or getting on well with their neighbors, and seek to ignore hundreds of the stipulations of the Qur'an. Sometimes they try to offer allegedly logical explanations for this insincerity. On the subject of some stipulations in the Qur'an, they try to avoid their religious observances by means of distorted logic, along the lines of "The pace of life is very fast, so I have no time for prayer," or "People nowadays are different and have to make necessary concessions regarding honesty, humility and compassion." These people, who put forward willful misinterpretations of the verses of the Qur'an are in the following position:
Say: "Do you presume to teach Allah your religion when Allah knows everything in the heavens and everything in the earth? Allah has knowledge of all things." (Surat al-Hujurat, 16)
Neither do members of Ignorantism possess a true belief in the Hereafter. As with many provisions of the religion, they accept the Hereafter in words, but do not truly believe in it. They regard the Hereafter as a myth they heard from their forefathers, and as a remote possibility. (Surely Allah is beyond that!) Nonetheless, they still hope that according to their ill mind "if there is a Hereafter," then Allah will forgive them and send them to Paradise. In the Qur'an, however, the final end awaiting such people is described thus:
Man never tires of praying for the good and if evil touches him, he despairs and loses hope. But if We let him taste mercy from Us after he has suffered hardship, then he says, "This is my due. I do not think that the Hour is going to come. And if I am returned to my Lord, I will definitely find the best reward with Him." But We will inform those who disbelieve of what they did and make them suffer a ruthless punishment. (Surah Fussilat, 49-50)
The unbelievers will not be saved from Hell unless Allah wills otherwise. The Qur'an makes the following reference on this subject:
That is because they say, "The Fire will only touch us for a number of days." Their inventions have deluded them in their religion. But how will it be when We gather them all together for a Day about which there is no doubt? Every self will be paid in full for what it earned. They will not be wronged. (Surah Al 'Imran, 24-25)
Another verse refers to this superstitious belief in these terms:
They say, "The Fire will only touch us for a number of days." Say, "Have you made a contract with Allah—then Allah will not break His contract—or are you rather saying about Allah what you do not know?" (Surat al-Baqara, 80)
Yet the position is not like they imagine. In the very next verse, the situation in the Hereafter is reported as follows:
No indeed! Those who accumulate bad actions and are surrounded by their mistakes, such people are the Companions of the Fire, remaining in it timelessly, for ever. (Surat al-Baqara, 81)
The reason why adherents of Ignorantism and all unbelievers in general are able to behave so easily and unconcernedly on the subject of the torments of Hell and regard themselves as definitely bound for Paradise stems from the fact that their belief in Allah and the Hereafter is weak. Believers, on the other hand, are very sensitive on this subject and never regard themselves as inevitably destined for Paradise. On the contrary, they constantly pray to Allah to forgive their sins and for their hearts to remain true. Examples of this are such prayers as"Our Lord, do not make our hearts swerve aside after You have guided us..." (Surah Al 'Imran, 8)
The Prophet Yusuf (as) also prayed in the words,
"... take me as a Muslim at my death and join me to the people who are righteous." (Surah Yusuf, 101)
In short, believers definitely do not regard themselves as perfect, flawless human beings destined for Paradise. On the contrary, they try to do all they can to remedy their deficiencies, correct their mistakes and mature in faith. For that reason, as is revealed in many verses of the Qur'an, they pay the greatest attention to warnings issued to them. Since members of the Religion of the Ignorant are very fond of themselves and regard themselves as flawless, they never listen to any advice. When called to the book of Allah, they turn away and gloss over the subject by maintaining that they are in any case exemplary Muslims. They close all conversations by saying, "Alhamdulillah, I am a Muslim, too." The situation of such people is revealed thus in one verse:
Who could do greater wrong than someone who is reminded of the signs of his Lord and then turns away from them, forgetting all that he has done before? We have placed covers on their hearts, preventing them from understanding it, and heaviness in their ears. Though you call them to guidance, they will nonetheless never be guided. (Surat al-Kahf, 57)
They even make statements intended to exonerate themselves, along the lines of "I come from a very religious family," or "My grandfather was an esteemed scholar on the subject of religion whose opinions were sought, a hadji, an imam." Or else they bring up a good deed they once performed, such as a large amount of money they gave to a poor person, and hint at how devout they are. Such people are referred to in these terms in the Qur'an:
Do you not see those who claim to be purified? No, Allah purifies whoever He wills. They will not be wronged by so much as the smallest speck. Look how they invent lies against Allah. That suffices as an outright felony. (Surat an-Nisa', 49-50)
Adherents of Ignorantism produce various religious observances of their own, according to their own lights, and imagine that by performing these they will go to Paradise. One can often hear the statement, "Work is a religious observance" from the lips of such people. Starting from that logic, they then say that their own professions are religious observances. According to this logic, since they serve the religion by means of their jobs, there is no need to abide by the provisions of the Qur'an. The person saying this may be a civil servant, a barber, a doctor, a tradesman or a tailor. They all imagine that they help people through their jobs, and that this is the greatest form of religious observance. Yet this is a great error.
These people have chosen the job that will bring them the most money, the best lifestyle and the most fame, but then they claim that they give the religion their service through that job. Religious observance means serving Allah. Helping others is a religious observance only if done for the sake of Allah's approval. A person cannot fail to abide by the moral values of the Qur'an and then say, "I helped such-and-such a person. That is a religious observance." If they wish to perform a religious observance—in other words to serve Allah—then they must try to fulfill all the provisions He set.
Some verses in Surat at-Tawba explain this in the finest manner. These verses refer to the custom of the polytheists in Mecca of giving water to those people coming to repair the Kaaba or coming to it on pilgrimage. It is revealed that this action by the polytheists is not regarded as a religious observance, despite being a positive deed. That is because, as already stated, religious observance means serving Allah. Yet the polytheists performed that action not for the approval of Allah, but for show, and as a requirement of tradition and custom:
It is not for the idolaters to maintain the mosques of Allah, bearing witness against themselves of their disbelief. They are the ones whose actions will come to nothing. They will be in the Fire timelessly, for ever. (Surat at-Tawba, 17)
Do you make the giving of water to the pilgrims and looking after the Sacred Mosque [Masjid al-Haram] the same as believing in Allah and the Last Day and striving in the way of Allah? They are not equal in the sight of Allah. Allah does not guide wrongdoing people. (Surat at-Tawba, 19)
Adherents of the Religion of Ignorant interpret the concepts of Islam in distorted ways. These people in question are convinced of the correctness of the path they follow and deceive themselves by saying that Allah will be pleased with them. In seeking to justify themselves with such thoughts, they are unaware that they may fall within the provisions of the following verse:
Do they imagine that, in the wealth and children We extend to them, We are hastening to them with good things? No indeed, but they have no awareness! (Surat al-Muminun, 55-56)
Their true nature is described in another verse:
Do not let their wealth and children impress you. Allah merely wants to punish them by them during their life in this world and for them to expire while they are disbelievers. (Surat at-Tawba, 55)
Nobody has the right to regard themselves as so privileged. If a person obeys only Allah, abides by His commandments as much as he can, and seeks forgiveness from Allah for his sins, he may hope for happiness and salvation in the sight of Allah. It is tremendous hypocrisy for people who have knowingly turned their backs on His commandments and taken other deities for themselves to seek to portray themselves as devout. Indeed, the Qur'an issues the following statement regarding those Jews who made a similar claim:
Say: "You Jews, if you claim to be the friends of Allah to the exclusion of all other people, then wish for death if you are telling the truth." But they will never ever wish for it because of what they have done. Allah knows the wrongdoers. (Surat al-Jumu'a, 6-7)
Religious observance, according to the conception of Islam of the members of Ignorantism, consists of words alone. They frequently refer to being of support to Muslims, wearing headscarf, living for Allah, praying five times a day and the need to read the Qur'an, but these tasks are not carried out. However, these are all the sort of acts of worship that need to be fulfilled with great precision. For instance, in one of his hadiths our Prophet (saas) states the importance of the worship of praying as follows:
“Prayer's situation in the religion is like the situation of head in a body.” [Tabarani, al-Mujam al-Saghir, 1/61]
In any case, the limits of and to what extent one should live by the moral values of the Qur'an have been set out differently in the Religion of the Ignorant to in the Qur'an. Such expressions as: "Religion is fine, but only up to a certain point. Everything has its limits. One must not go to extremes. Too much of anything is not good," can frequently be heard from the mouths of these people.
What they mean by "too much" religion is any sacrifice to be performed in its name. These people are scrupulous with not being known for being alongside Muslims, for not recalling the names of Allah with them, not engaging in any activity for the sake of Allah and for not using their property and assets on His path—or doing so only inasmuch as it does not conflict with their interests. Those who implement only those aspects of the religious moral values that don't conflict with their own interests are described in these terms in the Qur'an:
Among the people there is one who worships Allah right on the edge. If good befalls him, he is content with it, but if a trial befalls him, he reverts to his former ways, losing both this world and the Hereafter. That is indeed sheer loss. (Surat al-Hajj, 11)
The Islam described in the Qur'an, however, holds the approval and love of Allah above all personal interests, whose only expectation is the Hereafter, which requires serious and honest endeavor in His cause.
In Ignorantism, on the other hand, personal interests are usually held far above all kinds of belief, friendship and love. Members of the Religion of the Ignorant therefore fear to support the faithful openly. They do not openly live their beliefs for fear of losing prestige. They do not defend what they know to be right. For them, the ideas of the society in which they live, their jobs, friends or property, are more important than Allah and His approval. The following provision is issued on this subject in the Qur'an:
Say: "If your fathers or your sons or your brothers or your wives or your tribe, or any wealth you have acquired, or any business you fear may slump, or any house which pleases you, are dearer to you than Allah and His messenger and striving in His way, then wait until Allah brings about His command. Allah does not guide people who are deviators." (Surat at-Tawba, 24)
The verse lists a number of basic value judgments elevated by Ignorantism and describes how esteeming these above the value judgments of Islam is a feature of a society that has rebelled against Allah. The erroneous conception of love in such societies is one such value judgment. In the Religion of the Ignorant love of society and human beings generally comes before love of Allah. The approval of others is regarded more highly than that of Allah. This is described in the Qur'an as shirk, in other words adopting deities other than Allah:
Some people set up equals to Allah, loving them as they should love Allah. But those who believe have greater love for Allah... (Surat al-Baqara, 165)
However, these people imagine that this consists solely of worshipping idols made of wood or plaster, and so regard themselves as being very distant from such behavior and never accept the word as applying to themselves. When told that the system they are a part of ascribes partners to Allah, they are indignant. Nevertheless, no matter how much those who ascribe partners to Allah seek to exonerate themselves, Allah's stipulation is irrefutable. The situation of the idolaters is revealed as follows in the Qur'an:
Allah does not forgive anything being associated with Him but He forgives whoever He wills for anything other than that. Anyone who associates something with Allah has gone very far astray. (Surat an-Nisa', 116)
The book of Ignorantism is the collection of rules consisting of the culture inherited from their forebears and the conditions prevailing at that time. For that reason, the Qur'an is not regarded as a guide. Their place for the Qur'an is wrapped up in a decorative cloth, placed as high up as possible. Nobody can touch it. This is a most important phenomenon, however, which means the Qur'an being kept as far removed as possible from people's lives by a cunning and devilish ruse. Allah elucidates this situation with the words of His messenger, who will complain of such people on the Day of Judgment:
The messenger says, "My Lord, my people treat this Qur'an as something to be ignored." (Surat al-Furqan, 30)
Afterwards, people live by the standards imposed by other false lords, such as principles of society, family traditions, the way they are brought up, second-hand religious knowledge, the words of their elders and the legacy of their ancestors. Yet Allah addresses those who adopt a system incompatible with the Qur'an and who nevertheless still imagine themselves to be Muslims thus:
What is the matter with you? On what basis do you judge? Or do you have a Book which you study, so that you may have anything in it you choose? Or do you have oaths which bind Us, extending to the Day of Resurrection, that you will have whatever you decide? (Surat al-Qalam, 36-39)
Instead of the religion chosen by Allah, members of the Religion of the Ignorant have adopted their own desires and passions, the culture inherited from their society which they take as their guide, and have thus turned away from the true path. They have thus exchanged the true religion, the most perfect and sole hope of salvation, sent down as a mercy from Allah, for the sake of a few and short-lived worldly benefits. The poor nature of this bargain is revealed in the Qur'an:
Those are the people who trade the Hereafter for this world. The punishment will not be lightened for them. They will not be helped. (Surat al-Baqara, 86)
Those are the people who have sold guidance for misguidance. Their trade has brought no profit; they are not guided. (Surat al-Baqara, 16)
Some of the major deceptions of the Religion of the Ignorant is making people believe they are Muslim, while adopting a religion that is actually far removed from Islam. Those who adopt the rules, beliefs and ethics of Ignorantism are even unaware that this is their actual religion. Such people live by a false religion adorned and set in front of them in accordance with their passions and weaknesses by satan—but they are completely unaware of the fact.
This religion has a perspective that feels no proper fear of Allah but accepts His existence, according to its own preconditions. Allah's title of the Creator is accepted, but with a prevailing belief that He has control over His creations only under particular circumstances. (Surely Allah is beyond that!) It is Allah Who will save a person in an instant or cure them of a hopeless disease, and He will determine the moment of their death. Beyond that, however, Allah's control over and intervention in daily life, the stock exchange, technology, scientific research, trade and politics are denied. It is believed that here, it is human power, reason and intervention that apply. Allah is regarded as a deity who created only various natural phenomena, as was the case in primitive beliefs. (Surely Allah is beyond that!) According to that distorted mentality, it is Allah Who causes the wind to blow, storms to arise and earthquakes to strike. But it is infinite human knowledge that makes jet planes, spacecraft, and nuclear power stations!
According to this erroneous belief system, there are certain places where Allah observes human beings. When performing such observances as fasting or praying, one is in the sight of Allah. But it is believed that apart from that, there are times when Allah does not see or hear. (Surely Allah is beyond that!) There is therefore a superstitious idea that falsehoods, gossip and the like can be hidden from Allah. The erroneous nature of this belief is revealed in the Qur'an:
The keys of the Unseen are in His possession. No one knows them but Him. He knows everything in the land and sea. No leaf falls without His knowing it. There is no seed in the darkness of the Earth, and nothing moist or dry which is not in a Clear Book. (Surat al-An'am, 59)
[He is] the Knower of the Unseen and the Visible, the Most Great, the High-Exalted. It makes no difference whether you keep secret what you say or voice it out loud, whether you hide in the night or go out in the day. (Surat ar-Ra'd, 9-10)
Another verse describes the error of adherents of the Religion of the Ignorant thus:
Or do they imagine that We do not hear their secrets and their private talk? On the contrary Our messengers are right there with them writing it down! (Surat az-Zukhruf, 80)
Since members of Ignorantism do not fear Allah as they ought, they try to distort the concepts of religious moral values in ways appropriate to their own interests. Instead of the one described in the Qur'an, they interpret the concept of being a Muslim in a distorted way. For example, statements such as "I will perform my daily prayers in due course. I do no harm to anyone. I am not a murderer or a thief. I read, I have a good job, I am successful. Why should I go to Hell?" have no place in Islam, but can frequently be heard uttered by adherents of the Religion of the Ignorant. These people think that being a Muslim consists of not wronging anyone. They fail to understand that the foundation of the religion is unconditional obedience to Allah, and are deceiving themselves. These people think that it is sufficient to please Allah by giving small amounts of money to beggars or getting on well with their neighbors, and seek to ignore hundreds of the stipulations of the Qur'an. Sometimes they try to offer allegedly logical explanations for this insincerity. On the subject of some stipulations in the Qur'an, they try to avoid their religious observances by means of distorted logic, along the lines of "The pace of life is very fast, so I have no time for prayer," or "People nowadays are different and have to make necessary concessions regarding honesty, humility and compassion." These people, who put forward willful misinterpretations of the verses of the Qur'an are in the following position:
Say: "Do you presume to teach Allah your religion when Allah knows everything in the heavens and everything in the earth? Allah has knowledge of all things." (Surat al-Hujurat, 16)
Neither do members of Ignorantism possess a true belief in the Hereafter. As with many provisions of the religion, they accept the Hereafter in words, but do not truly believe in it. They regard the Hereafter as a myth they heard from their forefathers, and as a remote possibility. (Surely Allah is beyond that!) Nonetheless, they still hope that according to their ill mind "if there is a Hereafter," then Allah will forgive them and send them to Paradise. In the Qur'an, however, the final end awaiting such people is described thus:
Man never tires of praying for the good and if evil touches him, he despairs and loses hope. But if We let him taste mercy from Us after he has suffered hardship, then he says, "This is my due. I do not think that the Hour is going to come. And if I am returned to my Lord, I will definitely find the best reward with Him." But We will inform those who disbelieve of what they did and make them suffer a ruthless punishment. (Surah Fussilat, 49-50)
The unbelievers will not be saved from Hell unless Allah wills otherwise. The Qur'an makes the following reference on this subject:
That is because they say, "The Fire will only touch us for a number of days." Their inventions have deluded them in their religion. But how will it be when We gather them all together for a Day about which there is no doubt? Every self will be paid in full for what it earned. They will not be wronged. (Surah Al 'Imran, 24-25)
Another verse refers to this superstitious belief in these terms:
They say, "The Fire will only touch us for a number of days." Say, "Have you made a contract with Allah—then Allah will not break His contract—or are you rather saying about Allah what you do not know?" (Surat al-Baqara, 80)
Yet the position is not like they imagine. In the very next verse, the situation in the Hereafter is reported as follows:
No indeed! Those who accumulate bad actions and are surrounded by their mistakes, such people are the Companions of the Fire, remaining in it timelessly, for ever. (Surat al-Baqara, 81)
The reason why adherents of Ignorantism and all unbelievers in general are able to behave so easily and unconcernedly on the subject of the torments of Hell and regard themselves as definitely bound for Paradise stems from the fact that their belief in Allah and the Hereafter is weak. Believers, on the other hand, are very sensitive on this subject and never regard themselves as inevitably destined for Paradise. On the contrary, they constantly pray to Allah to forgive their sins and for their hearts to remain true. Examples of this are such prayers as"Our Lord, do not make our hearts swerve aside after You have guided us..." (Surah Al 'Imran, 8)
The Prophet Yusuf (as) also prayed in the words,
"... take me as a Muslim at my death and join me to the people who are righteous." (Surah Yusuf, 101)
In short, believers definitely do not regard themselves as perfect, flawless human beings destined for Paradise. On the contrary, they try to do all they can to remedy their deficiencies, correct their mistakes and mature in faith. For that reason, as is revealed in many verses of the Qur'an, they pay the greatest attention to warnings issued to them. Since members of the Religion of the Ignorant are very fond of themselves and regard themselves as flawless, they never listen to any advice. When called to the book of Allah, they turn away and gloss over the subject by maintaining that they are in any case exemplary Muslims. They close all conversations by saying, "Alhamdulillah, I am a Muslim, too." The situation of such people is revealed thus in one verse:
Who could do greater wrong than someone who is reminded of the signs of his Lord and then turns away from them, forgetting all that he has done before? We have placed covers on their hearts, preventing them from understanding it, and heaviness in their ears. Though you call them to guidance, they will nonetheless never be guided. (Surat al-Kahf, 57)
They even make statements intended to exonerate themselves, along the lines of "I come from a very religious family," or "My grandfather was an esteemed scholar on the subject of religion whose opinions were sought, a hadji, an imam." Or else they bring up a good deed they once performed, such as a large amount of money they gave to a poor person, and hint at how devout they are. Such people are referred to in these terms in the Qur'an:
Do you not see those who claim to be purified? No, Allah purifies whoever He wills. They will not be wronged by so much as the smallest speck. Look how they invent lies against Allah. That suffices as an outright felony. (Surat an-Nisa', 49-50)
Adherents of Ignorantism produce various religious observances of their own, according to their own lights, and imagine that by performing these they will go to Paradise. One can often hear the statement, "Work is a religious observance" from the lips of such people. Starting from that logic, they then say that their own professions are religious observances. According to this logic, since they serve the religion by means of their jobs, there is no need to abide by the provisions of the Qur'an. The person saying this may be a civil servant, a barber, a doctor, a tradesman or a tailor. They all imagine that they help people through their jobs, and that this is the greatest form of religious observance. Yet this is a great error.
These people have chosen the job that will bring them the most money, the best lifestyle and the most fame, but then they claim that they give the religion their service through that job. Religious observance means serving Allah. Helping others is a religious observance only if done for the sake of Allah's approval. A person cannot fail to abide by the moral values of the Qur'an and then say, "I helped such-and-such a person. That is a religious observance." If they wish to perform a religious observance—in other words to serve Allah—then they must try to fulfill all the provisions He set.
Some verses in Surat at-Tawba explain this in the finest manner. These verses refer to the custom of the polytheists in Mecca of giving water to those people coming to repair the Kaaba or coming to it on pilgrimage. It is revealed that this action by the polytheists is not regarded as a religious observance, despite being a positive deed. That is because, as already stated, religious observance means serving Allah. Yet the polytheists performed that action not for the approval of Allah, but for show, and as a requirement of tradition and custom:
It is not for the idolaters to maintain the mosques of Allah, bearing witness against themselves of their disbelief. They are the ones whose actions will come to nothing. They will be in the Fire timelessly, for ever. (Surat at-Tawba, 17)
Do you make the giving of water to the pilgrims and looking after the Sacred Mosque [Masjid al-Haram] the same as believing in Allah and the Last Day and striving in the way of Allah? They are not equal in the sight of Allah. Allah does not guide wrongdoing people. (Surat at-Tawba, 19)
Adherents of the Religion of Ignorant interpret the concepts of Islam in distorted ways. These people in question are convinced of the correctness of the path they follow and deceive themselves by saying that Allah will be pleased with them. In seeking to justify themselves with such thoughts, they are unaware that they may fall within the provisions of the following verse:
Do they imagine that, in the wealth and children We extend to them, We are hastening to them with good things? No indeed, but they have no awareness! (Surat al-Muminun, 55-56)
Their true nature is described in another verse:
Do not let their wealth and children impress you. Allah merely wants to punish them by them during their life in this world and for them to expire while they are disbelievers. (Surat at-Tawba, 55)
Nobody has the right to regard themselves as so privileged. If a person obeys only Allah, abides by His commandments as much as he can, and seeks forgiveness from Allah for his sins, he may hope for happiness and salvation in the sight of Allah. It is tremendous hypocrisy for people who have knowingly turned their backs on His commandments and taken other deities for themselves to seek to portray themselves as devout. Indeed, the Qur'an issues the following statement regarding those Jews who made a similar claim:
Say: "You Jews, if you claim to be the friends of Allah to the exclusion of all other people, then wish for death if you are telling the truth." But they will never ever wish for it because of what they have done. Allah knows the wrongdoers. (Surat al-Jumu'a, 6-7)
Religious observance, according to the conception of Islam of the members of Ignorantism, consists of words alone. They frequently refer to being of support to Muslims, wearing headscarf, living for Allah, praying five times a day and the need to read the Qur'an, but these tasks are not carried out. However, these are all the sort of acts of worship that need to be fulfilled with great precision. For instance, in one of his hadiths our Prophet (saas) states the importance of the worship of praying as follows:
“Prayer's situation in the religion is like the situation of head in a body.” [Tabarani, al-Mujam al-Saghir, 1/61]
In any case, the limits of and to what extent one should live by the moral values of the Qur'an have been set out differently in the Religion of the Ignorant to in the Qur'an. Such expressions as: "Religion is fine, but only up to a certain point. Everything has its limits. One must not go to extremes. Too much of anything is not good," can frequently be heard from the mouths of these people.
What they mean by "too much" religion is any sacrifice to be performed in its name. These people are scrupulous with not being known for being alongside Muslims, for not recalling the names of Allah with them, not engaging in any activity for the sake of Allah and for not using their property and assets on His path—or doing so only inasmuch as it does not conflict with their interests. Those who implement only those aspects of the religious moral values that don't conflict with their own interests are described in these terms in the Qur'an:
Among the people there is one who worships Allah right on the edge. If good befalls him, he is content with it, but if a trial befalls him, he reverts to his former ways, losing both this world and the Hereafter. That is indeed sheer loss. (Surat al-Hajj, 11)
The Islam described in the Qur'an, however, holds the approval and love of Allah above all personal interests, whose only expectation is the Hereafter, which requires serious and honest endeavor in His cause.
In Ignorantism, on the other hand, personal interests are usually held far above all kinds of belief, friendship and love. Members of the Religion of the Ignorant therefore fear to support the faithful openly. They do not openly live their beliefs for fear of losing prestige. They do not defend what they know to be right. For them, the ideas of the society in which they live, their jobs, friends or property, are more important than Allah and His approval. The following provision is issued on this subject in the Qur'an:
Say: "If your fathers or your sons or your brothers or your wives or your tribe, or any wealth you have acquired, or any business you fear may slump, or any house which pleases you, are dearer to you than Allah and His messenger and striving in His way, then wait until Allah brings about His command. Allah does not guide people who are deviators." (Surat at-Tawba, 24)
The verse lists a number of basic value judgments elevated by Ignorantism and describes how esteeming these above the value judgments of Islam is a feature of a society that has rebelled against Allah. The erroneous conception of love in such societies is one such value judgment. In the Religion of the Ignorant love of society and human beings generally comes before love of Allah. The approval of others is regarded more highly than that of Allah. This is described in the Qur'an as shirk, in other words adopting deities other than Allah:
Some people set up equals to Allah, loving them as they should love Allah. But those who believe have greater love for Allah... (Surat al-Baqara, 165)
However, these people imagine that this consists solely of worshipping idols made of wood or plaster, and so regard themselves as being very distant from such behavior and never accept the word as applying to themselves. When told that the system they are a part of ascribes partners to Allah, they are indignant. Nevertheless, no matter how much those who ascribe partners to Allah seek to exonerate themselves, Allah's stipulation is irrefutable. The situation of the idolaters is revealed as follows in the Qur'an:
Allah does not forgive anything being associated with Him but He forgives whoever He wills for anything other than that. Anyone who associates something with Allah has gone very far astray. (Surat an-Nisa', 116)
The book of Ignorantism is the collection of rules consisting of the culture inherited from their forebears and the conditions prevailing at that time. For that reason, the Qur'an is not regarded as a guide. Their place for the Qur'an is wrapped up in a decorative cloth, placed as high up as possible. Nobody can touch it. This is a most important phenomenon, however, which means the Qur'an being kept as far removed as possible from people's lives by a cunning and devilish ruse. Allah elucidates this situation with the words of His messenger, who will complain of such people on the Day of Judgment:
The messenger says, "My Lord, my people treat this Qur'an as something to be ignored." (Surat al-Furqan, 30)
Afterwards, people live by the standards imposed by other false lords, such as principles of society, family traditions, the way they are brought up, second-hand religious knowledge, the words of their elders and the legacy of their ancestors. Yet Allah addresses those who adopt a system incompatible with the Qur'an and who nevertheless still imagine themselves to be Muslims thus:
What is the matter with you? On what basis do you judge? Or do you have a Book which you study, so that you may have anything in it you choose? Or do you have oaths which bind Us, extending to the Day of Resurrection, that you will have whatever you decide? (Surat al-Qalam, 36-39)
Instead of the religion chosen by Allah, members of the Religion of the Ignorant have adopted their own desires and passions, the culture inherited from their society which they take as their guide, and have thus turned away from the true path. They have thus exchanged the true religion, the most perfect and sole hope of salvation, sent down as a mercy from Allah, for the sake of a few and short-lived worldly benefits. The poor nature of this bargain is revealed in the Qur'an:
Those are the people who trade the Hereafter for this world. The punishment will not be lightened for them. They will not be helped. (Surat al-Baqara, 86)
Those are the people who have sold guidance for misguidance. Their trade has brought no profit; they are not guided. (Surat al-Baqara, 16)
Distancing Oneself from False Religion
The fundamental quality of someone who enters the religion of Allah (Islam) is that they adopt Allah as their only Lord. Since they have adopted Him as their Lord, they cannot accept any other entity as a guide. They will regulate their entire lives in the manner revealed by Allah, in other words by His book, the Qur'an which " . . . contains guidance for those who guard against evil" (Surat al-Baqara, 2). That being the case, there can be no question of them adopting any other ethical system.
Someone who has faith, therefore, cannot be bound to a moral system that is the exact opposite of that of the Qur'an. One cannot be both a Muslim and also follow non-religious traditions inherited from one's forebears. One cannot produce one's own philosophy of life. A believer is solely a Muslim, and can bear no other name. Allah gives him or her that name. The Qur'an reveals the following on this subject:
Strive for Allah with the striving due to Him. He has selected you and not placed any constraint upon you in the religion—the religion of your forefather Ibrahim. He named you Muslims before and also in this, so that the messenger could be witness against you and you could be witnesses against all mankind. So perform prayer and give the alms and hold fast to Allah. He is your Protector—the Best Protector, the Best Helper. (Surat al-Hajj, 78)
Various Surahs in the Qur'an refer to believers who have totally divorced themselves from the false religion of the society of which they are a part and who have unreservedly turned to the religion of Allah. One such are the Companions of the Cave, who were faced with death because they refused to accept the superstitious religion of their society and who sheltered in a cave for safety. The situation of the Companions of the Cave is described in these terms in the Qur'an:
Do you consider that the Companions of the Cave and Ar-Raqim were one of the most remarkable of Our signs? (Surat al-Kahf, 9)
We will relate their story to you with truth. They were young men who believed in their Lord and We increased them in guidance. We fortified their hearts when they stood up and said, "Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the Earth and We will not call on any god apart from Him. We would in that case have uttered an abomination. These people of ours have taken gods apart from Him. Why do they not produce a clear authority concerning them? Who could do greater wrong than someone who invents a lie against Allah? When you have separated yourselves from them and everything they worship except Allah, take refuge in the cave and your Lord will unfold His mercy to you and open the way to the best for you in your situation." (Surat al-Kahf, 13-16)
As can be seen from these verses, a believer who surrenders to Allah must fully distance himself and turn away from adherents of false religion. This does not inevitably mean a physical separation. (The Companions of the Cave entered the cave physically because of the attack from their opponents.) Believers must distance themselves from members of the false religion, primarily in mental terms.
The Prophet Yusuf (as) is an instance of this. At a time when he had been thrown into a dungeon because of a slander made against him in Egypt he mentally distanced himself from the unbelievers. This is how he spoke to those who asked him questions in the dungeon:
"... I have left the religion of a people who clearly have no faith in Allah and who refuse to acknowledge the truth of the world to come. I hold fast to the creed of my forebears Ibrahim and Ishaq and Ya'qub. We don't associate anything with Allah. And that is how Allah has favored us and all mankind, but most do not give thanks. My fellow-prisoners, are many lords better, or Allah, the only One, the Conqueror? What you serve apart from Him are only names which you and your forefathers have made up. There is no mandate for them from Allah. Allah alone is qualified to judge. His order is to worship none but Him. That is in truth the straight and upright religion, but most of mankind simply do not know." (Surah Yusuf, 37-40)
In another verse, the example is cited of how the Prophet Ibrahim (as) and those around him distanced themselves from the community that adhered to false religion:
You have an excellent example in Ibrahim and those with him, when they said to their people, "We wash our hands of you and all that you worship apart from Allah, and we reject you. Between us and you there will be enmity and hatred for ever unless and until you believe in Allah alone..." (Surat al-Mumtahana, 4)
Surat al-Kafirun is another expression of the gulf between believers and adherents of false religion:
Say: "Unbelievers! I do not worship what you worship and you do not worship what I worship. Nor will I worship what you worship nor will you worship what I worship. You have your religion and I have my religion." (Surat al-Kafirun, 1-6)
The believer must construct the gulf separating him from members of false religion with the greatest scrupulousness. Not a single aspect of the religion of the unbelievers, no value judgments, ethical rules, models of behavior, or forms of dialogue must be adopted and practiced by believers. The believer is charged with exhibiting the behavior described in the Qur'an, not that in false religion. The gait and even tone of voice most befitting the nobility, moral values and belief of the faithful is described in the Qur'an. Allah proclaims in verses:
Do not avert your face from people out of haughtiness and do not strut about arrogantly on the earth. Allah does not love anyone who is vain or boastful. Be moderate in your tread and lower your voice. The most hateful of voices is the donkey's bray. (Surah Luqman, 18-19)
False religions vary greatly among themselves, and very few, like Marxism, openly state that they deny Allah. On the other hand, according to what we learn from the Qur'an, a great many members of false religions say that they believe in and obey Allah. Yet theirs is an insincere claim and has nothing to do with the truth. The lives they lead and the ethical concepts they adopt are totally incompatible with that claim. An example is given in the Qur'an of such claims made by adherents of false religions:
Indeed is the sincere religion not Allah's alone? People who take protectors besides Him [say], "We only worship them so that they may bring us nearer to Allah." Allah will judge between them regarding the things about which they differed. Allah does not guide anyone who is an ungrateful liar. (Surat az-Zumar, 3)
Other verses reveal that when asked, members of false religions state that they believe in the existence and might of Allah. But they are unable to fully comprehend this truth, which they accept solely in the form of words, and do not actually fear Him:
Say: "Who provides for you out of heaven and Earth? Who controls hearing and sight? Who brings forth the living from the dead and the dead from the living? Who directs the whole affair?" They will say, "Allah." Say, "So will you not guard against evil?" That is Allah, your Lord, the Truth, and what is there after truth except misguidance? So how have you been distracted? In that way the Word of your Lord is realized against those who are deviators, in that they do not believe. (Surah Yunus, 31-33)
If you ask them, "Who created the heavens and the Earth and made the sun and moon subservient?" they will say, "Allah." So how have they been perverted? (Surat al-'Ankabut, 61)
One therefore needs to be careful when identifying false religions. Adherents of these religions may accept only those parts of the Qur'an that they believe to suit their own interests. And this is, according to Allah's stipulations, believing in one part of the Qur'an while denying another is still denial:
…Do you, then, believe in one part of the Book and reject the other? What repayment will there be for any of you who do that except disgrace in this world? And on the Day of Resurrection, they will be returned to the harshest of punishments. Allah is not unaware of what you do. (Surat al-Baqara, 85)
In another verse Allah addresses believers thus:
…Today those who disbelieve have despaired of overcoming your religion. So do not be afraid of them but be afraid of Me. Today I have perfected your religion for you and completed My blessing upon you and I am pleased with Islam as a religion for you... (Surat al-Ma'ida, 3)
Allah has chosen Islam for us as our religion. That is the only true path, and every other path, every religion, is false. We all have a duty to learn from Allah's religion how to think, how to behave, how to speak and how to live.
It is the duty of every Muslim, therefore, to evaluate everything according to the verses of the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (saas), and to behave accordingly.
Someone who has faith, therefore, cannot be bound to a moral system that is the exact opposite of that of the Qur'an. One cannot be both a Muslim and also follow non-religious traditions inherited from one's forebears. One cannot produce one's own philosophy of life. A believer is solely a Muslim, and can bear no other name. Allah gives him or her that name. The Qur'an reveals the following on this subject:
Strive for Allah with the striving due to Him. He has selected you and not placed any constraint upon you in the religion—the religion of your forefather Ibrahim. He named you Muslims before and also in this, so that the messenger could be witness against you and you could be witnesses against all mankind. So perform prayer and give the alms and hold fast to Allah. He is your Protector—the Best Protector, the Best Helper. (Surat al-Hajj, 78)
Various Surahs in the Qur'an refer to believers who have totally divorced themselves from the false religion of the society of which they are a part and who have unreservedly turned to the religion of Allah. One such are the Companions of the Cave, who were faced with death because they refused to accept the superstitious religion of their society and who sheltered in a cave for safety. The situation of the Companions of the Cave is described in these terms in the Qur'an:
Do you consider that the Companions of the Cave and Ar-Raqim were one of the most remarkable of Our signs? (Surat al-Kahf, 9)
We will relate their story to you with truth. They were young men who believed in their Lord and We increased them in guidance. We fortified their hearts when they stood up and said, "Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the Earth and We will not call on any god apart from Him. We would in that case have uttered an abomination. These people of ours have taken gods apart from Him. Why do they not produce a clear authority concerning them? Who could do greater wrong than someone who invents a lie against Allah? When you have separated yourselves from them and everything they worship except Allah, take refuge in the cave and your Lord will unfold His mercy to you and open the way to the best for you in your situation." (Surat al-Kahf, 13-16)
As can be seen from these verses, a believer who surrenders to Allah must fully distance himself and turn away from adherents of false religion. This does not inevitably mean a physical separation. (The Companions of the Cave entered the cave physically because of the attack from their opponents.) Believers must distance themselves from members of the false religion, primarily in mental terms.
The Prophet Yusuf (as) is an instance of this. At a time when he had been thrown into a dungeon because of a slander made against him in Egypt he mentally distanced himself from the unbelievers. This is how he spoke to those who asked him questions in the dungeon:
"... I have left the religion of a people who clearly have no faith in Allah and who refuse to acknowledge the truth of the world to come. I hold fast to the creed of my forebears Ibrahim and Ishaq and Ya'qub. We don't associate anything with Allah. And that is how Allah has favored us and all mankind, but most do not give thanks. My fellow-prisoners, are many lords better, or Allah, the only One, the Conqueror? What you serve apart from Him are only names which you and your forefathers have made up. There is no mandate for them from Allah. Allah alone is qualified to judge. His order is to worship none but Him. That is in truth the straight and upright religion, but most of mankind simply do not know." (Surah Yusuf, 37-40)
In another verse, the example is cited of how the Prophet Ibrahim (as) and those around him distanced themselves from the community that adhered to false religion:
You have an excellent example in Ibrahim and those with him, when they said to their people, "We wash our hands of you and all that you worship apart from Allah, and we reject you. Between us and you there will be enmity and hatred for ever unless and until you believe in Allah alone..." (Surat al-Mumtahana, 4)
Surat al-Kafirun is another expression of the gulf between believers and adherents of false religion:
Say: "Unbelievers! I do not worship what you worship and you do not worship what I worship. Nor will I worship what you worship nor will you worship what I worship. You have your religion and I have my religion." (Surat al-Kafirun, 1-6)
The believer must construct the gulf separating him from members of false religion with the greatest scrupulousness. Not a single aspect of the religion of the unbelievers, no value judgments, ethical rules, models of behavior, or forms of dialogue must be adopted and practiced by believers. The believer is charged with exhibiting the behavior described in the Qur'an, not that in false religion. The gait and even tone of voice most befitting the nobility, moral values and belief of the faithful is described in the Qur'an. Allah proclaims in verses:
Do not avert your face from people out of haughtiness and do not strut about arrogantly on the earth. Allah does not love anyone who is vain or boastful. Be moderate in your tread and lower your voice. The most hateful of voices is the donkey's bray. (Surah Luqman, 18-19)
False religions vary greatly among themselves, and very few, like Marxism, openly state that they deny Allah. On the other hand, according to what we learn from the Qur'an, a great many members of false religions say that they believe in and obey Allah. Yet theirs is an insincere claim and has nothing to do with the truth. The lives they lead and the ethical concepts they adopt are totally incompatible with that claim. An example is given in the Qur'an of such claims made by adherents of false religions:
Indeed is the sincere religion not Allah's alone? People who take protectors besides Him [say], "We only worship them so that they may bring us nearer to Allah." Allah will judge between them regarding the things about which they differed. Allah does not guide anyone who is an ungrateful liar. (Surat az-Zumar, 3)
Other verses reveal that when asked, members of false religions state that they believe in the existence and might of Allah. But they are unable to fully comprehend this truth, which they accept solely in the form of words, and do not actually fear Him:
Say: "Who provides for you out of heaven and Earth? Who controls hearing and sight? Who brings forth the living from the dead and the dead from the living? Who directs the whole affair?" They will say, "Allah." Say, "So will you not guard against evil?" That is Allah, your Lord, the Truth, and what is there after truth except misguidance? So how have you been distracted? In that way the Word of your Lord is realized against those who are deviators, in that they do not believe. (Surah Yunus, 31-33)
If you ask them, "Who created the heavens and the Earth and made the sun and moon subservient?" they will say, "Allah." So how have they been perverted? (Surat al-'Ankabut, 61)
One therefore needs to be careful when identifying false religions. Adherents of these religions may accept only those parts of the Qur'an that they believe to suit their own interests. And this is, according to Allah's stipulations, believing in one part of the Qur'an while denying another is still denial:
…Do you, then, believe in one part of the Book and reject the other? What repayment will there be for any of you who do that except disgrace in this world? And on the Day of Resurrection, they will be returned to the harshest of punishments. Allah is not unaware of what you do. (Surat al-Baqara, 85)
In another verse Allah addresses believers thus:
…Today those who disbelieve have despaired of overcoming your religion. So do not be afraid of them but be afraid of Me. Today I have perfected your religion for you and completed My blessing upon you and I am pleased with Islam as a religion for you... (Surat al-Ma'ida, 3)
Allah has chosen Islam for us as our religion. That is the only true path, and every other path, every religion, is false. We all have a duty to learn from Allah's religion how to think, how to behave, how to speak and how to live.
It is the duty of every Muslim, therefore, to evaluate everything according to the verses of the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (saas), and to behave accordingly.
