Page 20 - Why Do You Deceive Yourself ?

18 WHY DO YOU DECEIVE YOURSELF?

I will divert from My signs all those who are arrogant in the
Earth without any right. If they see every sign, they will not
believe in it. If they see the way of right guidance, they will
not take it as a way. But if they see the way of error, they will
take that as a way. That is because they denied Our signs and
paid no attention to them. As for those who denied Our signs
and the encounter of the Hereafter, their actions will come to
nothing. Will they be repaid except for what they did? (Surat
al-A'raf: 146-147)

Those who prefer the life of this world to the Hereafter, and
bar access to the way of Allah, seeking in it something
crooked; they are greatly misguided. (Surah Ibrahim: 3)
In another verse, Allah speaks of the heedless spiritual state into
which these people plunge themselves by deceiving themselves and
closing their eyes to the truth:
Mankind's reckoning has drawn very close to them, yet they
heedlessly turn away. (Surat al-Anbiya': 1)
It is blatantly obvious that a person will be faced with the Day of
Judgment and called to account for his actions during his life in the
world. Remaining completely heedless and making no attempt to es-
cape from this heedless attitude is the greatest senselessness and the
most unscrupulous behavior. It is Allah's will that in the Hereafter this
behavior will be justly repaid. Our Prophet (saas) also reminded peo-

ple of the existence and nearness of the Hereafter in these words:
Paradise is nearer to any of you than the strap of his shoe, and so is the
[Hell] Fire. (Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Volume 1, Number 387; Imam Ibn
Kathir, The Life of This World Is Fleeting Enjoyment)
If you do not wish to cause yourself eternal remorse for which
there is no comfort, be careful. Do not deceive yourself by devoting