Page 51 - Why Do You Deceive Yourself ?

What Lies Do People Deceive Themselves with? 49
have time," "I'm very busy," "I have work I need to finish," "I have
plans for the future," or "I'll do it later," instead of devoting themselves
to the worship which will gain a reward for them in the Hereafter.
They do not live according to the superior morality Allah teaches, they
do not pray, nor do they fast. They do not give to the needy from the
things Allah has given them and they waste their lives in the pursuit of
worldly gain.
People who deceive themselves in the belief that the excuses they
make will be accepted, and so either do not pursue their worship or

put it off, are told what they will meet with in the Hereafter in the fol-
lowing terms:
That Day man will be told what he did and failed to do. In
fact, man will be clear proof against himself in spite of any
excuses he might offer. (Surat al-Qiyama: 13-15)
So be careful. Do not deceive yourself like these people by mak-
ing excuses in this world that will be meaningless in the Hereafter. As
we are told in the above verses, whatever excuses you make, you re-
ally have an intelligence that is capable of understanding that they are
not acceptable. If you pursue the desires of the self, you will account
for this to Allah, our Lord. No work which you have to do is more ur-
gent or more important than this because your eternal salvation is pos-
sible only through Allah's mercy.

Those who claim illness and fatigue

Physical discomfort is one of the excuses people put forward for
not following the religion. For example, a person who is unwilling to
worship Allah claims to be ill when he is really perfectly healthy. He
tries to use this to deceive himself and those around him, and fails to
fulfil his responsibilities. Such a person should never forget that Allah