Page 34 - The Importance of Following the Good Word

ing that they have still many years ahead of them, they do not
listen to the reminders, and see nothing wrong in their obsti-
nacy. Furthermore, in a manner that is extremely disrespect-
ful and rebellious, they maintain, "Why does Allah not
punish us for what we say?" (Surat al-Mujadala, 8) One
would not expect such people, who are so far from any
awareness of Allah, and thought of the Hereafter, to heed the
call of believers.
These people will only come to understand the loss they
are to suffer, because of their rebellion against the good word,
at that moment when they meet their demise. Only then will
they feel the fear of Allah in their hearts, as they ought to
have. At that time, though, they will taste the severity of the
punishment of Hell as they are made to enter into it. In the
Qur'an, Allah informs us of what they will encounter in Hell:
On the Day when disbelievers are exposed to the Fire,
they will be asked, "Is this not the truth?" They will
say, "Yes, by our Lord." He will say, "Then taste the
punishment for having been disbelivers." (Surat al-
Ahkaf, 34)

They Follow Not Their Conscience,
But Their Lower-Selves

When disbelievers are summoned to the path of Allah,
one of the reasons why they do not heed this call is their in-
clination towards their lower-selves, rather than to their con-
science. When faced with a trying situation, or when one of
them needs to make an important decision, or choose be-
tween right and wrong, one hears specific inner suggestions.

32 THE IMPORTANCE OF FOLLOWING THE GOOD WORD