Page 73 - The importance of conscience in the Qur'an

Why Don't People Follow Their Conscience in
Spite of Knowing the Truth? 71

draws them to the wrong side. When they hesitate in deciding
whether to commit a wrongful act, the self immediately cuts in
and puts forward various excuses. By listening to the self, the
person feels relieved and convinces himself that he does not
need to calculate so painstakingly: what he is doing is very
trivial; nothing will come of it; his heart is so pure that it will
not be affected and he will remain a good man, so long as he
does not do anything 'serious' like murder or theft.
This is the reason why the majority of people easily lie,
gossip, and make fun of others. Telling lies about a subject
completely conflicts with one's conscience. However, people
suppress the voice within themselves that bids righteousness,
and they convince their conscience that these are 'innocent lies'
and nothing will come of them. Despite neither performing the
rites of worship, nor following the code of good manners and
behaviour prescribed by Islam, they believe themselves to be
very good and righteous people. This approach is both
insincere and false.
Unless the person follows his conscience, it is impossible
for him to hope for a good recompense in the hereafter. With
the mentality of 'I have a pure heart' he may be recognised as a
'good man' in this world, but he may meet an unexpected
repayment in the hereafter. Islam does not only command
people not to commit murder, robbery, etc. There are many
other good acts that have to be practised and bad ones that
have to be avoided. Most important of all, Islam commands man
to be a slave only to Allah and to live for Him. In the Qur'an,
Allah defines the real 'good people':
It is not devoutness to turn your faces to the
east or to the west. Rather, those with true
devoutness are those who believe in Allah and