Page 41 - Passivity in Religion

How Do They Aim to Demoralize Muslims?

These people do not reject the religion outright, despite the fact that
they do not comply with its commands as they ought to. They estab-
lish their prayers, or fast now and then, and say that they do not mean
any ill-intent, yet when it comes to observing Allah's commands, they
find nothing wrong in disregarding many of them. From time to time,
they will commit unlawful acts, and claim that Allah will forgive them
because they have good intentions. At times missing prayers, regu-
larly failing to observe morning prayers, gambling, taking interest
when one feels it is compulsory, or failing to fast on certain days al-
though they do not have a legitimate excuse, such as health problems,
are all acceptable to them. These transgressions, which stem from a
corrupt mentality, are not compatible with the Qur'anic morality.
Nevertheless, they are very confident of their thinking, and maintain
that it is habits they have inherited from their forefathers, and that
they are merely following these traditions. This thinking is related in
the Qur'an as follows:
When they are told, "Follow what Allah has sent down to you,"
They say, "We are following what we found our fathers doing."
What, even though their fathers did not understand a thing
and were not guided! (Surat al-Baqara, 170)
Their rejection of the true religion communicated by prophets, on
the basis that they are incompatible with their own customs and un-
founded beliefs, is the most deviant aspect of their thinking.
Maintaining that this is what they inherited from their forefathers,
they persist in their indecency, even claiming that it is what has Allah
revealed to them (Surat al-A‘raf, 28). They insist that it is merely the
way of their forefathers, and is just, and reject following the path they
were summoned to by the prophets (Surat al-A‘raf, 70).
Although they know, according to their own conscience, that the
religion communicated to them by the prophets is right and just, they
persist in their indecency, asserting that they "never heard anything

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