Page 76 - Passivity in Religion

PASSIVITY IN RELIGION

Surat al-Hajj, "Among people there is one who argues about
Allah without knowledge, and follows every rebellious Satan."
The expression employed in this verse, "follows every rebellious
Satan," should be noted; these people live among Muslims, whose
one goal in life is to win Allah's favor, mercy and to attain
Paradise; they resemble Muslims, but, although they are disposed
to obey the moral teachings of the Qur'an, they consciously
choose rebellion. Allah describes them in the Qur'an:
… 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 atten-
tion to them. (Surat al-A‘raf, 146)
For this reason, their minds are constantly consumed with the
insinuations and suggestions of Satan. Allah tells us in the Qur'an
that the promises of Satan lead people away from the His path,
and lure them into a way of life remote from the morality of reli-
gion:
He [Satan] makes promises to them and fills them with
false hopes. But what Satan promises them is nothing but
delusion. (Surat an-Nisa', 120)
So, merely due tot their attachment to certain worldly con-
cerns, they are deceived by the promises of Satan into adopting a
life ignorant of the religion, and stop practicing religious moral-
ity. Allah tells us plainly about this in the following verse:
Those who have turned back in their tracks after the guid-
ance became clear to them, it was Satan who talked them
into it and filled them with false hopes. (Surah
Muhammad, 25)
Because they are easily overtaken with apprehension, when
they hear a suggestion from those ignorant of religion, mislead-
ing them to believe it will bring them some gain in employment,

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