Page 112 - The Worst Slander: Idolatry

110 THE WORST SLANDER: IDOLATRY

that, or larger, which is not in a Clear Book. (Surah
Yunus: 61)
As it is made clear in the verse, every event in a person's
life, without exception, is recorded in a book. Fully aware of
this, believers evaluate whatever happens to them accord-
ing to that awareness, seek the beauty in every detail of
their predetermined destiny, and thus avoid the error of
regretting or being displeased or unhappy. Without excep-
tion, believers are pleased with every moment of their life.
If this is not the case, it means that one's faith is not
deep enough and that he or she has fallen into idolatry.
Although they may say that they have faith in Allah, believe
in the Hereafter, and are true Muslims, anyone who is ever
displeased is actually failing to live according to the sub-
mission commanded in the Qur'an. This failure to compre-
hend the true meaning of destiny is a sign of covert idolatry.
In other words, a person's feelings or reactions toward
events are of great importance. Given this, all people who
consider themselves to be true believers must review their
whole life, day-to-day mode of living, thoughts, feelings,
perspective on life, and, most important of all, their sub-
conscious to see if there is any weakness in their belief.
Idolatry may sometimes be very deep-rooted in a per-
son's life. For example, fear may prevent some people from
living by the faith in the very purest manner. In fact, they
might become so caught up in serious concerns over the
future that they begin to ignore Allah's commands and pro-
hibitions in order to "guarantee their future". Such a course
of action involves making "necessary" concessions. Or,