Page 118 - The Worst Slander: Idolatry

116 THE WORST SLANDER: IDOLATRY

or imagining that – Surely Allah is beyond that – a person or
an entity can have actual power or control is idolatry.
Pretending not to understand this fact is useless and no
more than self-deception. The subjects under discussion
here are facts upon which Muslims must reflect and do their
best to implement in their life as soon as possible. To imag-
ine that one is immune to this danger and can live as a "half-
Muslim" is not only highly irrational, but is also the cause of
a troubled life. People must evaluate their earthly desires
from the correct Islamic perspective and then identify and
correct their errors, for no one knows when he or she will
die and be called to account.
People may not suffer great harm if they postpone
resolving other matters. However, not resolving the matter
discussed above is a grave danger and error, for it is of the
utmost importance. Idolatry is the dividing line between
faith and unbelief, and covert idolatry is a most deceptive
wall that prevents people from seeing the truth, blunts their
reason and foresight, causes them to forget why they are
here, and leads them toward heedlessness with regard to
the Day of Judgment.
Once people recognize that they have fallen into idolatry,
however, it is very easy to free themselves. All they have to
do is to sincerely and properly appreciate the might of Allah,
their Creator. If they think that by practicing what we have
described will enable them to achieve something very diffi-
cult or to act heroically, they would be mistaken. In fact,
such an attitude would actually reflect their great insinceri-
ty, for Allah asks only two easy things from all believers: