Page 62 - The Worst Slander: Idolatry

60 THE WORST SLANDER: IDOLATRY

On the Day when those who did not believe are exposed
to the Fire [He will say]: "You dissipated the good things
you had in your worldly life and enjoyed yourself in it. So
today you are being repaid with the punishment of
humiliation for being arrogant in the land without any
right, and for being deviators." (Surat al-Ahqaf: 20)
In the Hereafter, the believers who do not obey their
worldly desires and do value Allah's commands above any-
thing will attain both His mercy and His Paradise, where
they will be able to satisfy all their desires in a legitimate
manner. Allah states this good news in the Qur'an:
Platters and cups of gold will be passed around among
them, and they will have there all that their hearts desire
and in which their eyes find delight. You will remain in it
timelessly, forever. (Surat al-Zukhruf: 71)

Those who foolishly deify themselves
Another unwise and common form of idolatry is self-
deification. One might imagine at first glance that such a
model would be quite rare. However, this is not the case.
Many people do not, perhaps, name this dangerous state in
which they live, but when evaluated in a sincere manner,
such a diagnosis proves to be quite accurate.
For example, most people believe that their successes,
superior features, intelligence, attractiveness, lineage,
wealth, property, rank, station, and many similar things are
the result of their own work. As a result, they become
proud. If they have more than one of these features, their
pride increases even further. Convinced that all of these