Page 42 - Satan's Sly Game: The False Religion of People-Worship

SATAN'S SLY GAME:
THE FALSE RELIGION OF PEOPLE-WORSHIP

Do not set up any other god together with Allah and so
sit there reviled and forsaken. (Surat al-Isra', 22)
Why do they turn to the idolatry of worshipping people?
Some of the basic reasons can be listed as follows:

They Forget Allah and
Want to Earn the Favor of Others
People who set up other idols beside Allah ignore His exis-
tence and absolute control over the universe. As a result of their
heedless attitude, they think themselves autonomous. They be-
lieve that they can do whatever they want, live the kind of lives
they desire according to their own plans; think that they have all
total free will and that no one can interfere with them. They are
rebels who accept no authority. They disregard the facts that
everything is under the eternal power of Allah and that they are
servants. They don't understand that the whole universe has a
fate that Allah has determined for it and that no creature can es-
cape its pre-ordained fate. As a result, they live their lives trying
to fulfill their desires and passions in this world and forget
about earning the favor of Allah.
In feeling irresponsible, however, they are quite wrong.
Even though they may disregard Allah's existence, He is always
with them. He sees everything they do and knows their eager-
ness to please others instead of Him. For example, He sees their
efforts to show affection towards others in order to win their af-
fection in return; and He sees the pains they take to persuade
others to like them. Allah tells in the Qur'an about the efforts of
those to please others besides Him:

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