Page 14 - The Religion Of The Ignorant

IGNORANTISM THAT OPPOSES
THE TRUE RELIGION

sked "What is religion?" our Prophet (saas) replied, "It is the path
Ayou are on." His reply wisely summarizes the matter. Religion
(deen) encapsulates all of a person's values, ethical rules and lifestyle—
and thus, those of entire societies. For example, the word deen is em-
ployed in this sense in Surah Yusuf 76:
He started with their bags before his brother's and then pro-
duced it from his brother's bag. In that way We devised a cun-
ning scheme for Joseph. He could not have held his brother
according to the deen of the King—only because Allah had
willed it so. We raise the rank of anyone We will. Over every-
one with knowledge is a Knower. (Surah Yusuf, 76)
Various verses of the Qur'an also revealed that deniers also share
a religion: Pharaoh, for example, told his people the following about
the Prophet Moses (as):
Pharaoh said, "Let me kill Moses and let him call upon his
Lord! I am afraid that he may change your deen and bring
about corruption in the land." (Surah Ghafir, 26)
Other verses describe how pagans remained loyal to their own
false religions in the face of the Divine religion brought by the prophet:
They are surprised that a warner should come to them from
among themselves. The unbelievers say, "This is a lying ma-

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