Page 156 - The Religion Of The Ignorant

THE RELIGION OF THE IGNORANT

They even make statements intended to exonerate themselves,
along the lines of "I come from a very religious family," or "My
grandfather was an esteemed scholar on the subject of religion
whose opinions were sought, a hadji, an imam." Or else they bring
up a good deed they once performed, such as a large amount of
money they gave to a poor person, and hint at how devout they are.
Such people are referred to in these terms in the Qur'an:
Do you not see those who claim to be purified? No, Allah
purifies whoever He wills. They will not be wronged by so
much as the smallest speck. Look how they invent lies
against Allah. That suffices as an outright felony. (Surat
an-Nisa', 49-50)
Adherents of Ignorantism produce various religious obser-
vances of their own, according to their own lights, and imagine that
by performing these they will go to Paradise. One can often hear the
statement, "Work is a religious observance" from the lips of such
people. Working is a good thing, and every believer works by dis-
playing a pure and good morality. However, using work as an ex-
cuse for not obeying Allah's commands is surely insincere behavior.
Starting from that logic, members of the Religion of Ignorance then
say that their own professions are religious observances. According
to this distorted logic, since they "serve" by means of their jobs, there
is no need to abide by the provisions of the Qur'an. The person say-
ing this may be a civil servant, a barber, a doctor, a tradesman or a
tailor. They all imagine that they help people through their jobs, and
that this is the greatest form of religious observance. Being of assis-
tance to people is no doubt a good attribute but it is insufficient by
itself. Moreover, this is a great error.
These people have chosen the job that will bring them the most
money, the best lifestyle and the most fame, but then they claim they

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