Page 60 - Commonly Disregarded Qur'anic Rulings

58 COMMONLY DISREGARDED QURANIC RULINGS

It is among the strategies of satan to hinder man from remem-
bering Allah, from seeing the countless signs and miracles of
Allah surrounding him, and from reflecting upon the purpose
of life. Thus, precious time is lost that should be spent engag-

ing in good deeds for the Hereafter.
Satan always tempts people toward worthless talk and sug-
gests the most pertinent subjects according to their social
class, level of intelligence and interests. For example, the sub-
jects that keep common people busy are sports, recipes, the
problems of child raising and so forth. Exchange rates, the
stock exchange and other subjects related to commerce and
economy occupy the minds of people involved in business.
Another section of society who call themselves intellectuals
and who want to show themselves off as cultured indulge in
prolonged dialogues, thinking that they have solved great dif-
ficulties, but which generally bring no benefit to society.
One frequently sees examples of this in open forums held
on television. Participants discuss a particular issue for hours,
only to be recognized for their knowledge and to impress
others. They ingratiate themselves with those in higher posi-
tions in order to have their viewpoints endorsed. Personal

complexes and ambitions ultimately cause one to fail when
offering solutions because one cannot view the matter objec-
tively. There are people who take such forums as an oppor-
tunity to attack religious moral values and reveal their aver-
sion to truth. Allah describes these attitudes in the Qur’an:
But there are some people who trade in distracting
tales to misguide people from Allah’s Way knowing