THREE WAYS OF GOING ASTRAY

Now I want to tell you wherefrom do Kufr and heresy actually emanate. The Holy Qur'an tells us that this cursed evil raises its head through three sources:

1.     Servitude of 'Nafs'

The first source are the desires of man's own Self: "And who goes .farther astray than he who follows his lust in the place of guidance from Allah. Lo! Allah guides not such oppressors." (Al-Qur'an 28: 50)

It means that the greatest factor to misguide man is his own corporeal urges. It is quite impossible for one to become a slave of God while he submits himself to his corporal urges. Ile will constantly be looking out as to which work will fetch him money, which undertaking will bring fame and w filch pursuits will give him pleasure and gratification, and what will provide him with comfort and case. In short, he will adopt all those ways which will these objects, no matter if God forbids these activities. And he will never do anything which will not achieve these objects, though God may have ordered him to do that thing. So the God of such a person is his own Self and not the Almighty Allah. As such, how can he get the benefit of guidance. This point has been explained in the following verse at another place in the Qur’an:

"(O Prophet) Hast thou seen him It ho chooses for his god his own lust'' Would thou be guardian over him' Or deem thou that most of them hear or understand" They are but as the cattle---nay, but they are farther astray." (Al -Qur'an 25: 43 & 44)

To be a servant of lust is worse than to be a cattle is a fact which admits of no doubt. You will never find an animal ho will overstep the limits set out by God. Every animal cats whatever has been fixed by God for it. It performs only those functions which are allotted to each and every animal. Rut man is such an animal that when he becomes subservient to his lust, he commits such acts as would make Satan shudder.

2.     Blind following of forefathers

The above is the first way of being led astray. The second was' is to become servile to the customs and usages, beliefs and notions, rites and ceremonies of forefathers and regard these as superior to God's commandments. And when these commandments are cited the transgressor would insist that he will only follow what his forefather did, and will carry on the usages of his family and tribe. How can one who is suffering from this disease be a servant of God? His gods are forefathers, family and tribe what right has he to make the false claim that he is a? A severe admonition has been given in this respect also in the Qur’an:

"And when it is said unto them: Follow that which Allah has revealed, they say: We follow that wherein we found our fathers. What! Even though their fathers were wholly unintelligent and had no guidance?" (Qur'an 2: 170)

At another place it is said:

"And when it is said unto them: Come unto that which Allah has revealed and unto the messenger, they say enough for us is that wherein we found our fathers what! Even though their fathers had no knowledge whatsoever and had no guidance? O ye who believe; ye have charge of tour own souls. He who errs cannot injure you if ye are rightist guided. Unto Allah ye will all return; and then He will inform you of what ye used to do." (Al-Qur'an 5: 104 & 105)

 This evil of going astray is such that ignorant people of every age have been afflicted by it. It has always prevented them from accepting the guidance of the messengers of God. When Moses had invited people towards God’s, Shari oh then also they had said:

"Hast thou come unto us to prevent us from that (faith) in which we found our fathers" (Al-Qur'an 10: 79)

When Abraham had dissuaded his tribesmen from polytheism, they too had said:

"We found our fathers worshippers of these very gods." (Al-Qur'an 21: 53)

Thus people have put up this same plea against every prophet:"What you say in contrary to the practice of our forefathers and this is why we do not accept it ". So it is said in the Qur'an

“And even so We sent not a Warner before thee (Muhammad) into any township but its luxurious ones said. We found our fathers following a religion, and we are following the footprints (And the Warner) said:

 What! Even though I bring you better guidance than that ye found your fathers following! They answered: Lo, in what ye bring we what disbelieves. So We required them. Then see the nature of the consequence for the rejecters." (Al-Qur'an 43: 23-25)

After stating all these facts the Almighty Allah says that either follow your forefathers or carry out Our injunctions Both these things cannot co-exist. If you want to be Muslim you will have to give up all extraneous things and obey what We have commanded.

"And if it be said unto them: Follow that which Allah hath revealed, they say: Nay, but we Jo/lost that wherein we found our fathers. What! Even though the devil was inviting them unto the doom of flame? Whosever surrendereth Ito purpose to Allah while doing good, he verily hath grayed the .firm hand-hold. Unto Allah belongeth sequel of all things. And it whosoever disbelieved', let not his belief afflict thee (O Muhammad). Unto Us is their return, and We shall tell them what they did." (Al-Qur'an 31 21-23)

3.     Obedience to others than Allah

This was the second inroad of heresy. The third way, as stated in the Qur'an, is that a man, leaving aside God's commandments, starts obeying orders of others under various concepts, e.g. such and such a person is a big man, so his word will be out-and-out good, or since my livelihood depends on that person, so I should carry out his wishes, or because that person exercises great authority, so he should be obeyed, or because that person will ruin me by his curses or will take me to Paradise with him, so only what he says is correct, or because that particular nation is making great progress, so its methods should be adopted. In such a case the door of Divine guidance is closed to him

"If thou obeyedst most of those on earth they would mislead thee far from Allah's way." (Al-Qur'an 6: 117)

This means that man can be on the right path only when he has faith in one God. How can one find the correct path when he has contrived hundreds and thousands of gods and has naturally to obey sometimes this God and sometimes that God.

Now you have come to know that there are three big reasons of going astray.

First         : Servitude of Self.

Second    : Servitude to the customs of forefathers, family and tribe.

Third     : Servitude to the people in general in which are included wealthy persons, rulers of the time, bogus religious leaders, nations gone astray and all other such elements.

These are the three formidable idols who pose as deities. Whoso wants to become a Muslim, he must first break these three idols. Then alone he will become a genuine Muslim. Otherwise, whoever has stationed these three idols in his heart, it is difficult for him to become a slave of God. By offering Salah fifty times a day, by observing fasts for ostentation, and by putting on the face of a Muslim, he may deceive his fellow-beings as also his own self assuming to be a real Muslim, but he cannot deceive God.