The Religion Of The Ignorant

Do they imagine that, in the wealth and children We extend to them, We are hastening to them with good things? No indeed, but they have no awareness! (Surat al-Muminun, 55-56)

Their true nature is described in another verse:

Do not let their wealth and children impress you. Allah merely wants to punish them by them during their life in this world and for them to expire while they are disbelievers. (Surat at-Tawba, 55)

Nobody has the right to regard themselves as so privileged. If a person obeys only Allah, abides by His commandments as much as he can, and seeks forgiveness from Allah for his sins, he may hope for happiness and salvation in the sight of Allah. It is tremendous hypocrisy for people who have knowingly turned their backs on His commandments and taken other deities for themselves to seek to portray themselves as saintly. Indeed, the Qur'an issues the following statement regarding those Jews who made a similar claim:

Say: "You Jews, if you claim to be the friends of Allah to the exclusion of all other people, then wish for death if you are telling the truth." But they will never ever wish for it because of what they have done. Allah knows the wrongdoers. (Surat al-Jumu'a, 6-7)

Religious observance, according to the conception of Islam of the members of Ignorantism, consists of words alone. They frequently refer to being of support to Muslims, living for Allah, praying five times a day and the need to read the Qur'an, but these tasks are not carried out. In any case, the limits of and to what extent one should live by the moral values of the Qur'an have been set out differently in the Religion of the Ignorant to in the Qur'an. Such expressions as: "Religion is fine, but only up to a certain point. Everything has its limits. One must not go to extremes. Too much of anything is not good," can frequently be heard from the mouths of these people.

What they mean by "too much" religion is any sacrifice to be performed in its name. These people are scrupulous with not being known for being alongside Muslims, for not recalling the names of Allah with them, not engaging in any activity for the sake of Allah and for not using their property and assets on His path—or doing so only inasmuch as it does not conflict with their interests. Those who implement only those aspects of the religion that don't conflict with their own interests are described in these terms in the Qur'an:

Among the people there is one who worships Allah right on the edge. If good befalls him, he is content with it, but if a trial befalls him, he reverts to his former ways, losing both this world and the Hereafter. That is indeed sheer loss. (Surat al-Hajj, 11)

The Islam described in the Qur'an, however, holds the approval and love of Allah above all personal interests, whose only expectation is the Hereafter, which requires serious and honest endeavor in His cause.

In Ignorantism, on the other hand, personal interests are usually held far above all kinds of belief, friendship and love. Members of the Religion of the Ignorant therefore fear to support the faithful openly. They do not openly live their beliefs for fear of losing prestige. They do not always defend what they know to be right. For them, the ideas of the society in which they live, their jobs, friends or property, are more important than Allah and His approval. The following provision is issued on this subject in the Qur'an: