A Big Difference in Everything but Religion

Subḥān Allāh. The disease and the illness that people have is that they do not want to give up what their fathers used to worship: taqlīd, imitation. We are willing to change. Look at the people around you. Look at — take any nation on the face of the earth, an advanced nation: Japan, or the United States. Look at the difference between the United States now and the United States 100 or 200 years ago, or Japan of today and Japan of 200 years ago. Big difference. Look at the advancement in technology and science. Look at the different lifestyle. Look at the standard of living. Look at the way people think, and speak, and behave.

Professors in math, professors in physics, experts in economics, experts in engineering, experts in medicine: they learned a lot. There's a big difference between one of them today and their forefathers 100 years ago. Big difference in everything but religion. There's a big difference in everything, but religion did not change.

So this PhD in math, who's working in the most advanced lab in the world from 8 o'clock until 5, is dealing with logic and numbers. And then when he goes back home in the evening, he doesn't have a problem making sujūd to an idol, or worshipping a cow. When it comes to religion, Shayṭān is telling people: don't change; stay on the religion — the false religion — that you're doing.

Allah (swt) says: we found our fathers following a certain religion; we're going to follow them. This is the disease and illness. But Shayṭān is telling them: no problem, go and advance in everything else — that's okay. Do whatever you want; that's not going to do you anything in ākhirah. But in terms of religion, stay on the religion of the cow, and the religion of Buddha, and the religion of the cross.

So the people of Ṣāliḥ, they knew Ṣāliḥ (peace be upon him). They knew him, and they knew his qualities, and they were looking ahead at giving him the responsibilities of leading their people. But when he came with Islam, they said: now we change our mind. Wa innanā la-fī shakkin mimmā tadʿūnā ilayhi murīb: now we are in doubts of you. First, we used to have trust in you; now, when you're Muslim, we're doubting you.

And then they accused him of magic. Qālū innamā anta min al-musaḥḥarīn: they said, you are only of those bewitched. Mā anta illā basharun mithlunā fa-ʾti bi-āyatin in kunta min al-ṣādiqīn: you are but a human being like us; then bring us a sign, if you are truthful.