Friday Nasiha

Al-Naml (The Ant)
Chapter 27: Verse 4

Stumbling in Perplexity
"As for those who do not believe in the Hereafter, We have made their deeds appear attractive to them so they stumble around in perplexity."

This is the Law of Nature devised by God. Such is human psychology that when a man thinks that the results of the struggle in this life are limited to this world only, when he is not convinced that there is another Court of Law in which the whole of his life will be judged and a final verdict passed on his performance, when he is not sure that there will be another life following the present one - a life wherein he will receive the true measure of reward and punishment in consideration of his deeds - he is bound to develop a materialistic worldview. All discussion concerning the conflict between Truth and falsehood, between God's Unity and polytheism, between good and evil, and between morality and immorality appear to him as meaningless. Whatever can bring him pleasure, enjoyment, material betterment and luxuriant living, and whatever can endow him with power and authority will seem good to him, regardless of all moral and philosophical considerations. His only goal will be the pursuit of worldly advantage and this will make him wander around in every direction.

Seized with this behaviour, a man's evil deeds become attractive and charming. Making evil deeds attractive is sometimes attributed to God and sometimes to Satan. When it is attributed to God, it means, as in the above context, that whoever accepts such an attitude to life, naturally becomes infatuated with it. By contrast, when it is attributed to Satan, it means that Satan presents those people who subscribe to a materialistic worldview with an imaginary picture of a seductive heaven and continually prods him, saying: "Go ahead, you are doing well." (see for instance Surah Al-Ankabut 29: 38)

Source:
"Towards Understanding the Quran" - Abul Ala Mawdudi, Vol 7, p 137

1. The love of Praise - As mentioned in a hadeeth of the first three people being thrown into the hellfire; the scholar (who taught for fame), the martyr (who fought for fame), and the person who gave his money in charity (so people would say he is generous). All three of these people desired the pleasure of people over the pleasure of Allah. The person who desires the praise of people must feel some pride in himself, for he feels himself worthy of being praised. There is a danger, therefore, of him becoming arrogant and boastful.

2. Fear Of Criticism - No one likes to be criticised. The dislike of criticism regarding religious practices may be divided into two categories:

a) The first category is that of a person who neglects a commandment of Allah in order to avoid the criticism of his peers.
b) The second category is that of a person who obeys certain commandments of Islam, not for the sake of Allah, but because he fears people will look down on him and criticise him if he does not do it. For example, a man may make his formal prayers in the mosque because he does not want people to criticise him for praying at home, or to think that he is not praying at all.

3. Greed for people's possessions - If a person covets what other people possess, whether it is rank, money or power, then he will wish them to envy him similarly. For example, if he is jealous of a position of a certain person in society, he will try by every possible means to attain the same position. Such desires lead people to spend their lives putting on a show for other people so that they will admire their rank, money, or power.