This insight is found in our new book "Before the Wall is Struck," which will be released soon, by Allah's permission.
Peace be upon you and the mercy of God and His blessings. Dear brothers, I would like to draw attention to a problem that often obscures our vision of the truth, to the extent that one of us may live for years with the truth in front of him, yet he does not see it or follow it, and remains confused in the delusions he believes to be true. When you understand what I am saying, you will also be able to answer the question that may have crossed your mind: Why does God punish people who think they are doing good?
As God Almighty said about the hypocrites: {And when it is said to them, "Do not cause corruption on the earth," they say, "We are but reformers." * Unquestionably, it is they who are the corrupters, but they do not perceive.} (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:11-12), and other verses indicating that a person may do wrong while thinking he is doing good, such as His saying: {And whoever is removed from the remembrance of the Most Merciful - We appoint for him a devil; and he is to him a companion. And indeed, they avert them from the way while they think they are guided.} (Surah Az-Zukhruf, 43:36-37), and His saying: {Then is he who was adorned with evil of his deed so that it appeared good to him?} (Surah Fussilat, 41:49).
Here is a question that puzzles many: If a person may think of himself as guided, and think his work is good, and not feel that he is corrupting, and not know that he is foolish; why then does God blame him and punish him? What is his sin?
We say, with the help of God: The beginning of decline and misguidance is in "following one's whims," so that a person does not detach himself from seeking the truth and knowing the truth. His conviction in a religion or methodology is conditioned on this religion or methodology fulfilling his whims and what he sees as his worldly interests.
In other words, the truth may be in a sphere that the person does not see as aligning with his whims and fulfilling his interests. In this case, seeking the truth in this sphere is not even up for discussion, but the truth "must" be in the sphere that aligns with his whims. The one who does this reflects the issue; for him, it is not a matter of following the evidence wherever it leads, but he determines the result that must be reached and then manipulates the evidence to align with this predetermined result.
We have seen a striking example of this in our discussion of the myth of "random evolution" followed by many Western academics and researchers. Imagine a professor of evolutionary biology whose doctoral thesis earned him his title in "how the sense of smell evolved in humans." He travels around the world to present his research findings at conferences, lectures at the university, earns a high salary, drives a luxurious car, lives in a luxurious villa that he is still paying for, living there with his wife or mistress.
Imagine if you told this person: "Your entire life is based on a myth that has nothing to do with true science. All your certificates, research, academic degrees, your fame, your travels, your status; all of it is based on an illusion that your ancestors conspired to spread, which you have drunk into your hearts and named 'the theory of evolution.'"
How would he react? In most cases, he would not accept the matter for discussion at all, nor would he accept thinking about it. Instead, he would work to block and suppress even the thought of the possibility of your words being true. He would not put the matter on the table for examination because, in his view, the truth of your words means the collapse of his life and the loss of all his privileges and desires. Accepting the truth of your words means, for him, being ostracized from the scientific community and expelled from it, and he envisions himself as homeless, begging people for a little money.
Therefore, your words "must" not be true, and the truth "must" not be what you say; because the consequences of this truth are unbearable for him, especially since he is not among those who rely on God and are prepared to sacrifice for the sake of God and the Hereafter.
You may see one of these people well-mannered in discussion, accepting the other opinion, and admitting some of his mistakes if it seems to him, which makes you think that he is a seeker of truth in general, and that he possesses these qualities in every situation. You would be surprised that such a person would be among those deserving of punishment in the Hereafter if he dies upon his current state.
And you have overlooked that these qualities are only possessed by him as long as they do not threaten the collapse of his life system or his personal interests. Such a person is enslaved to his whims and does not want the truth as long as it is outside the circle that aligns with his whims. You see these people, if the grip of whim is loosened from one of them and he thinks about himself a little, the glimmer of truth appears to him, and the path of truth appears to him calling out to his innate nature. However, he does not delay in plugging his ears and blinding his eyes.
This sealing of the ears and heart, and the veiling of the sight, is the result of his turning away from the truth. It was not an injustice from God, glorified and exalted be He, but because this person is a slave to his whims and prefers them over knowing the truth. And the more a person is blind, the more God increases his blindness and distances him from being freed from the slavery to whims. God Almighty says: {And We will turn their hearts and their eyesight, as they did not believe in it the first time, and We will leave them in their transgression, wandering blindly.} (Surah Al-An'am, 6:110). So let each of us beware of being blind to a truth he has tasted, otherwise the task will become difficult afterward.
Therefore, dear people, the beginning of the calamity is following whims: {Then is he who is upon evidence from his Lord like him who is evil in his deed, and they follow their whims?} (Surah Ar-Rum, 30:30). Notice the association of following whims with the embellishment of evil deeds.
This is what happens with the disbeliever, the hypocrite, and the misguided Muslims; one of them sees his evil deed as good, and sees himself as guided and does not feel that he is corrupting, but they say: {We are but reformers}, and he does not know that he is foolish but sees himself as wise and prudent. And he may indeed try to achieve these meanings (good deeds, guidance, reform, prudence) but in the sense that he wants for these words, and on the condition that they are in the circle that aligns with his whims and fulfills his interests. Attempting to achieve them outside this circle is not up for discussion at all.
Based on this, consider many people:
And in light of this, understand also why many scholars go astray in debates and disputes; for none of them has any concern except proving the correctness of his own speech, where the correctness of his opponent's speech, in his view, leads to the fall of his authority, the loss of his leadership, the dispersion of many of his followers from him, the loss of his distinctions, and the rise of his opponent at his expense. For him, the interest of the call and religion is in the preservation of his authority and the appearance of his dominance over his opponent in every aspect and in every dispute. Any blemish on this is a blemish on the interest of the call and religion - they claim.
Notice in all these examples that the person thought about the consequences of acknowledging the truth and found them heavy, so he worked to block thinking about the truth and its evidence, and did not follow their contemplation nor perceive the signs of guidance within them. He thought about the consequences and results before thinking about the evidence.
And if you understand all of this, you will know why Islam commands its followers to disobey desires and strive against the self, and why it commands them to lighten their attachment to the world and to be ascetic in it, and warns them against immersing themselves in it and indulging in its pleasures; for all of that is a means of being blinded from guidance and enslaved to desires, and makes it difficult to detach for the truth; because the self that is accustomed to pleasures finds it difficult to abandon them for the sake of the truth.
And if you understand what we have said, you will know why the prophets would say to their people, "And I ask not of you for this any recompense. My recompense is only with the Lord of the worlds." So do not be surprised after all of this by Allah's saying about the hypocrites, "And when it is said to them, 'Do not cause corruption on the earth,' they say, 'We are but reformers.' Unquestionably, it is they who are the corrupters, but they do not perceive," and His saying, "Then is he to whom the evil of his deed is made pleasing so that he sees it as good?"
All of them thought that they were doing good, but after they decided that goodness must be within the circle that suits their desires. Of course, in addition to what has been mentioned, there are other reasons that make a person do wrong while he thinks he is doing good, such as being indifferent to the attempt to know the truth at all. And in any case, "Indeed, it is not Allah who wrongs the people, but they who wrong themselves."
Summary of the message, dear guests: Beware of following desires, detach for the truth, and exert your effort in knowing it, and even if you oppose it in your actions, acknowledge that you are opposing the truth and that you are a sinner, but do not try to make the truth conform to your desires.
Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.