بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

The majority of mankind follow their forefathers in matters of faith. It is very rare that people change their faith on which they were born. Most people make sure that their off-springs too follow their religion or philosophy. Al-Quran declares that majority of people in the world are not thankful or the rightly guided ones. So, if majority of the people in the world are not on the right path and a majority out of these people make sure that their off-springs follow the same path then it means that the majority of the people would lead their off-springs to a deviant path. Most people believe that by a stroke of great luck they were born in the rightly guided faith/sect and the others who follow different faiths, would be in trouble in matters of faith. When a messenger of Allah comes to the people and relate to them the signs of the Lord, these people say that this person wants them to deviate from the path their forefathers have been following.

2:170  وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ اتَّبِعُوا مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ قَالُوا بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا أَلْفَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا ۗ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ آبَاؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ

When they are told, “Follow what Allah has revealed,” they say, “We follow only what we found our parents doing.” What if their parents did not understand, and were not guided?

5:104  وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا إِلَىٰ مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ وَإِلَى الرَّسُولِ قَالُوا حَسْبُنَا مَا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا ۚ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ آبَاؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ

When they are told, “Come to what Allah has revealed, and to the messenger (rasool),” they say, “What we found our parents doing is sufficient for us.” What if their parents knew nothing, and were not guided?

31:21  وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ اتَّبِعُوا مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ قَالُوا بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا ۚ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ الشَّيْطَانُ يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَىٰ عَذَابِ السَّعِيرِ

When they are told, “Follow what Allah has revealed,” they say, “Instead, we follow what we found our parents doing.” What if the devil (Shaitan)  is leading them to the agony of hell?

People when presented with Ayas of Allah, instead of pondering over the Ayas, start doubting the personality of the Messenger. Instead of focusing on the spirit of the message in the Ayas, they attack the personality of the messenger, believing that the messenger is leading them away from what their forefathers have been following.

34:43  وَإِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُنَا بَيِّنَاتٍ قَالُوا مَا هَٰذَا إِلَّا رَجُلٌ يُرِيدُ أَن يَصُدَّكُمْ عَمَّا كَانَ يَعْبُدُ آبَاؤُكُمْ وَقَالُوا مَا هَٰذَا إِلَّا إِفْكٌ مُّفْتَرًى ۚ وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لِلْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ

When our open and clear ayaats/signs are recited to them, they say, “This is simply a man who wants to divert you from what your parents were serving.” They also say, “These are fabricated lies.”  Those who disbelieve say about the truth that came to them, “This is obviously magic.”

Why the people don’t believe in the messenger, because in their minds the messenger is an Idol or a super human/bashar. They cannot perceive the messenger as a normal ‘bashar’/human. While Allah declares that when they say that, in fact they have not valued Allah as it is rightful for Him to be valued.

6:91  وَمَا قَدَرُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ إِذْ قَالُوا مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ بَشَرٍ مِّن شَيْءٍ ۗ قُلْ مَنْ أَنزَلَ الْكِتَابَ الَّذِي جَاءَ بِهِ مُوسَىٰ نُورًا وَهُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ ۖ تَجْعَلُونَهُ قَرَاطِيسَ تُبْدُونَهَا وَتُخْفُونَ كَثِيرًا ۖ وَعُلِّمْتُم مَّا لَمْ تَعْلَمُوا أَنتُمْ وَلَا آبَاؤُكُمْ ۖ قُلِ اللَّهُ ۖ ثُمَّ ذَرْهُمْ فِي خَوْضِهِمْ يَلْعَبُونَ

They did not value Allah as He should be valued. When they said, “Allah did not reveal anything to a bashar/human.” Say, “Who then sent down the Book which Moosa brought, with light and guidance for the people?” You made it to pieces of paper, you show something while concealing a lot of it. You were taught what you never knew-you and your parents. Say, “Allah (revealed it),” then leave them in their heedless play.

People in their minds idolize the personality of the messengers as a super human/bashar and this becomes a major contributor to their rejection of messengers and the Spirit of the Book, as they wonder, how can Allah reveal anything on a normal everyday bashar/human.

53:23  إِنْ هِيَ إِلَّا أَسْمَاءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُم مَّا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَانٍ ۚ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهْوَى الْأَنفُسُ ۖ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَهُم مِّن رَّبِّهِمُ الْهُدَىٰ

They are but names you have named them, you and your fathers, Allah has sent down with it, no authority. These people follow nothing but conjecture and what their nafs/psyche desire; and surely the guidance has come to them from their Lord.

Any names which people follow or regard in high esteem, which are not found in Al-Quran, Allah declares that they are but following only list of names which they and their forefathers invented. Allah has revealed no authority for these names.

11:87  قَالُوا يَا شُعَيْبُ أَصَلَاتُكَ تَأْمُرُكَ أَن نَّتْرُكَ مَا يَعْبُدُ آبَاؤُنَا أَوْ أَن نَّفْعَلَ فِي أَمْوَالِنَا مَا نَشَاءُ ۖ إِنَّكَ لَأَنتَ الْحَلِيمُ الرَّشِيدُ

They said, “O Shoaib, does your salaat dictates upon you that we must abandon what our forefathers served, or running our businesses in any manner we choose? Surely, you are known for being clement, wise.”

Example of prophet Shoaib A.S, is cited above. Its very difficult for people to fore-go the practices of their forefathers and their businesses, when it is against the orders of Allah.

28:36  فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُم مُّوسَىٰ بِآيَاتِنَا بَيِّنَاتٍ قَالُوا مَا هَٰذَا إِلَّا سِحْرٌ مُّفْتَرًى وَمَا سَمِعْنَا بِهَٰذَا فِي آبَائِنَا الْأَوَّلِينَ

When Moosa went to them with our Ayaas, clear and profound, they said, “This is but fabricated magic. We have never heard of this from our earlier forefathers.”

Although all messengers bring the same message of Allah (42:13, 46:9, 41:43)and Al-Kitab is given to all prophets (6:83-90), even then people blame that an ordinary bashar/human wants to gain superiorty over them and these things which he tells them, they have not heard from their forefathers.

11:109  فَلَا تَكُ فِي مِرْيَةٍ مِّمَّا يَعْبُدُ هَٰؤُلَاءِ ۚ مَا يَعْبُدُونَ إِلَّا كَمَا يَعْبُدُ آبَاؤُهُم مِّن قَبْلُ ۚ وَإِنَّا لَمُوَفُّوهُمْ نَصِيبَهُمْ غَيْرَ مَنقُوصٍ

Do not have any doubt regarding what these people serve; they serve exactly as they found their forefathers serving. We will requite them their due share fully, without reduction.

In the above ayat Allah clears doubts which arise when one starts following the Quran…do not be in doubt what the people and their forefathers are serving, it is bound to be false if clear authority is not in Al-Kitab.

43:22  بَلْ قَالُوا إِنَّا وَجَدْنَا آبَاءَنَا عَلَىٰ أُمَّةٍ وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰ آثَارِهِم مُّهْتَدُونَ

The fact is that: they said, “We found our parents carrying on certain practices, and we are guided in their footsteps.”

The people think that by following their forefathers practices they are guided ones.

6:116  وَإِنْ تُطِعْ أَكْثَرَ مَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ يُضِلُّوكَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنْ يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَخْرُصُونَ

If you were to follow majority of people on earth, they will lead you away from the way of Allah. They follow nothing but conjecture. they do nothing but fabricate.

But, the majority of the people in the world follow conjectures other than following the Book of Allah.

42:45  وَتَرَاهُمْ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا خَاشِعِينَ مِنَ الذُّلِّ يَنظُرُونَ مِن طَرْفٍ خَفِيٍّ ۗ وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّ الْخَاسِرِينَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ وَأَهْلِيهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ۗ أَلَا إِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ فِي عَذَابٍ مُّقِيمٍ

And thou wilt see them brought forward to the (Penalty), in a humble frame of mind because of (their) disgrace, (and) looking with a stealyour glance. And the believers will say. “Those are indeed in loss, who have given to perdition their own selves and those belonging to them on the Day of Judgment. Behold! Truly the Wrong-doers are in a lasting Penalty!”

The wrong doers will not only be alone in their loss because of their wrong judgment, they would have caused their families and people to be in the loss too, because of their misguiding them.

2:133  أَمْ كُنتُمْ شُهَدَاءَ إِذْ حَضَرَ يَعْقُوبَ الْمَوْتُ إِذْ قَالَ لِبَنِيهِ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن بَعْدِي قَالُوا نَعْبُدُ إِلَٰهَكَ وَإِلَٰهَ آبَائِكَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ إِلَٰهًا وَاحِدًا وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ

Were you witness when death appeared before Yaqoob/Jacob? Behold, he said to his sons. “What will you serve after me?” They said. “We shall serve your God and the God of your fathers, of Abraham, Isma’il and Isaac,- the one (True) God. To Him we are muslim/submitters.”

The practice of the messenger is to enjoin on his off-springs not to follow his religion or judgment but to serve Allah and be submitters to Allah.

42:24  أَمْ يَقُولُونَ افْتَرَىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا ۖ فَإِن يَشَإِ اللَّهُ يَخْتِمْ عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ ۗ وَيَمْحُ اللَّهُ الْبَاطِلَ وَيُحِقُّ الْحَقَّ بِكَلِمَاتِهِ ۚ إِنَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ

Do they say, “He has forged a falsehood against Allah”? But if Allah willed, He could seal up your heart. And Allah removes falsehood, and confirms the Haq/Truth by His Words/Kalamat, for He knows well the secrets of hearts.

As, Allah blots out batil/falsehood and confirms the Truth by His Kalamat/Words.