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[4:146] Only those who repent, reform, hold fast to GOD, and devote their religion absolutely to GOD alone, will be counted with the believers. GOD will bless the believers with a great recompense. [4:147] What will GOD gain from punishing you, if you became appreciative and believed? GOD is Appreciative, Omniscient.
[4:175] Those who believe in GOD, and hold fast to Him, He will admit them into mercy from Him, and grace, and will guide them to Him in a straight path.
Through all our tests, our hardships, the chaos of the world, we must hold fast to God and devote our worship absolutely to God alone.
We failed this commandment before we came here as humans. We did not hold fast to God and acknowledge His absolute authority. In school, if we fail mathematics or history, then before we can graduate, we have to pass the remedial math or history class. God has given us this chance to make a passing grade.
[38:69] “I had no knowledge previously, about the feud in the High Society.*
*38:69 The feud in the High Society was triggered by Satan’s challenge to God’s absolute authority. This is definitely the most important event in the history of the human race. We failed to make a firm stand regarding God’s absolute authority. This life represents the third and final chance to redeem ourselves (See the Introduction and Appendix 7).
In context, idol worship is the only unforgivable sin. It comes in many different forms. This includes openly worshiping idols or setting up partners with God, like adding other names to the shahadah or even rejecting God all together. Or believing anything besides God can help us, that some entity possesses power independent of God, or using religious sources outside Quran.
[4:116] GOD does not forgive idol worship (if maintained until death),* and He forgives lesser offenses for whomever He wills. Anyone who idolizes any idol beside GOD has strayed far astray.
*4:116 A simple definition of idolatry: Believing that anything beside God can help you.
Quran, the Whole Quran, and Nothing But the Quran
[6:19] Say, “Whose testimony is the greatest?” Say, “GOD’s. He is the witness between me and you that this Quran* has been inspired to me, to preach it to you and whomever it reaches. Indeed, you bear witness that there are other gods* beside GOD.” Say, “I do not testify as you do; there is only one god, and I disown your idolatry.”
*6:19 This verse proclaims the Quran as the only source of religious guidance. Those who uphold additional sources, such as Hadith & Sunna (lies attributed to the Prophet), are defined as idolators.
Part of our human weakness is that instead of holding fast to God we get swayed by what other people suggest. During the great feud, we got swept with the crowd that said, “Someone has some power besides God.” The creatures around us were saying this and even though (God willing) in our hearts we may not have thought that, perhaps we felt these creatures know something we don’t. We were indecisive.
[20:115] We tested Adam in the past, but he forgot, and we found him indecisive.
*20:115 When Satan challenged God’s absolute authority (38:69), you and I did not make a firm stand against Satan. God is giving us a chance, on this earth, to redeem ourselves by denouncing Satan and upholding God’s absolute authority (Appendix 7).
You may have heard about the Asch conformity experiments that started in the 1950s. It involved matching lines. You are shown a sample line. And then you must match from 3 others which one is the same length. One is clearly shorter, one is clearly longer and only one is the same length. You are then put in a group of people, and all the others have been instructed to pick the wrong line. So, when it comes to you, do you choose the correct answer, going against the majority, or do you go along, even though you see it’s wrong? Overall, 75% of participants gave at least one incorrect answer. They were swayed by the crowd. Sometimes they fixed themselves, sometimes they started right and then got swayed.
Researchers say that as humans, we tend to want to accept what others say: https://getpocket.com/explore/item/how-scammers-like-anna-delvey-and-the-tinder-swindler-exploit-a-core-feature-of-human-nature
Despite the belief that people are skeptics by nature, primed to shout “gotcha!” at any mistake or faux pas, this simply isn’t the case. Research shows that people tend to default to trusting others over distrusting them, believing them over doubting them and going along with someone’s self-presentation rather than embarrassing them by calling them out.
This is why con-artists and swindlers win. This is why politicians are believed. As long as they sound confident, it doesn’t matter if they are spinning lies. And this is partly why God says to verify information, especially what affects our soul, before believing it.
Crucial Advice
[17:36] You shall not accept any information, unless you verify it for yourself. I have given you the hearing, the eyesight, and the brain, and you are responsible for using them. [17:37] You shall not walk proudly on earth―you cannot bore through the earth, nor can you be as tall as the mountains. [17:38] All bad behavior is condemned by your Lord.
So, think about it. We must hold fast to God, and Satan and his constituents will keep whispering or trying to sway us with lies. What do we do?
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