CHAPTER 17

THE FATE OF THOSE WHO TURNETH AWAY FROM THE REVELATLONS OF ALLAH The Holy Quran says: "And who doth greater wrong than he who is reminded of the revelation of his Lord, then turneth from them, Lo ! We shall requite the guilty. (32 : 22) Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Pride is, rejecting the truth and dispising men." It is reported on the authority of 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud (Allah be pleased with him) who said: "It is a major sin that one says to the other to fear from Allah and the other in turn says: Take care of yourself." Narrated Abu Waqid Laithi (Allah be pleased with him): While Apostle (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was sitting in the mosque with some people, three men came. Two of them came in front of Allah's Apostle (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the third one went away. The two persons kept on standing before Allah's Apostle (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) for a while and then one of them found a place in the circle and set there while the other sat behind the gathering, and the third one went away. When Allah's Apostle (peace end blessings of Allah be upon him) finished his preaching, he said, "Shell I tell you about these three persons? One of them be-took himself to Allah, so Allah took him into His grace and mercy and accommodated him, the second felt shy from Allah, so Allah sheltered him in His mercy (and did not punish him), while the third turned his face from Allah and went sway, so Allah turned His face from him likewise. (al-Bukhari) Qatada (Allah be pleased with him) while interpreting the following Verse : "And of mankind is he who payeth for mere pastime of discourse, that he may mislead from Allah's way without knowledge." (31 :6) says: It is just possible that he did not spend anything in this bargain. It is enough for a person to go astray that he would give preference to falsehood over the truth.