WHY ARE SOME PEOPLE RELUCTANT TO CHANGE

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL

All of us must understand several principles about our life in this world inshaAllah:

1. Purpose of life is to worship Him (51: 56)
2. Pleasing Allah must be the top priority
3. We are Warned by Allah to prepare to face Him (59: 18, 2: 281)
4. Our Deen has been completed and perfect – we do not need to change the Deen – but rather we change ourselves and our cuture if they are not compatible with the Deen 
5. Islam means complete submission 
6. 7 conditions of shahadah

• Knowledge
• Certainty
• Acceptance
• Submission – complete
• Truthfulness
• Sincerity
• Loving it

7. Our time in this world is temporary
8. Once death comes – game over – accountability to Allah

So, whoever we are, where ever we may live – everyone must not be careless and negligent about the Hereafter. Allah Warned us:

يا أَيُّهَا الإِنسانُ ما غَرَّكَ بِرَبِّكَ الكَريمِ

“ O man! What has made you careless concerning your Lord, the Most Generous?” 82: 5

Death is the beginning of our journey before we meet Allah. So, how are we able to withstand this journey knowing that some of our actions are NOT compatible with Islam?

WHY ARE PEOPLE UNWILLING TO CHANGE?

1. Lack of Guidance from Allah

• Allah Guides whoever He Wills
• Heart is not purified
• Not putting in effort to seek Guidance – reciting Qur’an without understanding

2. Arrogant – refused to change
3. Our own Nafs (12: 53)
4. Lack of gratefulness to Allah and His Mercy 
5. Lack of knowledge – refuse to sacrifice time to seek knowledge (e.g Ferrari Iman, women imam)
6. Shaytan
7. Lack of Taqwa
8. Culture
9. Poor companions
10. Love of the dunya (57: 20)
11. Lack of role models at home – poor examples from parents
12. Did not remember Allah much

In an article from pewresearch in America, 

“About a quarter of adults who were raised Muslim (23%) no longer identify as members of the faith, roughly on par with the share of Americans who were raised Christian and no longer identify with Christianity (22%), according to a new analysis of the 2014 Religious Landscape Study. But while the share of American Muslim adults who are converts to Islam also is about one-quarter (23%).”

But Allah did Warn us:

يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنوا مَن يَرتَدَّ مِنكُم عَن دينِهِ فَسَوفَ يَأتِي اللَّهُ بِقَومٍ يُحِبُّهُم وَيُحِبّونَهُ أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى المُؤمِنينَ أَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى الكافِرينَ يُجاهِدونَ في سَبيلِ اللَّهِ وَلا يَخافونَ لَومَةَ لائِمٍ ۚ ذٰلِكَ فَضلُ اللَّهِ يُؤتيهِ مَن يَشاءُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ واسِعٌ عَليمٌ

“O you who believe! Whoever from among you turns back from his religion (Islam), Allah will bring a people whom He will love and they will love Him; humble towards the believers, stern towards the disbelievers, fighting in the Way of Allah, and never afraid of the blame of the blamers. That is the Grace of Allah which He bestows on whom He wills. And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures’ needs, All-Knower.” 5: 54

Allah Warned us not to become like the Jews and Christians:

 أَلَم يَأنِ لِلَّذينَ آمَنوا أَن تَخشَعَ قُلوبُهُم لِذِكرِ اللَّهِ وَما نَزَلَ مِنَ الحَقِّ وَلا يَكونوا كَالَّذينَ أوتُوا الكِتابَ مِن قَبلُ فَطالَ عَلَيهِمُ الأَمَدُ فَقَسَت قُلوبُهُم ۖ وَكَثيرٌ مِنهُم فاسِقونَ

“Has not the time come for the hearts of those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah – Islamic Monotheism) to be affected by Allah’s Reminder (this Qur’an), and that which has been revealed of the truth, lest they become as those who received the Scripture [the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] before (i.e. Jews and Christians), and the term was prolonged for them and so their hearts were hardened? And many of them were Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah).” 57: 16

In fact, Allah has Elevated us to the highest state:

كُنتُم خَيرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخرِجَت لِلنّاسِ تَأمُرونَ بِالمَعروفِ وَتَنهَونَ عَنِ المُنكَرِ وَتُؤمِنونَ بِاللَّ

“You [true believers in Islamic Monotheism, and real followers of Prophet Muhammad  and his Sunnah (legal ways, etc.)] are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin Al-Ma’ruf (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam has ordained) and forbid Al-Munkar (polytheism, disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden), and you believe in Allah.” 3: 110

We have also been honoured with:

1. Having the best and most complete book – the Qur’an – to Guide us
2. Being the Ummah of the best Prophet (SallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)

Let us all make the necessary changes so that we are all able to carry with us as provisions before we face Allah in the Day of Judgment. 

May Allah Guide us continuously in the straight path especially by Guiding us to change to be ones whom He is always Pleased with, Forgive us for our shortcomings and Grant us all Jannatul Firdaus.