Another portion of humankind affirms the existence of the Creator, yet believes that this All-Wise, All-Knowing Creator did not send down any guidance to His creation as to how they should live and worship Him. Similar to this group, another portion of mankind affirms the existence of the Creator as well as the existence of books that have been sent down to mankind by way of chosen messengers. However, despite their awareness of these prophets, they have no firm belief that the Creator intended for them to live by one chosen way. Instead, both these groups of people live by the principle that there is no one particular way to God, and that it is up to each individual to choose their own way.
After denying that the Creator has chosen and legislated one way for mankind, these aforementioned groups band together and begin to formulate man-made ideologies. According to pollster David Kinnaman, it is their belief that mankind can invent a religion and way of life that is “just as accurate, just as helpful as any particular faith might provide.'”1
Because people believe in something that Kinnaman refers to as “hyper-individualism”, they believe that it is correct to “mix secular and various religious views to create their personal belief systems.” Because these people “don’t mind embracing contradictions,” they are “cutting and pasting religious views from a variety of different sources – television, movies, [and] conversations with their friends.”2
And who is more astray than one who follows his own desire without guidance from Allaah? Verily Allaah guides not a wrong doing people. [28:50]
Once people rely on the opinions of the ever-changing conjecture of human thought, they set about inventing different ideologies they feel will serve them well. This ever-changing conjecture is the source of all man-made ideologies., such as atheism, agnosticism, existentialism, humanism, liberalism, democracy, pluralism, secularism, Marxism, communism, and many others.
All of these materialist ideologies are based upon the belief that God does not exist, or that He exists, but failed to reveal a complete message to His creation. Some people believe that His revelation is only relevant for ancient times, as if the Creator did not know how things would be in this time. Others believe that we have been given the freedom to accept or reject what we want from His revelation, as if people are more knowledgeable than Him as to what benefits them. One wonders, therefore, if it is truly befitting to place such skepticism upon the One who created everyone that exists.
Is there doubt about Allaah, Creator of the heavens and the earth? [14:10]
Regarding these types of doubts, as-Sa’dee stated: “It is not befitting of Allaah’s Mercy, Wisdom and Praiseworthiness, that He leaves His servants futilely neglected, without a message, and (without) something which acquaints them with that which will order and amend their worldly and religious condition. Therefore, He sent the messengers and sent down the books, out of His Wisdom and Mercy; so that there may not be a proof for the people against Allaah after the sending of the messengers, that they may say: “No bringer of good tidings or warner ever came to us.”3
Because those who profess these man-made ideologies possess neither textual or logical evidences to back up what they believe in, they continue to search for new theories that will repeatedly prove that what they were deeming to be correct today will turn out to have been incorrect within a short period of time. Once this is understood, would it seem reasonable to favour these ever-changing theories over the clear proofs and evidences that exist in the Creator’s revelation?
Then in which speech after Allaah and His verses will they believe? [45:6]
Footnotes
1 K. Connie Kang, Most believe in heaven and think they’ll go there, Los Angeles Times, October 25, 2003.
2. Ibid.
3. Shaykh ‘Abdur-Rahman as-Sa’dee, al-Adillatul-Qawaati’ wal-Baraaheen fee Ibtaal Usool-il-Mulhideen, Daarul-Minhaaj, p.10.
Source: Sacred Freedom – Western Liberalist Ideologies in the Light of Islaam, Haneef Oliver, WestPoint Publishing, pp.91-93.
