OBSTACLES TO ACCEPTING
THE TRUTH
Just because something might be correct doesn’t necessarily mean that the listener will accept it as true. There are various conscious and unconscious factors that often act as obstacles for a person to accept the truth. One individual, influenced by the line of thought being discussed, told me after hearing my views: “Whatever may be right, one thing is certain—their argument is much easier to understand than yours.” But this apparent clarity does not reflect the truth of the matter itself; instead, it stems from the listener’s mental makeup.
Before the Partition, when the Muslim League was at its peak, Maulana Mawdudi outlined the Islamic movement. The common response from Muslims at that time was: “What you say does not make sense to us. What does make sense is that wherever Muslims are in the majority, they should have their own government, and then govern according to their own beliefs and schools of thought.” Clearly, this response was simply a reflection of their own mental outlook, for in reality, the alternative to the Pakistan idea held greater truth.
Similarly, when the Islamic economic system is introduced, it does not resonate with socialist minds. They say: “What makes sense to us is that sources of ownership should be taken out of private hands and managed according to the collective interest of society. What you propose seems to us purely imaginary.” But we know that it is only their own mindset speaking in this way, for in fact, the Islamic economic scheme is, in every respect, superior to and more practical than socialism.
Another reason for this situation is materialism, which causes people to become desensitized and superficial. Understanding the true nature of religion and identifying potential errors in its interpretation are delicate, nuanced discussions that require careful reflection. However, today, people are so absorbed in material possessions that they overlook the ayat (signs) of Allah. The distractions of this transient world have become their main focus and interest. They believe it is enough to fulfill their own desires, ignoring the “sustenance of goodness” coming from their Lord. This has made them desensitized and superficial, blocking the vision needed to see subtle truths. They only see what is directly in front of them, lacking the capacity to understand deeper realities. The superficial nature of our era has even become a veil that hides many truths. Once, a wise elder commented on a speech, saying, “It was brimming with faith and conviction.” Yet, I felt it was nothing more than eloquence.
When a person becomes affected by superficiality, it becomes difficult for them to feel the weight of reason. Due to their desensitization, they fail to understand non-material truths. It is a fact that only the person who has risen above the world and worldly things can attain the higher realities of Islam. One who cannot rise above them may have the voice of truth resounding right in front of their eyes, yet they will remain unable to grasp it. They lack the ears to listen and the heart to comprehend. No matter how strong the arguments are, they will not feel the need to reconsider their views. They stay in their familiar sphere, much like a person who, despite having plenty of health resources around, is afflicted by a chronic disease. They remain ill despite all the available health and strength resources. Similarly, when someone is afflicted with the disease of desensitization, all sources of light and guidance become ineffective; they cannot benefit from them even if they have them.
Another factor in this regard is idolizing personalities. Sometimes, a person becomes so deeply influenced by someone else that everything they say seems correct. Whatever they say about any issue is viewed as the ultimate truth, and they are subconsciously elevated to a standard of truth. Such a person either avoids considering others’ views altogether or, even if they do consider them, they have developed a specific taste that makes others’ words unappealing. It’s as if their taste buds have become so used to one flavor that they cannot appreciate any other. Often, this happens completely unconsciously—they believe they are honoring someone for religious reasons, but in reality, they have fallen prey to idolizing personalities, a disease more damaging to their intellect than even tuberculosis or cancer.
One educated Muslim I know is deeply influenced by a certain author. I showed him a passage from the said author’s book, which was clearly contradictory to Quranic teachings. After explaining my assessment, I asked for his thoughts on the matter. The difference was so obvious that I was sure any impartial person would agree. Yet, after reading the passage several times, his response was, “I believe this is absolutely correct; there is nothing in it that contradicts the Quran.” By God, as he spoke these words, I could see the color drain from his face. It was clear that his understanding was struggling to accept this, yet the only obstacle was his idolization of this personality, whom he could not imagine being in error. Personality worship had closed all the windows of his mind, leaving no way for the light of truth to enter.
Another issue is arrogance, or a sense of superiority. Arrogance is, in fact, a state of self-delusion. Such a person, seeing certain qualities in themselves, creates a self-made standard of superiority and inferiority, which prevents them from recognizing the true virtues in others. In their mental framework, their own existence is always elevated above others.
A person afflicted with this type of psychology can never recognize the truth. They will always focus on the person presenting the truth rather than the truth itself. Due to their particular mental conditioning, their arrogance will prevent them from accepting the words of someone they perceive as “inferior” to themselves.
A person filled with arrogance encounters the truth but is unwilling to accept it. The voice of truth shakes their inner self, leaving them intellectually defeated by its arguments. Despite this, they lack the courage to embrace it. Even when doubt troubles them, they continue to show false confidence. They respond with superficial arguments, give inconsistent answers at different times, avoid addressing the core issues, divert attention by raising irrelevant points, and misrepresent opposing views to criticize unfairly. No matter how solid the other side’s arguments are, they dismiss them as insignificant, as though it carried no weight at all, while inwardly feeling restless in the search for a solid basis to reject it with certainty. These behaviors reveal that their certainty in their own stance has wavered. Sparks of truth reach their mind, but their pride prevents them from accepting it.
Internally, they tell themselves, “I am more qualified than the one presenting this truth to me. My scholarly superiority is well-recognized. My contributions to Islam are acknowledged by many.” Such thoughts surround them like a thick fog, leaving them blind despite having eyes to see. They believe that if this were truly the case, they would be the first to uncover it. Although they are in the best position to understand the truth, they remain deprived of it. In the Quran, this is described as charging ahead as though blind and deaf. When someone is reminded through the signs of God, one appropriate response is to understand the truth clearly and respond sincerely. Another response is to ignore the core aspects of the matter and attack it from irrelevant angles, dismissing it with unrelated objections. The first approach is to see, hear, and engage with the matter as it is, while the second features reacting as if one were blind and deaf, as if the truth had never been recognized. (Quran, 25:73)
Another barrier to accepting the truth is the fear that embracing it might dismantle one’s established foundation. This world is a place where every idea has a chance to thrive, and any concept presented forcefully can find supporters and allies. Over time, as an idea persists, it develops a particular sphere, attracts resources, and spawns various enterprises linked to it, providing livelihoods for many people. Slogans emerge that allow some individuals to gain intellectual prestige and political influence. New values are introduced to the public, and by supporting and promoting these values, one can gain support from others. Many people abandon their previous pursuits and dedicate their lives to this cause.
Among them are those who, in their youth, were vibrant and capable, but now have aged and lack the energy to rebuild their lives from scratch in a new domain. They no longer have the strength to venture into a new path and redefine their lives.
In such circumstances, when the voice of truth is raised, the inherent nature that God has placed within people begins to stir within many. Sometimes, a glimmer of truth flashes before their clouded eyes. Occasionally, when they manage to clear their vision and truly see, they start to realize that indeed, this is the truth. However, very soon, the veil of material interests and worldly fears covers their vision again. The fear that a well-established life might be disrupted affects their thinking, consciously or unconsciously, in such a way that even after coming close to the truth, they turn away from it. Even after recognizing the truth, they choose to remain deprived of it simply out of fear that accepting it would cost them their worldly life.
It should be noted that this often happens unconsciously. Most people remain unaware of what they are actually doing. A person may think they are abandoning something simply because they believe it to be incorrect, whereas it is often a mere deception of their imagination. Hidden fears in their subconscious affect their thinking in such a way that they are unable to make a clear decision and remain bound to their old ways under a vague and artificial sense of certainty.
Another reason people miss out on the truth is that they avoid deep reflection, instead offering a quick “answer” to reassure themselves that their current stance is correct. A person sometimes falls into the misconception that a claim is considered true only if it has no possible answer at all. If a claim can be answered, its truth is then regarded as doubtful. This is a very serious mistake. This is a serious mistake. There is no truth in the world that cannot be countered by a string of words. However, such responses cannot be considered genuine answers—they are merely false justifications, not true responses.
If someone is unwilling to accept something, no amount of argument will ever persuade them. You can present the strongest and most convincing reasons, but with every point you make, they will always find a way to dismiss or twist it. That’s why the Quran describes jadl (argumentativeness) as a major barrier to recognizing the truth:
“We have explained in various ways in this Quran, for the benefit of mankind, all kinds of examples, but man is most contentious.” (Quran,18:54)
Certainly, many responses can be given to my observations. However, if these responses are the same ones I have heard repeatedly, I have no reply to them. In such cases, I recall words I did not say to an audience but to myself. I once had the opportunity to discuss the points I have written in this book with a respected scholar. After listening to his responses, my heart involuntarily thought, “If this is truly the response that supporters of this interpretation have to my objections, then by God, I am indeed on the right path.”
Another major reason someone might reject the truth is that they have spent their entire life believing in a particular idea, and accepting a new one would mean giving up that belief. When someone holds onto a specific belief for a long time, they become so used to it that it’s hard to imagine it could be wrong. This belief becomes something they accept as if it requires no evidence. Even if someone presents facts showing there’s no basis for their assumed belief, they’re still reluctant to abandon it. Such reasoning does not appear to him as reasoning at all, but rather as, in the words of the Quran, “a strange thing” (38:5). It was this kind of mindset that led past nations to call their prophets “sorcerers.” Having lived with certain ideas for so long, they believed in them as undeniable truths. Even when a prophet challenged these beliefs with strong reasoning, and they realized they had no real response beyond irrelevant arguments, they still refused to change and claimed, “This is a sorcerer who has deceived us with his eloquence. Otherwise, how could something believed for so long be wrong?”
To illustrate this, let me share an incident involving the famous Italian thinker Galileo. He lived between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, a time when Aristotle’s ideas dominated the intellectual landscape. Aristotle held the view that if two objects of different weights were dropped from the same height, the heavier object would reach the ground before the lighter one. This theory had become so widely accepted that no one felt the need to question it. Galileo was the first to challenge this idea, asserting instead that both objects would hit the ground simultaneously, aside from a slight difference caused by air resistance. The scholars of his time ridiculed him for daring to disagree with a great thinker like Aristotle. But Galileo was insistent and claimed he could prove his theory through experiment.
One morning, he gathered students and teachers from Pisa University at the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Climbing to the top, he took two balls, one weighing ten pounds and the other one pound. He placed both at the edge of the tower and released them at the same time. Both balls hit the ground simultaneously. His theory was proven correct. Through further experiments and studies, Galileo discovered three fundamental laws of falling objects, which are now taught in schools and universities. He clearly proved that he was right and that Aristotle was wrong. However, the scholars refused to accept the obvious reality they had seen. They continued to believe that their familiar theory was true and that the young Galileo had merely tricked them in a “web of arguments.”
It’s clear that once someone reaches a point where even direct observation can’t persuade them, no argument can change their mind. They will only see their familiar world as the real one, even if that world is just an illusion with no true foundation.
Another obstacle to accepting the truth is that a person often develops a fixed mental framework that, over time, becomes so inflexible that no change can take place within it. Only ideas that fit this framework and provide satisfaction without challenging its structure are accepted. Any concept that threatens to break this framework to make room for itself will be rejected outright without a second thought.
For example, a person deeply involved in worldly pursuits, viewing them as the highest form of success, will likely not find appeal in a transformative religious idea. However, if you tell them that a specific dhikr (remembrance) offers great reward or that praying a few extra units at a certain time can atone for a year’s sins, they might adopt such a view of religion, adding it as a sacred supplement to their life. Similarly, you see people immersed in worldly comfort and pleasures, yet, because of their traditional mindset, they also desire a reserved place in paradise. They find the idea appealing that “Islam is the way to success in both this world and the hereafter.” In contrast, they would never accept a view of religion that involves crying and yearning, teaches detachment from the world, or sees sorrow as a believer’s sustenance.
You may meet people who aren’t particularly interested in dhikr (remembrance) or prayer, and who shy away from words like piety and devotion. Yet, they would eagerly give long speeches on topics like “Islam as the best way of life” or “Islam as the solution to all problems, capable of establishing peace in the world.” Similarly, those who dwell in superficial thought, whose minds are caught up in issues stirred up by professional leaders and who are preoccupied with political unrest, will find no interest in the deep truths of religion. They might casually dismiss such matters as “Sufism,” “personal preference,” or “extremism.”
Another situation occurs when remnants of an Islamic movement in decline are regarded as the complete and final form of Islam. Such individuals cannot be swayed by any interpretation of Islam that offers a deeper and broader view of religious practice. Their focus remains on constructing mosques and madrasa (Islamic seminaries), or they may associate themselves with a khanqah (spiritual retreat) and believe they have fully met their religious duties.
This does not mean that these efforts are wrong. If someone honestly assesses their abilities and circumstances, determines they can only do so much, and dedicates themselves fully to it, then in my view, they are better than someone who shows intense restlessness to promote Islam socially or internationally but neglects to act within their own life and family—even though that’s within their reach.
There’s another point worth mentioning—something I have personally experienced. Over the past several years, I have shared the true concept of Islam as I understand it from the Quran in my writings, and it has generally been well-received. However, now that I have written the present book under the title “Tabeer Ki Ghalati (The Error of Political Islam),” the same people who once saw my words as their own voice have become deeply upset. I wondered why this reaction occurred. In my view, the only difference is that what was previously communicated in a broad, vague way is now presented with clearer detail. What was earlier described positively as coming from the Quran and Hadith is now explained in relation to a specific interpretation of Islam.
The answer is that human beings are naturally inclined toward the true faith by their very nature. Therefore, when the nourishment of the religion of Hanif (the natural, pure religion) enters a person, they naturally align with it and feel compelled to accept it. However, due to certain factors, the structure of their mind has shifted, and on a conscious level, people have started to think in ways that oppose the natural disposition given by God. As a result, the positive impression of al-deen al-hanif (God-oriented faith) remains only as long as they experience it unconsciously. The moment it is stated explicitly, their conscious mind rises in opposition, and the very thing they had previously considered completely right now begins to appear poisonous to them.
A person who believes in vegetarianism drinks water every day, and each time they do, they feel a deep inner connection, thinking it is exactly what they need. They see it as the perfect way to quench their thirst. However, if one day they saw with their own eyes that the glass of water they are about to drink contains millions of tiny living organisms, they would likely drop the glass in horror, as they would see it as something forbidden to consume. This very water, which they had always regarded as the greatest blessing, would suddenly seem frightening to them.
The reason for this change stems from the difference between their natural instinct about water and the consciously developed altered perspective. When the reality about water was hidden from this artificial view, they drank it eagerly. However, when this reality was made clear to them, their distorted perception rejected it. What was once a familiar, beloved substance now seemed repulsive—even though the only difference is that one is simply “water,” while the other is a self-observed analysis of that same water.
