All praise is due to Allaah, Lord of all worlds. May Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon the Messenger, his households and Companions.

Fellow Muslims! It is when calamities and afflictions become widespread and uncontrollable, and when human minds become confused about the way out of this abyss that insignificant things are given utmost attention and great things are treated contemptuously.

In the world of today, there are uncountable forms of this disease. Hence, you see someone exerting efforts in particular acts of worship day and night in order to be closer to his Lord and attain thereby high degrees in Paradise, but he does that along with actions that render his efforts in vain by associating partners with Allaah in invocation, seeking for help, slaughtering, and directing acts of worship that is the sole right of Allaah to other deities.

Some people go to fortunetellers, ask them of their fates and believe them in what they say, while other wear talismans with a false belief that these ward off harm from them and from their families. They do all this, in total disregard for Allaah’s injunction in His Book that the consequence of associating partners with Allaah is destruction of whatever deed that one may have done and lack of attaining any reward for his deeds in the Hereafter, forbiddance from entering Paradise and making Hellfire his abode. Allaah says,

“And indeed it has been revealed to you (O Muhammad) as it was to those (Allaah’s Messengers) before you : ‘If you join other in worship with Allaah, (then) surely, (all) your deeds will be in vain and you will certainly be among the losers.” (Az-Zumar 39:65)

He also says, “Surely, they have disbelieved who say: Allaah is the Messiah son of Mary. But the Messiah said: O children if Israel! Worship Allaah, my Lord and your Lord. Verily, whosoever sets up partner (in worship) with Allaah, then Allaah has forbidden Paradise to him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for the wrongdoers there are no helpers.” (Al-Maaidah 5:72)

In the Sunnah, the Messenger of Allaah clearly explained the consequences of this when he said “Whoever comes to a fortuneteller or a soothsayer and believes in what he says, such has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad.” (Ahmad)

He also said, “Whoever wears a talisman, such has associated partners with Allaah in worship.”

It is also a commendable act that some people take utmost care in learning how to recite the Qur’aan in the best possible form and yet they refuse to put its injunctions in to practice and they fail to ponder over its meanings and they refuse to be affected by its admonitions, parables and lessons.

There are also some people who go to any length to avoid their garments being stained with any impurities but yet will not desist from backbiting, gossip or false talks. There are some who give alms but yet deal in usury and will not avoid unlawful earnings. There are some who observe voluntary night prayers but delay the obligatory prayers until their times expire. There are some who fast day and night but yet harm their neighbors, deny them their rights and attack their personalities so much so that they become a huge source of distress to them. There are some who are kind to their friends and acquaintances but maltreat their parents and sever ties with their brothers and close relatives. There are some who are generous to the poor but would abandon members of their household to poverty and begging. There are others who obey Allaah in minor things and disobey Him in major things.

Brethren in faith! There is no doubt that the source of this perversion is people’s submission to customs and their abandonment of the light of the Qur’aan and Sunnah. Other factors are following lustful desires, spread of ignorance about religion and lack of sincere advisers.

Fellow Muslims! The only way out of all this is knowledge and action. As for knowledge, it makes man know the principles and fundamentals upon which the secondary issues are based. It also makes him have a balanced and orderly thinking by which he can perceive things in their ideal forms and carry out each deed in its best form. As for actions, it will occur correctly and in conforming to the injunctions of Allaah and according to the way of His Messenger, and as a result, win acceptance from Allaah. Likewise, disregarding one’s desires and endeavoring to put customs and norms under the control of the Law of Allaah cure the perversion and corruption and lead the Muslim to the upright path. Allaah says,

“But if they answer you not, then know that they only follow their own lusts without guidance for Allaah? Verily, Allaah guides not the people who are wrong-doer.” (Al-Qasas 28:50)

Brethren in Islaam! The highness of the loss incurred by one who takes care of secondary aspects of Islaam at the expense of its fundamentals –especially when these fundamentals are aspects of Tawheed –makes it obligatory on the wise to pay utmost attention to the issue as it makes it mandatory on them to warn against this phenomenon. For which loss is greater than having all one’s deeds rendered in vain or diminished in reward or multiplied in retribution? Let us fear Allaah and beware of neglecting the fundamentals of religion. Let us give everything its due estimation, so that our affairs may put in order and that we may attain the pleasure of our Lord.