“You Came Running to Us!” – A Qur’anic Warning Against Blind Following
🕒 Reading Time: 3 Minutes
“When
Satan will say: ‘I only invited you—and you responded to me. So do not blame
me; blame yourselves.”— Surah Ibrahim (14:22)
Across the
Muslim world today, countless rituals are practiced in the name of
religion—many inherited, few understood. Whether in Sunni or Shia circles, Sufi
orders or reformist sects, followers often cling to traditions more than
revelation. This blind attachment—justified in the name of piety—can be
spiritually dangerous.
The Qur’an
repeatedly warns us against surrendering our reasoning and moral responsibility
to leaders, scholars, and ancestral customs.
🔥 The Day of Judgment: A Scene of
Regret
The Qur’an
presents a chilling scene from the Day of Judgment:
“They
will say, ‘Our Lord! We obeyed our leaders and elite, and they led us astray
from the path.’” — Surah Al-Ahzab (33:67)
“Their
misleaders will say: ‘We never forced you. You came running toward us!”— Echoing
Surah Qaf (50:27) & Surah Ibrahim (14:22)
The
message is clear: blind obedience will not be an excuse on that Day. Each soul
will be held accountable for its own choices, even if it followed the most
revered figures. Each one of us has to stand alone in front of God Almighty on
the Day of Judgement. That ‘final’ presentation of our life should not be compromised
at any cost.
“Each
of them shall come forth before Him alone in the Hereafter.” - Surah Maryam
(19:95)
🧬 Rituals vs. Revelation
For many,
religion becomes a matter of heritage rather than guidance. The Qur’an exposes
this mindset:
“No! We
found our forefathers following a religion, and we are simply following in
their footsteps.”— Surah Az-Zukhruf (43:22)
“Even
though their forefathers understood nothing, nor were they guided?”— Surah
Az-Zukhruf (43:24)
And again:
“When
it is said to them, ‘Follow what Allah has revealed,’ they say, ‘No, we follow
what we found our fathers upon.’”— Surah Al-Baqarah (2:170)
“Even
if their forefathers had no understanding or guidance?”— ibid.
These
verses apply not just to ancient pagans, but to us—Muslims who cling to
inherited sectarian practices without investigating whether they align with
divine guidance.
🪞
A False Sense of Security
Ritualistic
Islam can create a false confidence: we fast, we recite, we participate in
events—so we must be rightly guided. But the Qur’an warns:
“When
it is said to them, ‘Come to what Allah has revealed and to the Messenger,’
they say, ‘Sufficient for us is what we found our forefathers doing.’”— Surah
Al-Ma’idah (5:104)
This
stagnant mindset prevents revival, reform, and return to the Qur’an.
🕊 The Qur’an Calls Us Muslims —
Nothing More
Amid
divisions—Sunni, Shia, Salafi, Sufi, Barelvi, Deobandi—the Qur’an reminds us of
our true identity:
“Strive
for Allah as He deserves… He has chosen you and named you Muslims in this
Scripture and in prior revelations…”— Surah Al-Hajj (22:78)
Not Sunni.
Not Shia. Not Hanafi or Ja’fari. Just Muslims—those who submit to Allah’s word
and follow the Messenger with understanding, not imitation.
📌 Final Reflection
Let us not
be the people who will beg our religious leaders on Judgment Day, only to hear:
“We
didn’t compel you… You came running toward us!”
Let us return to the Qur’an—its light, its reason, its truth. Let us reclaim our name: Muslims.
Aamir Yazdani
MPhil
Islamic Thought & Civilization
🔖 Tags:
#Quran
#IslamicReflection #BlindFollowing #Sectarianism #Unity #MuslimIdentity
#IslamicReform #DayOfJudgment #Accountability #TrueIslam
