6:22 On the day when we summon them all, we will ask the idol worshipers, “Where are the idols you set up?”
6:23 Their disastrous response will be, “By GOD our Lord, we never were idol worshipers.”*
*6:23 Now and forever, the idol worshipers vehemently deny that they are idolaters.
6:24 Note how they lied to themselves, and how the idols they had invented have abandoned them.
6:25 Some of them listen to you, but we place veils on their hearts to prevent them from understanding, and deafness in their ears. Thus, no matter what kind of proof they see, they cannot believe. Thus, when they come to argue with you, the disbelievers say, “These are tales from the past.”
6:26 They repel others from this (Quran), as they themselves stay away from it, and thus, they only destroy themselves without perceiving.
6:27 If only you could see them when they face the hellfire! They would say then, “Woe to us. Oh, we wish we could go back, and never reject our Lord’s revelations, and join the believers.”
6:28 As a matter of fact, (they only say this because) their secrets have been exposed. If they go back, they will commit exactly the same crimes.* They are liars.
*6:28 This is because as soon as we enter into our worldly dimension, we become totally unaware of events in the dimension of souls, where God and His angels, and Heaven and Hell, can be seen. Thus, the guilty will not change their behavior, even after seeing that eternal dimension.
6:29 They say (subconsciously), “We live only this life; we will not be resurrected.”
6:30 If you could only see them when they stand before their Lord! He would say, “Is this not the truth?” They would say, “Yes, by our Lord.” He would say, “You have incurred the retribution by your disbelief.”
6:31 Losers indeed are those who disbelieve in meeting GOD, until the Hour comes to them suddenly, then say, “We deeply regret wasting our lives in this world.” They will carry loads of their sins on their backs; what a miserable load!
Cognitive Dissonance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gN-6nBs7sbI
Conformity and the Brain – SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY Behavior Lab Conformity (Start at 7min 15 sec)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoU0Kbiw9RE
If I go to a restaurant and have a bad experience and tell you about it, you are now more likely to go to that restaurant than I am to go back. We put an excessive amount of weight on the recommendations of others rather than ourselves when it comes to new ideas and topics.
In one study if people heard negative information about a restaurant that they knew was not true it would still negatively affect the likeliness they would patron that restaurant. The opposite does not hold true with positive information.
Negative Word of Mouth (NWOM)
More recently Tybout, Calder, and Sternthal (1981) studied NWOM in a laboratory experiment. Those subjects who heard from a stooge that McDonald’s hamburgers were rumored to contain worm meat had a less favorable evaluation of eating at McDonald’s, even when they reported they did not believe the rumor.
The negativity of NWOM partially accounts for its substantial impact. Research on negative information has repeatedly demonstrated that negative information has more impact on consumers than positive information. Weinberger, Allen, and Dillon (1981a) further demonstrated that the impact of negative information persists even when it has been refuted. While several explanations for the stronger impact of negative information have been offered, they all in some way hypothesize that the rareness of unexpectedness of negative information leads to greater attention to and weighting of that information (see Mizerski 1982).
This world is our last chance to make it back to God’s kingdom
The Dead Never Come Back Until the Day of Resurrection
23:99 When death comes to one of them, he says, “My Lord, send me back.
23:100 “I will then work righteousness in everything I left.” Not true. This is a false claim that he makes. A barrier will separate his soul from this world until resurrection.
If people on the Day of Judgment can’t tell they are idol worshipers and will deny it forever, how can we tell if we are committing idol worship.
Examine Yourself
18:103 Say, “Shall I tell you who the worst losers are?
18:104 “They are the ones whose works in this life are totally astray, but they think that they are doing good.”
Most people are outraged upon hearing this question. “What do you mean, `Who is your god?’ they ask, `My god is the Creator of the heavens and the earth.’” And most of these people will be shocked to find out that their proclamation that their god is the Creator of the heavens and the earth is no more than lip service, and that they are in fact destined for Hell (12:106).
Your god is whoever or whatever occupies your mind most of the time.
Your god can be your children (7:190), your spouse (9:24), your business (18:35), or your ego (25:43). This is why we note that one of the most important and most repeated commandments in the Quran is:
“O you who believe, you shall remember God frequently; glorify Him day and night.” 33:41
To put this commandment into practice, we must establish certain habits whereby we guarantee that God occupies our minds more than anything else. The Quran helps us establish such soul saving habits:
1. The Contact Prayers (Salat): those who observe the 5 daily prayers come a long way towards commemorating God a significant proportion of their waking hours. Salat helps us remember God not only during the few minutes of prayer, but also throughout the times of anticipation. At 11:00 AM, one may look at his or her watch to see if the noon prayer is due yet. This act causes one to think about God, and one is credited accordingly (20:14).
2. Commemorate God before eating: Verse 6:121 enjoins us to mention God’s name before we eat: “You shall not eat from that upon which God’s name has not been mentioned.”
3. God Willing ( IN SHAA ALLAH): “You shall not say, `I will do this or that tomorrow,’ without saying, `God willing’ (IN SHAA ALLAH). If you forget to do this, then apologize and say, `May my Lord guide me to do better next time.'” 18:24. This is a direct commandment that we must carry out, no matter who we are talking with.
4. God’s Gift ( MAA SHAA ALLAH): To invoke God’s protection for our beloved objects – our children, our cars, our homes, etc. – we are enjoined in 18:39 to say “MAA SHAA ALLAH” (This is God’s gift).
5. Glorify God day and night: When we eat anything, we shouldn’t be like animals; we must reflect on God’s creation of the food we are eating – the flavor, our enjoyment due to the senses God has given us, the perfect packaging of the banana or the orange, the varieties of sea foods created by God, etc. – and glorify Him as we enjoy His provisions. When we see a beautiful flower, or animal, or sunsets, we must glorify God. We must seize every possible opportunity to remember and glorify God, so that God may be our God.
6. First Utterance: Make it a habit to say: “In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. There is no other god besides God,” the moment you wake up every morning. If you establish this good habit, this is what you will utter when you are resurrected.
What is idol worship?
Believing that anything independent of God can harm or benefit us.
5:76 Say, “Would you worship beside GOD powerless idols who can neither harm you, nor benefit you? GOD is Hearer, Omniscient.”
7:188 Say, “I have no power to benefit myself, or harm myself. Only what GOD wills happens to me. If I knew the future, I would have increased my wealth, and no harm would have afflicted me. I am no more than a warner, and a bearer of good news for those who believe.”
10:18 They worship beside GOD idols that possess no power to harm them or benefit them, and they say, “These are our intercessors at GOD!” Say, “Are you informing GOD of something He does not know in the heavens or the earth?” Be He glorified. He is the Most High; far above needing partners.
6:80 His people argued with him. He said, “Do you argue with me about GOD, after He has guided me? I have no fear of the idols you set up. Nothing can happen to me, unless my Lord wills it. My Lord’s knowledge encompasses all things. Would you not take heed?
6:81 “Why should I fear your idols? It is you who should be afraid, since you worship instead of GOD idols that are utterly powerless to help you. Which side is more deserving of security, if you know?”