Why Do Disbelievers Flee the Quran?

What that is so of you here.

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Quran and right these are all descriptions of the Quran. Now, one of these descriptions is that the Quran is a it is a reminder. It reminds them does it remind the person of everything that is relevant to the human being's existence? It reminds you of who you are. Reminds you of where you came from. Reminds us of where we are going. It reminds us of who we belong to. It reminds us of what we are headed to. It reminds us of what we are supposed to be doing. And so Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala asks rhetorically about those disbelievers why what is it that repels them so harshly from the remembrance the reminder. He says subhanahua for General.

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Neverch.

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Mecca wasallam.

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Foreign.

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Huh?

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Establish.

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Men.

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Notice here how They are repulsed by the Quran. It's not just that they hear it and they say, ", this is this is this is not true." Imagine imagine how many how many hacks you have heard in your life. How many crazies have you heard in your life? people that claim to be prophets, people that claim to be messengers, people that claim to be gods, people that claim to be all kinds of things, right? And you've heard them before, you've seen them. Do you really sit and think about them deeply? Or is it as soon as they're gone, they are out of sight, out of mind? Immediately. As soon as you turn the TV off or change the channel or as soon as you, you know, get your fill of them in a day or two, they're gone. They're gone from your mind. They don't affect your life. That's different than the Quran. The Quran is unavoidable. The Quran is intrusive. The Quran when you hear it, it changes you and they can't get it out of their mind. So how are they repulsed by the Quran? Allah gives us imagery here. He says, "So what is wrong with them? What is the matter with them? They are so repulsed by the remembrance of Allah, by the Quran, as if they are wild asses or zebras. We call them zebras if they're in Africa. They are called wild asses if they are in Syria and the Sahara desert desert and northern Africa. They don't have stripes, but they're the same. Look, these are wild donkeys, right? When we say the word donkey in English, usually it means domesticated. They're gray in color. You ride them. Those are haram to eat. That is a different thing. What Allah is mentioning here are the wild asses that are called zebras. if they have stripes, if they don't, they're referred to linguistically in the dictionary as wild asses. They are homor. And have you ever seen on these nature documentaries how these wild asses and zebras how they get startled when a when a lion comes to take them down? You see how they kick up dust and they run all over the place and all they care about is getting away. That imagery that every one of us has seen. Allah says, "So why are they so repulsed from the remembrance as if they are wild asses that have been startled startled by a lion chasing them?" startled by a lion in chase or startled by a hunter because the word in the Arabic language it means lion or it means hunter both meanings are correct. So if you imagine that lion when it comes out to you know to get the the the wild zebra or what have it its prey how they kick up dust and they start to scream and yell that is how they are acting when the prophet sallallahu alaii wasallam walks by that's how they act when they hear the words Why is that? Because that means that they know in their hearts that this is the truth from Allah. Otherwise, it wouldn't be such a big deal. How many hacks, how many village idiots exist in the world? We don't worry ourselves with them. We see them, we laugh at them, we might bring them up once or twice, but then we ignore them. I mean, shucks, even if he's our own president, even if he's our own , you know, governor or senator and he acts a we think, ", this guy's a hack." And we just forget about him. We don't get obsessed with him. When do we get obsessed? We get obsessed when we think or know that this has real serious consequences in our lives. And that is how it is for the prophet sallall.aii wasallam. They are running and fleeing from him as if they are startled wild asses that have been that are being chased by a lion out to split spill and shed their blood. Why is that? Why are they behaving in this way? Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, What is their response when the remembrance of the Quran comes to them? They say we should Why isn't it that each of us is given a book? I tell you what, if each of us is given a book, then we'll believe. Why is it that the book is only given to Muhammad? Why isn't it that every single one of us is given a book? If every one of us is given a book, well then believe. Wouldn't that be better? Isn't Allah able to send down a book upon everyone? So Allah says they request and they say the only thing stopping them from believing is that each of them has not been given his own open book. He's not being spoonfed every single thing. Notice how the book isn't just given a book. No, not only is it not enough that the book is given to each of them, but it needs to be opened for us and it needs to be spoonfed to us and we as if they are the the masters and the messengers and prophets, they are the slaves. This is an incredible amount of entitlement. But is that really why they are not believing? Is that really what's stopping them? They say, "If we were given a book, if we were given an open book, we would believe." Is that really what's stopping them? Allah says in the subsequent verse,.

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Subhanah. He says rather it is that they do not fear the hereafter. That is really the root of the problem. This statement of Allah You know what they say that that money is the root of all evil. That's not the root of all evil. The root of all evil is not fearing the hereafter. That is the root of all evil. He says this is at the end of how many crimes did Allah mention of them in this chapter? the people of the hellfire they said we were not we didn't pray. We didn't give to those who were poor.

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All of these things, all of these crimes, all of these misdeeds, all of these illnesses and ailments. What is the root cause? It's because they do not fear the hereafter. If a person doesn't fear standing in front of Allah, if a person doesn't fear being judged, all evil will come and follow that belief. When a person, even if a person believes in the hereafter, but he's not afraid of the hereafter, notice the wording. It's not just believing in the hereafter. It is fearing the hereafter. Fearing that you're not good enough, fearing that you're going to be asked. Fearing that your deeds are not accepted, fearing that your repentance is not accepted, fearing that your misdeeds are not overlooked. If you don't have that fear, all evil will follow such a belief. That is the root of all evil is not fearing the hereafter. Even if a person believes in it, they have to fear it. They have to fear standing in front of Allah. Fear that just maybe they're inadequate or that their inadequacies will lead to their demise. That is what is necessary to make a man better. If a person doesn't have that fear, say what you will of subsequent evils.

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Every evil is built upon love of the dunya and a lack of fear of the hereafter.

[Arabic recitation]