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about our reputation / how others view us, and seek the approval of people around us. We want “respect” from the people we consider our friends. It’s in our nature.
So, what happens when the people around us are misguided, adhering to corrupt values and standards? As believers, we are not immune to peer pressure, but we have been blessed with a scripture from God that highlights the dangers, reminds us, strengthens and reassures us:
[6:116] If you obey the majority of people on earth, they will divert you from the path of God. They follow only conjecture; they only guess.
[47:14] Are those enlightened by their Lord the same as those whose evil works are adorned in their eyes, and they follow their own opinions?
Our human tendency to “go with the flow” is so strong, avoiding it is a challenge even for appointed messengers:
[17:73-4] They almost diverted you from the revelations we have given you. They wanted you to fabricate something else, in order to consider you a friend. If it were not that we strengthened you, you almost leaned towards them just a little bit.
We learn that Muhammad feared the people instead of God (33:37, 80:1-10). We know that Satan & Co are always going to use their human assets to entice us to go astray and try to revert us.
[7:201-2] Those who are righteous, whenever the devil approaches them with an idea, they remember, whereupon they become seers. Their brethren ceaselessly entice them to go astray.
[3:100] O you who believe, if you obey some of those who received the scripture, they will revert you, after having believed, into disbelievers.
(See also 2:109, 2:217, 3:72, 4:89, 4:119-120, 15:39, and 17:64).
Knowing the dangers and magnitude of the challenge, what are we to do?
There are many verses where God reminds us that we are not to be impressed by the disbelievers, how they appear, what they say, or their apparent success in this worldly life (2:204-6, 9:85, 63:4): [3:196-7] Do not be impressed by the apparent success of disbelievers. They only enjoy temporarily, then end up in Hell; what a miserable destiny!
God repeatedly lets us know we will be mocked and ridiculed for believing in Him, in the Last Day, and leading a righteous life; it is to be expected, and He informs us who the real winners are, in the hereafter (23:109-111):
[83:29] The wicked used to laugh at those who believed.
[83:30] When they passed by them, they used to poke fun.
[83:31] When they got together with their people, they used to joke.
[83:32] Whenever they saw them, they said, “These people are far astray!
[83:33] “They have no such thing as (invisible) guards.”
[83:34] Today, those who believed are laughing at the disbelievers.
[83:35] On luxurious furnishings they watch.
[83:36] Most assuredly, the disbelievers are requited for what they did.
God commands us to reverence Him alone, to put His commandments first, always (3:28, 5:49). The misguided will try to make us feel bad, and reprimand us, simply for pursuing righteousness. We must stay on God’s path, and strive in His cause, without fear of blame:
[5:54] O you who believe, if you revert from your religion, then God will substitute in your place people whom He loves and who love Him. They will be kind with the believers, stern with the disbelievers, and will strive in the cause of God without fear of any blame. Such is God’s blessing; He bestows it upon whomever He wills. God is Bounteous, Omniscient.
We must never go along with them, seeking to preserve some friendship:
[11:113] Do not lean towards those who have transgressed, lest you incur Hell, and find no allies to help you against God, then end up losers.
[47:25-7] Surely, those who slide back, after the guidance has been manifested to them, the devil has enticed them and led them on. This is because they said to those who hated what God has sent down, “We will obey you in certain matters.” God fully knows their secret conspiracies. How will it be for them when the angels put them to death? They will beat them on their faces and their rear ends.
[68:8-9] Do not obey the rejectors. They wish that you compromise, so they too can compromise.
Sadly, our social nature is not something we can just switch off. However, we can choose our friends and thus to an extent choose what kind of peer pressure we subject ourselves to (18:28).
God gives us an example of one who obeyed his transgressing friend:
[25:27-9] The day will come when the transgressor will bite his hands (in anguish) and say, “Alas, I wish I had followed the path with the messenger. “Alas, woe to me, I wish I did not take that person as a friend. He has led me away from the message after it came to me. Indeed, the devil lets down his human victims.”
And He gives us an example of one who did not obey his transgressing friend:
[37:51-7] One of them will say, “I used to have a friend. He used to mock: `Do you believe all this? After we die and turn into dust and bones, do we get called to account?’ “ He will say, “Just take a look!” When he looks, he will see his friend in the heart of Hell. He (will go to him and) say, “By God, you almost ruined me. If it were not for my Lord’s blessing, I would have been with you now.”
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