Is There Any Equal Punishment for The Founder of Evil Customs?

Corrupt actions and unlawful traditions harm individuals or society, instantaneously or in the long run. These actions may be imitated by successive generations. This, according to the verses of the holy Qur’an, is the proof of the evil-mindedness of people who originated or founded them, and the Hadith states the following about it:

"Whosoever introduces a good practice in Islam, there is for him its reward and the reward of those who act upon it after him, without anything being diminished from their own rewards [until the day of judgement]. And whosoever introduces an evil practice in Islam, will shoulder its responsibility and the responsibility of all those who will act upon it after him, without anything being diminished from their own responsibilities [until the day of judgement]."[1]

Of course that person is responsible for the equivalent punishment of the number of his followers. So long as that evil custom lasts, the punishment of the founder keeps increasing and multiplying. The worst of the evil customs ever to be established are, respectively, the denial of Almighty God, polytheism, and the like. This is actually categorized more accurately by the Islamic jurists.

Now, you are informed about the inherent substance of the Soul and a portion of its authorities. Next, it is necessary to know why human beings, in particular Muslims, have not appropriately used this super power, possessing all kinds of authorities along with the battery of faith which man has had from birth. Hence, it has caused all this backwardness. In answer to this question, you must pay attention to the two main factors of this carelessness.

First: Since Satan is the obvious enemy of mankind, he is always trying to drive mankind from the right path into the dungeon of deviation. He does this through any means and methods. This is according to the commitment he has made and the oath taken in the Presence of Almighty God.

Satan said: "I swear by Thy Greatness and Glory O! Almighty God! That I will indeed make them all rebellious and violent." (Qur’an, Surah Saad, 38:82)

Finally, Satan will either cause those actions and obedience of man, which could have taken him to God's Proximity to deteriorate, or he will deprave them in the form of discrete polytheism. If Satan succeeds, he will try to bring man into total denial of Almighty God's Existence. As we see, this corrupt and malicious immorality is intensifying in our age through the cooperators of Satan in a variety of ways and through different tools.

Second: On certain occasions, the Soul has made the body impatient and aware of searching for the Gifts of the Permanent World. The Soul has roared in these occasions and has called up the person to search for Almighty God and the righteousness. Man is still not facing these wishes of the Soul. What is the reason?

It is because, from the beginning, the person had not fortified his spiritual power. Ego, therefore, with the help of Satan, has used these opportunities to draw his attention, like that of a child, toward this perishing world, instead of making efforts to search for the pleasures of the Permanent World's favors. Finally, Ego and Satan try to deceive the person here and there by making use of whichever source, in any possible way.

For this reason, capitalists and people of authority are somewhat uncomfortable, nostalgic, and more distressed. For gathering the worldly materials through unlawful ways is deluding man and the Muslim's spirituality.

The fact was mentioned that man's Soul notifies him occasionally to search for the secrets of Proximity to His Presence and to seek the Favors of the Permanent World. This is due to Souls having seen that Place and those Favors at the beginning of the creation of Adam, peace be upon him.

For this reason, man has distress in his inner to prompt him to search for that Place and those Favors, but Satan, using this situation, draws man's attention to the fulfillment of the person's proper requirements of Ego. Namely, Satan makes a kind of parallel inversion and draws man's attention to worldly favors and pleasures.

For example, instead of reaching for the Houris and Palaces in the Everlasting Heavens, Satan will make man become obsessed with looking for women, building apartments, and possessing gardens in this world. But the difference is enormous. The person will still not find his heart's satisfaction from these worldly favors; that is, if he ever acquires them.

Hereby, we will explain some of the spiritual characteristics of the Heavenly World, which have journeyed with man to this world. These qualities always create an inner discomfort for man to obtain them. Ego and Satan make a variety of uses out of these situations. They draw man's attention towards gathering worldly property and wealth through let alone legitimate as well as, often, illegitimate ways. By these means, Ego and Satan bring man under their control and domination. These kinds of people are namely human beings in appearance, but savage wolves in spirit.