
Author: Mawlana Abdul Rahman Mu'tasimi
The Phenomenon of Atheism and Ways to Combat It (Part 22)
Psychological Torture
An atheist, due to a lack of faith in Allah (SWT) and the afterlife, is afflicted with feelings of sadness, despair, anxiety, psychological disorders, depression, and more. The Almighty Allah says: «وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْ ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنْكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَى» [Taha: 124] Translation: “Whoever turns away from My remembrance, indeed, for him is a depressed life, and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind.”
«فَمَنْ يُرِدِ الله أَنْ يَهْدِيَهُ يَشْرَحْ صَدْرَهُ لِلْإِسْلَامِ وَمَنْ يُرِدْ أَنْ يُضِلَّهُ يَجْعَلْ صَدْرَهُ ضَيِّقًا حَرَجًا كَأَنَّمَا يَصَّعَّدُ فِي السَّمَاءِ ذَلِكَ يَجْعَلُ الله الرِّجْسَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ» [Al-An’am: 125] Translation: “So whomever Allah wills to guide, He opens his heart to Islam; and whomever He wills to misguide, He makes his chest tight and constricted as if he were straining to ascend in the sky. Thus does Allah place filth upon those who do not believe.”
Research and studies by scholars on the behavior and conduct of atheists indicate that they are characterized by traits such as harshness, anxiety, sadness, and fear. Scholars attribute this to “the efforts of those who deny Allah to overcome the innate faith” that has been embedded in human nature since the beginning.
Material and Physical Punishment
The Almighty Allah inflicts His punishments on the atheists in this world, before the Hereafter. As He says: «وَلَا تُعْجِبْكَ أَمْوَالُهُمْ وَأَوْلَادُهُمْ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ الله أَنْ يُعَذِّبَهُمْ بِهَا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَتَزْهَقَ أَنْفُسُهُمْ وَهُمْ كَافِرُونَ» [At-Tawbah: 85] Translation: “And let not their wealth and children impress you; Allah only wants to punish them with it in this world, and their souls should depart while they are disbelievers.”
Punishment in the Hereafter
The most significant consequence of atheism, in a general sense, is the punishments in the Hereafter that the Lord has prepared for the disobedient.
Spread of Corruption, Oppression, and Immorality in Society
Since atheists feel free from all religious and ethical limits and see no constraints before them, this certainly leads to the prevalence of corruption, oppression, immorality, and taboos in society.
Continues…