"Ibn Qayyim said, 'Whoever has profound knowledge of what Allah has revealed to the Prophet (SAW) will notice that most of the people are reputed to be religious are often the leastr religious.
What kind of religion or goodness is in a person who sees evil being committed, Allah's boundaries being transgressed, religion being lost, the Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW) being abandoned and warned against- and yet remains cold in his heart?
His tongue is quiet; he is a mute devil just as the one who speaks against religion is an articulate devil.
Is not affliction in religion the situation of those who, when they attain leadership and sustenance from religion, care not about what happens regarding the religion?
Certainly, the best of them are those that are at the very least saddened by the evil state of affairs . If one were to attack such a person in his honour, wealth or status,. he would surely take all necessary steps to prevent himself from that attack.
Such people have been tested, have failed, and have fallen from Allah's eyes, yet they do not perceive it
The trial they have been afflicted with is the death of the hearts. When the heart is alive and functioning at its peak, it rises to anger for the cause of Allah and His Prophet (SAW) and will seek to promote His Religion." (P 33)
Personal Comment: This is a reference to the following people
1. Those who have a higher degree of knowledge of Shariah law than the common Muslim
2. Those in positions of Islamic authority able to influence people
3. Those trained in fields of higher Islamic knowledge
4. Those with expertise in certain branches of Islamic knowledge, but without authority
5. Those who support wrong even when they know it is wrong
It also refers to the following themes
1. Creating False Divine Verdicts
2. Deliberately Distorting Knowledge
3. Deliberately Misinterpreting Knowledge
4. Removing Knowledge from the masses so that they are unaware of certain things
5. Challenging and opposing those who reveal True Knowledge