Why Muslims disobey Allah

The Quran was sent to Prophet Mohammed (pbuh), as a central part of the Islamic constitution which should be used to guide all Muslims in all their affairs. Muslims generally hold the Quran in high regard and recognise it as the words of Allah. However, in recent decades Muslims as individuals and as collective societies have failed to implement the commandments and revelations of the Quran in their daily lives. Some key factors which have led Muslims generally to neglect Allah’s commandments in the Quran include negative portrayal of Islam in the media, modern social and cultural environment and a lack of knowledge and ignorance of the rulings contained in the Quran. This essay will illustrate how these factors have a major impact on Muslims and their religious practice.

Mass media is significant factor which has led some Muslims to be misguided from Quranic teachings. It has become an essential part of every household. It plays a substantial effect on shaping Muslim thought and actions. Allah swt says in the Quran “When news concerning peace or fear comes to them, they go about spreading it. Had they referred it to the Messenger and to those having authority among them” (Usmani,2000,4:83), however Muslims have disregarded this command in recent times and instead relied on the media and allowed it to shape their Islamic philosophy. According to Aly (2007), mass media have portrayed Muslims negatively, thus, making them victims of negative media stereotypes and demonstrating bias against them. In fact, the media uses selective phrases such as fundamentalist, terrorist and violent to portray Muslims negatively, which subsequently affects the behaviour and thinking of Muslims in general because they feel victimised and do not want to associate themselves with Islam and the Qur’an (Dunn 2001). Numerous cases of the Quran being defiled and criticised have appeared on the media leading to Muslims fearing implementing its laws. Robertson in TV show stated that “they want to destroy Western civilization. They want to bring us back to the Arabia of the 7th and 8th centuries, that’s what you find in the Qur’an”. (Rightwingwatch.org, 2012 ).
Furthermore, in modern societies the media is used to glamorize and promote acts which are specifically prohibited and considered base in the Quran. This has over times affected Muslim outlook on lifestyles and created a gap between their Islamic practise and Quranic commandments. The representation of issues from sexual behaviour, alcohol, dressing and even music have negatively affected Muslim practise. (Vandenbosch and Eggermont,2014).
Subsequently, mass media has led to Muslims neglect the teachings of the Quran and disobey Allah’s orders.

In addition, family and peers are a major influence that affects a Muslim’s actions and activity. In the Quran, Muslims have been ordered to have good friends who fear Allah swt, as stated in the Quran “Keep yourself content with those who call their Lord morning and evening, seeking His pleasure,” (Usmani,2000, 18:28). Ramirez, et. al. (2012) asserts that “both families and friends, play a critical role in the development of adolescent” (p. 36). When the mother is not wearing the hijab then it is difficult for a young girl implement this command in the Quran. She sees her mother as a role model. Similarly boys take fathers as their role models, and when fathers are involved in un-Islamic behaviour such as smoking then there is more chance for the child will also smoke in the future. Ramadan (2004) argues that every family, organisations, Muslim communities in the west having "same concern and fear are expressed about passing Islamic values to the children" (p. 126).
Moreover, parents not offering the obligatory prayers nor fasting the month of Ramadan leads to their children also failing to implement these commands. Additionally, the critical period is when a young Muslim reaches adolescence then the supervision of parents decline and the influence of peers increase. It is stated that ”peer influences clearly increase during adolescence” (Ramirez, et. al, 2012, p. 37).
Subsequent to this, they start to become independent, finding their way in life, developing their own thinking and ideologies. They are prone to be influenced by the prevalent modern societal thought which affects their Islamic practice and outlook. It is known that peers at school spend approximately more than 5 hours a day, five days a week with classmates; they study, play, having fun together. They learn so many things from each other. Students do not want to be isolated and want to fit with a group, even if it leads them to waive some of the Islamic principles leading to a loss of their Islamic identity and values and implementing the commands of the Quran.

Finally, Ignorance also and lack of knowledge of the commandments of the Quran is affecting Muslim behaviour. Allah swt commanded Muslims to seek knowledge and he makes clear that the person who knows is not equal to a person who does not know as Allah swt says in the Holy Quran “Can those who know and those who do not know become equal?” (Usmani,2000, 39:9). It is important to point out that there is lack of Islamic learning teaching institutes around to teach more than 1.5 billion. (Groth, and Sousa-Poza, 2012, p. 4). Many Muslims are either deliberately or due to circumstances distant from their religion. Khan (2002) has stated that Muslims have “wrong priorities” (p. 18). Muslims have not established any priority to learn and increase their knowledge about Quranic teachings.

The Quran was revealed from Allah to Prophet Muhammad to be guide for all people for any time and any place. Muslims were ordered to implement the teaching of the Quran; however, some Muslims have become astray due to few social factors. The new standards of modern societies and changes in popular views of what is acceptable and which behaviours are “backward and “barbaric” have all had a major shaping impact on Muslim thought and their practise of the commandments in the Quran.