a) Ignorance of the rulings of the religion. As the generations lengthen and people grow ever more distant from the vestiges of the Prophetic message, knowledge diminishes and ignorance spreads—just as the Prophet ﷺ foretold: “Whoever among you lives long will see great divergence.” (1) He also said: “Allah does not remove knowledge by plucking it out of people’s hearts; rather, He removes knowledge by taking the scholars (in death). When no scholar remains, people will appoint ignorant leaders; they will be asked and will issue legal opinions without knowledge, so they will go astray and lead others astray.” (2) Only knowledge and its scholars can repel innovation. When both are lost, innovation is given free rein to surface and spread, and its proponents become active.

b) Following one’s desires. Whoever turns away from the Book and the Sunnah ends up pursuing his own whims, as Allah the Exalted says: “But if they do not respond to you, then know that they are simply following their desires. And who is more astray than one who follows his desire without guidance from Allah?” (Q 28:50)