following him they would have to abandon their forefathers’ religion and incur the censure of Quraysh. They could not bear to abandon that custom or endure such censure. Thus, their refusal to believe was not because they did not know that believing in him was right, but because of their own desires. How, then, can it be said that every disbeliever disbelieves only because he lacks knowledge of Allah?
The Jahmiyyah were not content merely to declare every disbeliever ignorant of the truth; they went so far as to say that he does not know that Allah truly exists. For them, disbelief is not ignorance of just any truth, but ignorance of this particular truth.
Yet we, like everyone else, see many disbelievers who inwardly know that Islam is true. They explain what prevents them from believing: hostility from their families; financial support they receive from them, which would be cut off; fear that, if they believed, they would not enjoy the same standing among Muslims as they do within their own religion; and other such personal interests. They explain that these are what prevent them from believing, despite knowing that Islam is true and their own religion is false.
The same occurs with every matter of truth: there are people who know in their hearts that it is true, yet outwardly deny it and show hostility towards those who uphold it, thinking that this will bring them some benefit or ward off some harm.
Allah Most High said:
“O you who believe, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are allies of one another. Whoever among you takes them as allies is indeed one of them. Indeed, Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.”
“So you see those in whose hearts is a disease hastening to ally themselves with them, saying, ‘We fear that a turn of fortune may strike us.’ But perhaps Allah will bring victory or a decree from Himself, and they will then regret what they concealed within themselves.”
“And those who believe will say, ‘Are these the ones who swore their most solemn oaths by Allah that they were indeed with you?’ Their deeds have come to nothing, and they have become losers.”