This category also includes listening to the words of adherents of religious innovation and reading their books, for anyone whom this harms and draws toward their path and toward disobedience to Allah. This category thus brings together misleading doubts and desires. Allah, Exalted is He, condemns such people in passages such as His words:

“They inspire one another with alluring speech by way of deception.”

And His words:

“As for poets, the erring follow them.”

And His words:

“Shall I inform you upon whom the devils descend?”

This verse and those that follow it; and His words:

“Among people are those who purchase idle talk to lead others astray from Allah’s path without knowledge and to make a mockery of it.”

And His words:

“Arrogant concerning it, conversing by night, speaking evil.”

And His words:

“If they see the path of righteousness, they do not take it as their path; but if they see the path of error, they take it as their path.”

And His words:

“If you obey most of those on earth, they will lead you astray from Allah’s path.”

And the rest of the verse. There are many such passages in the Quran. Those who disobey Allah are numerous in the world; indeed, they are the majority, as Allah, Exalted is He, says:

“If you obey most of those on earth, they will lead you astray from Allah’s path.”

And the rest of the verse. Souls harbour blameworthy doubts and desires, expressed in words and deeds, whose extent only Allah knows. Those who harbour them call others to them, coerce those who defy them, and make them seem attractive to those who obey them. They are therefore the enemies and rivals of the messengers. Allah’s messengers call people to obey Allah, enjoin this upon them through encouragement and warning, and strive to uphold it. They forbid people to disobey Allah, caution them against it through encouragement and warning, and struggle against those who do so. These people, by contrast, call others to disobey Allah