Causes of Abandoning the Truth

Question:
Many people know the straight path, but they do not hold fast to it. What are the reasons that prevent them from holding fast? And what are the treatments that will make them follow this straight path? May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
The causes are many; the causes of lagging behind the truth are numerous. Sometimes a person is ignorant, and sometimes he has knowledge of the truth, but his desire carries him away because it does not align with his desire, so his desire leads him to abandon the truth. Sometimes he does it to please some of his relatives or companions; he tries to please them because he does not want to upset them if he agrees with the truth, so he tries to please them, drinks alcohol with them, and disobeys his Lord with them in severing family ties, in undutifulness to parents, and in other things, all to please his relatives, or his friends, or the like. Sometimes he disobeys Allah for the sake of the money given to him, and sometimes for the sake of a job. It has many causes. We ask Allah for well-being.