A Feeling of Overwhelming Pride
Another reason some people steer clear of the Qur'an is that they have a superiority complex. They believe so strongly in the truth and flawlessness of their own beliefs and lifestyle that they scorn the idea that better beliefs may exist. As Allah says in the Qur'an "When he is told to have fear of Allah, he is seized by pride which drives him to wrongdoing. Hell will be enough for him! What an evil resting-place!" (Surat al-Baqara: 206) what pushes people into denial of the truth is "pride."
When invited to read the Qur'an, people like this refuse because that means submitting to the true faith and accepting that up to that point their religion has been nothing but a superstitious belief. It means they comprehend that they have been deceived, and have followed the wrong road, have chosen their leaders or role models incorrectly, and have written, read and valued erroneous knowledge. For them this is a catastrophe. In order to avoid suffering this catastrophe they do not want to accept that their beliefs are wrong, no matter what proofs are presented to them, because their pride does not permit this. So, as the verse says, their pride "drives them to wrongdoing."
If they could just understand that the Qur'an is the only truth, accept that they have been on the wrong path, listen to the voice of their consciences and start a brand new life in repentance, they would please Allah. The alternative is a troubled existence, both in this world and the hereafter. Allah tells us of the spirit of darkness that lies within those who reject Him: "And they repudiated them wrongly and haughtily, in spite of their own certainty about them. See the final fate of the corrupters." (Surat an-Naml: 14)Their pride cuts these people off from the true path and causes them great harm. This is also what the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) has warned people about in his time with the words, "Shall I inform you about the people of the Fire? They comprise every cruel, violent, proud and conceited person." (Al-Bukhari)
Another result of their superiority complex is an attempt to draw people away from the path of Allah, as described in Surat al-Hajj:
Among people there is one who argues about Allah without knowledge or guidance or any light-giving Book, turning away arrogantly, to misguide people from the Way of Allah. He will be disgraced in this world and on the Day of Rising. We will make him taste the punishment of the Burning [while it is said], "That is for what you did before. Allah does not wrong His servants." (Surat al-Hajj: 8-10)
As is pointed out in these verses, because of their arrogance the deniers want to divert others from the path of Allah, as they have diverted themselves. They engage in arguments without any knowledge. In spite of not reading the Qur'an, and of not heeding its arguments and morality they argue about Allah and try, in their pride, to present themselves as superior. But on Judgment Day, when people are called to account for everything they have done, this will do them no good at all. On the contrary, they will be sorry and will say, "… Oh! If only we could be sent back again, we would not deny the Signs of our Lord and we would be among the believers." (Surat al-An'am: 27)
