He said, "You have taken idols besides God in order to preserve some friendship among you in this worldly life. But then, on the day of Resurrection, you will disown one another, and curse one another. Your destiny is hell, and you will have no victors."
Translation endnotes
[29:25] Peer pressure, especially on religious and cultural issues, creates formidable psychological walls, social, political and economic deterrence that discourages the individual from questioning, reasoning and examining the religious teachings and cultural norms dictated onto him/her. That is why there is a relation between religion and geography. Abraham was one of those rare brave individuals who stood on his own feet, broke the walls of conformity, and rejected the notion that society, or the number of followers, is the criterion for deciding between truth and falsehood. Only philosophical inquiry can free the person from the piles of falsehood and superstition that accumulate in the culture of societies because of ruling classes who wish to keep the status quo. We salute Abraham. We salute all those who question assumptions and traditions of organized religions. Blessed are those who seek truth, who do not rush to conclusion, who examine assumptions and assertions, and do not hesitate to embrace truth when it becomes evident. See 6:74-83; 21:58.