3. The Association with Non-Islamic Nations and Cultures

Another cause for the non-establishment of Islam after the Messenger of Allah has been the association of Muslims with non-Islamic nations and cultures, which has been a common cause for the failure to establish religion after all the Prophets. As an example, after Musa , his followers gradually forgot his teachings, associated with disbelieving nations, and, over time, became influenced by their disbelieving culture. They reached a point where they worshiped their gods, and in the time of Prophet Elias , they prostrated before Baal, the idol of the Canaanites; as Allah Almighty has said, quoting that Prophet’s statement to them: ﴿أَتَدْعُونَ بَعْلًا وَتَذَرُونَ أَحْسَنَ الْخَالِقِينَ﴾[1]; “Do you call upon Baal and leave the Best of creators?!” Likewise, After Isa , his followers, motivated by the desire to escape the Romans’ persecution and gain their support, and influenced by the teachings of Paul—who was a Jew opposed to Christ—forgot the teachings of that Prophet, approached the idolatrous Romans, were influenced by their polytheistic beliefs, and replaced the monotheism of Isa with their trinity. Similarly, after Muhammad , his followers followed the path of those before them. After their conquests in the lands of disbelievers, they associated with polytheistic peoples and the People of the Book, were influenced by their culture, and forgot parts of Islamic culture. Moreover, some of the polytheists and People of the Book who converted to Islam under the influence of Muslims’ invitation or wars were never able to abandon all their former beliefs and deeds, retaining traces of them and passing them on to subsequent generations, intentionally or unintentionally.