Asked "What is religion?" our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) replied, "It is the path you are on." His reply wisely summarizes the matter. Religion (deen) encapsulates all of a person's values, ethical rules and lifestyle—and thus, those of entire societies. For example, the word deen is employed in this sense in Surah Yusuf 76:
He started with their bags before his brother's and then produced it from his brother's bag. In that way We devised a cunning scheme for Joseph. He could not have held his brother according to the deen (religion) of the King—only because Allah had willed it so. We raise the rank of anyone We will. Over everyone with knowledge is a Knower. (Surah Yusuf, 76)
Various verses of the Qur'an also revealed that deniers also share a religion: Pharaoh, for example, told his people the following about the Prophet Moses (pbuh):
Pharaoh said, "Let me kill Moses and let him call upon his Lord! I am afraid that he may change your deen and bring about corruption in the land." (Surah Ghafir, 26)
Other verses describe how pagans remained loyal to their own false religions in the face of the Divine religion brought by the prophet:
They are surprised that a warner should come to them from among themselves. The unbelievers say,
"This is a lying magician. Has he turned all the deities into One God? That is truly astonishing!" Their leaders went off saying, "Carry on as you are! Hold fast to your deities. This is clearly something planned. We have not heard of this in the old religion. This is merely something contrived." (Surah Sâd, 4-7)
As pointed out so far, every human being has a religion. Those who not adhere to the religion of Allah, and even those who describe themselves as atheists, are not totally devoid of religion, but merely adhere to superstitious ones. Some of these "religions" may not presently be described as such, though that is exactly what they all are—as is revealed in the Qur'an. Marxism, for instance, is in one sense a false religion, because that ideology is the "path" down which millions of people have gone. Marxists adopt the intellectual system developed by Karl Marx and Frederich Engels and accept their way of thinking. They analyze the world by means of the standards that they set out. They account for their own existence and the meaning of death based on the unscientific logic of Marx and Engels. In short, as believers in Marxism, they shape their lives and evaluate events accordingly.
Besides Marxism, there are hundreds of other different religions, philosophies, and intellectual systems. All these are superstitious religions, basically produced in order to turn people away from the path of Allah.
The point that really needs to be emphasized is that whatever their ideology, philosophy or world view, those who have turned their backs on the true religion still share one common false belief system: That is the "religion of the ignorant" which is one of the most cunning and effective weapons wielded by satan in his endeavors to turn humans from the true path.
Without their knowing, a superstitious religion has brought the great majority of people under its sway. This hidden religion never openly reveals itself. It has no written commandments, but it controls people's behavior, attitudes and thoughts. People unconsciously implement this religion's rules throughout their lives, and live by its structures and prohibitions. This superstitious religion is not Islam, Christianity or Judaism. When asked, many people who abide by this false religion may well describe themselves as Muslims or Christians or Jews. They may even be atheists. But nevertheless, all are actually members of this secret belief system.
This false religion never presents itself to people as a unified whole. People adopt it as the result of the steady propaganda they are subjected to from birth. Therefore, they're unaware that their behavior, thoughts, and even body language derive from this religion.
To its adherents, this superstitious religion portrays its goal as becoming a respected person. To do so means adopting the value judgments of this religion, implementing its laws, prohibitions and forms of behavior, and assuming its character traits. To be respected is essential to achieve a specific accepted station in society, and not regarded as an eccentric, not out of the ordinary.
This religion is therefore an ignorant one. Ignorant religion propels people towards insincerity, toward artificial and affected behavior. Adherents of this false religion do not generally behave naturally and spontaneously. They employ modes of behavior, speech and facial expressions in a way they think will be appropriate, and engage in constant role-playing. Yet they imagine that they are living exceedingly natural and normal lives.
This false system produces insincere, artificial human models with false identities. Why does such an evil religion, bringing with it all kinds of trouble and suffering, hold large sections of society under its sway? The most important reason is, as already mentioned, that it lacks any formal name. Adherents of this wicked religion never even think to question, abandon or change it, because they are unaware that the system they live under is actually a religion, and regard it as "the facts, "or" the immutable laws of life."
As long as people fail to remedy this situation and turn away from the religion of the ignorant, they cannot properly comprehend and live by Islam, because sincerity and naturalness are among the fundamental tenets of Islam. A person can live by Islam, and thus achieve true happiness and salvation, only by being uncompromisingly sincere towards Allah, himself and others. Faith can only be built on a foundation of sincerity. In order to free yourself of the effect of the Religion of the Ignorant, that satanic religion must first be identified and defined. One may be reluctant to admit it, but the Religion of the Ignorant can exert a definite effect on anyone. Ridding yourself of this dark religion that impacts on every moment of people's lives calls, first and foremost, for close attention and sincerity.
They have already tried to cause conflict before, and turned things completely upside down for you, until the truth came and Allah’s command prevailed even though they detested it. (Surat at-Tawba, 48)