O Muslims, when afflictions take root, ailments spread, and diseases become rampant, minds grow confused, intellects falter, and understanding becomes perplexed. This leads a person away from the straight path and diverts him from the true course. It causes great corruption in the order of life: disorder becomes widespread, imbalance prevails, values are overturned—what is supposed to be advanced is delayed, and what should be delayed is advanced. Grave matters are diminished, and trivial ones are magnified. Branches are preserved while fundamentals are lost.

In reality, dear servants of Allah, we see countless examples of preserving branches and neglecting foundations. You’ll find people striving night and day in acts of devotion to seek nearness to their Lord and earn the highest ranks in Paradise—yet they spoil their efforts by associating others with Allah through supplication, seeking help or rescue, offering sacrifices, or making vows to others besides Him. These acts, which are forms of worship due only to Allah, must not be directed to any other being. Or you find one visiting fortune-tellers or soothsayers, believing them, or hanging amulets to protect themselves or their families—thinking they prevent harm—though Allah has clearly stated that such acts of major shirk (associating partners with Him) nullify good deeds, render efforts void, and make Paradise forbidden for the doer, whose final abode is Hell. Allah says:
“And it was already revealed to you and to those before you that if you associate others [with Allah], your deeds will surely be in vain, and you will surely be among the losers.” [Az-Zumar: 65]

Also, in the authentic Sunnah, the consequences of such acts are clearly stated. Imam Ahmad and Al-Hakim narrated with a sound chain that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever goes to a soothsayer or a fortune-teller and believes what he says, has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad ﷺ.”
And he ﷺ said: “Whoever hangs an amulet has committed shirk.” (Narrated by Ahmad and Al-Hakim from ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir)

You find people perfecting the recitation of the Qur’an, improving their tone and pronunciation, yet neglecting its limits, ignoring the implementation of its rulings, closing their eyes to its meanings, and failing to reflect on its messages or heed its examples.

Some people are extremely cautious of physical impurities touching their clothes, but are careless with sins of the tongue like backbiting, gossip, or false testimony. Some give frequent charity, but consume unlawful wealth without restraint.

Others pray by night and fast by day but harm their neighbors, violate their rights, and abuse their honor—making their presence a burden and a calamity.

Some maintain close ties with friends and acquaintances, but sever the bonds of kinship, disrespect parents, and cut off their relatives.

Some are generous to distant poor people, but leave their own families in need, denying them obligatory support and provision.

Some meticulously protect their clothes, vehicles, and homes from dirt and filth, but let their ears and eyes indulge in the filth of the unlawful.

Others are obedient in small matters, but neglect major commands; they follow what is easy and convenient, but abandon what is difficult and demanding. Ibn al-Jawzi رحمه الله said, “Among the people are astonishing examples of such behavior—it would take volumes to recount them.”

O servants of Allah, there is no doubt that the root of this deviation and imbalance—this preserving of branches and abandoning of fundamentals—lies in submission to cultural norms and habits without the guidance of revelation, and in following desires without divine guidance. It is also the result of ignorance about the religion, the scarcity of sincere advice, and the lack of those who assist in reform.

The only way out of all this is through knowledge and righteous action.
Knowledge helps one understand the foundations on which rulings and practices are built, allowing for clear, orderly thinking that assigns every matter its rightful place and value.
And righteous action ensures one’s deeds are correct, in line with the Shariah, consistent with the way of the Prophet ﷺ, and thus accepted by Allah and fruitful in the Hereafter.

Resisting personal desires and disciplining customs and traditions with the standards of Shariah is among the best ways to correct this deviation, restore balance, and bring a Muslim back to the sound path of his religion.