"What do the People Know?"

Yesterday night my grandfather mentioned something that hit very true.

He was rather confused, then he turned to me and began talking about the people in the masjid (he was thinking the house was the masjid). 

He then said in Urdu, "Jante hain lekin maante naheen" meaning "(People) know but they do not accept".

So I asked him in English, "What do the people know?"

He looked at me, as if the answer should have been obvious, and replied. "How to be successful!"

I was struck at how true that statement was. We know how to be successful. This life is a test, but it is an open book one where Allah Ta'aala has given us all the answers so that we may succeed and enter Jannah. However, even after knowing this, we still go against Allah Ta'aala's orders and expect to ace the test! How foolish we are. I am reminded of the following aayah from Surah Mulk.

أَفَمَنْ يَمْشِي مُكِبًّا عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِ أَهْدَىٰ أَمَّنْ يَمْشِي سَوِيًّا عَلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ

Is then one who walks headlong, with his face grovelling, better guided,- or one who walks evenly on a Straight Way?