The book explains that we should rely on ourselves to get something without expecting others.

His criticism on those who always expect others even to the matter of worship was considered as
lice on head. He criticized those who wont to do worship and expecting alms from other people
when they are dead in order to get place in heaven after death. Even with the sarcasm he said
there is also some people hope for the intercession of the Prophet to get place in heaven. He said
that the Messenger of Allah will be ashamed of his followers just expect intercession without
wanting work of worship. While it is the responsibility of each religious member to do worship.
According to him, this is the cause why the Muslims to retreat. They expect too much on others
to get things done.

The attitude of the so-called I can not or misplaced humble to be the cause why the Malays
withdrawn. Additionally, lazy also be the cause of why the Malays retreat. In fact, he said that
the Malays retreat because they were in their own land and get a privilege here. In Tun Mahathir
perspective, Malays need crutches. This is the different between Malays and immigrants who
have to work without any assistance for their survival. That's why they can be successful in
Malaysia. Perhaps at the time he described the Chinese people. But today, it is no longer just the
Chinese who have been successful, but more people from Indonesia and Bangladesh who work
in this country were able to success because they work hard regardless of day and night to earn a
living.

Malays do not work or even try to get something. As example, if they want their children to get
into school or university, they must get a loan. Otherwise, their children will not be able to
continue their studies. If they want to work, there must be people so-called insider who help
them to get the job placement. If they want to start a business, they have to get a capital injection
from the government without trying to save and spend on their own saving. In addition, he also
touched on the issue of "blind following" which is follow whatever that has been learned without
study or at least asking why. Blind following leads Muslims into decline and became one of the
factor that Islamic empire falls because people are lazy to think new technology or discover new
things. They only look forward to what you have discovered by their teachers without any desire
to study in greater detail. The reason is because they are worried that people will say they deviate
from the religion and will lead to misunderstanding in matters of religion.
He discussed the levels of good and bad. He classified each of good and bad into 3 levels. He
also criticized the scholars who emphasize the concept of "faith" simply about doing acts of
worship such as prayer, fasting, perform hajj and so on. Faith actually covers all aspects and not
only bound to acts of worship solely. It covers trust to Creator, trust to Messenger, trust to Holy
Quran, trust to hereafter, ordering right and prohibiting wrong. For him, prayer is not just a ticket
to heaven but also a bench mark to improve ourselves. He said all the acts of worship that is
prayer, fasting or perform hajj is the basis for a person to do good deeds. He also provides an
understanding on how can a person has an attitude of doing good not because to get the reward
of heaven but for the sake of God. In fact, according to him, there is no guarantee that whoever
pray, fast or perform hajj go to heaven if they are still gossiping, jealous and do corruption.