Can one change the religion of his fathers and forefathers?

It is man's right to seek knowledge and explore the horizons of this universe, as Allah Almighty has granted us these minds to use them not to suspend them. Everyone who follows the religion of his forefathers without using his mind, thinking, or analyzing such a religion, certainly wrongs and despises himself, and disdains this great blessing that Allah Almighty has bestowed on him which is the mind.

Many Muslims grew up in a Muslim family but, then, deviated from the right path by associating partners with Allah. On the other hand, others grew up in a polytheistic or Christian family believing in Trinity, then, rejected this creed and testified that there is no god but Allah.

The following allegory clarifies this point. A woman cooked a fish for her husband but before cooking it, she cut its head and tail. When her husband asked her why she did that, she replied saying: My mother cooks it this way. He asked her mother why she would cut the head and tail when cooking fish, and she gave him the same reply as her daughter. After that, he asked the grandmother why she would cut the head and tail, and she said: I had a small cooking pot and I had to cut the head and tail so the fish would fit in the pot.

As a matter of fact, many of the previous events that took place in the past ages depended on the circumstances of their age and time and had their relevant causes, as reflected in the previous story. Actually, this is a human disaster; to live at a time that is not ours and to imitate others' acts without thinking or wondering despite the different circumstances and times.

{...Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change their own attitude and conduct...} [329] Surat ar-Ra‘d: 11.