Ghaflat - Hazrat Maulana Abdul Hamid Is`haq Saheb (Daamat Barakaatuhum)

[amaturrahmaan]

Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem

 

 

 

Allah Ta’ala states in the Qur`aan Sharief:

 

And do not be among the heedless.

[surah Al-A'raaf 7:205]

 

Living in this world, it is not proper for any person to be unmindful and negligent of his purpose in this world.  Allah Ta’ala informs us of the objective of our existence :

 

“And I created not the jinn and mankind except they should worship Me.”

[surah Zariat 51 : 56]

 

 

And Allah Ta’ala reminds us:

 

“Did you think that We created you for nothing, and that you will not be brought 
back to Us?”

[surah Mu`minoon 23 : 115]

 

 

Ghaflat is heedlessness, negligence, being unaware. It is diversion. It is thinking or doing something when one should have been thinking or doing something else. Being distracted in any work is ghaflat, and ghaflat is extremely dangerous.

 

 

I usually give the example that if a family is receiving special guests, then, as is the general scenario - the ladies of the house are busy in their preparations. If the ladies decide to serve hot, hot samoosas, they keep the frying pan on the stove with the hot oil in it, ready for frying. When they hear the visitors arrive and the exchange of Salaam, etc. and are about to put the samoosas into the hot oil, a two year old child, playing nearby, pulls down the handle of the frying pan and all that hot, hot oil falls onto the child. (May Allah Ta’ala protect all).

 

 

What was the cause of this terrible accident? …It was a little unmindfulness, a moment of Ghaflat, a moment of distraction. …The ghaflat of not being watchful of the child and leaving the handle easy for reach, leads to such a frightening situation and such extensive harm! 

 

 

A person is driving and speaking on his cellphone. He is distracted. This is Ghaflat, which can result in a terrible accident.

 

 

In worldly matters, we find that negligence and inattentiveness have resulted in great loss, harm, damage and regret. However, the un-mindfulness in Dien is worse than the un-mindfulness of Dunya. Ghaflat in Dien has worse consequences by far. Unfortunately it is widespread and a weakness which needs to be remedied.

 

 

We pass through our lives, spending days and nights, unmindful and heedless of Allah Ta’ala, of our purpose in this world, of death, of Aakhirah and of accountability, and this results in sins, in extravagance, in futility.

 

 

…Many wander through life, aimlessly. No thought is given as to why we are here.

 

“… and verily, many among mankind are heedless of our signs.”

[surah Yunus 10:92]

 

 

No effort is made to accumulate the provision for the journey ahead – the journey to the Hereafter.

 

 

We find the repercussions of our heedlessness have been most severe and grave. Our heedlessness has led us far away from Dien and practising on Dien, far away from Allah Ta’ala’s Pleasure and far away from Jannah, with all its never-ending bounties. Our negligence has made us the friends of shaitaan, occupying us in those actions which satisfy the nafs and displease Allah Ta’ala, and has taken us to the doorstep of Jahannum.

 

 

Ghaflat makes us forget Allah Ta’ala. And Allah Ta’ala says in regard to those who forget Him:

 

“And be not like those who forgot Allah; and He made them forget their own souls; such are the transgressors.”

[surah Hashr 59 : 19]

 

 

Ghaflat erases a person’s intelligence and places him in the category of the foolish.

 

Nabi (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said: “The intelligent one is he who suppresses his desires and practises for what is after death, and the foolish one is he who makes his nafs follow its desires and (he) places (baseless) hope on Allah.”^[1]

 

 

Ghaflat diverts us from our Ibaadah – Whilst engaged in Salaah, we are pre-occupied with everything besides Salaah. We are careless, inattentive and just read for the sake of reading. We fulfil the postures of Salaah without thought that we are standing in the Court of Allah Ta’ala, before Allah Ta’ala, communicating with Allah Ta’ala and we give no attention to the required etiquettes. There is no concentration and no humility. …Allah Ta’ala describes this kind of Salaah as the Salaah of the Munafiqeen.

 

"So woe to those performers of Salaah, who are heedless of their Salaah…”

[surah Ma`un 107 : 4 / 5]

 

 

Very, very sadly, the Ummah at large has fallen deep into this misfortune and catastrophe of Ghaflat, and the consequences are seen today, throughout the world – in the form of oppression, suppression and destruction of the Ummah.

 

 

Allah Ta’ala mentions Ghaflat and those who are Ghaafil at different places in the Qur`aan Shareef – but never in a favourable way. Indeed, there is nothing but loss and regret for those who are heedless. May Allah Ta’ala protect us all.

 

 

From amongst the remedies for the sickness of heedlessness, is keeping before us, our death – our return to Allah Ta’ala, as well as consciously remembering Allah Ta’ala. 

 

 

Unfortunately, we are so consumed in our worldly issues, we forget that we are going to die, and we pass our days ‘care-free’, even in the disobedience of Allah Ta’ala.

 

“The reckoning of the people has drawn near to them, while they are in negligence, 
turning away.”

[surah Al-Ambiya 21:1]

 

 

If death is brought into the equation, the chain of thoughts that will come to mind whenever nafs and shaitaan divert us from obedience or tempt towards Haraam will be: What if I have to die in this action? What will happen in my grave? What will happen on the Day of Qiyamah?

 

 

 …This chain of thoughts will protect us from committing sin. This train of thoughts will persuade us towards righteousness.

 

 

How long is the enjoyment of this world? A few days and it is all over. Yet, we are so immersed and involved in Dunya that we do not even think about our Maut and Aakhirah.

 

“Whoever comes into this world, death says to him:

‘I am following you closely.’”

 

We are distracted and side-tracked by the toys of the world – whether they are in the forms of our homes, businesses, cars, cellphones, etc. – all of which we will have to leave behind very soon.

 

 

Allah Ta’ala mentions those who have sound knowledge and skill when it comes to the affairs of the world, when it comes to business and trade, etc. but do not consider beyond this temporary world and thus do not prepare for their return to Allah Ta’ala nor acquire their provisions for their journey to the Hereafter.

 

“They know what is apparent of the worldly life, and of the Hereafter they are Ghafiloon (heedless).”

[surah Ar-Room 30:7]

 

 

Despite their worldly acumen and expertise, they are heedless in preparing for the life to come, and in so doing, they bring ruin to themselves. Let us not be counted as one of them.

 

 

Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziya (Rahmatullahi ‘alayh) has encapsulated these spiritual weaknesses and their remedies, saying: "The heart is tarnished by two things: heedlessness and sin. It is polished by two things: remembrance and asking forgiveness."

 

 

Rasulullah (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said: “Frequently remember the destroyer of life’s pleasures; death.”

[An-Nasaa’i]

 

Allah Ta’ala instructs us :

 

And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect.

[surah Al-Kahf 18:28]

 

 

This Ayat directs us to the company of those who are engaged in Allah Ta’ala’s remembrance and who are seeking Him. Indeed, it is by virtue of such company that we too will become conscious of Allah Ta’ala, of Aakhirah and we will move in the direction of obedience and good deeds, Insha-Allah.

 

“And remember your Lord within yourself with humility and fear, and without speaking loudly, in the mornings and the evenings. And do not be among the heedless."

[surah Al-A’raaf 7:205]

 

 

And Allah Ta’ala informs us that it is this remembrance which brings success:

 

"And remember Allah much, that you may be successful.''

[surah Al Jumu`ah 62:10]

 

 

May Allah Ta’ala grant us the understanding and the concern. May Allah Ta’ala cure us of all our spiritual ailments, awaken our sleeping hearts and grant us the Taufeeq of spending our lives, constructively occupied in noble deeds, which will earn us His Pleasure and Najaat.

 

[1] Tirmidhi

 

 

Link to blog : http://hameediyyah.blogspot.com/

[Acacia]

Ameen, thumma ameen. 

 

JazakAllah khayran for this very beneficial post.