The Disease Of Al-Ghaflah [1]
 
 
Bismillaahi walhamdulillaahi was-salaatu was-salaamu 'alaa rasoolilaah wa 'alaa 
aalihi wa sahbihi wa sallam, 'amma ba'd:
 
The disease of al-ghaflah – to be in a state of neglecting your duty to Allaah 
(subhaanahu wa ta'aala) is a disease that many, many people, unfortunately, of 
the Ummatul-Islaam have fallen into. It is to be in a state of forgetting the 
Day that you will be questioned by Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala). The Day He 
will ask you for the big and the small, the good and the wrong, the halaal and 
the haraam, the correct and the mistake – everything will be asked of you by 
Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala).
 
We begin by warning myself and yourselves not to be from those who are in a 
state of ghaflah. Allaah says:
 
"Draws near for mankind their reckoning, while they turn away in heedlessness. 
Comes not unto them an admonition (a chapter of the Qur'aan) from their Lord as 
a recent revelation but they listen to it while they play, With their hearts 
occupied (with evil things).." [Al-Anbiyaa' (21) 1-3]
 
Many of the Muslim Ummah, they listen to the Qur'aan and their eyes will never 
shed tears, not once, living their whole life listening to the word of Allaah 
and not once in their life will they shed a tear from the fear of Allaah. 
Muslims will live their whole life listening to the ahadeeth and the Sunnah of 
Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) and their hearts will never be moved:  
"their hearts occupied.." with other things.
 
But the actual danger is not that the heart is pre-occupied but the danger is 
that there are people who know that they are committing mistakes: eating ribaa' 
, not praying, they know they are disobeying Allaah but then they look around 
themselves and they see that they have cars, they have wealth, a career, an 
education, a job, wife, children and he says all of this is ni'mah (a favour) 
therefore Allaah is pleased with me but actually it is a test and trial from 
Allaah.
 
The Ulamaa from the Salaf and the Khalaf have said: To be tested by being given 
from Allaah's goodness is a harder test for you than for Allaah to remove some 
of your goodness. Because when you have wealth, when you have goodness all 
around you, you are blinded, you are blinded, you do not actually see that you 
are committing sins because you think that Allaah is actually pleased with you 
for giving you money, for giving you wealth, for giving you a job, in essence 
this is a greater trial than for Allaah to take it from you.
 
Read the words of Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam):
"If you see that Allaah is giving a person everything that he wishes whilst you 
see that that same person is committing a ma'siyah (disobedient act) know that 
Allaah is gradually going to bring him to punishment." 2
 
Allaah is letting the rope go a little, until Allaah cuts it and then Allaah 
seizes it. Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) says explaining this Sunnah:
"So, when they forgot (the warning) with which they had been reminded, We 
opened to them the gates of every (pleasant) thing, until in the midst of their 
enjoyment in that which they were given, all of a sudden, We took them to 
punishment, and lo! They were plunged into destruction with deep regrets and 
sorrows." [Al-An'aam (6):44]
 
And the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said as reported by Abu Musaa 
al-Ash'aree (radiyallaahu anhu):
"Verily Allaah, will give an oppressor time to keep committing more oppression 
until Allaah seizes him and when Allaah seizes him, he never lets him go" Then 
the Messenger recited: "Such is the Seizure of your Lord when He seizes the 
(population of) towns while they are doing wrong. Verily, His Seizure is 
painful, and severe" [Hud (11):102] [Agreed Upon]
 
He lets them go until they are in the middle of their enjoyment and then He 
brings them to punishment. And listen to the Words Of Allaah where He describes 
the people of ghaflah, what are their characteristics, what are their 
attitudes, what type of people are they?
 
"And surely, We have created many of the jinns and mankind for Hell. They have 
hearts wherewith they understand not, they have eyes wherewith they see not, 
and they have ears wherewith they hear not (the truth). They are like cattle, 
nay even more astray; those! They are the (ghaafiloon) heedless ones." 
[Al-A'raf (7):179]
 
And you may ask how can a human being be less than an animal? Have you not 
heard Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) where He said:
"See you not that to Allaah prostrates whoever is in the heavens and whoever is 
on the earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the mountains, and 
the trees, and Ad-Dawaab (moving living creatures, beasts, etc.), and many of 
mankind? But there are many (men) on whom the punishment is justified. And 
whomsoever Allaah disgraces, none can honour him. Verily! Allaah does what He 
wills." [Al-Hajj (22):18]
 
So Allaah is telling you the sun, the moon, the mountains, the trees, the 
animals and many of mankind are better than those who do not submit to Allaah 
(subhaanahu wa ta'aala). Those who are deserving of punishment, and whoever 
Allaah humiliates none shall give him honour. Verily! Allaah does what He 
wills. And you may ask yourself: eyes that do not see? A heart that does not 
see?
 
Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) says:
"Verily, it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts which are in 
the breasts that grow blind."  [Al-Hajj (22):46]
 
The eyes can see but the actual sight that it should be seeing is not 
understood by the heart – because the heart is not comprehending the blessing 
that Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) has given us. The heart is not 
understanding at-Tawheed, laa ilaaha illaa Allaah, Muhammadur-Rasoolul-Laah. It 
is not the eyes that grow blind:
"..but it is the hearts which are in the breasts that grow blind…"
 
We ask ourselves: Why are we people who are in a state or condition where we 
are looking at the Islaamic law or the orders of Allaah and His Messenger as 
something light – it is not something important – it is not of much concern?
 
During the last week I met a muslim brother and as I was sitting with him 
speaking for an hour or so I came to notice that he was wearing a gold ring. 
Seeing that I am with him alone and in a polite manner I say: "yaa akhee, do 
you know my brother that the messenger has forbidden that a man should wear 
gold, maybe you may not have heard this?"
He says: "No, I know, I know this."  And I sat there astonished. You know yet 
you do not obey?
 
YOU KNOW YET YOU DO NOT OBEY??
 
Taking lightly the orders of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) my brothers, Taking 
lightly the orders of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) my sisters. Yet at the 
same time if your boss ordered you to do something which is not in your job 
description - something which you do not have to do – you would follow and obey 
your boss. Even in many cases if it was to disobey a standard rule you wouldn't 
do it - you would obey your boss. Yet when Allaah orders and forbids and the 
Messenger orders and forbids you, then you do not obey them:
 
"O you who believe! Do not put (yourselves) forward before Allaah and His 
Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam), and fear Allaah. Verily! Allaah is 
All-Hearing, All-Knowing. [Al-Hujuraat (49):1]
 
O you who believe! Raise not your voices above the voice of the Prophet 
(sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam), 
nor speak aloud to him in talk as you speak aloud to one another, lest your 
deeds may be rendered
fruitless while you perceive not." [Al-Hujuraat (49):2]
 
Abdullah bin Az-Zubayr (radiyallaahu anhu) said, "After that,`Umar's voice was 
so low that the Messenger of Allaah had to ask him to repeat what he said so 
that he could understand what he was saying to him.''
 
The Aalim and worshipper, Imaam Ibnul-Qayyim (rahimahullaah), says:
"…if the sahaabah were to have their voice louder than the voice of the rasool 
(sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) their whole good deeds could be wiped out – what 
about when a person not just raises his voice but puts his intellect / opinions 
before the statements and actions of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 
alayhi wasallam)?"
 
And this is why Allaah says:
"It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allaah and His Messenger have 
decreed a matter that
they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allaah and 
His Messenger,
he has indeed strayed in a plain error." [Al-Ahzaab (33):36]
 
So we ask again: Why are people taking the orders of Allaah and His messenger 
lightly? There is one main reason and that is that they have forgotten the 
purpose of creation. The Muslims have forgotten why they are here. Why they are 
allowed to walk on the face of the earth by Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala). Why 
they are allowed to breathe, go to work, go to school. And that is the true 
reason, the true calling of Islam - a single ayah from the Qur'aan where Allaah 
(subhaanahu
wa ta'aala) says:
 
"And I (Allaah) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship Me 
(Alone)."
[Adh-Dhaariyaat (51):56]
 
This is your reason for being on this earth – it is not to fulfil your lusts or 
desires or to attain goals that are unislamic, it is to worship Allaah 
(subhaanahu wa ta'aala). But do not think that this means that you do not need 
to go to school or work. Allaah has not sent this Qur'aan to make thing 
difficult for us. He says:
 
"TaaHaa. We have not sent down the Qur'aan unto you (O Muhammad sallallaahu 
alayhi wa sallam) to cause you distress, But only as a Reminder to those who 
fear (Allaah)." [TaaHaa (20):1-2]
 
Allaah has not sent this Qur'aan to make things difficult for us. Islam does 
not prohibit any individual from attaining wealth and richness – you just have 
to answer two questions:
 
Where did you earn your money: Halaal or Haraam? and;
 
How did you spend it: Halaal or Haraam? – two simple questions.
 
Do not think that you have to become a hermit just praying to Allaah, reciting 
Qur'aan and just hope for the rizq to come to you! Rather your Ibaadah is to be 
a fully functioning person in a society - while worshipping Allaah.
 
We ask ourselves what is the cure to our heedlessness?
 
It is to firstly know the reason of your creation. Ask yourself, scrutinise 
yourself, analyse your life: Are you living for al-Ibaadah or for ad-Dunya?
 
Secondly, remove yourself from anyone who is bringing you to the state of 
alghaflah – eliminate them out of your life. You are someone who carries the 
passport of laa ilaaha illaah Allaah, Muhammadur-Rasoolul-laah - you cannot 
have stamped on it the visa of disobedience to Allaah (azza wa jall).
 
Thirdly, you must repent for what you have done of disobedience to Allaah – you 
can't just walk away from your disobedience and simply just start over by doing 
nothing – you have to make tawba, fulfilling the shurootut-tawba (the 
conditions of tawba).
 
And fourthly, a hadeeth which we will not become tired of relaying, and that is 
the advice of the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) to Mu'aadh Ibn Jabal 
(radiyallaahu anhu) and in turn all of mankind and the jinn: to "fear Allaah 
wherever you may be" – whether in seclusion or public.
 
We ask Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) to protect us from being al-ghaafiloon 
and to make us from His sincere worshipping slaves – Aameen.
 
"DRAWS NEAR FOR MANKIND THEIR RECKONING, while they turn away in heedlessness…"
[Al-Anbiyaa' (21) 1-3]
 
wallaahu a'lam - wa sallallaahu 'alaa Muhammad wa aalihi wasahbihi wa salla
 
 
 
1] This article is, for the most part, a verbatim reproduction of a khutbah 
given by the brother Yahya Adel Ibraheem entitled: Al-Ghaflah.
 
2] Ahmad, Al-Bayhaqee – Al-Haafidh Al-Iraaqee says Hasan, Al-Albaanee says: 
isnaad
Saheeh
 
www.calltoislam.com


      __________________________________________________________
Sent from Yahoo! Mail.
A Smarter Email http://uk.docs.yahoo.com/nowyoucan.html

Reply via email to