Ghaflah (غفلة) is the

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

word for "heedlessness", "forgetfulness" or "carelessness". In an

Islamic Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

context, it is the sin of forgetting

God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...

and one's divine origins, or being indifferent of these. In the

Quran The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...

, ghaflah is often associated with "dalal" (going astray),

kufr ''Kāfir'' (; , , or ; ; or ) is an Arabic-language term used by Muslims to refer to a non-Muslim, more specifically referring to someone who disbelieves in the Islamic God, denies his authority, and rejects the message of Islam a ...

(disbelief), zulm (wrongdoing), and shirk (worshiping others beside God). The state of heedlessness or forgetfulness is to be remedied through

dhikr (; ; ) is a form of Islamic worship in which phrases or prayers are repeatedly recited for the purpose of remembering God. It plays a central role in Sufism, and each Sufi order typically adopts a specific ''dhikr'', accompanied by specific ...

or remembrance of God.

Etymology

Ghaflah is an Arabic word that means heedlessness or carelessness, and the term ''ghafil'' refers to those who are neglectful or heedless.

Concept

Toshihiko Izutsu argues that the term "ghaflah" used in the Quran has both a common and a religious connotation. The common usage of the word can be seen in the story of

Jacob Jacob, later known as Israel, is a Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions. He first appears in the Torah, where he is described in the Book of Genesis as a son of Isaac and Rebecca. Accordingly, alongside his older fraternal twin brother E ...

and his sons, as mentioned in verse 12:13 of the Quran. In this verse, Jacob tells his sons: "Verily, it grieves me that you should take him out with you; I fear lest the wolf devour him osephwhile you are heedless (ghafilun) of him." In its religious usage, "ghaflah" is closely related to another similar concept called "dalal". "Dalal" refers to deviating from the path of guidance, while "ghaflah" means to be completely unaware of it. In Surah 25, verse 44 of the Quran, the disbelievers thus are compared to cattle in their state of "dalal". Similarly, they are characterized by the property of "ghaflah" or heedlessness. The Quran states in 7:178-179: "Whomsoever God guides (yahdi), he is guided (muhtadi), while whomsoever He leads astray (yudlil), such are the losers. We have created for

Gehenna Gehenna ( ; ) or Gehinnom ( or ) is a Biblical toponym that has acquired various theological connotations, including as a place of divine punishment, in Jewish eschatology. The place is first mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as part of the border ...

a huge number of jinn and men who, having hearts, understand not therewith. They are like the cattle. Nay, they are further astray (adallu). They are the heedless (ghafilun, part. pl.)". The notion of ghaflah may also refer to the pre-revelational state of humanity as is evident in Surah 36, verses 5-6, which refer to the Quran as "The Revelation of the Mighty, the Merciful, that thou nowiki/>Muhammad">Muhammad.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Muhammad">nowiki/>Muhammadmayest warn a people whose fathers were never warned, and who are, consequently, heedless". The notion of ghaflah is also closely related to kufr, zulm, and shirk, as is seen in 21:97-98, which says: "When the true promise [i.e. the chastisement of Hell] draws nigh, lo, how fixedly open they are, the eyes of the Kafir, Kafirs! [They say], ‘Alas for us! We were in heedlessness (ghaflah) of this. Nay, we were wrongdoers (Zulm, zalimin).’ ‘Verily, you and what you used oworship beside God, are all fuel for Gehenna. You are now going to enter it.’" According to '' The New Encyclopedia of Islam'', "Ghaflah is the sin of indifference to the reality of God". The people who are identified as being negligent or heedless (ghafil) in the Quran have a limited understanding and appreciation of the true essence of life. These individuals are preoccupied with only the superficial aspects of the

world The world is the totality of entities, the whole of reality, or everything that Existence, exists. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the world as unique, while others talk ...

and do not pay attention to the significance of the hereafter (30:7). The Quran mentions that before receiving the

revelation Revelation, or divine revelation, is the disclosing of some form of Religious views on truth, truth or Knowledge#Religion, knowledge through communication with a deity (god) or other supernatural entity or entities in the view of religion and t ...

, even the

Prophet In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divinity, divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings ...

himself was in a state of heedlessness or "ghaflah", as the Quran states in 12:3: "We narrate to thee the best of stories in that We have revealed to thee this Quran, although thou wast aforetime of the heedless".

Dhikr as remedy

According to Sachiko Murata and

William Chittick William Clark Chittick (born June 29, 1943) is an American philosopher, writer, translator, and interpreter of classical Islamic philosophical and mystical texts. He is best known for his work on Rumi and Ibn 'Arabi, and has written extensively ...

, "If forgetfulness and heedlessness mark the basic fault of human beings, dhikr (remembrance) designates their saving virtue". God thus sends the prophets to remind people of the Covenant they made with Him before their birth, which they have forgotten due to heedlessness. The prophets do this by reciting God's signs and reminding people of their debt to Him. In response, people are expected to remember God by glorifying and praising Him in their prayers. The act of remembrance of God is considered crucial in fulfilling the purpose of human existence, as it restores the bond between the Creator and His creation.

References

Sources

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External links