Apathy: Lack of interest or concern especially in
matters of general importance or appeal; Indifference, lack of
emotions; impassiveness
Apathy Condemned
[4:97] Those whose lives are terminated
by the angels, while in a state of wronging their souls, the
angels will ask them, "What was the matter with you?"
They will say, "We were oppressed on earth." They will say,
"Was GOD's earth not spacious enough for you to
emigrate therein?" For these, the final abode is
Hell, and a miserable destiny.
The Believers are Fearless
[4:75] Why should you not fight
in the cause of GOD when weak men, women, and children are
imploring: "Our Lord, deliver us from this
community whose people are oppressive, and be You our Lord and
Master."
[4:76] Those who believe
are fighting for the cause of GOD, while those who
disbelieve are fighting for the cause of tyranny.
Therefore, you shall fight the devil's allies; the
devil's power is nil.
Apathy is a trait that the Quran extensively condemns in the
strongest manner and language. While the Quran gives us a
fully detailed analysis of this condemned character through
straightforward commands and by setting numerous examples, we
often get confused and fail many tests when we are expected to
be positive and take a firm stand. To fully examine this
abhorred character we need to shed light on the following
crucial terms:
Reflection: To think seriously.To express carefully
considered thoughts.
Hesitate: To be slow to act, speak, or decide. To
pause in uncertainty, waver.
Sedentary: Attached to a surface and not moving
freely.
Preoccupied: To occupy completely the mind or
attention of, engross.
God almighty encourages us to be reflective creatures
(3:19,16:44, 6:126) and discourages us from being hesitant
(57:14). If a person is reflecting, then one is in a state of
mental concentration and careful consideration. If a person is
hesitating, then one is slow to act, speak, or decide, which
in most of the time results in a neutral presence/pause. When
comparing the definitions, it appears that the actions one
chooses in life can be mistaken as either hesitant or
reflective. But one must be careful that they are not behaving
hesitantly and confusing the characteristic of taking endless
time to act on a situation with the similar characteristic of
contemplation, which is used in reflection when encountering
God’s tests in their lives.
The consequence of our hesitance to the point of failing to
take a firm, righteous stand is what the Quran characterizes
as CONDEMNED APATHY
The Worst Losers
[57:13] On that day, the hypocrite
men and women will say to those who believed, "Please allow
us to absorb some of your light." It will be said, "Go back
behind you, and seek light." A barrier will be set up
between them, whose gate separates mercy on the inner side,
from retribution on the outer side.
[57:14] They will call upon them,
"Were we not with you?" They will answer, "Yes, but
you cheated your souls, hesitated, doubted, and became
misled by wishful thinking, until GOD's judgment came. You
were diverted from GOD by illusions.
[57:15] "Therefore, today no ransom
can be taken from you, nor from those who disbelieved.
Your abode is the fire;
it is your lord, and miserable abode."
God uses the example of the SEDENTARY in
the Quran to describe those who hesitate until they wrong
their souls and fall into apathy. When we are true believers
in God, we strive with our lives in His cause without
hesitating, otherwise our hearts will be sealed and we will
not be able to comprehend.
[9:86] When a sura is revealed,
stating: "Believe in GOD, and strive with His messenger," even
the strong among them say, "Let us stay behind!"
[9:87] They chose to be with
the sedentary. Consequently, their hearts
were sealed, and thus, they cannot comprehend.
[9:95] They will swear by GOD to you,
when you return to them, that you may
disregard them. Do disregard them. They are polluted,
and their destiny is Hell, as a requital for the sins they
have earned.
[9:96] They swear to you, that you may
pardon them. Even if you pardon them, GOD does not
pardon such wicked people.
Fear, doubt, and hardship trigger our hesitation and
compromises. However, it is God's system that He will test us
through our fear, doubt, and hardships.
[4:143] They waver in between,
neither belonging to this group, nor that group. Whomever GOD
sends astray, you will never find a way to guide him.
[9:45] The only people
who wish to be excused are those who do not really
believe in GOD and the Last Day. Their hearts are
full of doubt, and their doubts cause
them to waver.
[9:46] Had they really wanted to
mobilize, they would have prepared for it thoroughly. But GOD
disliked their participation, so He discouraged them; they
were told, "Stay behind with those who are staying behind."
[9:47] Had they mobilized with
you, they would have created confusion, and would have caused
disputes and divisions among you. Some of you were
apt to listen to them. GOD is fully aware of the
transgressors.
[9:48] They sought to spread
confusion among you in the past, and confounded matters for
you. However, the truth ultimately prevails, and
GOD's plan is carried out, in spite of them.
[9:49] Some of them would say, "Give
me permission (to stay behind); do not impose such a hardship
on me." In fact, they have thus incurred a terrible
hardship; Hell is surrounding the disbelievers.
God also informs us that those who are PREOCCUPIED with
earthly illusions do hesitate and trap themselves into
apathy. To create excuses when required to serve in the
cause of God is a form of preoccupation since the mind of an
individual becomes completely engrossed in convincing
himself and others that he is excused. As a result, one
becomes among the sedentary and also the heedless.
[48:11] The sedentary Arabs who stay
behind will say, "We have been preoccupied with our
money and our families, so ask forgiveness for us!"
They utter with their tongues what is not in their hearts.
Say, "Who can protect you from GOD, if He willed any
adversity for you, or if He willed any blessing for you?"
GOD is fully Cognizant of everything you do.
God's System Does Not Change
[9:69] Some of those before you were
stronger than you, and possessed more money and children.
They became preoccupied with their material possessions.
Similarly, you have become preoccupied with your material
possessions, just like those before you have become
preoccupied. You have become totally heedless, just as they
were heedless. Such are the people who nullify
their works, both in this world and in the Hereafter; they
are the losers.
So how does one draw the righteous boundary between acting
hesitantly, committing apathy and reflecting on the series of
tests in his life, and what can one do to correct his actions
if he is hesitating? The Quran spells out the answers for
these questions through many verses and examples. The
following verses are just a few great examples that we all
should examine carefully so we can have a solid basis and
understanding of our obligations as striving believers. The
theme of all these verses is one: ACT and MOBILIZE to maintain
righteousness and to attain your soul's salvation:
- Moses urged his people to mobilize and use God's spacious
land to worship Him freely. The same concept is repeated in
39:10, 29:56
[7:128] Moses said to
his people, "Seek GOD's help, and steadfastly
persevere. The earth belongs to GOD, and He grants it to
whomever He chooses from among His servants. The ultimate
victory belongs to the righteous."
[7:129] They said, "We were
persecuted before you came to us, and after you came to us."
He said, "Your Lord will annihilate your enemy and establish
you on earth, then He will see how you behave."
- If God is the ONE who guides (2:272), should we still act to
preach and promote the truth and guide with it? Yes, we have
to. 2:272 doesn't promote apathy, but it teaches us that while
exhorting one another to uphold the truth, the results of our
sincere efforts are in God's hands.
God is the Only One Who Guides
[2:272] You are not responsible for
guiding anyone. GOD is the only one who guides whoever chooses
(to be guided). ...
[7:181] Among our creations,
there are those who guide with the truth, and the
truth renders them righteous.
[4:84] You shall fight for the
cause of GOD; you are responsible only for your own
soul, and exhort the believers to do the same.
GOD will neutralize the power of those who disbelieve. GOD is
much more powerful, and much more effective.
[103:3] Except those who believe and
lead a righteous life, and exhort one another to
uphold the truth, and exhort one another to be steadfast.
[6:51] And preach with this
(Quran) to those who reverence the summoning before their Lord
- they have none beside Him as a Lord and Master, nor an
intercessor - that they may attain salvation.
- In the light of many verses in the Quran, we are required
to condemn evil and advocate righteousness. This should never
get confused with what is emphasized in 5:105 ( worrying
about our own necks) and similar verses which are often
misinterpreted as an invitation to passiveness and apathy!
5:105 is establishing a divine law in the Quran, which is
every soul is paid only for what it earns.
[5:105] O you who believe, you should
worry only about your own necks. If the others go astray, they
cannot hurt you, as long as you are guided. To GOD is your
ultimate destiny, all of you, then He will inform you of
everything you had done.
[3:104] Let there be a community of you
who invite to what is good, advocate righteousness,
and forbid evil. These are the winners.
Apathy Condemned
[5:79] They did not enjoin one
another from committing evil. Miserable indeed is what they
did.
[5:80] You would see many of them
allying themselves with those who disbelieve. Miserable indeed
is what their hands have sent forth on behalf of their souls.
GOD is angry with them and, consequently, they will abide
forever in retribution.
[5:81] Had they believed in
GOD, and the prophet, and in what was revealed to him herein,
they would not have befriended them. But many of them are
evil.
- Changing our conditions and reforming cannot be accomplished
with an apathetic attitude!
[13:11] Shifts (of angels) take turns,
staying with each one of you - they are in front of you and
behind you. They stay with you, and guard you in accordance
with GOD's commands. Thus, GOD does not change the
condition of any people unless they themselves make the
decision to change. If GOD wills any hardship for any
people, no force can stop it. For they have none beside Him as
Lord and Master.
- Should we focus on pursuing peace (49:10) with our friends
and allies, trade in God's commands for the sake of social
functions and harmony? We should never overlook the fact that
real peace is only achieved by advocating God's laws and can
never be established on a weak foundation such as apathy.
[6:70] You shall disregard
those who take their religion in vain, as if it is a social
function, and are totally absorbed in this worldly life.
Remind with this (Quran), lest a soul may suffer the
consequences of its evil earnings. ....
[47:35] Therefore, you shall
not waver and surrender in pursuit of peace,
for you are guaranteed victory, and GOD is with you.
He will never waste your efforts.
Reconcile The Believers
[49:9] If two groups of believers
fought with each other, you shall reconcile
them. If one group aggresses against the other, you
shall fight the aggressing group until they submit to GOD's
command. Once they submit,
you shall reconcile the two groups equitably.
You shall maintain justice; GOD loves those who are just.
[25:52] Therefore, do not obey the
disbelievers, and strive against them with this,
a great striving.
By examining all the above reminders, we can easily
conclude that apathy hurts our souls and our communities. Our
souls regress and become heedless when we slow down, hesitate,
or fail to support God's truth and act appropriately in the
right time and for the right cause. With the same token of our
apathy, those who are transgressing around us are
deprived from hearing a firm, loud and righteous voice
addressing their aggression and unrighteousness. They too lose
their souls and indulge deeper into their aggression.
Ultimately, this weakens the foothold of any community.
The hesitance and the apathetic attitude when
addressing/dealing with unrighteous behavior is indeed one of
the most divisive and destructive epidemic in any community.
Let us pray that if called to serve and strive in the cause of
God, that we will always REFLECT, DECIDE AND ACT based on His
commands. Let's pray that we always PERSEVERE in promoting
His truth, and HOLD FAST to His rope, with no wavering or
apathy, so we stay united and maintain our strength.
[3:200] O you who believe, you
shall be steadfast, you shall persevere, you shall be united,
you shall observe GOD, that you may succeed.
Believers are United
[3:103] You shall hold fast to
the rope of GOD, all of you, and do not be divided.
Recall GOD's blessings upon you - you used to be enemies and
He reconciled your hearts. By His grace, you became brethren.
You were at the brink of a pit of fire, and He saved you
therefrom. GOD thus explains His revelations for you, that you
may be guided.
[61:4] GOD loves those who
fight in His cause united in one column, like the bricks in
one wall.
Peaceful Friday, slaam and God bless you.
