ON NEGLIGENCE AND INATTENTION

Negligence increases remorse. Negligence removes bounties and comes as a barrier in fulfilling service [to Allâh ]. Negligence increases jealousy. Negligence increases rebuke and regret.

It is related that a pious person saw his teacher in his dream and so he asked him: “What is your greatest remorse?” The teacher replied: “The remorse of negligence.”

It is related that a pious person saw Dhû an-Nûn Misrî rahimahullâh in his dream so he asked him: “What did Allâh do to you?” He replied: “He made me stand before Him and said to me: ‘O you who used to claim! O liar! You claimed to love Me but then you became unmindful of me?’”

A poet says:

“You are in negligence and your heart is inattentive. Your entire life has passed while your sins are still the same.”

It is related that a pious man saw his father in his dream so he asked him: “O my father! How are you and what condition are you in?” He replied: “O my son! We lived in the world in a state of negligence and we died in a state of negligence.”

It is stated in Zahr ar-Riyâd that Ya‘qûb was friendly with the angel of death. One day the latter came to visit him so Ya‘qûb asked him: “O angel of death! Have you come to visit me or have you come to take my life away?” He replied: “I have come to visit you.” Ya‘qûb said to him: “I am asking you for one favour.” He asked: “And what is that?” Ya‘qûb said: “You must inform me when my time draws near and you decide to take away my life.” He replied: “Okay, I will send you two or three messengers.” Then when his time came to an end, the angel of death came to him. Ya‘qûb asked him: “Have you come to visit me or have you come to take my life away?” He replied: “I have come to take your life away.” Ya‘qûb asked him: “Did you not tell me that you will send two or three messengers to me [when my time comes to an end]?” The angel of death replied: “I had done that: your hair became grey after it was black. Your body became weak after it was strong. Your body became bent after it had been upright. O Ya‘qûb! These are my messengers whom I send to man before death [comes to them].”

A poet says:

“Time and days have passed, and the sins have been committed. The messenger of death has come but the heart is still negligent. Your comforts in this world are a deception and a source of remorse. For you to live in this world forever is impossible and baseless.”

Abû Alî ad-Daqqâq rahimahullâh said: “I went to visit a pious man when he had fallen ill. He was a very senior teacher and his students were sitting around him while he was crying. He had reached an extremely old age. So I said to him: ‘O Shaykh! What is the reason for your crying? Is it over this world?” He said: “Not at all. Rather I am crying over the fact that I missed my salâh.’ I said: ‘How can that be when you were regular in your salâh?’ He replied: ‘Because I remained this entire day without prostrating except in negligence and I raised my head [from prostration] in negligence. And here I am now dying in a state of negligence. He then heaved a deep sigh and began saying the following poem:

“I pondered over my resurrection and my day of reckoning. The light of my cheek is lying prone in the grave. I am all alone and lonely after all the honour and status which I enjoyed. I am responsible for my sins and the soil is my pillow. I pondered over the lengthy reckoning [of deeds] and the presentation thereof. And my disgraceful position when I will be given my book of deeds. However, I have hope in You, my Sustainer and my Creator, that O my Allâh, You will forgive me my sins.”

It is mentioned in ‘Uyûn al-Akhbâr that Shaqîq al-Balkhî rahimahullâh said: People make three statements which they are very used to in their actions: (1) They say “we are the slaves of Allâh” yet they do actions of free people. So this is contrary to their statement. (2) They say: “Allâh has guaranteed our sustenance.” Yet their hearts are only satisfied with this world and gathering all its vanities. This is also contrary to their statement. (3) They say: “It is inevitable for us to die.” Yet they do deeds of a person who is not going to die. This is also contrary to their statement. Therefore, my dear brother, you should think with which body you are going to stand before Allâh , with which tongue you are going to answer Him, and what are you going to say when He questions you about every single thing – big and small. You should therefore prepare answers for the questions, and ensure that the answers are correct. Fear Allâh for He is fully aware of all that you do – be it good or evil. Allâh then admonishes the believers that they should not abandon His orders and that they should believe in Him as one both in secrecy and in public.

The Prophet said: “It is written on the side of the throne [of Allâh ]: I am obedient to the one who obeys me, I love the one who loves me, I accept the supplication of the one who supplicates to me, and I forgive the one who asks me for forgiveness.”

It is therefore the duty of an intelligent person to obey Allâh with fear, with sincerity in obedience to Him, with being pleased with whatever He has decided, with being patient over whatever He afflicted him with, with being grateful over His bounties, and with being content with what He gives.

Allâh says: “He who is not pleased with My decision, who is not patient over what I afflicted him with, who is not grateful over My bounties and who is not content with what I give him, then he should look for a Sustainer apart from Me.”

A person said to Hasan al-Basrî rahimahullâh: “I do not experience any enjoyment in obedience [to Allâh ].” So he said to him: “You probably looked at someone who does not fear Allâh.” Worship demands that you abandon everything solely for Allâh .

A person said to Abû Yazîd rahimahullâh: “I do not experience any enjoyment in obedience [to Allâh ].” So he said to him: “That is because you are worshipping [acts of] obedience and not worshipping Allâh . Worship Allâh so that you experience enjoyment in [acts of] obedience.”

It is related that a person commenced salâh and when he came to the words “You alone do we worship”, the thought crossed his mind that he is really worshipping Allâh . An announcement was made in his heart: “You are lying. You are actually worshipping the creation.” So he repented and remained aloof from people. He then started his salâh again and when he came to the words “You alone do we worship”, an announcement was made: “You are lying. You are actually worshipping your wealth.” So he gave all his wealth in charity. He then started his salâh again and when he came to the words “You alone do we worship”, an announcement was made: “You are lying. You are actually worshipping your clothing.” So he gave all his clothes in charity except what he really needed. He then started his salâh again and when he came to the words “You alone do we worship”, an announcement was made: “Now you are speaking the truth. You are really worshipping your Sustainer.”

It is stated in Raunaq al-Majâlis that a person lost his saddle-bags and did not know who took them away from him. When he started offering his salâh, he remembered [who had them]. When he completed his salâh, he said to his slave: “Go to such and such person and ask him to return the saddle-bags.” His slave said to him: “When did you remember this?” He replied: “When I was in my salâh.” The slave said: “O my master! [when you were in salâh] you were seeking your saddle-bags, and you were not seeking the Creator.” His master freed him because of his firm belief.

It is therefore the duty of an intelligent person to leave this world and worship Allâh . He should ponder over what lies before him and desire the hereafter.

Allâh says: “He who desires the plantation of the hereafter, We give him more in his plantation. And he who desires the plantation of this world”[25] , i.e. the pleasures of clothing, food and drink of this world, “We give him some of it and there is no share whatsoever for him in the hereafter.” [26] In the sense that love for the hereafter is removed from his heart. It is for this reason that Abû Bakr spent 40 000 dînârs on the Prophet in secrecy and 40 000 dînârs in public – to the extent that there remained nothing with him. As for the Prophet , he shunned the world, its desires and its pleasures – he and his family. It is for this reason that when the Prophet got his daughter, Fâtimah radiyallâhu 'anhâ, married to ‘Alî , her dowry was merely a tanned piece of sheep leather and a leather pillow whose filling was fibres.