A DANGEROUS APATHY
Pay Heed to the Signs
A COMPANION of the Prophet Muhammad, Abu Hurairah recorded God’s Messenger as saying, “I have seen nothing like Hell whose fear-struck may have gone to sleep. I have seen nothing like Paradise whose seekers may have gone to sleep.”
Man should abhor Hell above all else, but he has become totally insensitive to its perils. Man should seek Paradise first and foremost, but he no longer has any ardent desire for it. These two shortcomings sum up the story of humankind.
Man’s apathy towards this reality is indeed strange. Not even in their subconscious minds are people wary of Hell. Not even in their most fervent wishes do people include the prospect of Paradise. Given this kind of apathy, how is it possible for them to remain safe from the Fire of Hell, or to be rewarded with the good things of Paradise?
On the Day of Judgement, God will address those who forgot the only thing that they should have remembered thus: ‘Just as Our signs came to you and you ignored them, so will you on this Day be ignored.
People’s fears are all about something quite different. Their emotional outbursts are all for something else. Fears and hopes alike are focussed elsewhere. Under the circumstances, how can they ever become claimants of the divine blessing?
The temptations of this world are the pivot of their lives, causing them to disregard the Hereafter. They have concentrated their attention on worldly wealth, leadership, popularity, fame and physical contentment. There is scarcely anyone who is worried about forgiveness and deliverance in the life Hereafter, or who can be galvanized into action by the fear of divine punishment or the desire for Paradise.
What a pity that this world boasts of offering everything except what is most desirable. What a pity that man knows everything except what he should know best. Undoubtedly, this is the worst kind of omission.
A time will come when man will realize his mistake. This realization will not, however, serve to compensate for what has been lost. On the Day of Judgement, God will address those who forgot the only thing that they should have remembered thus: ‘Just as Our signs came to you and you ignored them, so will you on this Day be ignored.’ (20: 126)