Heedlessness (الغفلة) in the Quran — Key Verses & Related Concepts

ConceptHeedlessness in the QuranالغفلةSpirituality16Verses13Surahs14Connections#246of 828

Also Known As

FrenchInsouciance
Urduغفلت
Bengaliগাফিলতি
IndonesianKelalaian

Profile

Revelation

Meccan 15Medinan 1

Domain Mix

Spirituality56%
Eschatology19%
Ethics6%
Prophethood6%

Across The Qur’an

Every surah, shaded by how often this concept appears. Unshaded surahs never mention it.

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Where It Appears Most

Key Verses

Showing 12 of 16 verses that mention this concept.

  1. ذَٰلِكَ أَن لَّمۡ يَكُن رَّبُّكَ مُهۡلِكَ ٱلۡقُرَىٰ بِظُلۡمٖ وَأَهۡلُهَا غَٰفِلُونَ
    This is because thy Lord destroyeth not the townships arbitrarily while their people are unconscious (of the wrong they do).
    In context

    The reason for sending messengers to mankind and jinn is so that no one is punished for the crimes they committed without a messenger having been sent to warn them and the invitation reaching them. I only punished a nation after sending messengers to them.

  2. وَلَقَدۡ ذَرَأۡنَا لِجَهَنَّمَ كَثِيرٗا مِّنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ وَٱلۡإِنسِۖ لَهُمۡ قُلُوبٞ لَّا يَفۡقَهُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمۡ أَعۡيُنٞ لَّا يُبۡصِرُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمۡ ءَاذَانٞ لَّا يَسۡمَعُونَ بِهَآۚ أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ كَٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمِ بَلۡ هُمۡ أَضَلُّۚ أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡغَٰفِلُونَ
    Already have We urged unto hell many of the jinn and humankind, having hearts wherewith they understand not, and having eyes wherewith they see not, and having ears wherewith they hear not. These are as the cattle - nay, but they are worse! These are the neglectful.
    In context

    And I made for the Hellfire, many people from Humankind and the Jinn, because of My Knowledge that they would do the actions of the people of Hell.

  3. وَٱذۡكُر رَّبَّكَ فِي نَفۡسِكَ تَضَرُّعٗا وَخِيفَةٗ وَدُونَ ٱلۡجَهۡرِ مِنَ ٱلۡقَوۡلِ بِٱلۡغُدُوِّ وَٱلۡأٓصَالِ وَلَا تَكُن مِّنَ ٱلۡغَٰفِلِينَ
    And do thou (O Muhammad) remember thy Lord within thyself humbly and with awe, below thy breath, at morn and evening. And be not thou of the neglectful.
    In context

    And remember Allah your Lord, humbly, with lowliness before Him, and with fear and awe. Call upon him in a moderate manner, not too loudly, at the beginning and end of the day, because of the special qualities of these times, and do not be among those who neglect the remembrance of Allah the Exalted.

  4. إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَرۡجُونَ لِقَآءَنَا وَرَضُواْ بِٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَٱطۡمَأَنُّواْ بِهَا وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَنۡ ءَايَٰتِنَا غَٰفِلُونَ
    Lo! those who expect not the meeting with Us but desire the life of the world and feel secure therein, and those who are neglectful of Our revelations,
    In context

    The disbelievers who do not prepare themselves for their meeting with Allah, not fearing it or desiring it, who are satisfied with the life of the world, which is passing, instead of the eternal life of the Afterlife, feeling themselves at home in this world and content with it, and who do not consider Allah’s signs –

  5. 10:92YunusConsolation
    فَٱلۡيَوۡمَ نُنَجِّيكَ بِبَدَنِكَ لِتَكُونَ لِمَنۡ خَلۡفَكَ ءَايَةٗۚ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرٗا مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ عَنۡ ءَايَٰتِنَا لَغَٰفِلُونَ
    But this day We save thee in thy body that thou mayst be a portent for those after thee. Lo! most of mankind are heedless of Our portents.
    In context

    So today I will take you out, O Pharaoh, from the sea and place you on a high piece of ground so that those who come after you can take a lesson from you. But many people are unmindful of My proof and evidence indicating My power, and they do not reflect over them.

  6. 12:3YusufCommand
    نَحۡنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيۡكَ أَحۡسَنَ ٱلۡقَصَصِ بِمَآ أَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَيۡكَ هَٰذَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ وَإِن كُنتَ مِن قَبۡلِهِۦ لَمِنَ ٱلۡغَٰفِلِينَ
    We narrate unto thee (Muhammad) the best of narratives in that We have inspired in thee this Qur'an, though aforetime thou wast of the heedless.
    In context

    By revealing this Qur’ān to you, I narrate, O Messenger, the best of stories, in their accuracy, the soundness of their words and their eloquence. Before I revealed it, you were unaware of these stories, without any knowledge of them.

  7. أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ طَبَعَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمۡ وَسَمۡعِهِمۡ وَأَبۡصَٰرِهِمۡۖ وَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡغَٰفِلُونَ
    Such are they whose hearts and ears and eyes Allah hath sealed. And such are the heedless.
    In context

    Those described as being apostates after having faith are the ones whose hearts Allah has sealed, so they do not understand the admonition, He has sealed their hearing, so that they do not hear anything that benefits them, and He has sealed their sight, so that they do not see the signs indicating faith.

  8. يَعۡلَمُونَ ظَٰهِرٗا مِّنَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَهُمۡ عَنِ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ هُمۡ غَٰفِلُونَ
    They know only some appearance of the life of the world, and are heedless of the Hereafter.
    In context

    They do not know faith and the rulings of the Shariah; they only know of the superficial matters of worldly life, related to earning a livelihood, whilst they turn away from the real life of the afterlife, not paying any attention to it.

  9. لِتُنذِرَ قَوۡمٗا مَّآ أُنذِرَ ءَابَآؤُهُمۡ فَهُمۡ غَٰفِلُونَ
    That thou mayst warn a folk whose fathers were not warned, so they are heedless.
    In context

    I revealed it to you to warn and exhort a nation, the Arabs to whom no Messenger has come to warn them and as a result they are heedless of faith and monotheism. Likewise is the case of every nation which has been away from the exhortation, they need messengers, scholars and preachers to remind them.

  10. وَإِذَا كُنتَ فِيهِمۡ فَأَقَمۡتَ لَهُمُ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ فَلۡتَقُمۡ طَآئِفَةٞ مِّنۡهُم مَّعَكَ وَلۡيَأۡخُذُوٓاْ أَسۡلِحَتَهُمۡۖ فَإِذَا سَجَدُواْ فَلۡيَكُونُواْ مِن وَرَآئِكُمۡ وَلۡتَأۡتِ طَآئِفَةٌ أُخۡرَىٰ لَمۡ يُصَلُّواْ فَلۡيُصَلُّواْ مَعَكَ وَلۡيَأۡخُذُواْ حِذۡرَهُمۡ وَأَسۡلِحَتَهُمۡۗ وَدَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَوۡ تَغۡفُلُونَ عَنۡ أَسۡلِحَتِكُمۡ وَأَمۡتِعَتِكُمۡ فَيَمِيلُونَ عَلَيۡكُم مَّيۡلَةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗۚ وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ إِن كَانَ بِكُمۡ أَذٗى مِّن مَّطَرٍ أَوۡ كُنتُم مَّرۡضَىٰٓ أَن تَضَعُوٓاْ أَسۡلِحَتَكُمۡۖ وَخُذُواْ حِذۡرَكُمۡۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ أَعَدَّ لِلۡكَٰفِرِينَ عَذَابٗا مُّهِينٗا
    And when thou (O Muhammad) art among them and arrangest (their) worship for them, let only a party of them stand with thee (to worship) and let them take their arms. Then when they have performed their prostrations let them fall to the rear and let another party come that hath not worshipped and let them worship with thee, and let them take their precaution and their arms. Those who disbelieve long for you to neglect your arms and your baggage that they may attack you once for all. It is no sin for you to lay aside your arms, if rain impedeth you or ye are sick. But take your precaution. Lo! Allah prepareth for the disbelievers shameful punishment.
    In context

    When you, O Messenger, are with them in the army, fighting the enemy, and you wish to lead them in prayer, then divide the army into two groups: one group should stand and pray with you, keeping their weapons with them during the prayer, whilst the other group guards you.

  11. وَٱصۡبِرۡ نَفۡسَكَ مَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِٱلۡغَدَوٰةِ وَٱلۡعَشِيِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجۡهَهُۥۖ وَلَا تَعۡدُ عَيۡنَاكَ عَنۡهُمۡ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَاۖ وَلَا تُطِعۡ مَنۡ أَغۡفَلۡنَا قَلۡبَهُۥ عَن ذِكۡرِنَا وَٱتَّبَعَ هَوَىٰهُ وَكَانَ أَمۡرُهُۥ فُرُطٗا
    Restrain thyself along with those who cry unto their Lord at morn and evening, seeking His Countenance; and let not thine eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp of the life of the world; and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance, who followeth his own lust and whose case hath been abandoned.
    In context

    Remain and be close with your poor companions who sincerely call on their Lord in worship and supplication at the beginning and at the end of the day. Do not let your eyes overlook them intending to sit with people of affluence and prestige.

  12. وَأَنذِرۡهُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡحَسۡرَةِ إِذۡ قُضِيَ ٱلۡأَمۡرُ وَهُمۡ فِي غَفۡلَةٖ وَهُمۡ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ
    And warn them of the Day of anguish when the case hath been decided. Now they are in a state of carelessness, and they believe not.
    In context

    And warn the people, O Messenger, of the Day of Regret when the evildoer will regret his evil-doings and when the righteous will regret not being more obedient, when the scrolls of the servants will be wrapped, their reckoning is finished and each person goes towards what he had sent forward.

Appears Alongside