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

ConceptHeedlessnessالغفلةSpirituality7Verses6Surahs8Connections#399of 728

Also Known As

FrenchInsouciance
Urduغفلت
Bengaliগাফিলতি
IndonesianKelalaian

Profile

Revelation

Meccan 6Medinan 1

Domain Mix

Spirituality57%
Theology29%
Prophethood14%

Across The Qur’an

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

123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990919293949596979899100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114
FewerMore

Where It Appears Most

Key Verses

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. ٱقۡتَرَبَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَابُهُمۡ وَهُمۡ فِي غَفۡلَةٖ مُّعۡرِضُونَ
    Their reckoning draweth nigh for mankind, while they turn away in heedlessness.
    In context

    People’s being taken to account for their actions on the Day of Judgment has come close, but they are turning away from the afterlife in their unmindfulness, due to their being preoccupied with the world.

  5. وَٱقۡتَرَبَ ٱلۡوَعۡدُ ٱلۡحَقُّ فَإِذَا هِيَ شَٰخِصَةٌ أَبۡصَٰرُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ يَٰوَيۡلَنَا قَدۡ كُنَّا فِي غَفۡلَةٖ مِّنۡ هَٰذَا بَلۡ كُنَّا ظَٰلِمِينَ
    And the True Promise draweth nigh; then behold them, staring wide (in terror), the eyes of those who disbelieve! (They say): Alas for us! We (lived) in forgetfulness of this. Ah, but we were wrong-doers!
    In context

    Their emergence, terror and violence will be a sign of the rising drawing nearer. The disbelievers will be left wide-eyed in horror, saying: Oh my, what a destruction faces us! We were indulged in futility in the world, preoccupied from preparing for this severe day. Rather, we were wrongdoers by disbelieving and committing sins.

  6. وَدَخَلَ ٱلۡمَدِينَةَ عَلَىٰ حِينِ غَفۡلَةٖ مِّنۡ أَهۡلِهَا فَوَجَدَ فِيهَا رَجُلَيۡنِ يَقۡتَتِلَانِ هَٰذَا مِن شِيعَتِهِۦ وَهَٰذَا مِنۡ عَدُوِّهِۦۖ فَٱسۡتَغَٰثَهُ ٱلَّذِي مِن شِيعَتِهِۦ عَلَى ٱلَّذِي مِنۡ عَدُوِّهِۦ فَوَكَزَهُۥ مُوسَىٰ فَقَضَىٰ عَلَيۡهِۖ قَالَ هَٰذَا مِنۡ عَمَلِ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِۖ إِنَّهُۥ عَدُوّٞ مُّضِلّٞ مُّبِينٞ
    And he entered the city at a time of carelessness of its folk, and he found therein two men fighting, one of his own caste, and the other of his enemies; and he who was of his caste asked him for help against him who was of his enemies. So Moses struck him with his fist and killed him. He said: This is of the devil's doing. Lo! he is an enemy, a mere misleader.
    In context

    Moses entered the city at a time when its inhabitants were unaware, and saw two men arguing and brawling. One was from the Israelites: Moses’s tribe, while the other was a Copt: Pharaoh’s people, who were Moses’s enemies. The one who was from the Israelites sought assistance from Moses against the Copt, so Moses struck him with a punch and because of his power, it killed him.

  7. لَّقَدۡ كُنتَ فِي غَفۡلَةٖ مِّنۡ هَٰذَا فَكَشَفۡنَا عَنكَ غِطَآءَكَ فَبَصَرُكَ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ حَدِيدٞ
    (And unto the evil-doer it is said): Thou wast in heedlessness of this. Now We have removed from thee thy covering, and piercing is thy sight this day.
    In context

    [It will be said], “You were certainly in heedlessness of this, and I have removed from you your cover, so your sight, this Day, is sharp.” It will be said to this human who is being driven, verily, in the world you were in neglect regarding this day because of you being deceived by your desires and pleasures. So I have removed your neglect from you by the punishment and horror you see before you.

Appears Alongside