Page 22 - The importance of conscience in the Qur'an

20 The Importance of Conscience in the Qur'an

things, he only becomes proud and boastful of his intelligence and
discoveries, and the money he has earned. He never thinks that
none of these will be of any use to him after he dies.
Even the names of many people who were famous in their
time for their discoveries, their wealth or the great states they
governed, have long been forgotten. Even if they are remem-
bered, it is of no benefit to a person who is dead. Those peo-
ple paid no attention to the commandments of Allah, nor did
they acknowledge His power or appreciate the favours He
bestowed upon them. Such people went astray because their
hearts were sealed and their consciences covered. In the
Qur'an, Allah describes those who transgress in pursuit of their
own interests and passions:
Have you seen him who takes his whims and
desires to be his god – whom Allah has mis-
guided knowingly, sealing up his hearing and
his heart and placing a blindfold over his eyes?
Who then will guide him after Allah? So will
you not pay heed? They say, 'There is nothing
but our existence in the life of this world. We
die and we live and nothing destroys us except
for time.' They have no knowledge of that.
They are only conjecturing. (Surat al-Jathiyya:
23-24)
As can be seen in the above verses, those who put aside
their conscience in pursuit of their own self and transgress
because of the qualities they possess, are described as 'deaf and
blind'. That their hearts are sealed tells us that they have no
comprehension, that is, they can neither use their wisdom, nor
distinguish between right and wrong. The only reason they get
into such a state is because they do not use their conscience.