Page 16 - Unawareness: A Sly Threat

14 UNAWARENESS: A SLY THREAT

It may be that those who are unbelievers will wish that
they had been Muslims. Leave them to eat and enjoy
themselves. Let false hope divert them. They will soon
know. (Surat al-Hijr: 2-3)
Unawareness is like an insidious disease that engulfs
those who have forgotten Allah and the Hereafter, that anes-
thetizes the mind and shrouds the intelligence. This drowsy
unawareness prevents them from understanding the realities
that assail and await them. Despite their power to see and
hear, such people can no longer accurately interpret and
judge what they see and hear. In fact, it shrouds their minds
to such an extent that they spend all of their time trying to sat-
isfy the endless desires of their egos. They can think of noth-
ing else, for they have already transformed their desires and
passions into deities:
Have you seen him who has taken his whims and
desires to be his deity? Will you, then, be his guardian?
Do you suppose that most of them hear or understand?
They are just like cattle. Indeed, they are even further
astray! (Surat al-Furqan: 43-44)
One important aspect of unawareness is its ability to
alienate people from reality and cause them to live in a dream
world. For example, young people always think of the future
and may feel happy thinking that their dreams will come true.
As they get older, their dreams become more restricted and
they try to relive them through souvenirs and reminders. Older
people can easily find many memories to share with their
loved ones, and retelling their memories lets them relive the
excitement or sorrow of that moment.