Page 43 - The Basic Concepts in the Qur’an

Unlike the indifferent mood of unbelievers, an absolute alertness, awareness and attention
towards the outer world and the things happening around them are displayed by believers.
The attention should essentially be focused on the fact that Allah encompasses everything,
that He is aware of everything, and that He will call man to account in the hereafter. A believer
who succeeds in devoting his attention to every facet of life becomes extremely aware of and
alert to all incidents. Because Allah encompasses everything, and because every incident
occurs at His command, nothing happens randomly or without a purpose. Every incident, every
development conveys an inner message and a meaning. By giving his undivided attention, man
can actually grasp the meaning and wisdom in these occurrences and conceive of the hidden
aspects of events. On the contrary, the unbelievers are inattentive to the outer world. Being
heedless of the fact that everything on earth serves a purpose, they display indifference towards
the happenings around them and remain insensitive to the outer world. Their consideration is
motivated solely by self interest; that is why they pay attention only to certain particular aspects
of events. In such a frame of mind, they have a poor grasp of the truth and mostly arrive at
erroneous conclusions.
Attention has various aspects. Taking lessons from events, being among men of
understanding who take heed, perceiving the clear proofs surrounding man, performing a
certain act by taking into consideration all the drawbacks, are among the signs of a mindful
attitude. In the Qur’an, some particular examples are given of the attentive behaviours of
believers. For instance, Moses recognizes the existence of the fire ahead before anyone else. In
the same way, when he arrived at the place of the fire, he found it to be a chosen place where
Allah communicated to Him. (Ta-Ha,10-16)
Weariness, indifference or dullness are then the typical characteristics of the unbelievers.
Believers, on the other hand, are extremely careful, attentive and alert and also encourage other
believers with their enthusiasm.