There are many causes of apathy and they vary in importance. Some of
them are: insincerity in performing deeds, ostentation, and a lack of
religious knowledgethat makes one ignorant of the reward of deeds and
the virtues of patience. Also, being attached to this worldly life and
forgettingthe Hereafter, perhaps because ofobeying or being occupied
with one's spouse and children, causesone to neglect many acts of
obedience, and if one is not alert,to misunderstand religion itself.
This may seem a strange possibility, but what is even morebizarre is
for one to understand the nature of this religion and taste the
sweetness of faith, and then stop working for its development.
Additionally, other causes include: committing sins and evil deeds and
consuming money procured through unlawful or doubtful means.
As for why those who call others to Islam fall prey to apathy, the
reasons are numerous:
·Being unclear of one's goals behind his or her propagation, which
should be: seeking the satisfaction of Allaah The Almighty, liberating
people from slavery to any entity other than the Lord of the worlds
and establishing the religion of Allaahon earth.
·Weakness of belief in the goal orthe means employed inDa'wah.
·Extremism that drives one to despair and abandoning his or her work
·Apprehension because of the many impediments and obstaclesin the path
ofDa'wahand the preacher, which Allaah The Almighty has tested all
previous callers to Islam with.
·Independence and reclusiveness that leads to misery and boredom.
·Adopting limited methods of propagation and not considering new means
that may assist in conveying the message to peopleand at the same
time, retain the principles ofDa'wahand its spirit.For example, people
may avoid a variation in the modes of address, whereas everyone should
be spoken to in a manner that suits their level of intellect and the
medium they prefer: audio or print, or other forms. Likewise, there is
sometimes no variation in the method of delivering lectures of
knowledge and the Quran, in terms of place and means.
·Forgetting the persistent enmityof Satan.
·Being heedless of the challenge the disbelievers present for Muslims
and that they utilize every means to turn us away from our religion
and contrive plots against us.
·The illusions and whispers of the devil that sow fear and cast doubts
in the heart of the caller about the soundness of the way that he or
she is following.
In addition to the aforesaid causes, there are diseases of the heart:
envy, suspicions about others, hatred, love of fame, arrogance and
negligence in performing acts of worship, such as the daily prayers
andThikr(remembrance of Allaah The Almighty). Also, apathy may
stemfrom believing victory is out of reach, always expecting immediate
results, having a lack of stability because there is no sense of
direction, leaving work uncompleted and moving on to something else,
looking at those lesser in terms of knowledge andworship, thereby
undermining the morale, and socializing with those who seek this
worldly life, thus being negatively influenced by them.
Indeed, only those whom Allaah The Almighty protects, are saved from
that and from being overcome by apathy when treating one's state of
indifference.
Treatment of apathy
Allaah The Almighty provided a remedy for every disease, apathy being
one of the severest spiritual kind. When left unnoticed, it leads an
inflicted person toward deviation and mayvery well cause his or her
ultimate destruction. Hence, treatment is very important, by utilizing
every means that prevent the disease from occurring and eradicating it
if it has already developed. The following are some of the most
important means that would be useful in that regard:
-Avoiding the causes that lead to this disease, which is the most
crucial factor in helping safeguard a person from its evil. Moreover,
it is necessary to realize the gravity of the illness and the
significance of avoiding it, through precautionary measures or proper
treatment.
-Supplicating to Allaah The Almighty and seeking His help, as He is
the One Who responds to the prayer of the distressed; and indeed,
whoever is afflicted in faith and fears destruction, is in the worst
state of distress. Moreover, it is only He Whose help is sought in
everything, as the Prophet,, commanded Mu'aathto say at the end of
every prayer:"Allaahumma a'inni 'alaa thikrika wa-shukrika wa-husni
'ibaadatik (O Allaah, Help me to remember [only] You, thank You and
worship You perfectly)."
-Enhancing, renewing and caring to increase one's faith by
intensifying worship, for this is the true provision of the believer
that alleviates his or her sufferingon the trying path to Paradise.
-Having confidence in the oversight of Allaah the Almighty and
increasing one's remembrance of Him. This necessitates fearing,
glorifying, loving and imploring Him, and believing in His knowledge
and omnipotence. By invoking Him, one's heart becomes tranquil; but,
perhaps the greatest of all acts, is strengthening one's bondwith the
Quran through frequent recitation, understanding, contemplation and
application. Moreover, one is required to consider it as a judge and
refer allissues and disputes to its authority; surely, the one who is
not guided by the Quran will be led astray by his or her fancies.
-Sincerity and piety; Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):{O you who
have believed, if you fearAllaah, He Will Grant you a criterion
[between right and wrong].}[Quran 8:29]
-Purifying hearts from animosity,rancor, jealousy and ill thoughts of
others; this helps to open the heartand guard its integrity.
-Seeking knowledge, as it is very important to attend religious
lectures and circles ofThikr. Knowledge is the way to knowing and
fearing Allaah The Almighty, and it is the provision of one's heart.
-Being moderate in worship and all righteous deeds.
-Organizing one's time and constantly calling oneself to account.
-Adhering to the society of Muslims and strengthening the ties of brotherhood.
-Maintaining relations with thosewho may also be overcome by apathy
and aiding them in avoiding deviation.
-Having been brought up according to the comprehensive methodology of
the Prophet,, which is a deterrent to listlessness.
-Performing numerous good deeds and not the exact same ones.Thikr,
recitation of the Quran, prayers, reading useful books, enjoining
good, forbidding evil, helping others to fulfill their needs and
relieving the troubled, are but a few examples.
-Following the paradigm of the Prophets, may Allaah exalt their
mention, and the sincere preachers, in their zeal, punctuality and
righteousness, steadfastness, noble aims and determination. A Muslim's
first concern should be Paradise and main purpose, seeking the
satisfaction of Allaah The Almighty by continuing to worship, until
death arrives.
-Remembering death frequently, fearing an evil demise, visiting the
graves and seeing people in the throes of death. This urges a Muslim
to repent without delay, have a content heart and a body yearning to
worship. On the other hand, forgetting about death leads a person to
adopt the opposite.
-Remembering Paradise and Hell and reading their descriptions in the
Quran and the Sunnah; this would strengthen the determination of a
Muslim and sharpen his or her resolve.
-Increasing and carrying on in righteous deeds, while avoiding
slackness. This is especially important with respect to routine acts
of worship, because a person who abandons a voluntary deed is very
close to leaving an obligation as well.
-Being patient and training oneself to be so. Undoubtedly, the way of
knowledge, worship andDa'wahis lengthy, strenuous and full of troubles
and hardship.We seek the help of Allaah The Almighty to keep us
steadfast on His religion and grant us a good end.
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