Question

How does Islam treat an apathetic person?Please explain in the light of the Qur’an. How does Islam motivate individual to move ahead to achieve his goal? How does Islam work to remove apathy?

Answer

Islam does not deal with psychological problems of man in general. Its basic concern is to provide man with guidance in religious matters. It tells him how to behave in this world in order to attain success in the life to come. The Qur’an may refer to a man’s falling back in fulfilling religious obligation and warning him of the perils of such lack of concern but it never comment on the problem in general. For example it exhorts man to fulfill religious obligation and observe morality with utmost diligence. It refers to the hypocrites who do not discharge religious rites as important as the prayer with conviction and spirit. It also warns people of the disastrous results of leading a life of sin and rejection of the truth. It also enumerates the blessings of the Paradise; reserved for the righteous to help them understand the profundity of the reward they are going to be blessed with if they act according to the divine will. It stresses important realities a believer must believe in and act according in varying styles and expression in different contexts. It appeals to their minds and tries to make them understand things and then act upon them and does not make them follow what is revealed to them blindly. In short it applies every possible means of exhorting man on sticking to the good and avoiding bad.

Answered by: Tariq Mahmood Hashmi

Date: 2015-01-12