Ghaflah

In the Quran, ghaflah is often associated with "dalal" (going astray), kufr (disbelief), zulm (wrongdoing), and shirk (worshiping others beside God).

The common usage of the word can be seen in the story of Jacob and his sons, as mentioned in verse 12:13 of the Quran.

In this verse, Jacob tells his sons: "Verily, it grieves me that you should take him out with you; I fear lest the wolf devour him [Joseph] while you are heedless (ghafilun) of him.

"Dalal" refers to deviating from the path of guidance, while "ghaflah" means to be completely unaware of it.

[4] The notion of ghaflah is also closely related to kufr, zulm, and shirk, as is seen in 21:97-98, which says: "When the true promise [i.e. the chastisement of Hell] draws nigh, lo, how fixedly open they are, the eyes of the Kafirs!

[2] The people who are identified as being negligent or heedless (ghafil) in the Quran have a limited understanding and appreciation of the true essence of life.

[6] According to Sachiko Murata and William Chittick, "If forgetfulness and heedlessness mark the basic fault of human beings, dhikr (remembrance) designates their saving virtue".

[7] God thus sends the prophets to remind people of the Covenant they made with Him before their birth, which they have forgotten due to heedlessness.

The act of remembrance of God is considered crucial in fulfilling the purpose of human existence, as it restores the bond between the Creator and His creation.