Can Daily Concerns Reveal the Relationship between the Scale and Negligence?
Everyday life is filled with concerns that can gradually pull a person away from the most important purpose of creation. Family, wealth, work, education, and social comfort all have legitimate and valuable roles. They can even become means of drawing closer to God. However, when these matters move away from the scale and the divine path, they slowly distance a person from truth and place them on the path of negligence. The Holy Quran, in verse 24 of Surah Al-Tawbah, states clearly that when the relatives and attachment to possessions are more beloved to you than God, the Ahl al-Bayt (Peace be upon them), and jihad (struggling in His way), the result will be nothing but loss and downfall. This verse shows that God has placed a scale for evaluating one’s life, and in contrast, He warns against negligence as the main threat. Therefore, scale and negligence stand as two opposing poles: One represents awareness and clarity, while the other becomes a shadow that blinds a person to the truth.
Scale is not only a measure for the Day of Judgment and final accountability, it is also meant to guide one’s choices, relationships, actions, thoughts, and priorities in this world. When a person’s existential structure and lifestyle are assessed and shaped through the scale, the outcome is growth and awareness. But if this criterion is ignored and life decisions are not aligned with the divine scale, negligence gradually takes over the mind and heart, pushing a person away from the path and purpose of their creation.
Negligence is not always obvious or sudden. Rather it appears quietly and gradually, sometimes hidden behind ordinary activities. A person may be work, study, or even serve society, yet fall into negligence simply because they have not included the divine scale in their intentions and decisions. They might not even realize that they are drifting.
For this reason, understanding the relationship between scale and negligence is a practical necessity for anyone who seeks a thoughtful and meaningful lifestyle. Every individual should evaluate themselves daily and ask: “Did I act according to the divine scale today, or did I fall into negligence?” Asking such simple questions becomes an exercise in staying awake, protecting oneself from deeper negligence, and returning to the true path.
Scale and Negligence in the Quranic Perspective
Scale and negligence may seem like two separate concepts, but in reality they are deeply connected. Wherever the divine scale is forgotten, negligence takes its place. In the Quran, the scale refers to the measure by which a person’s intentions, choices, and actions are evaluated. It is not merely a theological or philosophical idea. It is a tool for recognizing truth in daily life.
The Quran mentions scale in many verses. One of the clearest examples that shows its relevance to everyday living is verse twenty-four of Surah Al-Tawbah [1]. In this verse, God lists eight major pillars of human life: family, children, siblings, spouses, relatives, wealth, trade, and homes. Each of these has its own rightful value. However, when love for these matters becomes greater than love for God, the Ahl al-Bayt (Peace be upon them), and jihad, a person moves away from the scale and falls into negligence.
This reveals that negligence does not only appear in obvious wrongdoings and sins. Sometimes it hides behind actions that seem positive. Love for one’s family or the pursuit of economic stability can turn into hidden negligence if they are not aligned with the divine scale. Therefore, the real criterion for negligence is not the type of activity or attachment itself, but the order of one’s priorities. In other words, what is more beloved and more important in our hearts than God? Paying attention to such questions brings the relationship between the scale and negligence out of theory and into the heart of everyday life.
To assess this relationship, we only need to look at our daily priorities. What receives most of our time, energy, and concern? Is pleasing God, remembering the Ahl al-Bayt (Peace be upon them), and serving the WaliAllah (Guardian chosen by Allah) at the top of our list? Or do career advancement, material comfort, and social status dominate our thoughts? The answers to these questions show whether we are aligned with the scale or we are living in negligence.
Negligence not only leads to individual failures, but it also carries social consequences. Imam Ali (Peace be upon him), in a painful expression, describes the Imam of the Time (May God hasten his advent) as “The master of this affair is that same displaced, alienated, and lonely one” [2]. This statement shows that collective negligence toward the divine scale throughout history has resulted in the loneliness of God’s representative on earth. If Muslims had made true love for God, the Prophet (Peace be upon him and his family), and jihad the foundation of their lives, Hujjatullah (Proof of God) would not remain in such loneliness and alienated situation today.
Negligence in Action and the Path Back to the Divine Scale
Recognizing the scale is only the first step. The real transformation begins when we apply it in our actions and use it to distance ourselves from negligence. Scale and negligence have an inverse relationship. Wherever attention to the divine scale fades, negligence quietly enters a person’s life.
Negligence usually begins with small signs: rushing through tasks without a divine intention, becoming absorbed in virtual entertainment, choosing personal comfort over social responsibility, or delaying worship because of daily concerns. If such patterns continue, a person gradually moves away from the scale and falls deeper into negligence.
The consequences of negligence appear on both individual and social levels. On an individual level, negligence prevents spiritual growth and turns a person into a passive consumer. On a social level, negligence weakens the sense of justice and undermines the willingness to support what is right. History shows that whenever the Muslim community failed to uphold the divine scale, the result was the loneliness and abandonment of the Waliullah—as happened to the thirteen preceding Infallibles, and as continues today for the fourteenth one, Imam Mahdi (May God hasten his advent). Ignoring the scale is directly tied to collective negligence, and it shapes the quality and direction of a person’s lifestyle.
How, then, can this cycle be broken? The first step is daily self-evaluation through the scale. Each night, we should ask ourselves: “Did love for God and the Ahl al-Bayt (Peace be upon them) guide my priorities today, or were my concerns dominated by worldly distractions?” When this simple question becomes a daily habit, many mistakes begin to be corrected, and the struggle between the scale and negligence shifts in favor of awareness and awakening.
The second step is reflecting on the Quranic verses and narrations that address the scale and negligence. These verses and teachings either describe the fate of those who fall into negligence or outline the standards of awareness and guidance. Imam Ali (Peace be upon him) identifies negligence as the most harmful enemy [3] and states: “Beware of negligence and delusion about the respite [that you have been given], for indeed negligence ruins deeds, and the end of life cuts off all hopes” [4].
The third step is remembering the Imam of the Time (May God hasten his advent) as a scale for spiritual awareness. A person who dedicates even a small part of each day to praying for, knowing, and actively supporting the Infallible Imam becomes far less negligent. This remembrance should not remain limited to supplication. It needs to appear in every dimension of one’s lifestyle. Ultimately, returning to the divine scale means reshaping one’s lifestyle and hierarchy of love around three central loves: God, the Ahl al-Bayt (Peace be upon them), and jihad.
The clearer and stronger our connection to Scale becomes, the weaker negligence grows. Understanding the relationship between the scale and negligence determines whether our lifestyle leads toward awareness or into the trap of negligence.
Examining the relationship between the scale and negligence shows that ignoring divine criteria lies at the root of many personal and social crises. It is only by organizing our lifestyle around the divine scale that we can minimize negligence and prepare the ground for the Noble Rule of the Righteous.
-Have you ever recognized negligence in your own life and experiencing its consequences?
-If we evaluate ourselves through the divine scale every night, which aspects of our daily behavior do you think will change the most?
-In today’s world, filled with distractions and constant activity, what methods are most effective for being vigilant against negligence?
-How do you think a consistent connection with the Imam of the Time (May God hasten his advent) can serve as a practical scale in shaping one’s lifestyle?
Please feel free to share your thoughts and reflections with us.
References
[1]. Quran, 9:24
[2]. Shaykh as-Saduq, Kamaaludin Wa Tamaamun Ne’ma (Perfection of Faith and Completion of Divine Favor), trans. Sayyid Athar Husayn S.H. Rizv. Mumbai: Az-Zahra Publications, vol. 1, Chapter 26, hadith 13.
[3]. Al-Amedi, Ghurar Al-Hikam Wa Durar Al-Kalim (Exalted Aphorisms and Pearls of Speech), trans. Tahir Ridha Jaffer. Qom: Ansariyan Publications, p.1226, hadith 7.
[4]. Muhammadi Rayshairi, Mizan al-Hikmah (Scale of Wisdom). Qom: Dar al-Hadith, Qom.