Who Is Referred to as the Maghbun and Loser?
When we talk about the “Maghbun” or loser, many of us recall bitter experiences and losses which we or those around us have endured due to poor choices and wrong decisions. For instance, we may have made an investment years ago but gained no profit, or we might have studied a particular academic field only to realize after years of study that it was the wrong choice. There are countless examples of such losses—experiences that touch nearly everyone in some way. Some losses we manage to compensate for, while others become valuable lessons.
In general, maghbun refers to someone who has suffered a loss. Naturally, being maghbun in any aspect of life is difficult and unpleasant. We all like to make the most of life’s opportunities, hoping that our transactions, investments, and efforts will be useful and bring us benefits. Yet surprisingly, many of us overlook our most important and valuable opportunity—our lifetime—and waste it easily, resulting in an irreversible loss.
This raises an important question: What do we truly mean by profit and loss in using our lifetime? There are different opinions in this regard, and not everyone defines profit and loss the same way. For example, some of us consider ourselves successful if we become wealthy and own expensive houses and cars, believing we have made good use of our lives. Others see being a professional athlete and becoming a champion as a sign of success. Many of us also view achieving positions, fame, social status, or having advanced degrees and high academic rankings as the factors that determine our success in life. If we do not attain or lose these, we often consider ourselves maghbun and losers. But if someone fails to achieve these perfections in their life, does that truly make them maghbun and losers? Basically, our profit and loss in anything depend on our definition of it and the ultimate goal set for it. For instance, in the case of a fruit tree, a gardener’s goal is realized when the tree bears ripe and delicious fruits. If it does not, despite any secondary benefits—such as enjoying the tree’s shade—the gardener is still maghbun and a loser. The same applies to us. As human beings, we are considered maghbun when we fail to fully achieve the purpose of our creation. But who are the people who become maghbun, and why?
The True Maghbun and Loser
To identify the maghbun, we must first revisit the definition of the human being and the purpose of our creation. As we thoroughly explained in previous lessons, each of us possesses five dimensions of existence: inanimate, vegetative, animal, intellective, and supra-rational. All of these dimensions, except for the supra-rational or human dimension, are shared with other beings, and it is only through the supra-rational dimension of our existence that we are called “human.” This supra-rational dimension—the divine Spirit breathed into us by Allah—is eternal and everlasting, and it loves the Absolute and Infinite Perfection, i.e., Allah. In other words, our human dimension or our true self comes from God and returns to Him. Another name for the supra-rational dimension is the heart. The purpose of our creation and the key to our bliss in the Hereafter is to acquire a sound heart. We have come to this world to achieve human perfection, acquiring a sound heart, and building our eternal life during our worldly life.
Our only asset in eternal life is a sound heart. This acquisition happens when, through attaining ma’rifa and embodying divine attributes, we become like our True Beloved, Allah. Therefore, those who fail to make proper use of life’s opportunities and upon death—birth into the hereafter— lack a sound heart will be maghbun and a loser. Naturally, they will not meet the conditions required to enter Heaven, regardless of any inanimate, vegetative, animal, or intellective perfections they may have attained, such as wealth, physical strength, or social or scientific status. While each of these perfections holds value in its own right, they only matter when they serve as means to reach Allah and acquire human perfection and a sound heart. Otherwise, possessing them will not only fail to benefit us but will become a burden, slowing or halting our movement toward eternity.
But what is the reason behind being maghbun or a loser, and what factors contribute to this condition?
Why Do Some of Us Become a Maghbun and Loser?
The main reason we humans become maghbun is that we do not know ourselves as we should. As a result, we remain unaware of the purpose of our creation and the factors that lead to our bliss in both this world and the Hereafter, making it impossible for us to properly distinguish between our profit and loss. Lack of self-knowledge is the root of all our misfortunes and struggles in life. When we forget the truth of our existence and become afflicted with self-forgetting, we also forget God and that is when we give our heart to false beloveds, wasting our entire life in occupying ourselves with them! Of course, Among us, there are also individuals who discover the secret of their creation. However, since the animal dimension of their existence dominates their human dimension and their hierarchy of love is not properly regulated, they struggle to move along the path set before them. Consequently, while they know the truth, they find themselves unable to follow it or make any progress. Regarding such individuals, Imam Ali (Peace be upon him) said, “Deceived (maghbun) is the one who is occupied with the world and loses his share of the Hereafter” [1].
In the Law of Proportion, we discussed that the relationship between this world and the Hereafter is like the relationship between the mother’s womb and this world. Just as a period of stagnation in the growth and development of a fetus in the mother’s womb significantly harms it, our stagnation in this world and our sluggishness in the journey toward God are also very detrimental to us and will have a negative impact on our eternal bliss. The direct relationship between the proper use of our lifetime and our everlasting bliss reveals the extraordinary value of the moments of life. This matter is so important that Islamic teachings state: “One whose two days are equal is a loser” [2]. This means that if we fail to progress and move toward the purpose of our creation each day, we will become maghbun and losers. One of the names of the Day of Judgment is also “Yawm al-Taghabun”—the Day of Loss and Regret [3]. In this world, we do not realize this great loss and waste our precious hours of life; however, as soon as we are born into the Barzakh and on the Day of Judgment, we will experience an indescribable regret for all the moments we wasted and did not use to draw closer to God —a regret that burns deep within our souls.
In this lesson, we examined what it means to be maghbun. We stated that the essence of our existence is from God, and ultimately, we will return to Him. We are eternal and everlasting beings, and our time in this world is merely an opportunity to build our eternity. The purpose of our creation is to acquire a sound heart, attain ma’rifa, and embody divine names and attributes. Therefore, the true maghbun and loser is someone who, instead of striving to fulfill the purpose of their creation, becomes preoccupied with the world and destroys their Hereafter. A Maghbun is someone who halts on the path toward God, failing to move forward and race in their journey.
References
[1]. Qadhi Nasih al-Deen Abu al-Fath ‘Abd al-Wahid Ibn Muhammad Al-Tamimi, Ghurar Al-Hikam Wa Durar Al-Kalim (Exalted Aphorisms And Pearls Of Speech). Qum (2012), Ansariyan Publications, 1362.
[2]. Al-Ansari, Abu Bakr, Ahadith al-Shuyukh al-Thiqat, Edited by Hatim Sharif al-‘Awni. Makkah: Dar ‘Alam al-Fawayed, (1422 AH) Vol.2, 875-876, No. 322.
[3]. Quran, 64: 9