Avoiding the Useless

Avoiding the Useless T he Quran advocates a purposeful life. It exhorts people not to indulge in useless talk or useless activity. On this subject there is a particularly apt verse in the chapter Al-Mu’minun (The Believers) of the Quran. Its translation is as follows: Successful indeed are the believers; those who are humble in their prayer; and those who turn away from everything vain. (23:1-3) Human pursuits fall into two categories: worthy and unworthy. A worthy pursuit is one which leads to positive results and an unworthy pursuit is one which leads to no result at all. A true believer is one who has before him a specific target, which makes him selective. He therefore makes a point of always selecting that kind of activity which is worthy and avoids that which is unworthy. It is this kind of person who will be rewarded with success by God Almighty. When you use your mind, use it on healthy subjects; when you speak, say whatever is good for you and good for others; when you are going to take a step, examine all the relative aspects. Before taking any action, the believer must assess its possible result. He must anticipate its consequences. His response to any situation must be rational and well-considered and not simply an emotional outburst. This principle includes all kinds of human expressions and activities like thinking, discussion, dealing, association, shopping, outings, reading, etc. A believer must