Loss of Sensitivity

Loss of Sensitivity

1991 1 January 4-5 Loss of Sensitivity (605) One of the most dreaded of all human afflictions is Hansen’s disease, commonly known as leprosy. It is caused by a bacillus, which destroys the peripheral nerves, thus causing a loss of sensation. This loss of sensation is so severe that a leprosy patient can have a desensitized part of his body exposed to the most searing heat without his being at all conscious of being burnt; he will make no instinctive move to withdraw the affected part from the source of heat.

The human body has a very delicate and highly sensitive nervous system. Whenever a part of the body meets with an accident, the nerves flash the message to the brain, which instantly commands the removal of the affected part from whatever is causing it pain. In leprosy patients, however, these particular nerves have been deadened, so that if, for example, the hand comes in contact with a red-hot piece of metal, the brain will neither receive this news nor issue any command to remove the hand. The hand may be severely burned before the patient even notices it.

This physical disease is one of God’s signs, which enable us to recognize a spiritual blight. This disease of the spirit is that alluded to in the Qur’an as a ‘hardening of the heart.’ (57 : 16) This is a state of moral and spiritual morbidity in which man’s sensitivity to good and evil has been deadened. His heart is never moved, and he no longer feels morally compelled to run towards good and away from evil.

There are many instances of this spiritual deprivation arising from moral insensitivity. For example, during he expedition of bani-Mustaliq, a simple incident, with no overtones of wrongdoing was built up into a serious issue when a group of Medinans concocted a false story about Aisha, the Prophet’s wife. People started spreading this story without troubling to find out whether it was true or not. It was in this context that the following Qur’anic verse was revealed: “You carried with your tongues and uttered with your mouths what you did not know. You may have thought it of no account, but in the sight of God, it was a grave offence. (24 : 15).

Spreading stories aimed at character assassination, without ascertaining their truth or falsity, is a very serious matter to a sensitive heart. But those who have undergone a spiritual death will not hesitate to start propagating such stories. The reason is that, as in the case of a leprosy patient, their sensitivity has died away. It is this lack of sensitivity, which makes people throw caution to the winds. But those who have retained their sensitivity will hesitate a hundred times before maligning others. They would rather cry out “It is not right for us to speak of this.” (Qur’an, 24 : 16)

Abu Hurayra has related that the Prophet said: “Man utters words which anger God, and he regards that as a trifling matter. But due to those very words, he is cast into hellfire.” (al-Bukhari, Sahih).

The moral burden of such words as dishonour another, make false allegations, or amount to character assassination will be heavier to bear than the Himalayas to those whose hearts tremble in fear of God. But those whose sensitivity to self-appraisal has been deadened will repeat such words lightly, as if they were enjoying a good story.

Just as physical insensitivity is a symptom of leprosy, so are irresponsible talk and the spreading of baseless allegations the symptoms of spiritual disease. This disease appears in those who are insensitive to God’s chastisement in the life hereafter. (164: 13-14).