They must be very forgetful!

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

When someone says to us in astonishment:

“They must be very forgetful! At present, they are saying something completely different from what they used to say in the past, even though neither has the reality changed nor can they explain through sound principles why they are suddenly holding different views. They must be extremely forgetful!”

We reply:

How is it forgetfulness while their clear absurd contradictions are transmitted and they know, and what they are saying is completely the opposite of what they are doing, and they are reminded, yet they do not reform? Rather, they are headless and not forgetful. Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

“Heedlessness is to abandon something by the choice of the heedless person, whereas forgetfulness is to abandon it without his choice. Due to this, Allah said:

وَلَا تَكُن مِّنَ الْغَافِلِينَ

“And do not be among the heedless”, and He did not say: “Do not be among the forgetful” because indeed, forgetfulness is not subject to taklīf, thus, one is not prohibited from it.”

Madarij As-Salikin 2/405