Acting Oblivious

Being ‘oblivious’ (غافل) (ghaafil) is blameworthy, but a smart person ‘acting oblivious’ (متغافل) is sometimes praiseworthy.

Ibn Hazm said:
ان الغفلة مذمومة، وأن استعمالها محمود
“Obliviousity is blameworthy, but acting like it is praiseworthy.”
[“Rasail Ibn Hazm”, 1/405].

What does he mean?

Oblivious people are ignorant, because they’re totally unaware about the things going on around them, they are gullible so they are taken advantage of, etc.

But people who are intelligent, switched-on, they know exactly what is going on, they don’t allow people to take advantage of them but they just act like they don’t know, overlooking people’s behavioural flaws, overlooking petty stuff – such people are praiseworthy.

The scholars called such people: “الفطن المتغافل”.

This type of behaviour is honourable, not blameworthy.

Abu Tamaam says in a poem:
لَيسَ الغَبِيُّ بِسَيِّدٍ في قَومِهِ
لَكِنَّ سَيِّدَ قَومِهِ المُتَغابي
“The stupid person is not a leader among his people,
but the leader among his people is the one who acts stupid.”

The scholars encourage “التغافل”, overlooking people’s faults, when we see their flaws, pretending like we are unaware, etc. So, KNOW… but act like you don’t know…