Knowledge Culture

Knowing to Know

In Kashf al-mahjub, Hazrat Ali Hajweri has made a distinction between khabar (information) and nazar (analytic thought). This is applicable not only to Muslim Sufis but also to most of the Muslim philosophers who sought to attain the ultimate knowledge which could embrace all things, corporeal or divine. Ma’rifah is ultimate knowledge and it springs from the knowledge of the self.

This process also includes the knowledge of the phenomenal world. Therefore, wisdom and knowledge which are regarded as two different things in the non-Muslim world are one and the same in the Islamic perspective

including following steps:

Khawaja Nasir-ud-Din Al- Tusi has declared, “The human perfection can be achieved in either of the two directions, knowledge or action (skill).” The ultimate goal of knowledge is to find serenity and certitude in “the world of Oneness of Allah). The ultimate goal of action is to achieve harmony and equilibrium in one’s individual and communal affairs. Perfection in knowledge and in action is dialectically related and interdependent on each other. Mastering both the categories only leads to the true status of being the vicegerent of Allah on earth.

Listening To Know

The means of acquiring knowledge are five: hearing, sight, taste, smell and touch. Allah has created these five avenues the standard means to reach knowledge. All senses are situated in one organ except the ‘touch’, which is diffused through the whole body. All senses are important but the hearing is the one, which is the most important, and even surpasses sight. All prophets received divine revelation through hearing. And all religious ordinances are based upon hearing and could not be established without it. It was Prophet’s Muhammad (SAW) quality of effective listening which provided us with the gift of Qur’an. All the prophets on their appearance to public first spoke in order that those who heard them might believe in them. It is said that hearing a word of Allah is better than His sight. It is well known that many Arabs were converted to Islam through listening Holy verses from Qur’an including Omar bin Khattab (ra). (Qur’an 122: 1-2)

Learning begins from hearing the teacher; one imitates speaking through hearing. In ancient times when there were no written materials, human beings acquired knowledge just through effective listening of the wise. Listening is closely related to memorizing as well. Moreover effective hearing is present at birth, and the child is introduced to the world through voices around him. The sight is perfected later; sometimes, severe impairment of hearing adversely affects mental development of the child. All these facts establish the importance of hearing and development of the listening skill in acquisition of knowledge.

Knowing to Care

According to Mansoor bin Muzaahim – Shu`ayb, that is, Ibn Safwaan, Ibn `Abd al-Hameed: Khalifa `Umar ibn `Abd al-`Azeez has said:

`Abd al-Rahmaan bin Mahdee – Sufyaan has informed us that Khalifa `Umar bin `Abd al-`Azeez has said:

A teacher must be extremely cautious of his/her gestures and statements. He/she must be sure of what they say to the students. One must verify every piece of information carefully before communicating it to others and especially to young minds, because one never knows how they will affect their thought and behavior. Moreover, such an attitude inculcates mental slavery in form of bias, prejudice and stereotyped behavior. Qur’an has strictly warned us against it:

Sharing To Know

Nobody is able to accomplish all his affairs single-handed. Off and on, one needs help of his /her colleagues. This act of mutual help is called “T’aawan” or cooperation. But the question arises whether one should render help to everybody he comes across or only to a certain type of people? For example, on usurps the rights of another person. Shall we help the wrong doer or the one who is wronged? It is apparent that we should help the latter. Holy Qur’an has laid down the principle:

The word (ِبرّ) above means matters of righteousness and broadmindedness and (تقوى) means to live a life in consistence with the Divine laws and injunctions ordained by Allah. The word (اثم) is used for a camel that gets tired or remains behind the herd. Thus any act, which retards the human progress, is called (اثم). The word (عدوان) means ‘Rebellion’ i.e. to act against the Divine laws and whose acts are more and more useful for humanity and do not help those who rebel against the Divine laws and whose actions serve as an obstacle to human progress. In other words help others in matters declared to be good by the Qur’an but not in matters declared to be bad therein. The Holy Qur’an has described mutual consultation as a distinguished act of Muslims:

It is highly important that promises must be fulfilled at all costs. Human affairs run smoothly if individuals as well as nations are faithful to one another. Otherwise there shall be utter confusion all around.

Therefore all promises and all contacts must be fulfilled. But one must keep in mind that this fulfilling of obligations should not remain confined only to big matters. This also applies to small every-day affairs. A promise is a promise whether it concerns a big matter of small. May it be designing of the curriculum or setting of timetable, once it is announced, then it should be fulfilled at all cost, all objectives realised, and all goals achieved to deliver the promised ends to the concerned parties.

We all agree to disagree is the motto of Satan, who disagreed with the divine principles of evolution of human kind and of life, and is still spreading the seeds of doubts and confusion. Agreeing to mutual good while sacrificing the personal is the divine route to salvation. Achieving consensus on major and minor issues is on the priority list of the leaders.

Route to Wisdom

The route to wisdom to follow is achieved through following pathway.

It is wise that one should hear everything attentively, watch things carefully and think over the matter thoroughly, making the best use of one’s intellect in reaching a conclusion. Do not follow other people blindly. Those who do so are not human beings but animals, even worse than that:

Students must ponder over what you hear and then act on all that is good. It is useless to hear good things and then neglect them. It is listening and learning and then implementing that initiates the pathway to wisdom. Keeping oneself away from vain and useless talk is another route to wisdom:

The people who do not use their intellect, Qur’an calls them blind and says that they cannot be equal to those who use intellect and act carefully:

One must think over all what one hears, but try not to dig out other people’s affairs: “And spy not on each other.” (49:12)

It is established that people of earth live on their emotions, while people of heaven on their wisdom (Aql). Emotional reactions and impatience will each time make an incurable wound in the tender heart of the others. No matter how much one may apologize, those wounds will always be there. An oral attack will hurt someone at least as much as a physical attack. To benefit from Allah’s guidance, men must think with a cool, rational, unbiased and analytical mind. An unreceptive mind just cannot hope to gain anything from Allah’s message – it is a practical impossibility.