Wisdom

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH – THE SOURCE OF MERCY – THE MOST MERCIFUL

DEFINING WISDOM - WISDOM HAS BEEN DEFINED AS ...

THE ABILITY TO MAKE CORRECT JUDGEMENTS AND DECISIONS, FORESEEING CONSEQUENCES AND ACTING TO MAXIMISE BENEFICIAL RESULTS, MAKING THE BEST USE OF AVAILABLE KNOWLEDGE, THINKING WHAT IS BEST AND DOING WHAT IS BEST IN ANY GIVEN SITUATION. HIKMAH (DENOTING 'WISDOM') IS A POSITIVE TERM USED REPEATEDLY IN THE NOBLE QURAN AS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE RIGHTEOUS [THE NOBLE QURAN 2:251; 4:54;  5:110], AS A QUALITY OF THOSE WHO TRULY UNDERSTAND [THE NOBLE QURAN 31:12].

THE NOBLE QURAN IS REFERRED TO AS THE WISE QURAN [THE NOBLE QURAN 36:2]; THE BOOK OF WISDOM THE VERSES OF A BOOK OF WISDOM [THE NOBLE QURAN 10:2; 13:2] 

WISDOM IS REFERRED TO AS AN INTEGRAL COMPONENT OF THE MESSAGE AND GUIDANCE PROVIDED BY DIVINE REVELATION ... TAUGHT THE BOOK, THE WISDOM, THE GOSPEL AND THE TORAH [THE NOBLE QURAN 5:110] AND EVEN THE ALMIGHTY REFERS TO HIMSELF AS THE MIGHTY, THE WISE [THE NOBLE QURAN 2:209]. 

WHEN PROPHET ABRAHAM PRAYED FOR THE FULFILMENT OF THE MISSION OF PROPHETS, HE PRAYED FOR ONE WHO WOULD "RELATE SCRIPTURE TO THE PEOPLE, CONVEY HIKMAH (WISDOM) AND PROVIDE A MEANS OF PURIFICATION." [THE NOBLE QURAN 2:129] 

HIKMAH IS THE LOST PROPERTY OF THE BELIEVER; THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD (P B U H) SAID AND HE ENCOURAGED US TO TAKE WISDOM FROM ANY SOURCE IN KEEPING WITH THE SHARIAH. IN THE CASE OF DEBATING AND ARGUMENTATION, HIKMAH SHOULD BE THE PRIMARY INSTRUMENT [THE NOBLE QURAN 16:125] HIKMAH (WISDOM), 'AQL (MIND)

AT TIMES THE WORD HIKMAH IS INTERCHANGED WITH 'AQL; AS EVIDENCED IN THE SAYING OF, THE TONGUE OF A WISE PERSON IS BEHIND THE HEART AND THE HEART OF A FOOL IS BEHIND THE TONGUE. 

HIKMAH & 'ILM.

THOUGH 'ILM (KNOWLEDGE) MAY OPEN THE DOORWAYS TO HIKMAH, BUT HIKMAH IS DISTINCT FROM 'ILM. KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION PROVIDES MEANS FOR ENLIGHTENMENT; REMEMBER ALLAH'S BLESSINGS AND THE (TRUTHFUL INFORMATION) SENT THROUGH THE BOOK AND THE WISDOM IT PROVIDES BY WHICH YOU MAY BE ENLIGHTENED. [THE NOBLE QURAN 2:23]

THE PROPHET SAID: ASK THE LEARNED, CONSULT WITH THE WISE AND ACCOMPANY THE POOR. THERE ARE MANY WHO KNOW MANY THINGS, YET ARE LACKING IN WISDOM. IN OUR AGE... PEOPLE SEEM MORE THAN EVER PRONE TO CONFUSE WISDOM WITH KNOWLEDGE, AND KNOWLEDGE WITH INFORMATION. 

PHILOSOPHY IS HARMONISED KNOWLEDGE MAKING A HARMONIOUS LIFE; IT IS THE SELF-DISCIPLINE, WHICH LIFTS US TO SERENITY AND FREEDOM. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER, BUT ONLY WISDOM IS LIBERTY.

THE SADDEST ASPECT OF LIFE RIGHT NOW IS THAT SCIENCE GATHERS KNOWLEDGE FASTER THAN SOCIETY GATHERS WISDOM. THOUGH 'BOOK KNOWLEDGE' ENHANCES THE POTENTIAL FOR WISDOM; WISDOM IS OFTEN ATTAINED BY LEARNING IN OTHER WAYS; THE THREE METHODS WE MAY LEARN WISDOM: FIRST, BY REFLECTION, WHICH IS NOBLEST; SECOND, BY IMITATION, WHICH IS EASIEST; AND THIRD BY EXPERIENCE, WHICH IS THE BITTEREST.

VIRTUE & WISDOM 

ETHICS IS THE BRANCH OF PHILOSOPHY, WHICH ATTEMPTS TO UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF MORALITY; TO DEFINE THAT WHICH IS RIGHT FROM THAT WHICH IS WRONG. THE FUNCTION OF WISDOM IS TO DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL. THE FOUR CARDINAL VIRTUES ARE WISDOM, COURAGE, SELF-CONTROL AND JUSTICE.

IN ISLAM, WISDOM IS ALWAYS LINKED TO VIRTUE. "YOU SHALL NOT ACCEPT ANY INFORMATION, UNLESS YOU VERIFY IT FOR YOURSELF. I HAVE GIVEN YOU THE CAPACITY FOR HEARING, SIGHT, AND THE INTELLECT, AND YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR USING THEM EFFECTIVELY. YOU SHALL NOT WALK WITH ARROGANCE ON EARTH, YOU CANNOT BORE THROUGH THE EARTH, NOR CAN YOU BE AS TALL AS THE MOUNTAINS. ALL IMPROPRIETY IS CONDEMNED BY YOUR LORD. THIS IS OF THE WISDOM INSPIRED TO YOU BY YOUR LORD. YOU SHALL NOT SET UP ANOTHER OBJECT OF WORSHIP BESIDE ALLAH, LEST YOU END UP IN HELL; BLAMED AND DEFEATED." [THE NOBLE QURAN 17:36-39]

THE CARDINAL VIRTUES TO LIVE BY ARE ... PIETY, CONTENTMENT, PATIENCE, GRATITUDE, HUMILITY, MODESTY, GENEROSITY, COURAGE, ENTHUSIASM, BENEVOLENCE, TRUTHFULNESS AND TRUSTWORTHINESS. 

EFFECTIVE WISDOM

THE HEIGHT OF WISDOM IS TO PROPORTION OUR WANTS TO OUR POSSESSIONS, OUR AMBITIONS TO OUR CAPACITIES, OUR EMOTIONS TO OUR CONSCIENCE AND OUR DEEDS TO OUR VALUES. IT IS UNWISE TO BE TOO SURE OF ONE'S OWN WISDOM. IT IS HEALTHY TO BE REMINDED THAT THE STRONGEST MIGHT WEAKEN AND THE WISEST MIGHT ERR.

THE BEST AND SAFEST THING IS TO KEEP A BALANCE IN YOUR LIFE, ACKNOWLEDGE THE GREAT POWERS AROUND US AND IN US. IF YOU CAN DO THAT AND LIVE THAT WAY, YOU ARE REALLY A WISE MAN. WISDOM IS A BOUNTEOUS THING THAT IS INVALUABLE AND ALLAH REMINDS US IN THE NOBLE QURAN:

WHOEVER IS GRANTED WISDOM HAS INDEED BEEN GRANTED SOMETHING TREMENDOUSLY BENEFICIAL; BUT NONE REFLECT EXCEPT PEOPLE OF INSIGHT. [THE NOBLE QURAN 2:269]