Syed Naquib al-Attas defines knowledge (Ilm') as the arrival of meaning in the soul, and the soul's arrival at meaning, the recognition of the proper places of things in the order of the creation, such that it leads to the recognition of the proper places of Allah SWT in the order of being and existance. This happens only with the grace of Allah Azza wa Jall.
Interestingly, knowledge does not become education unless the recognition of proper places is actualized by acknowledgment, which necessitates action proper to its recognized place. When the Ummah collectively practice adab, justice prevails (a sign of wisdom). Profound?
In summary, adab is the spectacle of justice ('adl) as it is reflected by wisdom (hikmah). Perpetually seek knowledge to increase one's wisdom and virtue so as to avoid the corruption of knowledge which causes the disintegration of adab, resulting in the rise of the 'false leaders' in all spheres of of life, usurping the positions held by true scholars. These 'false leaders' not only do injustice to himself, to those around him, but more importantly, do injustice to Allah SWT, nauzu billahi min zaliq! So don't be zalim to yourself. Seek knowledge:
“Whoever takes a path in search of knowledge, Allah will make his path to Jannah easy for him. And the angels lower their wings over the students of knowledge (protect from any harm). And the scholar every single being that is in the sky and in the earth so much so that the ant in the hole and fish in the sea sends their blessings. The blessings of an aleem or scholar over a worshipper is like the superiority of the full moon over the stars in the sky.”
[Source: Sunnah Tirmidhi Vol. 4]
Afternote: It was due to the purity of the heart of Prophet SAW (Tasawuf) that he was able to take in the wahyu, accept, adopt and spread Islam in his lifetime. How many of us have that purity of self? Good to introspect and do a quick audit as to where we are in the scheme of things.
No comments:
Post a Comment