Real Knowledge (Part 2)

The answer to my questions is found where the answers to all questions are found – with the family of the Holy prophet. In the famous hadith of Unwan Al-Basri (see http://fridaylantern.blogspot.com/) Imam Ja’fer As-Sadiq (AS) says:

“Knowledge is not acquired through learning. Rather it is a light that illuminates in the heart of one who wants Allah (swt) to guide him. So if you want knowledge, first seek out true servitude (to Allah (swt)) within yourself. And seek knowledge according to its use (ie: what you can act upon) and ask Allah (swt) to make you understand, and He’ll make you understand”

1) Seek knowledge for the right reasons. Allah is the source of all knowledge. In fact, everything I know, I know because He wants me to know. The fact that you are reading this is down to Him, He has guided you to it and hence you should thank Him. If we seek knowledge in order to serve Him, He will guide us to true knowledge.

2) Seek useful knowledge. In the du’a we generally perform after the Asr prayers, we seek refuge from ‘knowledge which has no benefit’. If we are sincere in our quest for knowledge, we should be seeking knowledge we can act upon. To that effect, the famous hadith:
“One who acts on what he knows, Allah will teach him that which he does not know”. So really to acquire knowledge we simply have to act on the knowledge we have and Allah himself promises to guide us if we do this.

3) Be disloyal. One cannot be loyal to any ideology. To identify ourselves with any mindset is dangerous – If I consider myself liberal, I have naturally closed myself off to any conservative ideas.
How often do we find when trying to explain something we are stonewalled by once who cannot accept that his lifelong belief is wrong. A simple example – one that I myself have encountered many times – is that of music. Most people have an opinion; few have knowledge of the rulings surrounding it. And yet, play a music track to someone who has little knowledge of the rulings and they will be quick to tell you whether they consider it Halal or Haram. Rationally, it may be simple to disprove them, but it will never be easy for them to accept it. Because they are loyal to the belief they have had their whole life.

4) Be humble. No matter how convinced we may be that we have finally reached a conclusion and our belief is correct, we must have humility in that we can never be certain. Imagine if everyone had this sort of humility – If we were able to accept that we may actually be wrong, to listen with an open mind and an open heart and to accept facts based on their rational deductions as opposed to how far they are from our current beliefs. This sort of humility opens a million doors.

It should be noted that these points are simply my disjointed thoughts and hence probably have many flaws! Comments are more than welcome! May Allah help us in our quest for true knowledge

Real Knowledge (Part 1)

Is there even any such thing? And if there is, how do you know?

I am a Shia Muslim and to many, this in itself is irrational. Belief in God? Not many can say that's rational. And yet, who can say it's wrong? I was born a Shia Muslim, but I also journeyed to the belief. I've been through the notions, rationalised my every core belief. I could walk you through each logical conclusion, step-by-step, beginning with only the simple premise that Existence Exists. But the question I pose to myself now is this. If there was a flaw in my logic, would I spot it?

With this random train of thought, I’m focusing mainly on differences we have when it comes to religious or traditional issues. Why is it that families rarely differ in their stance on any issue? It’s a rare occurrence to have father oppose his son, or wife oppose husband in any viewpoint. Take it a step further – how often does a man who is born into a religion convert? How are nations able to maintain their religious stance? Shouldn’t people all come to different conclusions? If not, how come there are many religions in the world?

The answer seems simple. The upbringing of a person shapes their thoughts until they are entrenched to the extent that they seem logical. But are they logical? And how do we purify them? How do I know I don’t believe in this just because of the way I’m brought up?

To Be Continued…

The Iranian Shopkeeper

The shop I stopped to buy eggs at would not have looked out of place in Iran. A massive Iranian signboard, shopkeepers speaking in rapid Farsi, Iranian goods for sale and Iranian customers. Strangely, it didn't look too out of place in Harrow either! I parked outside and asked my sister to go in and pick up the eggs. She went in, tried to lift a tray and dropped two more in the process.
What were amazing were the reactions. Two people saw the whole thing – The shopkeeper and I. I had nothing to complain about, accidents happen, eggs are cheap, no big deal. The shopkeeper on the other hand, had a massive mess in his shop - the egg was already leaking into the freezers.

Strangely, the reactions were contrary to this. As I sighed heavily, switched off the car and began walking into the shop ready to complain to my sister about her clumsiness, the shopkeeper simply smiled, picked up a cloth and reassured my sister with some kind words as he began to mop up. Better still, he refused to take a penny for the broken eggs, charging us only for the eggs we took home.

As I drove home, I felt like an idiot. I will never forget that Iranian shopkeeper because of that one simple act of kindness. How many acts like that do I perform on a daily basis? In fact, how many acts like that do I perform at all? Already in my eyes, that shopkeeper has an honourable reputation. Do people know me as a kind person, or am I simply an average Joe? What does that shopkeeper have that I don’t?

I’ve heard it a thousand times from the preachers on the pulpit and never once has it sunk in. They tell us again and again that we should be known in our societies to be the best of people. A Muslim should be known from the way he interacts, his manner, his characteristics. Every time I hear it, the same thought crosses my head – If I become a better person, will I be able to change the image of Muslims around the world? But then if a man who knew nothing of Iranians except what he saw on the news had been in the shop that day, what would he have thought?