APPLICATION OF WISDOM, REASON AND INTELLECT
Let us commence this discussion on the need to use wisdom, reason and intellect, through Islamic and Christian sources. You will notice that whereas all religious preachers have stressed on the need to use wisdom, reason and intellect to its optimum, the adherents of all these preachers, claiming themselves to be champions of their respective religions, are seldom found using reason, particularly in religious matters. Consequently, they end up becoming fanatics, fundamentalists and strongly ritualistic.
God the Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
He grants wisdom to whom He pleases, and whoever is granted wisdom, he indeed is given a great good and none but men of understanding mind.
Elaborating on this, a commentator of Quran writes: “Hikmah (the word used in Quran), not only means intellectual power and ability to apply reason but also implies spiritual perception and command over divine guidance, particularly bestowed by God.”
God the Supreme says in the seventeenth chapter of the Gospel (Bible):
Woe unto those who have heard the knowledge but have not sought it. How they will be gathered with the ignorant into the fire! And learn the knowledge and teach it, for even if knowledge does not bring you felicity, it will not bring you wretchedness, and even if it does not raise you, it will not lower you, and even if it does not enrich you, it will not impoverish you, and even if it does not benefit you, it will not harm you. And do not say, ‘We fear lest we should know but not act’, but say, ‘We hope to know and to act.’ And knowledge intercedes on behalf of one who has it, and it is for God not to disgrace him. Indeed, on the Resurrection day God will say: ‘O assembly of the learned (‘ulama’)! What is your opinion of our Lord?’ Then they will say: ‘It is our opinion that He will have mercy upon us and forgive us.’ Then the Almighty will say: ‘Indeed, I have done so. Indeed, I have entrusted you with My wisdom not because I wanted evil for you, but because I wanted good for you. So enter among My good servants into My garden (paradise) by My mercy.’
Bihar al-anwar, I, 186
Also some of the oft-quoted sayings from various books of Islamic traditions talk on the subject in the following manner:
It is because of the existence of reason that God-Almighty gets worshipped, and one makes his entry into Paradise.
Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p-11
Whoever is wise and intelligent possesses religion, and whoever has religion will enter into the Paradise.
Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p-11
God-Almighty has blessed the human beings with two proofs:
One is apparent and the other is hidden. The apparent proofs are Prophets and Imams (Leader-guides), and the hidden proof is the reason and intelligence within our existence.
Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p-16
The most perfect human beings from the point of view of reason are those who are the best in moral conduct.
Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p-23
The reason is the guide of a believer.
Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p-25
The reason is the friend of everyone and the ignorance is his enemy.
Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p-11
Egotism of a person is the indication of his wisdom’s weakness.
Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p-27
Whoever desires to become contented without possessing health, a tranquil heart free from jealousy and soundness in religion must cry before God-Almighty and should ask for perfection of his reason. Therefore, whoever becomes wise will be contented with modest means of livelihood, and thus, will become free from wants, and whoever is not contented with modest means of livelihood will never become free from wants.
Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p-18
A wise person avoids even extra worldly-affairs what to say about sins, while quitting extra-worldly affairs is optional and avoiding of sins is mandatory.
Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p-17
A wise person will never tell a lie, even if his self is tempted to do so.
Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p-19
Whoever lacks compassion does not have religion; whoever lacks wisdom does not have compassion; the most valuable person is the one who does not consider the entire world worthy of his self. Know that: your bodies could not be traded with anything except – Paradise. Therefore, be careful never to trade yourselves for a price other than Paradise.
Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p-19
The reason and lust are opposite to each other; knowledge supports reason while the lust is supported by the passions and inordinate desires; self is a battlefield where a war is waged between the reason and lust; whoever becomes victorious in this fight takes control of the self.
Gharar al-Hukm, vol. 1, p-96
Evil and mischief are hidden inside every self; in case the master of self takes over his control, they remain hidden, but when opposite happens, they make themselves manifested.
Gharar al-Hukm, vol. 1, p-105
Whoever does not take possession of his passions and desires will not be the master of his reason either.
Gharar al-Hukm, vol. 2, p-702
Also it is reported that the God said to Jesus: “Honour those who possess knowledge and know of their excellence, for verily their excellence over that of all My creation - except for the prophets and messengers - is like that of the sun over the stars, and like that of the Hereafter over this world, and like My excellence over all things.”
Bihar al-anwar, ii, 25
Buddhism too lays greatest stress on reason. If we read teachings of Buddha, we will find that it was his constant endeavour to make his opponents see the truth through their own wisdom. Likewise, we find similar attempt to win the opponents through making them see reason in the Dialogues of Plato.
Gita too gives primacy to wisdom. Wisdom is not plain knowledge arising out of reason in the logical sense, but a timeless or unitive wisdom belonging to the context of the Absolute. There is still victory to be won by the wise man against his own ignorance.
Gita lays great stress on putting one’s reasoning faculties and intelligence to optimum use. It has devoted one Chapter to reason and one to wisdom, and even in the remaining sixteen Chapters, it is evident that inviting the people to apply reason and seek knowledge (wisdom) are the prime objectives of Krishna’s teachings.
Writes the famous author Lal: “The chief requirements of Buddhi Yoga (The Yoga of Wisdom) are that the Buddhi (intelligence, wisdom) is trained, developed and dedicated to God and the intellect thus enlightened is used (a) as an instrument of thought – for creating and sifting ideas, (b) for illumining actions and (c) for controlling emotions. When Buddhi Yoga is applied to works, they become Karma Yoga or skilful actions. Thus the most common form of Buddhi Yoga in everyday life is Karma Yoga, but the term Buddhi Yoga is more comprehensive and includes the discipline of the emotions, the intelligence and the senses as well.”
Yoga Vasistha echoes the teaching of the Gita in the following way: “Reasonable words even of a child ought to be accepted and those even of the Creator (Brahma) are to be discarded like straw if they are otherwise.”
And Gita says:
When a man acquires a clear understanding, he does not follow others blindly but judges things for himself to determine what is best for him.
Gita.II.52
As Swami Rama Tirtha in his book ‘The Heart of Rama’ wrote: “Accept not a religion because it is the oldest; it being the oldest is no proof of its being the true one. Sometimes the oldest houses ought to be pulled down and the oldest clothes must be changed… Accept not a religion because it comes from a great ascetic, from a man who has renounced everything… Accept not a religion because it comes from a person whose character was the highest; often times people of the grandest character have failed in expounding the truth… Accept a thing and believe in a religion on its own merits. Examine it yourself. Sift it.”
Based on this universal appeal of the Messengers of God as well as the learned in regard to reason and wisdom, we beckon you to take note of these golden words from various great men, and invite you with your reason and wisdom to unearth some of the greatest mysteries of our time. We once again forewarn you to be prepared for the most unexpected revelations which, we are sure, will appeal to the men of reason.
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