Narrated from Sahl ibn Sa’d: The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, “Indeed Allah loves makaarim al-akhlaaq (good character) and He dislikes its lowliness (i.e. bad character).” [1]
Abu Hatim: ‘Intelligence is fortune, and with it, ghurbah (strangeness) is made pleasing to a person and it drives away poverty. There’s no wealth more virtuous than intellect and no-one’s religion is complete until his intellect is complete.’
And truthful was he who said,
The best that Allah has given to a person is his intellect,
For there is nothing that can compare to it.
If the Most Merciful completes for a person his intelligence,
Then indeed his character and goals have been completed.
A man only lives among people by his intellect
And his knowledge only runs according to his intelligence
And among people, a man only increases in the wealth of his intelligence
When in reality, from a lack of wealth he is suffering.
Ibn ‘Aamir: I said to ‘Ataa ibn Abi Rabaah [2], “O Abu Muhammad! What’s the best that a servant (of Allah) can be given?’ He said, ‘Intellect from Allah.'”
Abu Hatim: ‘Intelligence is the cure of the heart, the tool of the Mujtahidin (scholars), the seeds for the Hereafter’s harvest, the crown of the believer in this world and his preparation for any calamities,. Whoever lacks intellect, then gaining power in the land will never increase him in honour, nor will wealth ever raise him in status. Indeed, there is no intelligence in the one who is heedless of his Akhira (Hereafter) because of the delights he finds in his Dunya and just as the worst of illness is Jahl (ignorance), the worst of poverty is lack of intellect.’
It was said to ‘Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak: ‘What is the best that man has been given?’ He said, ‘The honour of intellect.’ It was said, ‘And if he doesn’t have that?’ He said, ‘A good character’, ‘And if he doesn’t have that?’ ‘A righteous companion to give him advice.’ ‘And if not that?’ ‘Long periods of silence which he observes.’ ‘And if not that?’ He said, ‘Then a quick death!’
Narrated from Da’laj: I heard Mu’awiya ibn Qura [3] say, ‘Truly, there are people who perform Hajj and ‘Umrah, they fight in the Way of Allah, pray and fast, but on the Day of Judgement, they’ll only be given according to (the soundness of) their intellect.’
Abu Hatim: ‘The wise one never looks down upon or despises anyone; For whoever despises the ruler, he corrupts his worldly life, whoever despises the righteous, corrupts his Deen, whoever despises his brothers, his self-respect ceases and whoever despises the general masses, his protection dies away.’
‘Abdul-Rahman ibn Muhammad al-Muqatili recited:
Whoever possesses knowledge but has no wealth,
Is like one possessing feet without any sandals.
And whoever possesses wealth but has no intellect,
Is like one possessing sandals but has no feet!
Abu Hatim: ‘The wise one never fights without preparation, nor does he argue without evidence, nor does he wrestle without strength, because it’s by wisdom and intellect that souls live (to their fullest) and hearts are lighted up. It’s by intelligence that matters come to pass and this world is built up.’
It is also narrated from Muhammad ibn Abi Malik al-Ghazi that he said: I heard my father say, ‘Sit in the company of the intelligent ones, be they your friends or your enemies for great minds only add to minds.’ (i.e. you’ll benefit from their wisdom and intelligence)
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References
1] al-Mustadrak (1/48), Sunan al-Bayhaqi (1/191)
2] ‘Ataa ibn Aslam ibn Safwan ibn Abi Rabah, a Tabi’i from the major scholars (d. 114AH)
3] Mu’awiya ibn Qura al-Muzni al-Basri, a muhaddith from the Tabi’in (d. 113AH)
Thanks for translating this great book, I hope Allah gives you the tawfiiq to complete it.
this is my blog for those interested http://www.choosingthehereafter.blogspot.com
AA
JazaakiAllah Khairan for this.
This is something that has been on my mind for a long time. i.e What is intelligence and how is it defined.
The world generally considers an intelligent person to be someone who progresses in academia or someone endowed with an amazing memory, or somebody who is highly educated and a graduate of such and such renowned university and so on and so forth.
So to the world those people who reached the pinnacle of intelligence were people like Darwin and Einstein, and philosophers like Aristotle and Plato etc…
But the truth is that although these people possessed intellect in the material sense (in fact a 5 year old who believes in Allah has more intellect than those who deny Him(swt)), they lacked what is referred to as ‘Aql Saalim’,Sound Intellect.
It is only through sound intellect a person’s religion is preserved because such a person can weigh his or her actions and distinguish between right and wrong.
The reason i’m mentioning this is because i have spoken to some muslims, who perceive themselves to be very intelligent (delusion is a more apt term). And such people who have gone through the education system and have obtained degrees from renowned and respected universities, and have maybe obtained doctorates or whatever. Then all of a sudden they jump onto ‘the bandwagon of sincere people who have flocked to their deen in recent times’ and they pick up translations of the Qur’an and Hadeeth and start to debate using their twisted logic gained from their material studies, considering themselves to be authorities in Islam.
And it is this very deception that leads them to deny or to argue against core aspects of the religion of Islam just because it goes against the logic of the way in which they understand things or the way in which they perceive things to be. This attitude is becoming very common amongst the so called educated muslims, who are turning away from the traditional classical form of Islam, that was preached and practiced by the Pious predecessors of this religion, and are engaging in argumentaion and debating using what they call a more modern and progressive interpretation of the teachings of Islam. These people have been deluded by their own intellect and are leading others astray also.
May Allah protect and guide us all. Ameen
This leads me to a final point, which is that i don’t think that ‘Aql Saalim’ alone is enough. Because through ‘Aql Saalim’ one gains and acquires sacred knowledge, but in order to act upon that knowledge an additional very important ingredient is required which is necessary to act upon that knowledge. And that ingredient is ‘Hubb’, Love of Allah(swt), the Prophet(saw) and everything associated with Allah and His Rasul(saw) and His beautiful religion of Islam.
When a person gains and possesses this love, together with Sound intellect, then no doubt such a person is the one who truly succeeds both in this life and in the hereafter.
May Allah make us all of those who possess both Sound intellect and Love for Allah(swt), His Prophet(saw) and His deen. Ameen
Wassalam
AbuSumaya, barakallahu feek but I don’t think I’ll ever finish its translation 🙁 – but insha’Allah will try to pick the best portions.
Dailyreminders, jazakallahu khayran for the superb input. You’re absolutely right about this confusion people have in differentiating between academic progress and sound intellect. Sometimes a person may have much qualifications (in secular fields) but yet their real intellect is not sound, hence Ibn Hibban’s (rh) saying above:
He’s basically saying, ‘If a person really was intelligent, he would know what was good for him (i.e. in the Akhira).’
Also, I believe for most of the part, logic is confused with intellect. What’s logical to people at a certain time and place may not be the case in other times and places – and hence this Deen alhamdulillah is one based on Divine Revelation and not merely the logic of its people. Those people who deem themselves to be ‘intellectuals’ and yet due to them not being well grounded in real Islamic ‘ilm, take positions and are speaking without knowledge, then these personalities really need to be careful:
أم تقولون على الله ما لا تعلمون
‘… Or do you say regarding Allah, what you do not know?’
Our Islamic heritage has seen hundreds of scholars who have built and gathered the ‘ilm for us, and for individuals to come and do away with centuries of scholarship by their logic and modern intellect is not an light matter.
And Allah `azza wa jall says,
نرفع درجات من نشاء وفوق كل ذي علم عليم
‘… We raise in degrees whom We please, and over every possesser of knowledge, is One possessing great knowledge.’ [Yusuf]
Sometimes, I think people forget this and as a result ruin their ownselves and others by their (true) ignorance, pride & heedlessness.
Barakallahu feek bro. As they say, الخير يهدي إلى الخير – ‘goodness only leads to goodness.’ Knowledge of Allah (and all beneficial ‘ilm) will always lead a person to love their Creator, His Messengers, His Book etc. Knowledge which doesn’t increase a person in love, sincerity, piety, gratitude and all the other sought-after traits, is not really ‘ilmun nafi3 (beneficial). Hence the Messenger (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) taught us:
اللهم إني أسألك علماً نافعاً ورزقاً طيباً وعملاً متقبلاً
‘O Allah I ask You for knowledge which benefits, for goodly provision and deeds accepted by You.’
اللهم علمنا ما ينفعنا وانفعنا بما علمتنا وزدنا علماً
‘O Allah, teach us that which benefits us and benefit us with what you have taught us, and increase us in knowledge.’
Ameen.
AA
SubhanAllah!!!
Yes, not just any kind knowledge, but rather only beneficial knowledge is the real key to success in this Life and in the Hereafter.
JazaakiAllahu khairan for a very beneficial and detailed reply.
Was
Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barkaatuh,
Excellent choice of translation. Jazaaki Allaahu khayran.
May Allaah increase us all in intelligence based on the criteria He has revealed, not on the criteria of the ignorant. Ameen.
Assalaamu alaykum
AssalamuAlaikum sister Fajr. Jazakillah Khair for this.
Salamunalaik…!
Allahukber !what an intelligent post this is…
Fortunate really are thos who are given even a drop of intelligence…..It can be measured by the pietyness of a man/woman as Quran says …So have taqwa of Me, people of intelligence! (Surat al-Baqara: 197) …
He/She too(any muslim) is an intelligent who has manners of wise and humility of poor,whose faith is unshakable ,courage is unbreakble,spirit is unbeatable and statements are undeniable.