In this universe, we human beings are the conscious elements that can understand other creations. The intellect is a trust (amanah) that is given to us, and according to the Quran, it is a weighty trust that even the heavens and earth refuse to bear the weight of it – but we took it[1]. Based on the intellect that is given to us, we can strive to prevent harms from happening, but we can also cause massive destruction to ourselves and other creations.
Given the importance of this faculty, the topic of knowledge is addressed at the very outset of revelation, when the Angel Gabriel appeared before Prophet Muhammad and ordered: “Read!” Prophet Muhammad replied “I am not of those who read” The same instruction and answer were repeated three times until the first revelation was completed: “Read in the name of your Lord [Rabb, “Educator”], Who created humankind out of a clinging clot. Read, and your Lord is most bountiful, He who taught by means of the pen, taught humankind that which they did not know[2].”
Prophet Muhammad is unlettered – he cannot read by his own faculties – thus God instructs him to read “in the name of your Lord”, directly drawing a link between faith in God and knowledge[3]. The early period of revelation stresses that knowledge has to be based on humility and moral responsibility. Only these two factors can constrain the unbounded human intellect from transgressing the limits and causing destruction on this planet.
The second revelation reaffirms Prophet Muhammad, the divine source of his inspiration: “Nun. By the pen and by that which they write. You [Muhammad] are not, by the grace of your Lord, possessed. Verily, yours is an unfailing reward. And surely you have sublime morals. You will soon see, and they will see, which of you is afflicted with madness[4].” The second revelation opens with the Arabic letter Nun, which no commentator – even the Prophet himself – knows the meaning of it or what it symbolizes. Thus, when God swears “by the pen” and confirms the necessity of the knowledge conveyed to human beings, He opens the verses with a letter that is incomprehensible to us, expressing the limits of human knowledge[5]. God is teaching us that the intellect must learn humility and recognizes the necessity of faith due to its own limits[6].
The verses also mention about the Prophet’s “sublime morals” that confirms him, a posteriori, that he is in the right and not possessed[7]. From his early days, Prophet Muhammad was known for his honesty and sincerity and he was given the title of al-Amin, “The Trusted One”[8]. Elsewhere in the Quran, it is mentioned that he is an “excellent exemplar” in good conduct, morality, and manners[9]. So when the Creator swears “by the pen” and mentions the Prophet’s “sublime morals”, He affirms that knowledge must tie in with moral dignity.
This is a great lesson that we should take note, as human history has shown: Acts of destruction had been committed due to the unbounded intellect. After the catastrophic event of Hiroshima bombing, Albert Einstein – the man who discovered the science behind it – made the remark, unless “by common struggle we are capable of new ways of thinking, mankind is doomed[10].” He recognizes that his greatest intellectual work is causing humankind’s doom, unless we awaken to the realization that moral responsibility must come hand-in-hand with the knowledge that we posses.
Then came the period of silence (fatra), which revelation was stopped for about six months. This period was a trying time for the Prophet who still doubts his position as the chosen one to receive revelation. However this period was essential to the development of the Prophet’s character, as God’s silence was a practical lesson for him to internalize the meaning of humility – not just verbally through revealed verses[11]. Finally the next revelation came to him: “By the morning light! By the night when it is still! Your Lord has not forsaken you, nor is He displeased. And verily the Hereafter will be better for you than the present. And soon will your Lord give you that which you will be well pleased[11].”
As can be seen, the early period of revelation was impregnated with lessons that bind knowledge with faith, humility, and moral responsibility. Humankind’s unrelenting thirst for knowledge has not changed over time, as can be seen by the advancements that we achieve in the modern world. But as the world becomes more and more secularized, we are losing faith, humility, and respect for the sacredness of other creations. In our bid for total materialistic gain, our scientific and technological advances have paid little respect to the environment. We should ponder: what have we done with the weighty trust (amanah) that is being given to us as the vicegerents on earth[12]? Today the effect of our unbounded intellect is the deep environmental crisis that we are in, but if we are not careful, tomorrow it may threaten our very own survival.
Footnote:
1 “Truly, We did offer Al-Amanah (the trust or moral responsibility or honesty and all the duties which Allah has ordained) to the heavens and the earth, and the mountains, but they declined to bear it and were afraid of it. But man bore it. Verily, he was unjust to himself, and ignorant (of its results)” (Qur’an 33:72)
2 Qur’an 96:1-5
3 Tariq Ramadan, In the Footsteps of the Prophet: Lessons from the Life of Muhammad. (NewYork, NY: Oxford University Press, 2007), 30
4 Qur’an 68: 1-6
5 Ramadan, 31
6 Ramadan, 31
7 Ramadan, 32
8 Seyyed Hossein Nasr, The Heart of Islam: Enduring Values for Humanity. (NewYork, NY: HarperOne, 2002), 29
9 Quran 32:21
10 Albert Einstein: Atomic Bomb http://www.ppu.org.uk/people/einstein.html
11 Ramadan, 33
12 “Your Lord said to the angels: ‘I will certainly establish a vicegerent [khalifah] on earth” (Qur’an 2:30)
Given the importance of this faculty, the topic of knowledge is addressed at the very outset of revelation, when the Angel Gabriel appeared before Prophet Muhammad and ordered: “Read!” Prophet Muhammad replied “I am not of those who read” The same instruction and answer were repeated three times until the first revelation was completed: “Read in the name of your Lord [Rabb, “Educator”], Who created humankind out of a clinging clot. Read, and your Lord is most bountiful, He who taught by means of the pen, taught humankind that which they did not know[2].”
Prophet Muhammad is unlettered – he cannot read by his own faculties – thus God instructs him to read “in the name of your Lord”, directly drawing a link between faith in God and knowledge[3]. The early period of revelation stresses that knowledge has to be based on humility and moral responsibility. Only these two factors can constrain the unbounded human intellect from transgressing the limits and causing destruction on this planet.
The second revelation reaffirms Prophet Muhammad, the divine source of his inspiration: “Nun. By the pen and by that which they write. You [Muhammad] are not, by the grace of your Lord, possessed. Verily, yours is an unfailing reward. And surely you have sublime morals. You will soon see, and they will see, which of you is afflicted with madness[4].” The second revelation opens with the Arabic letter Nun, which no commentator – even the Prophet himself – knows the meaning of it or what it symbolizes. Thus, when God swears “by the pen” and confirms the necessity of the knowledge conveyed to human beings, He opens the verses with a letter that is incomprehensible to us, expressing the limits of human knowledge[5]. God is teaching us that the intellect must learn humility and recognizes the necessity of faith due to its own limits[6].
The verses also mention about the Prophet’s “sublime morals” that confirms him, a posteriori, that he is in the right and not possessed[7]. From his early days, Prophet Muhammad was known for his honesty and sincerity and he was given the title of al-Amin, “The Trusted One”[8]. Elsewhere in the Quran, it is mentioned that he is an “excellent exemplar” in good conduct, morality, and manners[9]. So when the Creator swears “by the pen” and mentions the Prophet’s “sublime morals”, He affirms that knowledge must tie in with moral dignity.
This is a great lesson that we should take note, as human history has shown: Acts of destruction had been committed due to the unbounded intellect. After the catastrophic event of Hiroshima bombing, Albert Einstein – the man who discovered the science behind it – made the remark, unless “by common struggle we are capable of new ways of thinking, mankind is doomed[10].” He recognizes that his greatest intellectual work is causing humankind’s doom, unless we awaken to the realization that moral responsibility must come hand-in-hand with the knowledge that we posses.
Then came the period of silence (fatra), which revelation was stopped for about six months. This period was a trying time for the Prophet who still doubts his position as the chosen one to receive revelation. However this period was essential to the development of the Prophet’s character, as God’s silence was a practical lesson for him to internalize the meaning of humility – not just verbally through revealed verses[11]. Finally the next revelation came to him: “By the morning light! By the night when it is still! Your Lord has not forsaken you, nor is He displeased. And verily the Hereafter will be better for you than the present. And soon will your Lord give you that which you will be well pleased[11].”
As can be seen, the early period of revelation was impregnated with lessons that bind knowledge with faith, humility, and moral responsibility. Humankind’s unrelenting thirst for knowledge has not changed over time, as can be seen by the advancements that we achieve in the modern world. But as the world becomes more and more secularized, we are losing faith, humility, and respect for the sacredness of other creations. In our bid for total materialistic gain, our scientific and technological advances have paid little respect to the environment. We should ponder: what have we done with the weighty trust (amanah) that is being given to us as the vicegerents on earth[12]? Today the effect of our unbounded intellect is the deep environmental crisis that we are in, but if we are not careful, tomorrow it may threaten our very own survival.
Footnote:
1 “Truly, We did offer Al-Amanah (the trust or moral responsibility or honesty and all the duties which Allah has ordained) to the heavens and the earth, and the mountains, but they declined to bear it and were afraid of it. But man bore it. Verily, he was unjust to himself, and ignorant (of its results)” (Qur’an 33:72)
2 Qur’an 96:1-5
3 Tariq Ramadan, In the Footsteps of the Prophet: Lessons from the Life of Muhammad. (NewYork, NY: Oxford University Press, 2007), 30
4 Qur’an 68: 1-6
5 Ramadan, 31
6 Ramadan, 31
7 Ramadan, 32
8 Seyyed Hossein Nasr, The Heart of Islam: Enduring Values for Humanity. (NewYork, NY: HarperOne, 2002), 29
9 Quran 32:21
10 Albert Einstein: Atomic Bomb http://www.ppu.org.uk/peop
11 Ramadan, 33
12 “Your Lord said to the angels: ‘I will certainly establish a vicegerent [khalifah] on earth” (Qur’an 2:30)
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