Position of Intellect, Knowledge in Islam
Islam attaches importance to intellect and knowledge as it names the intellect as an internal prophet in all humans. The Holy Quran calls on everyone to think deeper as some of the verses specifically address people of reason.
Islamic teachings also introduce intellect as a means to serve God Almighty. Once, Imam Sadiq (AS) – the seventh Shia Imam and teacher of many prominent Muslim scholars – was told about someone who had been worshipping Allah a lot. The Imam asked how did that person think and how much was his intellect.
Major hadith books such as Bihar al-Anwar and Usul al-Kafi have dedicated a special part to praising intellect and knowledge. In the Holy Quran, there are many references to this notion with repetition of phrases such as “people of reason”, “people of understanding”, and “contemplate”.
Islamic teachings highlight that one hour of contemplation is more valuable than 60 years of worship. Some hadiths noted that fish in the seas pray for those who seek to gain knowledge.
Islam also rejects any factor that damages man’s ability to think; alcoholic drinks, for instance, hamper one’s reason and so they have been banned. Meanwhile, consultation with others can help one’s intellectual growth, and hence it has been recommended and praised.
No other school has stressed the importance of education and science like Islam. What Islam has said about the significance of science during Jahiliyyah has not been repeated by any scientist in any other region.
However, intellect and knowledge cannot replace prophets and do not eliminate our need for prophets. The reasons for this will be mentioned in future episodes of this series.
This article was derived from a book written by Iranian Quran teacher and researcher Mohsen Qara’ati.
