Friday Lessons

Intelligence is also a blessing and it must be used widely

by: Shaykh Zafar ul Hasan
Intelligence is also a blessing

"Verily, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an in order that you may understand"

(Surah Yusuf, verse 2)

Among the blessings of Allah, Intelligence is a highly valuable one but ignored by humans. Intelligence distinguishes man from the rest of the creations in this universe. ‘Aaqil’ is an honourable term to define human beings.

And if you should count the favor of Allah , you could not enumerate them. Indeed, mankind is [generally] most unjust and ungrateful ( Surah Ibrahim, 34)

Man is bestowed with leadership through a blessed Intelligence

Indeed, we offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, and they declined to bear it and feared it; but man [undertook to] bear it. Indeed, he was unjust and ignorant (Surah al-Ahzab verse 72)

Man picked up the trust because of his intelligence. Therefore if someone does not use his intelligence then he is said to be an animal.

Intelligence is a blessing and it will be asked how we used it

Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart - about all those [one] will be questioned ( Surah Isra, verse 36)

Using intelligence has been made obligatory by Allah and nobody is allowed to ignore it. The command to use our intelligence is repeated around 95-100 times in the Qur’an. For example:

Afala ta’qiloon? Will you not use intelligence?

Afala yatadabbaroon? Will you not ponder?

Using intelligence is highly appreciated by the Qur’an, "And the worldly life is not but amusement and diversion; but the home of the Hereafter is best for those who fear Allah , so will you not reason?" (Al-An’am, verse 32)

It is a part of intelligence to overlook the materialistic delight of the world and be focused on the life hereafter. The former is temporary and the later is long lasting.

Using Intelligence makes your stronger and takes you closer to Allah

Today man has almost conquered the entire world and also a big part of the universe by using his intelligence in developing technology. Making path in mountains and deep oceans is a big achievement of man. Getting control over many creations which are bigger than him is no less an achievement but he is encouraged to use his intelligence by studying about his own creation so that his faith in the existence of  his Creator be firm.  

“Does not man see that it is We Who created him from a sperm-drop? Yet behold! He (stands forth) as an open disputer!” [SurahYaseen:77]

The Qur’an speaks about embryology and directs us to study how Allah kept us protected in the womb of our mothers in every stage  of pregnancy right from the time man is in the form of a sperm till he is delivered in the form of a human and then he grows up into a strong person and controls many aspects of universe.

Qur’an stirs up our Intelligence by discussing about the variety of food that sprouts out from the same water and earth

Then let mankind look at his food - How We poured down water in torrents,Then We broke open the earth, splitting [it with sprouts], and caused to grow within it grain, and grapes and herbage, olive and palm trees, gardens of dense shrubbery,  fruit and grass -  enjoyment for you and your grazing livestock.  (Surah Abasa, verse 24-32)

Man has no power over the growth of his food. He can only sow seeds and water it. The rest of the phenomena is hosted by Allah the Creator. Even if man studies the variety of green colours in various green vegetable it will be difficult to count.

Both the examples  cited above is a strong proof that nobody can interfere in running the  administration of the universe.