The Prophets and the Philosophers
They said: We study the views and doctrines of the philosophers, and their brilliance captivates us, their subtleties astonish us, and we almost feel a sense of delight at their call to respect the intellect, liberate the will, cast aside blind following, rebel against every certainty, and question every given—until it seems to us that the mind alone suffices to build for man an edifice of knowledge that will never crack, and a ship of certainty that will never sink in the seas of confusion and doubt.
I said: What you say contains an element of truth, and no reasonable person denies the virtue of the intellect or the station of thought. Indeed, Allah, Glorified and Exalted, distinguished man from the rest of creation only by this intellect, and did not entrust him with the burden of responsibility except when He granted him the blessing of contemplation and reflection. However, the intellect, no matter how elevated, has limits it cannot transcend; and thought, no matter how vast, has horizons which, if man oversteps, he will stray into the wilderness of bewilderment, drown in the waves of conjecture, and return to where he started—lost, anxious, unable to find refuge or arrive at certainty.
They said: What, then, of the prophets in this regard? Is there not in their message a call to servitude and submission, humility and reverence, faith and surrender, fear and God-consciousness, such that they appear to cast a veil over the intellect and place shackles on the mind?
I said: Rather, you are under a profound delusion. The prophets, peace be upon them, did not come to extinguish the light of the intellect, nor to silence the voice of thought. Rather, they were sent to set the intellect upon its proper course, to guide it to the stations of perfection, and to free it from the whims of the soul and the shackles of ignorance. They taught us faith, not blind following; they directed us to a submission befitting human weakness when faced with the mysteries of existence, not to the surrender of errant minds. Let us distinguish between true humility born of certainty, and the debasement imposed by ignorance.
They said: Is not doubt the root of all knowledge? Is not abundant questioning and the clash of opinions the path to understanding?
I said: Indeed, doubt is an indispensable stage, and questioning is a necessary path. Yet if doubt persists, it corrupts the heart and destroys the mind—just as a journey that continues without destination wastes one’s life. The prophets did not forbid us from questioning; rather, they guided us to it. They did not prohibit thinking; rather, they corrected and refined it. They wished for the intellect to proceed in the light of revelation, not to stumble in the darkness of whim; they wanted thought to ascend to the heights, not to plunge into the deepest abysses.
They said: Will you not give us a decisive word, establishing the proof for us, and distinguishing for us the path of the prophets from the ways of the philosophers, so that we neither go astray nor become confused, nor have our paths mixed up?
I said: The meanings by which the prophets surpass the philosophers are many and manifold; were we to pursue them all, we would burden you with lengthy discourse and drown you in details. But I shall summarise them for you in one meaning—comprehensive, clear, sufficient for those of sound thought and reflective hearts.
They said: And what is that? I said: Let me bring the meaning closer to you by way of an example, for examples clarify the intellect and ease understanding.
Imagine two young women raised in the same house, having nursed from the same breast; one of them married a righteous, noble man, who protected her chastity, joined her in building a home, and shared with her the trust of family and the burdens of life.
The other lived freely, unrestrained, taking for herself a charming companion who excelled in fine speech and the craft of illusion, showering her with words of love, stirring in her illusions of freedom, and occupying her with the ships of dreams.
One evening, the two women sat together, confiding in one another their secrets.
The married woman said: My life is full of responsibilities and duties—a household to tend, children to raise, a husband who strives and labours to provide us shelter and security. He may become angry at times, he may restrict my freedom, yet I know that behind all this lies sincere love, a grave trust, and shared responsibility.
The other replied, her voice tinged with the intoxication of arrogance: As for me, my life is all pleasure and amusement—no restrictions, no responsibilities. A lover who indulges me with words of affection, takes me wherever I wish, imposes no duties upon me, nor binds me with conditions.
I said: Do you see the difference? They said: Make it plain for us.
I said: The first woman is a partner in building a home, a maker of a small civilisation, a pillar of a righteous society. When days pass, she will see the fruits of her labour—virtuous children, a standing home, and respect among the people. As for the other, how often does a lover grow weary when beauty fades and flee when youth wanes—leaving no home, no family, no place, no security.
I said: Such is the difference between the prophets and the philosophers. The prophets build nations, raise peoples, erect civilisations founded upon values, virtues, and moral responsibility. They impose restrictions when wisdom requires, and ease them when prudence allows. They love people sincerely, commanding them at times and admonishing them at others—not seeking power, but desiring their salvation and striving for their happiness in this world and the next.
As for the philosophers, they adorn words, stir questions, drown minds in seas of doubt, yet they bear none of your burdens—neither of family nor of nation—nor do they establish for you certainty. Rather, they entertain you with speech and leave you to be tossed about by the winds wherever they will.
That is the decisive word, and that is the truth for whosoever seeks to see, to find guidance, and to place the intellect in its rightful place, thought within its proper bounds, and man in his station—between the light of revelation, the guidance of intellect, and the sincerity of responsibility.
Disclaimer: This article was translated by AI. Original post: https://t.me/DrAkramNadwi/6376
