"Wise man suffers in comfort with his intellect while the ignorant one enjoys himself in missery" Islamic & Philosophical takeaways

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Table of contents:

1. Suffering&Wisdom

2. Ignorance &False joy in misery

3. Practical Takeaways

4. Conclusion

This profound quote is attributed to Abu tayyeb Al mutanabbi,an Arab poet , philosopher & warrior from Abbasid era.

Also read:Growth mindset &Muslims

1. Suffering&Wisdom

The correlation here of wisdom & suffering is absolute. 

The one with wisdom pays attention to even the slightest matter, which not just tells him that there is still room for development, but at the same time makes him uncomfortable with its existence to a certain degree, even if the circumstances are in his favor. His vision is not limited to materialistic gain, but surpasses the thoughts of mortal man, and ends at the concern for the day where all souls will be judged. Even an atom's weight will be considered and won't be ignored. 

"So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it."

Quran 99:7-8

Such men in our society are usually considered awkward or introverts, and in certain cases, especially when they start standing up for right and justice, they suffer strong backlash. Their dealing with others is awkward, as they have to feign superficiality just to be understood. 

As said by Friedrich Nietzsche, 

"Men who think deeply appear to be comedians in their dealing with others because they always have to feign superficiality in order to be understood."

All these things and even more become a major cause of suffering for the wise, not external but internal. 

But now the question is, why to attain wisdom? 

Suffering is a choice, why not reject it? 

Well...Suffering builds character. 

It is the only path from where a mortal man can level up to attain higher consciousness or Islamically we say Taqwa.

This is certain to occur. To acquire wisdom means to come closer to Allah and real test to prove it is to face suffering patiently. As Allah said in the Quran 2:155

"We will certainly test you with something of fear and hunger and loss of property, lives, and crop, but give glad tidings to those who patiently preserve."

Allah is the wisest, and his wisdom dictates that good people should be distinguished from bad people. 

Just like to obtain pure gold, impurities have to be separated, and the way is through flames. Similarly, to obtain the purest of men, the way is through flames of trials. All this will inevitably happen, as Allah told us, and it happened with all the nations, cities, tribes, individuals who passed away. Wise men faced suffering comfortably due to their patience, but others just got lost in fragments due to their impatient nature.

2. Ignorance &False joy in misery

Ignorant man enjoys himself in misery.

This is something clearly and most evidently seen in our society. People who have lost their consciousness due to which  are in extreme misery, often found entertaining themselves with false pleasures.

 On the street I saw a beggar who got no home, neither anything to eat nor to protect himself from the cold. But somehow he managed an android mobile with internet connection and was watching pornography in the chilling winter's cold. 

It was really sad to see him, but what's even sadder is that we are also like him, just at different degrees and in different fields. We prioritize pleasures of this world over the ultimate joy of afterlife and it's absolute necessity due to our own ignorance, even though 

Allah's Prophet ﷺ said,

 "If any one of you improve (follows strictly) his Islamic religion then his good deeds will be rewarded ten times to seven hundred times for each good deed and a bad deed will be recorded as it is."

 Sahih Bukhari,42

Yet we knowingly indulge into sin and transgression, all this misery just for a temporary pleasure that's fleeting away with the fragments of life. 

People like these are usually carefree in their dealing with others, especially the one from whom they earn no profit, but think a lot when it's a matter of their worldly gain and loss. They can even sacrifice their religion for a temporary profit, whereas treating the individuals specially who are lower to them in an insulting and disgraceful way is what they casually do although when someone superior appears to them, they humble themselves before him, unknowing that one day all will be humbled before the Almighty. 

"On that Day all will follow the caller ˹for assembly˺, ˹and˺ none will dare to deviate. All voices will be hushed before the Most Compassionate. Only whispers will be heard"

Quran,20:108

The absolute terror of the day will humle all the souls. 

3. Practical Takeaways

• Increase your knowledge. Acquire knowledge from most trustworthy sources who provide information with proper proof. 

• Ignorance is a disease and its only cure is to acquire knowledge. 

• Reflect upon your actions. One of the best ways is journaling. 

Also read:Why journaling is necessary for muslims?

• Preach in order to remember & practice what you preach. Knowledge is useless until and unless it's perfected by putting it to use through action.

• Practicing & embodying your philosophy is even more important than just developing it endlessly.

• Once you start putting efforts to put it into practice, then start preaching to others, (giving dawa).

• Avoid the company of fools. They will not just put you in doubt, but at the same time try to stop you and pull you back into that rabbit hole of misery and ignorance.

4. Conclusion

Suffering and wisdom are deeply intertwined, shaping individuals into stronger, more conscious beings. While the ignorant may indulge in false pleasures to escape reality, the wise embrace trials with patience, knowing that suffering refines character and draws them closer to Allah. By increasing knowledge, reflecting on actions, and avoiding harmful influences, one can break free from the cycle of ignorance and misery. Let us strive to seek wisdom, embody our beliefs, and patiently endure trials as part of Allah’s divine plan.

 اللهم مُصَرِّفَ الْقُلُوْبِ صَرِّفْ قُلُوْبَنَا عَلَى طَاعتِكَ

O Allah! Controller of the hearts, direct our hearts to Your obedience

Ameen. 

Comment down any question or dought you have regarding islam and its doctrines. Future blogs will inshallah include the solution to them ☺️

Fiqh & hadith related doughts will be explained by ulema of the specific fields inshallah