In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most
Merciful
By Ahmad as-Sowayyan
Narrow-mindedness is defined as lacking tolerance or not
having the mental faculty to see beyond the superficial and recognize the
underlying truth. Currently, this tendency appears to be widespread in all
segments of Muslim communities.
The primary reason for this deplorable condition is
ignorance, the inability to recognize this deficiency and to take corrective
action. This situation is further aggravated if the ignorant person considers
himself to be the epitome of wisdom, and if, he is in a leadership or a highly
visible position, he can cause unnecessary harm to a family, a community or a
an entire nation.
Absence of insight can also result in narrow-mindedness by
having a negative effect on one’s thought processes. Insight is a rare virtue,
and quite different from ignorance. A person who lacks insight may possess some
knowledge, but derives no benefit from it due to a lack of analytical skills
while someone with insight assesses his or her knowledge of a situation and
then selects and uses its relevant parts. Through insight, they are able4 to
see what others may not. Ibnul Qayyim, the famous Islamic scholar and author,
said: "One person may read a text and learn one or two lessons from it,
while another may learn one or two hundred."
A rigidly traditional individual’s perceptivity, like that
of a captive frog in a deep well, is able to function only within narrow
parameters. He does not realize that there are boundless vistas of knowledge
beyond the scope of the well, therefore, his mental and intellectual evolution
remains stunted. He is unable to take advantage of the knowledge available
beyond his limited horizon.
Blind imitation creates another obstacle to one’s
intellectual growth. The two world wars of the past century are the perfect
examples of this disability that can allow ruthless political or religious
leaders to manipulate the minds of people who are unable to form their own
objective view.
Some individuals habitually look at things from one angle
and accept them as actual facts without thinking that there may be a different
side to the issue, or that reality may actually be quite different from
appearance. In the following verse, Allah points out that the appearance of the
hypocrites may not be a true indication of their reality: "And when you
see them, you like their appearance, but when they speak and you listen to
them, they seem worthless" … and then He goes on to give this warning:
"They are the enemy, so be warned of them. The curse of Allah be upon
them, how they are perverted." [63:4]
Furthermore, some people are impressed by quantity at the
expense of quality. Referring to the battle of Hunain, Allah says: "On the
day of Hunain, your numbers impressed you but did not benefit you." But,
"If there be amongst you twenty who show fortitude, they will defeat two
hundred." This does not, of course, mean that appearances are to be
completely disregarded or that quantity is totally irrelevant. These
fundamentals should not be valued in isolation, but should be understood
through insight and common sense.
A failure to prioritize or differentiate wrong from right
often leads people to lose sight of the broader picture. Often people will
focus on the immediate and disregard the potential disastrous effects of an
action further down the road. Along with ignorance, narrow-mindedness and, of
course, a lack of insight, these gaps usually prove detrimental to that
individual’s future.
Courtesy Of: Islaam.com
Source: Editor-in-chief, Al-Bayan Magazine, kalamullah.com
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