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The theme of last Saturdays talk was "purification before teaching" or "sanctification before instruction" drawing on verse 2 of surah Jummah (62):
And with additional examples, we found that a prepared heart was key in being able to listen.
2) The heart unprepared is not able to extract the wisdom it receives.
In the Quran, we find Allah mentions those who reject the faith:
This is followed by the verse:
Another example we mentioned were those who were able to make use of the experience of others vs. those who had to always use their own experience to learn lessons. Imam Ali in letter 31 of the Nahjul Balagha shows us the importance of being able to use the experience of others to live our lives. If one is not able to extract the wisdom in things, how will that person make use of the knowledge available?
3) The heart unprepared when listening to divine truth will not only reject, but come to dislike or even hate the wisdom. We find a perfect example in history where the Prophet was loved and trusted throughout the community, however the day the Quran was preached he became public enemy number 1.
4) The unready heart when hearing divine truth will create a counter argument in every case. We discussed examples of people who try to make an attractive argument for themselves and even become proud of their ability to create such arguments but Allah says regarding these people:
[Shakir 2:9] They desire to deceive Allah and those who believe, and they deceive only themselves and they do not perceive.
5) An unprepared heart, when given a proof, will be forgetful of it.
6) An unready heart, when hearing diving truth can't act upon it (or apply it)
7) An unready heart can't connect the dots to other wisdom upon hearing one wisdom (he can't expand on the wisdom he receives). Here we used the example of Imam Ali, where he mentions that while the Prophet was on his deathbed he revealed 1,000 levels of wisdom to him and as he was receiving this wisdom 1,000 more levels opened up for him.
هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا مِن قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ
[Yusufali 62:2] It is He Who has sent amongst the Unlettered a messenger from among themselves, to rehearse to them His Signs, to sanctify them, and to instruct them in Scripture and Wisdom,- although they had been, before, in manifest error;-
Here we find that purification precedes the act of learning. An important issue arising from this is if our hearts are not ready, not only can knowledge be useful, it can be very dangerous. We also find that our scholars have reiterated this as well, as exemplified by a quote from Imam Khomeini where he says "a corrupt learned person corrupts the world".
We discussed several dangers that come about from the proper procedure not executed:
1) The heart unprepared is not willing to listen to instruction.
We discussed several dangers that come about from the proper procedure not executed:
1) The heart unprepared is not willing to listen to instruction.
And with additional examples, we found that a prepared heart was key in being able to listen.
2) The heart unprepared is not able to extract the wisdom it receives.
In the Quran, we find Allah mentions those who reject the faith:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ أَأَنذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنذِرْهُمْ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ
[Yusufali 2:6] As to those who reject Faith, it is the same to them whether thou warn them or do not warn them; they will not believe.This is followed by the verse:
خَتَمَ اللّهُ عَلَى قُلُوبِهمْ وَعَلَى سَمْعِهِمْ وَعَلَى أَبْصَارِهِمْ غِشَاوَةٌ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عظِيمٌ
[Yusufali 2:7] Allah hath set a seal on their hearts and on their hearing, and on their eyes is a veil; great is the penalty they (incur).Another example we mentioned were those who were able to make use of the experience of others vs. those who had to always use their own experience to learn lessons. Imam Ali in letter 31 of the Nahjul Balagha shows us the importance of being able to use the experience of others to live our lives. If one is not able to extract the wisdom in things, how will that person make use of the knowledge available?
3) The heart unprepared when listening to divine truth will not only reject, but come to dislike or even hate the wisdom. We find a perfect example in history where the Prophet was loved and trusted throughout the community, however the day the Quran was preached he became public enemy number 1.
4) The unready heart when hearing divine truth will create a counter argument in every case. We discussed examples of people who try to make an attractive argument for themselves and even become proud of their ability to create such arguments but Allah says regarding these people:
يُخَادِعُونَ اللّهَ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَمَا يَخْدَعُونَ إِلاَّ أَنفُسَهُم وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ
[Shakir 2:9] They desire to deceive Allah and those who believe, and they deceive only themselves and they do not perceive.
5) An unprepared heart, when given a proof, will be forgetful of it.
6) An unready heart, when hearing diving truth can't act upon it (or apply it)
7) An unready heart can't connect the dots to other wisdom upon hearing one wisdom (he can't expand on the wisdom he receives). Here we used the example of Imam Ali, where he mentions that while the Prophet was on his deathbed he revealed 1,000 levels of wisdom to him and as he was receiving this wisdom 1,000 more levels opened up for him.
