We will continue to look at the point we started on last time, enhancing our morality with knowledge, with focus on learning in this case. Knowledge is something that helps individuals to understand themselves better, to see personal strengths and weaknesses, which is essential for personal growth and improving our character. That requires learning about ourselves, to become more self-aware. If you have read some of the previous inputs, you may recall how I’ve mentioned that things are connected… and indeed, here we are, touching on the aspect of self-awareness, a thing that keeps coming back.
I would like to point to the Quran. Read and consider what is being said in these following words…
سورة البقرة ٣٠-٣٣
وَإِذۡ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٞ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ خَلِيفَةٗۖ قَالُوٓاْ أَتَجۡعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفۡسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسۡفِكُ ٱلدِّمَآءَ وَنَحۡنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمۡدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَۖ قَالَ إِنِّيٓ أَعۡلَمُ مَا لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ
وَعَلَّمَ ءَادَمَ ٱلۡأَسۡمَآءَ كُلَّهَا ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمۡ عَلَى ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ فَقَالَ أَنۢبِـُٔونِي بِأَسۡمَآءِ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ
قَالُواْ سُبۡحَٰنَكَ لَا عِلۡمَ لَنَآ إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمۡتَنَآۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ
قَالَ يَٰٓـَٔادَمُ أَنۢبِئۡهُم بِأَسۡمَآئِهِمۡۖ فَلَمَّآ أَنۢبَأَهُم بِأَسۡمَآئِهِمۡ قَالَ أَلَمۡ أَقُل لَّكُمۡ إِنِّيٓ أَعۡلَمُ غَيۡبَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَأَعۡلَمُ مَا تُبۡدُونَ وَمَا كُنتُمۡ تَكۡتُمُونَ
Surah Al-Baqara 2:30-33
Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: “I will create a vicegerent on earth.” They said: “Wilt Thou place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood?- whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy holy (name)?” He said: “I know what ye know not.”
And He taught Adam the names of all things; then He placed them before the angels, and said: “Tell me the names of these if ye are right.”
They said: “Glory to Thee, of knowledge We have none, save what Thou Hast taught us: In truth it is Thou Who art perfect in knowledge and wisdom.”
He said: “O Adam! Tell them their names.” When he had told them, Allah said: “Did I not tell you that I know the secrets of heaven and earth, and I know what ye reveal and what ye conceal?”
While the angels had concerns about human behavior, they were shown that humans can learn. Indeed, learning is one of the most important steps. If we can learn to improve, then we may plant our feet more firmly on the path to Jannah…
سورة الحديد ٩
هُوَ ٱلَّذِي يُنَزِّلُ عَلَىٰ عَبۡدِهِۦٓ ءَايَٰتِۭ بَيِّنَٰتٖ لِّيُخۡرِجَكُم مِّنَ ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِۚ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِكُمۡ لَرَءُوفٞ رَّحِيمٞ
Surah Al-Hadid 57:9
He is the One Who sends to His Servant Manifest Signs, that He may lead you from the depths of Darkness into the Light and verily Allah is to you most kind and Merciful.
We learn from life as long as we keep our minds open to it. Pursuing knowledge can provide a sense of purpose, encouraging us to expand our understanding of things, and as I said in my previous input, if we consider what we learn, it gives us the power to judge right from wrong. That is the key to move forward… and with His help, our path may go in the right direction, inshallah.
سورة يونس ٩
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ يَهۡدِيهِمۡ رَبُّهُم بِإِيمَٰنِهِمۡۖ
Surah Yunus 10:9
Those who believe, and work righteousness,- their Lord will guide them because of their faith
I mentioned also in my previous input that I had attended a course called “Moral Philosophy” at the university some time ago, and that I would check to see if I still had some of my writings from that course, and if so, I said I might post something from it here. Indeed, I found my final exam from the course, mashallah. It discusses many points relating to the course literature, (a book I still have), and the different ethical theories described in that book.
There was one point, where I was answering the question… “should the intention behind an action matter, when we consider the moral value of the action?”.
Well, I personally think our intentions matter. Who doesn’t? The question should possibly have been worded in a different way… simply… “how can we judge if our intention is good or bad?”
It gave me the idea to write a more extensive update about “intentions” and how it affects us on our path to Jannah. It’s an interesting point that is worthy of a complete input of its own. It will be the topic for our next update, inshallah, make sure to not miss it.
For now, I hope you found this input inspiring. I extend a beautiful and blessed Friday to all of you, and a time full of safety and comfort inshallah. Jumma Mubarak, from the heart.
The best of times to you all inshallah.
Peace, happiness, and stay faithful.
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