“Et cerebrum non habet neque sensum!" Chihuahua asserted, "At a part of mankind, who, out of their own abundant wealth, arrange to polish up themselves in everything, outside common sense, and seem not even to allow a thought on the important outcomes of growing their understandings. In short, almost all over the world, affiliate in the masquerade party; and a man with sufficient aptitude for observation, may entertain himself, as well as the mixed society he meets with in life, in an extravaganza, provided and ordered, for the sake of that purpose." he explained."Let me me tell you about Reynard, the Fox!" he proceeded. "As you all know—if not, don't worry, you won't get an E, because I assume, you are all good, at least, got a B—Sir Reynard, the Trickster Fox, displays a great degree of intellect or secret knowledge, and uses it to play tricks or, otherwise, disobey normal rules and defy conventional behavior. He is known to have split personality disorder. On one hand, he is clever and wise, on the other hand, he is bad and likes to cheat. He is believed to have mastered trade, which made him worshiped by merchants in society.It's been said—whether it's true or not, or it just my imagination—when he was young—when the "fox" ego had not yet dominated him—he happened to enter the house of an actor and, rummaging through all his properties, came upon a Colombina Mask, an admirable imitation of a human head. This mask, the Columbina Mask, was one of the Venetarian Mask style, popularised by Columbina, or Columbine, a recurring character in the Commedia Dell’arte. It was s traditionally a half mask, adorned with an ornate variety of Jewels, feathers and fabrics. Often painted in gold or silver, it was held in place by either a ribbon or a stick.Colombina, was Italian, translated as "little dove." She was known as a maidservant and the lover of Arlecchino, or Harlequin. She dressed in a ragged and patched dress, similar to her counterpart, Arlecchino. She was also known to wear heavy makeup around her eyes, and carry a tambourine, which she could use to fend off the amorous advances of Pantalone.Today, this kind of mask, frequently worn at Masked Balls and Masquerade Balls, as it enable the wearer to eat and drink easily.Young Reynard placed his paws on the mask, examined it carefully, thinking, then he said to himself, “What a handsome face we have here! Pity it is, that it should want brains.” The words of Simba, the Lions King, echoed in his ears, "O Reynard, the focus of contemporary discourse on the topic of intelligence, is primarily the present life and enhancing our abilities in order to achieve higher levels of education and more status and power. This contrasts with the conceptualization in the Islamic perspective, which concentrates on spiritual understanding. The word for intellect in the Arabic language is 'aql; it can be defined in a number of ways, including reason, understanding, comprehension, discernment, insight, rationality, mind, or intellect.This is the instinctive faculty given to humans by Allah, by which we comprehend the reality of our existence and this world. Those who use their 'aql, are able to reason and rationalize to arrive at the truth. Islam emphasizes reason—one of the five universal necessities that should be preserved in Islam is mind or reason, the others are faith, life, lineage, and property—for it is the basis upon which humans are held accountable for their choices. It is also the characteristic that elevates the human being above the rest of Allah's creation, if that gift is used appropriately. Islamic law is designed, in such a way, as to preserve reason and intellect, and to ensure its well-being and freedom. Islam prohibits the use of any substance that may affect the mind negatively or decrease its ability in any way.Islam encourages us to develop our intellects, to contemplate, and to follow rational arguments and proofs. 'Freedom of thought' is a blessing bestowed upon us by Allah, but it must be within constraints. Thoughts or proclamations of thoughts cannot be outside the boundaries prescribed by the Sharia, and reason itself can never be given a status above that of revelation. While the vast majority of the religion is logical, we cannot try to explain everything by logic alone, because it has its limits. There are some things that are simply beyond the capacity of the human mind to comprehend, because the knowledge given to us is restricted. In fact, it is very minute in comparison to the knowledge of Allah. In general, the Qur'an and Hadith, should be our guides for understanding the world and developing appropriate beliefs.Knowledge is obviously important in relation to thoughts and beliefs, which is why it has a high status. We could not actually utilize our intellect to make sound decisions without having knowledge. Knowledge, of course, is also acquired through use of the mind. We come to know the specifics of right and wrong, permissible and forbidden, through gaining knowledge. While our natural disposition is to worship Allah alone, it would be impossible for us to do so correctly without detailed information.About the significance of knowledge, our beloved (ﷺ), said,طَلَبُ الْعِلْمِ فَرِيضَةٌ عَلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ“Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim.” [Sahih Muslim]The sincere quest for knowledge will assist us in finding the straight path in life and staying firm upon it. Without true and correct knowledge, our journey through life would be haphazard and unsuccessful.It is important to understand the distinction between knowledge that is an individual obligation, versus that which is a communal obligation. Knowledge that is obligatory for each individual includes basic knowledge of the religion, such as understanding of the Qur'an and Hadith, 'aqeedah, religious injunctions—prayer, fasting, charity, social relations and the like—and knowledge of the lawful and the unlawful. Knowledge that is compulsory on the community only needs to be learned by some members of the Muslim society; the obligation is relieved once it is fulfilled by some members of the community, but if no one in the community fulfils the obligation, then everyone in the community will be held accountable for not learning it. This category would include detailed knowledge of Islam and the Sharia, medicine, engineering, education, and so forth.Humankind, throughout the centuries, has discussed and debated the meaning and purpose of life, and how to attain wisdom in the process. In secular terms, wisdom has been defined as the ability to make sound choices and appropriate decisions. It is intelligence shaped by experience, or information softened by profound understanding and deep insight. It is often accompanied by extensive formal knowledge, but worldly knowledge is not a necessary condition for wisdom. The secular focus has been on intelligence and knowledge, with little mention of the spiritual dimension. The Islamic perspective, focuses on the spiritual and religious meaning of wisdom based upon revelation from the All-Knowing, that ultimate wisdom comes from Allah for He is the All-Wise, All-Knowing. Humans should never presume that they have more wisdom than Allah, for this is a form of shirk which can lead to dire consequences. In reality, the 'wisdom' possessed by humans, is only a derivative of the supreme wisdom of Allah. He grants this wisdom to whom He wills, and He withholds it from whom He wills. The Qur'an is one of the means through which humans may acquire a portion of the wisdom available from Allah. Our beloved Prophet (ﷺ) was given a special portion of Allah's wisdom, and this wisdom of the Prophet (ﷺ), is in reality, his Sunnah."Young Reynard circled the mask once, then turned around, circled it again, and again, then he said, "O beautiful head, you look very fine, your charm spreads everywhere, but outside show, is a poor substitute for inner worth!" Again, he went around it, and whispered, "Haec fabula de illis dicitur qui gloriam et honorem habent, prudentiam vero nullam. Masks are the faces of shame. All you need is, a touch of an appropriate policy!"
"And Allah knows best."
References :
- Dr. Aisha Utz, Psychology from the Islamic Perspective, IIPH
- Rev. Geo. Fyler Townsend, M.A., Aesop Fables, George Routledge and Sons
