Page 20 - True Wisdom Described in the Qur'an

18
TRUE WISDOM DESCRIBED IN THE QUR'AN

Allah? So will you not pay heed? (Surat al-Jathiyya: 23)
As the verse declares, the one who becomes conceited by taking
his own self as his god can no longer comprehend what he sees and
hears. As a result of this, he will be deprived of a great blessing, such
as wisdom.
As another example, let’s take the researcher who has discovered
the unmatched designs in nature and the faultless systems of living
things. If this researcher claims that the things he witnesses are a re-
sult of chance, he will be greatly mistaken. And to say that this per-
son is wise would be impossible. Because, wisdom is the ability to
comprehend that the perfection in animate things and in systems is
Allah’s creation.
Such clever people may be in the spotlight with their inventions,
knowledge, and skill and gain others’ approval, give admirable
speeches and achieve a superior position in communities far from
religion. But, this is all on the surface; the reality is that such people
cannot show any signs of real wisdom.
But it is also important to realise that these people are not aware
of the position they are in. They suppose that their intelligence has
brought them to the highest possible level and they become proud.
But the wise can clearly see that such people are lacking in real wis-
dom. And they comprehend how powerless such people are in the
face of Allah, regardless of what they may think. Allah thus explains
the helpless situation of people who cannot think:
The unbelievers are like beasts which, call out to them as
one may, can hear nothing but a cry and a call. Deaf, dumb
and blind, they understand nothing. (Surat al-Baqara: 171)

DOES WISDOM INCREASE?
There is another distinction between intelligence and wisdom.