A022
Surah: 008 - Ayah: 022
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8:22
The paramount importance of using the intellect, which is a Divine gift to humankind, is clear from the Qur'an: "Verily the vilest of beasts with God are the deaf and the dumb who do not use their intellect." (Qur'an 8:22) Also: "And they said: 'Had we but listened or used our intellect, we would not have been among the inmates of the Blaze'." (Qur'an 67:10) There are numerous such verses that show that those who do not use their innate intellect and its initial teaching as the first messenger or the first proof have to face grave consequences. On the other hand, those who follow its initial teaching and actualize it fully through nurturing true knowledge are praised highly as the "ulu'l-albab" (the people of intellect) and are granted the abundant good (Qur'an 2:269).
Nasir alludes to this position of the innate intellect in his prose and poetry. In his Jamic, interpreting the hadith: "Every human being has two devils who lead him astray", and comparing the two devils to the appetitive and irascible souls, he says that every individual is endowed with the rational soul (nafs-i ndfiqa) and the appetitive and irascible souls. The rational soul is a potential angel whereas the appetitive and irascible souls are potential devils. If the rational soul is able to subjugate them the individual becomes an actual angel, but if the latter subjugate the former, he becomes an actual devil. This means that every individual who is endowed with the rational soul has the potential to be an actual angel. However negligence in executing the innate intellect's teaching causes the person to become "the vilest of beasts". Such are the consequences of accepting or rejecting the perfect intellect's teaching or guidance in the form of true knowledge. These are also described in his poetry. For instance in the case of failure:
Har chand rahmat ast khirad bar tu az Khuday Bar
har ki bad kunad ba-khirad ham khirad balast
Although intellect is God's mercy to you
It also becomes a calamity to the one who abuses it
In the case of success, Nasir extols the intellect so profusely that it is extremely difficult to decide what to quote and what to leave! Fie says:
Khirad kimya-yi salahast-u nimat Khirad madan-i khayr-u adl ast-u ihsan Intellect is the alchemy of well-being and munificence
Intellect is the mine of goodness, justice and favour
Qadr-u baha-yi mard na az jism-ifarbihast Bal mardum az niku sukhan-u aql pur bahas Man's glory and worth is not because of his corpulent body
Rather, man's glory lies in his intellect and eloquence
Adl ast-u rasti hama athar-i aql-i pak
Aql ast aftab-i dil-u adl azu diyd ast
Justice and rectitude are all traces of the pure
intellect
Intellect is the sun of the heart and justice is its light
And finally:
Gar khirad ra har sar-i hushyar-i khwish afsar kuni
Sakht zud az charkh-i gar dan, ay pisar, sar bar kun
If you crown your prudent head with intellect O son, instantly you shall raise your head above the revolving sphere of the heavens
This verse has been referred 0 times.