Crowning Intellect as King

Salam Alaykom,

Today I start my discussion with some good news, one that has definitely had an influence on what I will be addressing othe second eve of Muharrum. A few weeks back, I had been struggling to produce an essay for one of my modules, namely Critical Perspectives and how western philosophy has had an effect on literature. I had given this assignment my utmost best effort and still felt as though I had not been adequate in my analysis and handed it in with the full expectation that I would be lucky to scrape a pass. To my delight, the essays were returned to us and I had done rather well and was commended on the exact thing that I felt I had lacked in my essay. With this, I had an anagnorises. I realised that despite the fact that one may feel that they are knowledgeable in a certain field or the opposite, that they lack knowledge in it, one will always be on the quest of knowledge. One phrase that I love to use regularly is that 'life is a learning process. It's okay not to know something but it is not okay to live your life in a shroud of ignorance.'

In light of this and the source of inspiration for today's discussion is a selection of quotes from one of the sermons of Imam Ali (a.s) on the intellect, from his book 'The Peak of Eloquence' (Nahjul Balagha). They captured my attention and in my opinion, demonstrated the mastery of knowledge. It starts by addressing a persons intellect and how it "becomes apparent through his dealings." It continues to say that "the intellect is a King and characteristics are its subjects, so if it is weak in governing them, disorder takes place." This exemplifies the importance of intellect as a means of presenting a positive image of any given person, reflecting good mannerisms, politeness, etiquette and knowing when to talk and when to refrain from doing so (this is my personal understanding of this section.) A person of weak will and low intellect will be unable to control these important characteristics and arguably, presents a "disorder" within their minds and an incoherency in their logic.

Here, I choose to link this power of intellect to the eloquence of the speech of Imam Hussain (a.s). He inherited the power of speech from his grandfather and parents, displaying excellent mannerisms, politeness and etiquette even when standing in the face of an oppressor. The speech given before the battle commenced at Karbala was presented in a coherent fashion, presenting an intellectual way of deciding which side to be with; would intellect dictate for a person to remain under the rule of a tyrannical ruler and kill the grandson of the Prophet and face the wrath of the Lord or would it dictate for a person to join the side of righteousness under the banner of the heir of Prophethood and be promised the dignity of a freedom fighter and a martyr?

I return to Imam Ali's (a.s) sermon to look at how "intellect is better than desire, for the intellect makes you King over your destiny, and desire makes you a slave of your destiny." In saying this, the Imam is emphasising the importance of approaching matters with rational intellect as opposed to doing so with desire, which equates irrationality. Again, the speech of Imam Hussain (a.s) embodies this: his call for people to be "free in this world" suggests his desire for those who were to fight him to use their rationality in order to become King's over their own destinies. He urges them (and this call resonates as a call to all mankind, to this day) to not succumb to their inner desires or the desires of others and to avoid becoming slaves of their own destinies.

To further exemplify this call for righteousness, the sermon continues to explain that a person of intellect "longs to be like the righteous people so that he can be one of them, and he loves them so that he can be united with them in his love, even if he falls short in emulating their actions." In my personal opinion, this mirrors the need for believers to maintain and uphold the messages of Karbala. As students of the Imam, we acknowledge his righteous rising against tyranny and thus have come to love this iconic figure. Our intellect recognises the exempliary figure of Imam Hussain (a.s) on the plains of Karbala as the epitome of both resistance and submission (to the will of the Lord), of both revolt and acceptance (of his fate). We desire to become like him and to follow in his footsteps as the voice of truth in a sea of tyranny and oppression. A phrase that resonates profoundly throughout the month of Muharrum seems oddly fitting here: 'Ya laytena kunna ma'akom, fa nafoozu fowzen atheema.' (We wish we were among your ranks, for we would have had the greatest of victories.) This phrase echoes on a daily basis, putting emphasis on our intellect seeing Imam Hussain(a.s) as an example worth following and emulating.

It goes without saying, that the power of the intellect depends on the eloquence of language in order for it to flourish and build a coherent and influential structure. I aim to address language as a tool that still as the power to shake the thrones of every tyrant and oppressor. I pray that we all reserve our right to intellectual freedom and use it as a means to recognise and appreciate righteousness.

Ws.

* Disclaimer- This is a piece of my own work and is a display of my own understanding of the mentioned topics, unless stated otherwise by references. I do not hold any responsibility for any other content in the referenced texts. I do not claim to be a scholar of Islamic History or hold full knowledge of the topics and urge for forgiveness if I have been inadequate in my analysis. For God is more aware of my intentions, I do not seek to create hatred or present an incorrect presentation of the topics. May the blessings of the Lord be upon the Prophet Muhammed and his Holy Progeny (a.s).