12 Intelligence, Reason and Wisdom

© Islamic Online University
In the Name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful,

the Especially Merciful
http://www.islamiconlineuniversity.com
1
INTELLIGENCE,
REASON AND WISDOM
Introduction to Psychology
Dr Aisha Hamdan
2
Objectives
• Differentiate between intelligence
and wisdom
• Discuss reason in Islam
• Discuss freedom of thought in
Islam
• Elaborate on the relationship
between reason and revelation
•
3
Objectives
• Outline the role and significance of
knowledge from Islamic
perspective
• Discuss wisdom in secular science
• Explain Wisdom in Islam
4
Wisdom vs Intelligence
• Contemporary discourse on topic
of intelligence is primarily the
present life
–enhancing abilities in order to
achieve higher education, status, and

power
5
• Intelligence: ability to think logically,
to conceptualize and abstract from
reality
• Wisdom: power to grasp human

nature; good judgment in important
but uncertain matters of life
6
• Intelligence: enabled people to build a

nuclear bomb
• Wisdom: keeps them from using it and
makes them consider the stupidity of

building it in the first place
7
Reason in Islam
• Al-‘Aql
–reason, comprehension,
discernment, rationality,
intellect
• Instinctive faculty from Allah by
which humans comprehend reality
of existence and this world
8
Reason in Islam
• Use aql (intellect) to reason and
rationalize in order to arrive at
truth
• Related to accountability
–Without reason, not held
accountable
9
Reason in Islam
‫س َم ُع أَ ْو نَ ْعقِ ُل‬
ْ َ‫َوقَالُوا لَ ْو ُكنﱠا ن‬
‫س ِعير‬‫ب ال ﱠ‬ ‫ا‬‫ح‬ ‫ص‬ْ َ
ِ َ ‫َما ُكنﱠا فِي أ‬
10
Reason in Islam
“And they [i.e, disbelievers]
will say, 'If only we had
been listening or reasoning
[na'qil], we would not be

among the companions of
the Blaze.'"
al-Mulk (67):10
11
Reason in Islam
ٍ ‫إِ ﱠن فِي َذلِ َك َآليَا‬

َ ُ‫ت لﱢقَ ْو ٍم يَ ْعقِل‬
‫ون‬
"Indeed in that are signs for a
people who reason [ya'qilun]."

ar-Ra'd (13):4
12
Reason in Islam
• One of five universal necessities
that should be preserved in Islam
is mind or reason
–(the others are faith, life, lineage, and

wealth)
–characteristic that elevates human
above rest of Allah's Creation, if used
appropriately
13
Reason in Islam
• Islamic law
–Designed to preserve reason and
intellect
–Protect it from false beliefs
• Humans encouraged to develop

their intellect, to contemplate, and
to follow rational arguments and
proofs
14
Reason in Islam
• Islam prohibits use of any
substance that may affect mind
negatively or decrease its ability in
any way
–Reason for prohibition of intoxicants
15
Reason in Islam
• Rational mind must also be protected
against influence of false beliefs,
superstitions and deceit
– One reason that fortune telling,
witchcraft, magic are forbidden in Islam

– Humans become deluded and tricked by
these fraudulent practices
– Beliefs become distorted as a result
16
"Freedom of Thought“
in Islam
• Blessing from Allah
• Not absolute - has limitations and
constraints;
• Thought or proclamations of thought

cannot be outside the boundaries of
that prescribed by shari'ah
• Cannot challenge or contradict
established teachings and rulings
17
Reason and Revelation
• Reason itself can never be given a
status above that of revelation
–Humans cannot try to explain
everything by logic alone – has

limits
–Some things beyond capacity of
human mind to comprehend
18
Reason and Revelation
• Qur'an and Ahadith should be
guides for understanding the
world and developing appropriate
beliefs
–Majority of religion has logic
19
Knowledge
• Knowledge important in relation
to thought and belief
–Humans could not utilize their
intellect to make sound decisions
without knowledge.
–Come to know specifics of right and
wrong, permissible and forbidden
through gaining knowledge
20
Knowledge
• While our natural disposition is to
worship Allah alone, it would be
impossible for us to do it correctly
without detailed information
• This is reason that seeking of

knowledge is emphasized in Islam
• First revelation demonstrates this:
21
‫‪Knowledge‬‬
‫ق َخلَ َ‬
‫ق‬ ‫س ِم َربﱢ َك الﱠ ِذي َخلَ َ‬ ‫ا ْق َر ْأ بِا ْ‬
‫ق ا ْق َر ْأ َو َر ﱡب َك‬ ‫ان ِمنْ َعلَ ٍ‬ ‫س َ‬‫اإلن َ‬ ‫ِْ‬
‫ْاألَ ْك َر ُم الﱠ ِذي َعلﱠ َم بِا ْلقَلَ ِم َعلﱠ َم‬
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‫‪22‬‬
Knowledge
"Recite in the name of your
Lord who created – created man
from a clinging substance.
Recite, and your Lord is the
most Generous – Who taught by

the pen – taught man that
which he knew not."
al-Alaq (96):1-5
23
Knowledge
The Prophet Muhammad
(peace and blessings be upon
him) said, “The seeking of
knowledge is compulsory on
every Muslim (male and
female).”
Muslim
24
Knowledge
The Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) said: “If
Allah wants to do good to a
person, He makes him
comprehend the religion

[understanding of the Qur’an
and the Sunnah of the
Prophet].”
al-Bukhari
25
Knowledge
• Qur’anic verses and Ahadith highlight
superiority and distinction of gaining
knowledge and teaching it to others
– Associated with many advantages and
virtues
– Noblest endeavors that human can

engage in
– Rewards that can be achieved are
immense
– Human incapable of achieving high
status http://www.islamiconlineuniversity.com
without knowledge
26
Wisdom
• Secular terms, wisdom defined as:
–ability to make sound choice and
appropriate decisions
–intelligence shaped by experience

–information softened by profound
understanding and deep insight
27
Wisdom
–Often, but not necessarily,
accompanied by extensive formal
knowledge
–As such, worldly knowledge is not a
necessary condition for wisdom

–Secular focus on intelligence and
worldly knowledge, with little
mention of spiritual dimension
28
Spiritual Intelligence
(Emmons, 2000)
• Capacity for transcendence
• Ability to enter into heightened
spiritual states of consciousness
• Ability to invest everyday

activities, events, and relationships
with a sense of the sacred
29
Spiritual Intelligence
(Emmons, 2000)
• Ability to utilize spiritual resources
to solve problems in living
• Capacity to engage in virtuous
behavior or to be virtuous
(forgiveness, gratitude, humility)
30
Allah’s Wisdom
‫ت‬
ِ ‫س َما َوا‬ ‫َولَهُ ا ْل ِك ْب ِريَاء فِي ال ﱠ‬
‫ض َو ُھ َو ا ْل َع ِزي ُز ا ْل َح ِكي ُم‬ َ
ِ ‫َو ْاأل‬
‫ر‬
ْ
31
Allah’s Wisdom
• “And to Him belongs [all] grandeur

within the heavens and the earth,
and He is exalted in Might, the

Wise.”
al-Jathiya (45):37
32
Allah’s Wisdom
‫ش ُر ُھ ْم إِنﱠهُ َح ِكي ٌم‬
ُ ‫َوإِ ﱠن َربﱠ َك ُھ َو يَ ْح‬
‫َعلِي ٌم‬
“And indeed,your Lord will gather

them; indeed, He is Wise and
Knowing.”
al-Hijr (15):25
33
Allah’s Wisdom
• Al-Hakeem = The Wise

–One of Names and Attributes of
Allah
34
Wisdom of the Qur’an
‫إِنﱠا َج َع ْلنَاهُ قُ ْرآنًا َع َربِيًّا لﱠ َعلﱠ ُك ْم‬
َ ُ‫تَ ْعقِل‬
‫ون‬
‫ب لَ َد ْينَا لَ َعلِ ﱞي‬ ِ ‫َوإِنﱠهُ فِي أُ ﱢم ا ْل ِكتَا‬
‫َح ِكي ٌم‬
35
“Indeed, We have made it an Arabic

Qur’an that you might understand.
And indeed it is, in the Mother of
the Book with Us, exalted and full

of wisdom.”
az-Zukhruf (43):3-4
36
‫ب ا ْل َح ِك ِيم‬
ِ ‫ات ا ْل ِكتَا‬
ُ َ‫تِ ْل َك آي‬
• “These are the verses of the wise

Book.”
Yunus (10):1
37
• Qur’an is a book full of wisdom
• Wisdom –
–qualities of purpose, discrimination,
and precision
38
‫‪Wisdom of the Prophet‬‬
‫ُھ َو الﱠ ِذي بَ َع َث فِي ْاألُ ﱢميﱢ َ‬
‫ين‬
‫وال ﱢم ْن ُھ ْم يَ ْتلُو َعلَ ْي ِھ ْم آيَاتِ ِه‬‫س ً‬ ‫َر ُ‬
‫َويُ َز ﱢكي ِھ ْم َويُ َعلﱢ ُم ُھ ُم ا ْل ِكتَ َ‬
‫اب‬
‫َوا ْل ِح ْك َمةَ َوإِن َكانُوا ِمن قَ ْب ُل لَفِي‬

‫ض َال ٍل ﱡمبِي ٍن‬ ‫َ‬
‫‪39‬‬
Wisdom of the Prophet
“It is He who has sent among the
unlettered a Messenger from
themselves reciting to them His
verses and purifying them and
teaching them the Book [i.e., the

Qur’an] and wisdom…”
al-Jumu’ah (62):2
40
‫‪Wisdom of the Prophet‬‬
‫ين إِ ْذ‬ ‫ﷲُ َعلَى ا ْل ُمؤ ِمنِ َ‬ ‫لَقَ ْد َم ﱠن ّ‬
‫سوالً ﱢمنْ أَنفُ ِس ِھ ْم‬ ‫بَ َع َث فِي ِھ ْم َر ُ‬
‫يَ ْتلُو َعلَ ْي ِھ ْم آيَاتِ ِه َويُ َز ﱢكي ِھ ْم‬
‫اب َوا ْل ِح ْك َمةَ َوإِن‬ ‫َويُ َعلﱢ ُم ُھ ُم ا ْل ِكتَ َ‬

‫ضال ٍل ﱡمبِي ٍن‬ ‫َكانُو ْا ِمن قَ ْب ُل لَفِي َ‬
‫‪41‬‬
“Certainly did Allah confer [great]
favor upon the believers when He
sent among them a Messenger from
themselves, reciting to them His
verses and purifying them and

teaching them the Book and
wisdom, although they had been
before in manifest error.” Al Imran (3):164
42
• What is the word wisdom

referring to in these verses??
43
• Sunnah of the Prophet (saws)

• Hikmah = Sunnah
44
Men of Understanding
‫شاء َو َمن‬ َ َ‫يُؤتِي ا ْل ِح ْك َمةَ َمن ي‬
‫يُ ْؤ َت ا ْل ِح ْك َمةَ فَقَ ْد أُوتِ َي َخ ْي ًرا‬
ِ ‫َكثِي ًرا َو َما يَ ﱠذ ﱠك ُر إِالﱠ أُ ْولُو ْا األَ ْلبَا‬
‫ب‬
45
Men of Understanding
“He gives wisdom to whom He
wills, and whoever has been given
wisdom has certainly been given
much good. And none will
remember except those of

understanding.”
al-Baqarah (2):269
46
Wisdom in Islam
• Recognizing Allah’s Existence
• Understanding our relation to Him
• Worshipping and submitting to
Him
• Obeying His commands
• Following the Sunnah
• Being thankful for His Blessings
47

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12 Intelligence, Reason and Wisdom

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© Islamic Online University

In the Name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful,

• Explain Wisdom in Islam

achieve higher education, status, and

• Wisdom: power to grasp human

• Intelligence: enabled people to build a

makes them consider the stupidity of

[na'qil], we would not be

ٍ ‫إِ ﱠن فِي َذلِ َك َآليَا‬

people who reason [ya'qilun]."

–(the others are faith, life, lineage, and

• Humans encouraged to develop

–Reason for prohibition of intoxicants

witchcraft, magic are forbidden in Islam

• Thought or proclamations of thought

everything by logic alone – has

• This is reason that seeking of

‫ان َما لَ ْم يَ ْعلَ ْم‬‫س َ‬‫اإلن َ‬ ‫ِْ‬

most Generous – Who taught by

comprehend the religion

– Noblest endeavors that human can

–intelligence shaped by experience

necessary condition for wisdom

• Ability to invest everyday

• “And to Him belongs [all] grandeur

and He is exalted in Might, the

“And indeed,your Lord will gather

• Al-Hakeem = The Wise

‫َح ِكي ٌم‬

“Indeed, We have made it an Arabic

the Book with Us, exalted and full

• “These are the verses of the wise

‫َوا ْل ِح ْك َمةَ َوإِن َكانُوا ِمن قَ ْب ُل لَفِي‬

teaching them the Book [i.e., the

‫اب َوا ْل ِح ْك َمةَ َوإِن‬ ‫َويُ َعلﱢ ُم ُھ ُم ا ْل ِكتَ َ‬

verses and purifying them and

• What is the word wisdom

• Sunnah of the Prophet (saws)

remember except those of

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