No 'democracy' in knowledge

The article below reminds me of what my guru taught me about knowledge.It is either you know or do not know of a particular subject matter.Little knowledge is very dangerous;what more if there is no knowledge at all.There is no 'democracy' when it comes to knowledge.As an example when the structures of a portion of MRR2 suffered some cracks,I must listen to a learned structural engineer of his view and not anyone else.Similarly when it comes to religious matters.We need subject matter experts to explain to us so that the public will not be confused.

Lately,I observed that many issues are commented by people who have no knowledge at all.This ,according to my guru, is a form of takwil al-jahilun i.e the discourse of the ignorants.Some people are so eager to give their views even though they have no knowledge of the issues or subject matter.To ordinary folks like me, we must be wary of these people so that we are not being misled by them ,no matter what is their positions in the society.On the other hand,the scholars must speak up so that ordinary mortals like me can understand.

Below is the article taken from Nasiha website:

Strength in Silence

Someone once asked the Prophet, peace be upon him: "Which land is most beloved to Allah, and which land is most despised by Him?"

The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: "I do not know  until I ask the angel Gabriel."

Thereafter, Gabriel informed him that the most beloved places are the mosques and the most disliked are the marketplaces. [Musnad Ahmad, Musnad Abî Ya`la, and Mustadrak al-Hâkim]

In stark contrast to the example of the Prophet (peace be upon him), the Companions, and the eminent Islamic scholars throughout the ages, we find many laymen who are quite willing to speak with authority on every matter, great and small, regardless of how well informed they are. Many people speak hastily before giving the matter sufficient study. Had they only done their research, they would easily have seen how wrong they are. Alas, some people are just not prepared, mentally or emotionally, to deal with difficult issues and to research them with the required degree of thoroughness and rigour.

The media has emboldened the general public even further. Many people now regard it as a weakness when a scholar remains silent on an issue or admits he does not know the answer. They feel ashamed themselves not to have an opinion about everything, even if it is a singularly difficult question of Islamic Law or a tenet of religious belief. Every topic has become the same – politics, economics, ancient and modern history – and it makes no difference how much specialization is required to do justice to the matter.

Source:
                        "Allah Knows Best – The Value of Being Impartial" -  Salman al-Oadah

                                                                                                                 

Comments

[Najah]

Pak Adib,

Hmm... I'm not sure about what the link is you're making (re: the email you sent), however, I can't quite agree totally with the article.

First and foremost, the author was drawing parallels between someone asking Rasulullah (s.a.w.) about a place that Allah favours. Likewise, (drawing a more down-to-earth parallel) if I were to be asked about something that is in the mind of my father (or husband) which he has not expressed, I would ask him directly (which is what Rasulullah s.a.w. did via angel Jibrail).

The thing is, with other matters, while we should seek the advice of the learned, we cannot deny the expression of thought on the part of others. I would say that our world now is suffering from the lack of expression, rather that a surplus, mainly because those who have something to say, or need to say something, still does not have the motivation or perhaps, facility to do so.

If someone doesn't speak his mind in the presence of another, then how can he confirm whether his understanding was correct to begin with? Perhaps he believed it was so, but after expressing the view in the presence of others, he grows to understand the topic at hand differently.

In the matter of religion, I think discussion, while can be harmful if done in isolation of a guru, the Qur'an and Hadith, is perhaps a lesser evil than ignorance devoid of discourse. Aren't people who think they know everything in our culture considered 'bodoh sombong'?

Granted that some people do speak with authority on matters they have no authority on. But the thing about democracy (and meritocracy) is that these people won't last long as thought leaders if those who have knowledge step forward (or open their mouths).

[Pak Idrus]

Adib, we all must seek knowledge for us to succeed. Who are those people who think their knowledge on religion is final. We must allow discussion on every aspect of our life. So that we could answer, the How, the Why, and every question must be answered with fact and reason.

We would be surely be left behind if we did not seek answers for our failure and our success, so that we and others may learn from our failure and our success.

And to accumulate knowledge we must read and to read we must learn language such as English and Mandarin which is so relevant in today's world.

Have a nice day.