When Intellectualism Meets Arrogance and Mockery

Wit is the epitaph of an emotion. (Nietzsche) Intellectualism; intellectual adjective 1. devotion to intellectual pursuits. 2. the e ercise of the intellect. !. e cessive emphasis on a"stract or intellectual matters# esp. $ith a lac% of proper consideration for emotions. &. 'hilosoph(. 1. the doctrine that %no$led)e is $holl( or chiefl( derived from pure reason. 2. the "elief that reason is the final principle of realit(. *o# let me preface this discussion "( statin) fran%l( and honestl(# that I am (our avera)e )u(. I am no intellectual; I don+t pretend to "e one# and I don+t desire to "e one (at least not the $ron) ,t(pe+ as I $ill e pound later). -( dear intellectual friends usuall( carr( more "urden on their poor "rains than I $ill ever care to. .ventuall(# a )ood portion of them self/implode# e plode on others or simpl( have their $hole life disinte)rate around them. *o# no than% (ou# -r. and -s. Intellectual# I am just fine "ein) the avera)e )u( $ith an avera)e famil(# $ho spea%s $ith avera)e elo0uence# and $rites the avera)e "lo) entr(. 1nce or t$ice# I+ll share a ne$ $ord or t$o $ith m( readers# just so that the( remain fresh $ith the dictionar(2 "ut I a"solutel( do not re0uire a dictionar( as a companion te t. No sirree# I am just (our avera)e dude on the street. 3nd sorr( to "rea% it to (ou# m( intellectuall(/endo$ed friends4 most of us are in fact ,avera)e+. 3nd most of us also 5I6. "ein) avera)e# and readin) avera)e content. 7ein) avera)e means that most of us have indeed heard of Nietzsche# "ut most of us don+t )ive a hoot as to $hat he sa(s or $hat he thin%s; and reall(# do $e reall( need to8 9he )u(+s life and fame $as "uilt around den(in) $hat $e hold dearest to ourselves: the "elief in the ;reator; Nietzsche# $ho moc%s the reli)ious and $ho e alts e)oism ((ou can start to see ho$ this ideolo)( is "ecomin) conta)ious)4 <3fter comin) into contact $ith a reli)ious man I al$a(s feel I must $ash m( hands= <.)oism is the ver( essence of a no"le soul.= I am sure "( no$# (ou# m( intellectuall(/e0uipped friends# must %no$ $here I am )oin) $ith this2 5et+s just sa( that I am a"out fed up $ith all this intellectual t$addle> No$ $ait a minute# m( re)ular# avera)e -uhammads and ?atimahs# don+t run to the thesaurus> 7ecause that indeed is $herein I found this $ord# so I+ll spare (ou the effort4 9$addle simpl( means mum"o/jum"o or nonsense. No$# couldn+t our intellectual friends just use ,mum"o/jum"o+ instead of t$addle8 I mean it )ets the messa)e across just fine# doesn+t it8 7ut (ou can "et (our life that the( $ould rather use t$addle. 3nd $h( is that# (ou ma( as%8 7ecause "( ma%in) (ou run to the dictionar(# the( have

impressed upon (ou their superiorit( in lan)ua)e# in other $ords# the( are impressin) upon (ou that ,the( %no$ "etter+. 3nd the impressiona"le avera)e )u( li%e me is thin%in)# <$o$# this )u( really %no$s $hat he is tal%in) a"out= instead of the more realistic <if I had so much time# I could read a zillion novels and learn some *39 voca"ular( as $ell=. 7ut do $e reall( need to# do $e reall( $ant to8 @on+t )et me $ron)# m( intellectuall(/loaded friends. If 3llah has endo$ed (ou $ith a sharp mind# "( all means# emplo( it. 3nd if (ou stic% to part 1# part 2 and to some e tent part ! of the definition listed a"ove# then Aodspeed to (ou m( "rother (or sister). Ao ahead and read the $or%s of Nietzsche# Busserl# ?re)e# or even @escartes# *ocrates# Bume; "ut "efore (ou do so# e0uip (ourself $ith the @ivine %no$led)e lest (our ra$ mind is de"ilitated "( the sorcer( of $ords. 1n the authorit( of I"n CDmar (ra) that the -essen)er of 3llah (*) said4 <Eeril(# some elo0uence (can "e so "eautiful); it constitutes sorcer(.= (3)reed Dpon) *o )o forth# "e intellectual as (ou $ish# in the li%es of such contemporar( "lo))ers as this# this# this# this# this or some others li%e them. 9he( are simple men li%e us $ho have used the philosophers+ $isdom to enrich themselves# "ut not at the e pense of strippin) themselves of their Islamic identities. 3nd if $e are to tal% a"out the )reat scholars# then follo$ the footsteps of the )reat scholar I"n 9a(mi((ah# $ho used philosoph( to destro( the philosophers. I"n 9a(mi((ah (FB) em"odied intellectualism as pro"a"l( ver( fe$ other scholars did; (et his intellectualism onl( stren)thened his Islamic resolve# and stren)thened the defense of Islam a)ainst the enemies of Islam. 7ut "e $arned# m( intellectuall(/laden "rothers and sisters# do not tread the path of those that fall under definition G& a"ove. @o not let the arro)ance of (our intellect# $hich after all is the creation of the same 5ord $ho created the "rain it resides in# ta%e (ou do$n a path $here a0l is (our )od and )od "ecomes a fi)ment of this a0l. 3rro)ance is $here i)norance finds its soul/mate. 3fter all# those $ho are arro)ant are indeed i)norant a"out $hat the( don+t %no$; "ecause if the( %ne$ $hat the( don+t %no$# the( $ould find $hat the( %no$ to "e minuscule on the )rand scale of %no$led)e. 5est (ou fall do$n (onder# lest (ou "ecome li%e those i)norant# intellectuall(/$arped souls treadin) do$n the road of arro)ance2 protect (ourself> Indeed# this road leads onl( to the house of moc%er(. 3nd the house of moc%er( includes the follo$in)4

H>//Iif >support5istsJ//Kreliance on# a near/o"session $ith ,famous 0uotes+ of people most of us have never heard of; H>//Iif >support5istsJ//Kderision# near/repulsion of an(thin) that is from the Luran or hadith; H>//Iif >support5istsJ//Kdisdain of scholarl( statements# considerin) them as couth onl( if the( are not ,philosophical+ or ,intellectual+ in flavor.

*o# ho$ man( times have (ou 0uoted Luran or hadith and have "een slapped $ith <please ta%e (our hida(ah "oo%s and (our memorized 0uotes from so and so $e"site or

"oo% some$here else# "een there and done that=. 7een there and done that8 @one $hat8 @one Islam8 Is it outdated no$8 @o $e need to find replacements for the elo0uence of our 5ord and our 'rophet and our ;ompanions and our *cholars8 7( 3llah# if $e )o loo%in) for $hat amounts to an ounce of truth# $isdom and acumen relative to the *peech of 3llah or the speech of Bis -essen)er; $e $ill come short. *o# don+t even $aste (our time. If $e do not cease# and if $e enter the house of moc%er(# ever(thin) "ecomes# as the( sa(# ,%osher+. 9he nations "efore us "rou)ht the respect and love of reli)ion out of peoples+ lives "( en)a)in) in jo%es and satire a"out their deen. We have all heard jo%es a"out *t. 'eter at the pearl( )ate of heaven# chec%in) fol%s in. What do (ou suppose this moc%er( instills in the hearts of the avera)e ;hristian re)ardin) *t. 'eter# heaven or a"out ;hristianit( in )eneral8 <Mou $ill follo$ the $ron) $a(s# of (our predecessors so completel( and literall( that if the( should )o into the hole of a lizard# (ou too $ill )o there.= We Ithe ;ompanionsJ said# <1 3llah+s 3postle> @o (ou mean the Ne$s and the ;hristians8= Be replied# <Whom else8= (7u%hari) *o# then it "ecomes o%a( to jo%e a"out the s(m"ols of our faith# it "ecomes o%a( to jo%e a"out our scholars (here comes the ,mullah+: a reli)ious man in Drdu2 to the point that the $ord ,mullah+ has ta%en on a pejorative sense)# it "ecomes o%a( to tal% dero)atoril( a"out hija" or a"out our Imams or even a"out our 'rophet (*). If the( Ithe nations precedin) usJ are dra$in) caricatures a"out Nesus una"atedl(# then $h( should $e# the enli)htened ones# "e left "ehind and not do the same a"out our 'rophets8 It is all o%a( m( friends2 all in the spirit of freedom of e pression. 9o those $ho have entered and no$ reside in the house of moc%er(# I sa(4 Mes# $e live in free countries# so (es# from a le)al point of vie$# it is o%a(. 7ut then @1N+9 pretend to "e an authorit( on Islamic or -uslim matters. *ta( on one side of the aisle# so that from a distance# $e can reco)nize for $hat (ou are. Narrated 3"u Buraira4 9he 'rophet; said# <3 slave (of 3llah) ma( utter a $ord $hich pleases 3llah $ithout )ivin) it much importance# and "ecause of that 3llah $ill raise him to de)rees (of re$ard); a slave (of 3llah) ma( utter a $ord (carelessl() $hich displeases 3llah $ithout thin%in) of its )ravit( and "ecause of that he $ill "e thro$n into the Bell/?ire.= (7u%hari) 7eautified is the life of the $orld for those $ho dis"elieve; the( ma%e a jest of the "elievers. 7ut those $ho %eep their dut( to 3llah $ill "e a"ove them on the @a( of Fesurrection. 3llah )ives $ithout stint to $hom Be $ill. (Lur+an4 24212) Mes# this last verse is tal%in) a"out dis"elievers and h(pocrites. 7ut it contains a $arnin) to the all of the -uslims# "ecause to en)a)e in an act that resem"les a h(pocrite is not far from the act that ends up ta%in) one into that sphere. It is indeed a serious offense to ridicule and moc% the pious "elievers.

*o# ne t time (ou see someone moc%in) Islam# ne t time (ou $itness a satire a"out Islam or the 'rophet of Islam or a"out the s(m"ols of Islam# do one of t$o thin)s4 (1) 9a%e action $ith (our $ords to refute or to advice the person (esp. if professin) to "e -uslim) or (2) ?ind it "lame$orth( in (our heart and leave the conversation (online# in person or $herever). 9he second part represents the 5.3*9 of (our faith# "e(ond $hich (our heart is devoid of iman. *o# Nust @1 I9# for Islam if it means an(thin) to (ou. 7efore I conclude m( ram"lin)s (for)ive the len)th)# let me share $ith (ou a couple of )ems that are unmatched "( Nietzsche or a thousand li%e him4 Indeed# those that committed crimes used to lau)h at those $ho "elieved (Luran 3l/-utaffifin O!P2Q/!R) 3"dullaah i"n -as+ood (ra) used to sa(# as narrated "( I"n 3"ee ,3asim# <7( 3llah $hom there is no Aod "ut Be# there is nothin) more $orth( of a prolon)ed incarceration than one+s ton)ue.= (*a(in) of the ;ompanions) *o# m( intellectuall(/adept friends# those $ith an e tra de)ree or t$o# (ou ma( "e $onderin) $h( did I in fact choose to "e)in this post $ith a 0uote from our atheist friend# Nietzsche8 I am sorr( to disappoint (ou "ut I reall( had no intellectual reason to do so# e cept to inject a little spin into it. *ince (ou ,intellectuals+ li%e to "e)in and end (our )od forsa%en posts and articles $ith 0uotes from him and others li%e him# I hoped then# that perhaps "( matchin) (our st(le# I ma( attract a couple of (ou to come over here and read this avera)e )u(+s ram"lin)s. 3nd so as not to disappoint (ou further# I end $ith another one4 9o for)et one+s purpose is the commonest form of stupidit( (Nietzsche)