CHAPTER ONE
The Virtue
of the Mind
People have differed regarding
the essence of the mind and its location, subsequently this subject has been
extensively discussed. In addition many hadiths has been narrated establishing
the excellence of the mind. Some of which I have already mentioned in my book
“Dispraise of Desires”, therefore I will not repeat them here rather I
will mention a selection:
The excellence of a thing is know
by its fruits, and from among the fruits of the mind is knowing the Creator, may
He be exalted. For the mind has contemplated the proofs [of the existence of the
Creator] until it knew Him, and has contemplated the proofs of the truthfulness
of the Prophets until it recognized their truthfulness. The mind has encouraged
obedience to Allah and to His messengers. It has schemed to get all that is
difficult to obtain, and it tamed the animals. It taught man to build ships on
which he reached what the sea had prevented men from reaching, and tricked the
birds of the sea until they were hunted. All of this while man’s eyes observe
the consequences and work in accordance with safety and need. Furthermore is
taught man to relinquish the life of this world for the hereafter. Because of
it, human beings have excellence over animals that have been prevented from
having it (the mind), and it what qualifies man for the speech of Allah and His
commandments. With it, man reaches the highest ranks that his kind can reach from
the good of this world and the hereafter, in both knowledge and
actions.
These virtues suffice the need to
delve into detail.
From the book: “Disciplining the Soul” Ibn
al-Jawzi (d.597 AH)
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