KHUTAB III - 15. H.IKMAH (WISDOM) (1)

15.  H.IKMAH  (WISDOM) (1)

Brothers in Islam,

          “Wisdom,” which is usually the translation of the Arabic h.ikmah, as mentioned in my previous khut.bah is “the power of seeing clearly what is right and just.” The term h.ikmah, according to some Muslim scholars is “a kind of knowledge which prevents a person from committing wrong doing.”  According to Ibn Qutaybah (d. 276/889) it is knowledge with practice, as a man will not be h.akīm unless he practices what he knows. We should not criticise someone who cannot practice what he knows. I was told that there was a pilot who could not find a job ending with becoming a truck driver. If you know martial arts or know how to shoot people, you should not use your knowledge unless you are attacked, not to find fault with people and attack them. The Japanese police “envy” police of other countries, because they almost never use their pistols. What they used to do is helping people, especially children and the elderly crossing the streets.

          According to commentators of the Qur’ān as mentioned by Ibn al-Jawzī (d. 597/ 1201) the term h.ikmah has six meanings in the Qur’ān, such as the following verses:

1.     الْمَوْعِظَة  (advice), such as the verse, حِكْمَةٌ بَالِغَةٌ فَمَا تُغْنِ النُّذُرُ (القمر: ٥)   “[lit.] perfect wisdom [namely, الْمَوْعِظَة (advice)], but warners benefit them not.” (Q. 54:5). It is about what has been mentioned before this verse, among which is that وَكُلُّ أَمْرٍ مُسْتَقِرٌّ (القمر: ٣)   “And everything will be settled” (Q. 54:3), namely, on the Day of Resurrection, وَلَقَدْ جَاءَهُمْ مِنَ الْأَنْبَاءِ  (القمر: ٤)   مَا فِيهِ مُزْدَجَرٌ “And indeed there has come news (in this Qur’ān) wherein there is (enough warning) to check (them from evil)” (Q. 54:4),  such us idolatry.

2.  السُّنَّة  , (the Sunnah of the Prophet), his sayings, teachings and practice, such as,  وَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَعَلَّمَكَ مَا لَمْ تَكُنْ تَعْلَمُ(النساء : ١١٣)  “Allah has sent down to you the Book (the Qur’ān), and the H.ikmah (namely, the Prophet’s Sunnah, knowledge of what is legal and what is illegal), and taught you that which you knew not…” (Q.4:113). This is the kind of unrecited revelation (وَحْيٌ غَيْرُ مَتْلُوٍّ) .

3.  الْفَهْم  (understanding), such as the verse وَلَقَدْ آَتَيْنَا لُقْمَانَ  الْحِكْمَةَ أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِلَّهِ  (لقمان : ١٢)  “And indeed We bestowed upon Luqmān al-h.ikmah, (namely, understanding, knowledge and eloquence), saying ‘Give thanks to Allah…” (Q. 31:12). Qur’ānic commentators said that he was a black man from Nubia (Southern Egypt). The Qur’ānic commentator Mujāhid and al-H.akam said that he was a righteous servant, but not a prophet. It was also said that he was an Ethiopian slave who was a carpenter. When his master told him to slaughter a sheep and bring the best two pieces of it he brought him its tongue and heart. Time passed, and that his master told him again to slaughter a sheep and bring the worst two pieces of it, and again, he brought him its tongue and heart. His master told him, “I told you to bring out the best two pieces, and you brought these, and I told you to bring out the worst two pieces, and you brought these.” Luqmān said, “There is nothing better than these if they are good, and there is nothing worse than these if they are bad.” (Recorded by al-T.abarī from Khālid al-Rabā‘ī).

4.  النُّبُوَّة  (Prophethood), as in the verse, وَقَتَلَ دَاوُودُ جَالُوتَ وَآَتَاهُ اللَّهُ الْمُلْكَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَعَلَّمَهُ مِمَّا يَشَاءُ (البقرة : ٢٥١)  “and Dā’ūd (David) killed Jālūt. (Goliath) and Allah gave him (Dā’ūd) the kingdom and h.ikmah (prophethood) and taught him that which He willeth…” (Q. 2:251). The story runs briefly as mentioned in previous verses that when the Children of Israel asked their prophet (according to Mujāhid, his name was Samuel), he appointed T.ālūt (Saul), who was then a soldier, but he was not a descendant of the house of kings among them, but the descendant of Yahudhā (Judah). So, they said,  أَنَّى يَكُونُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ عَلَيْنَا   “how can he be a king over us”, how can he be the king for us, وَنَحْنُ أَحَقُّ بِالْمُلْكِ مِنْهُ وَلَمْ يُؤْتَ سَعَةً مِنَ الْمَالِ “when we are fitter than him for the kingdom, and he has not been given enough wealth?” He was poor, so he was not fit to be a king. Their prophet (Samuel) told them, إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَاهُ عَلَيْكُمْ “Verily, Allah has chosen him above you” وَزَادَهُ بَسْطَةً فِي الْعِلْمِ وَالْجِسْمِ   “and has increased him abundantly in knowledge and stature”, meaning that T.ālūt (Saul) is more knowledgeable and honourable than you, stronger and more patient during combat, and has more knowledge of warfare. Then their prophet (Samuel) told them further, وَاللَّهُ يُؤْتِي مُلْكَهُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ “and Allah grants His kingdom to whom He wills,” meaning Allah Alone is the Supreme Authority Who does what He wills,  وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيم (البقرة : ٢٤٨)  “and Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures’ needs, All-Knower.” (Q. 2:248). According to Israelite accounts, T.ālūt (Saul) promised that whoever killed Jālūt (Goliath) would marry his daughter and would share his kingship. In the battle between T.ālūt (Saul)’s small army and the big army of Jālūt (Goliath), Dā’ūd (David) killed Jālūt (Goliath). So, he became king and prophet. Allah gave him mulk (kingdom) and h.ikmah (prophethood).

5. الْقُرْآن  (the Qur’ān), as in the verse, ادْعُ إِلَى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ (النحل : ١٢٥)   “Invite to the way of your Lord with h.ikmah [which is usually translated as ‘wisdom’, according to some Qur’ānic commentators mentioned by Ibn al-Jawzī is ‘the Qur’ān’] and fair preaching.” (Q.16:125). Here, we are told to preach the Qur’ān to people. Further studies on this interpretation is necessary.

6. عُلُوْمُ الْقُرْآن  (sciences of the Qur’ān), as in the verse, يُؤْتِي الْحِكْمَةَ مَنْ يَشَاءُ (البقرة : ٢٦٩) “He grants h.ikmah to whom He wills.” (Q. 2:269). According to Ibn ‘Abbās as recorded by ‘Alī ibn Abī T.alh.ah, h.ikmah  in this verse means “knowledge of the Qur’ān, such as what is abrogating and what is abrogated, what is plain and clear and what is not as plain and clear, what it allows and what it does not allow, and what is parable. Ibn Mas‘ūd heard that the Messenger of Allah said,

     لَا حَسَدَ إِلَّا فِي اثْنَتَيْنِ رَجُلٍ آتَاهُ اللَّهُ مَالًا  فَسَلَّطَهُ عَلَى هَلَكَتِهِ

فِي الْحَقِّ وَرَجُلٍ آتَاهُ اللَّهُ حِكْمَةً فَهُوَ يَقْضِي بِهَا وَيُعَلِّمُهَا (روه البخاري ومسلم

 و النسائي وابن ماجه و البيهقي والطبراني و ابن حبان و أحمد)

 There is no envy except in two instances: a person whom Allah has endowed with wealth and he spends it righteously, and a person

 whom Alllah has given Hikmah and he judges by it and teaches it

    to others.  (Reported by al-Bukhārī, Muslim al-Nasā’ī, Ibn Mājah, al-Bayhaqī, al-Ṭabrānī, Ibn Ḥibbān, and Aḥmad).

          Other Qur’ānic commentators said that h.ikmah in this verse is the Qur’ān itself (acc. to Ibn Mas‘ūd), prophethood (according to Ibn ‘Abbās in one report), fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence, according to Mujāhid) and there are some other interpretations. Allah knows best. (ANUMA 10 Febr. 07)