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THE PLACE OF KNOWLEDGE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF
THOSE WHO ACQUIRE IT
(Being the speech delivered by SYED ABUL HASAN
ALI NADWI on receiving the Degree of D. Litt. (Honoris Causa) at the Seventh
Convocation of the University of Kashmir held on October 29, 1981.)
FOREWORD
The name of Maulana Syed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi never fails to
evoke sentiments of respect and deep affection. He is an outstanding personality
not only of India, but the whole Islamic World, and is regarded with high esteem
by all sections of the people, the elite as well as the laity, for his learning,
broadmindedness, piety, humility and charm of manner. He is a thinker as well as
a writer, a historian as well as a teacher, and is gifted with such a refined
literary taste that his speeches and writings are marked by the lustre and
fragrance of poetry along with the depth and solidity of wisdom.
The brief address the Maulana delivered at the recent
Convocation of the Kashmir University was widely appreciated. Everyone, here,
was impressed by it, including the critics, teachers, students and experts in
both the ancient and modern sciences.
By declaring, at the very outset, that knowledge was a unity,
a single whole, that could not be divided into parts, he showed how necessary it
was to rise above the ramparts of the ancient and modern branches of study and
keep in mind and be regardful of the entire stock of human thought and learning.
The Maulana laid stress on the worth and significance of knowledge in Islam by
referring to Sura-i-Iqraa (Al-Quran : XCVI) of the Quran, and called attention
to such action, together with this knowledge, that could lead to the welfare of
mankind.
The most formidable problem of the modern Age is that while,
on the one hand, a tremendous progress has been made in the field of knowledge,
and through it, man has acquired an astonishing power and ascendancy over the
forces of nature, -the advancement of science and technology has not only made
it possible for him to plant his feet on the moon, but he is, also, peeping into
the boundlessness of space with the help of his instruments-, on the other, in
the words of Iqbal, "he who enchained the sunbeams," is proving himself utterly
incapable of "unfurling the dawn on life's dark night". Despite all the
achievements in the mental and material spheres, man is slipping fast into a
moral and spiritual vacuum. The Maulana is not opposed to this progress. What he
wants is that, side by side with it, we remained alive to the real purpose of
life and our ultimate destiny. Vulgar materialism and craze for money are
robbing man of his humanity and pushing him into a cesspool of self-seeking,
slothfulness and lust for power.
The chief end and purpose of educational institutions is
character-building and generation of social and moral consciousness through
knowledge, but, in fact, what they are producing are creatures of books, not the
masters, literates rather than the educated. There is no genuine thirst for
knowledge either in the teachers or in the taught. They simply want to obtain
positions of power and wealth through education. Everyone insists on his rights,
and cares nothing for his duties. Education has come to be regarded merely as a
means of earning one's livelihood, but even that purpose it is not fulfilling
today. The Maulana has made use of an old parable to show how the students are
failing to gain the desired coast in the ocean of life. They neither know the
art of living nor can accept death with a smile. The following words of the
Maulana are worthy of being written in letters of gold:
"The art of leading a good, useful and dignified life
consists, basically, of Godfearingness, humanitarianism, self-restraint and
willingness to subordinate one's own advantage to the common good. Unselfish
interest in the welfare of others, respect for mankind, the urge to protect the
life, property and honour of fellow-men, preference for duties over rights,
defense of the weak and the downtrodden and strength to stand up against the
oppressors, firmness in opposition to those who have nothing to be proud of
except power and money and refusal to be over-awed by them, the courage to speak
the truth at all times and in respect of one's own country, belief in an
All-knowing and All-seeing Power, and fear and anxiety of being recreated after
death and called upon to render a full account of one's doings on the
earth,-these are the essential conditions of a good and noble life, and
fundamental requirements of a healthy society, and a strong and self-respecting
nation. To arrange for training and instruction in these attributes and to
create an environment that may be conducive to their growth and development is
the primary responsibility of the educational institutions."
Unfortunately, we, all, have fallen a victim to the lure of
transient politics. We live only for the pleasures of the moment. The
appeasement of the senses has become the ambition's end, and we have rendered
ourselves incapable of comprehending the reality of time. Cheap politics,
excessive interest in oneself and longing to enjoy power and wealth have warped
our minds and led us astray. Our faculties of understanding and discrimination
have been blunted and we are ready to fall in line with every fast-moving
traveller. We ought to understand the law of nature, realise the significance of
both, continuity and change, and cultivate an awareness of the basic truths and
realities of our existence. We should safeguard our individuality, but not for
selfish advantage. On the contrary, we should seek, through it, to fulfil our
role in the caravan of humanity. It is not enough to make sure of one's own
Paradise, but the question is of turning this world of ours into an actual place
of bliss. The task is not easy, but it is worth living for.
I am sure what Maulana Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi has said in his
address will lend radiance to the minds and warmth to the hearts of the readers.
What the Maulana desires is not different from the wish expressed by Iqbal in
the following verse:
What you pray for is that my desire is fulfilled, What I pray
for is that your desire may change.
Prof. ALE AHMAD SUROOR
Director,
Iqbal Institute,
University of Kashmir, Srinagar
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Mr. Chancellor, Mr. Pro-Chancellor, Mr. Vice-Chancellor,
Teachers and Scholars of the University, and distinguished guests !
Knowledge, I believe, is one and indivisible, and to separate it into parts,
into ancient and modern, eastern and western, and ideological and practical is
incorrect. As Iqbal has said:
Talk of modern and ancient is
The sign of narrowness of vision.
I regard knowledge a truth which is a gift of God and does not and should not
belong to a particular race or community. I see unity even in its diversity.
That unity is truth, the search for truth, the aptitude for it, and the joy of
its realisation. I am grateful to the Chancellor and other officials of the
University that their choice for this high academic honour fell upon a person
who is associated with the traditional system of education.
Whatever the branch of study, literature, philosophy or science, I do not
conform to the view that he, alone, is a scholar and an intellectual who appears
in its 'uniform', and whoever does not clothe himself with it is not worthy of
recognition. The same, unfortunately, is the case even with poetry and
literature, and it has come to be taken for granted that any one who does not
display his wares in the shop-window or show himself off in the trappings of a
poet or writer has no place in the realm of letters. The world has not for-
given even born litterateurs who did not put on the 'uniform' or were not lucky
enough to obtain one from the 'store-house'. I believe in the universality,
vigour and freshness of learning that has always been favoured with Divine
guidance. If earnestness is there and the urge is genuine, the-grace of the Lord
is never withheld. It is always-reaching.
At this Convocation of the University of Kashmir, situated as it is in a
beautiful valley of the heaven-kissing Himalayas, I am reminded of the incident
that had taken place, 1400 years ago, in the arid land of Arabia, and on a
Mountain which was neither high nor verdant. (The Maulana added that though the
land was barren and the mountain was naked and tree-less, it had been aptly said
by Hafeez Jullunduri that :
Neither grass grows here nor flowers bloom,
Yet heavens bend themselves low to meet it.
The tremendous impact it made on history, and the imperishable effect it
produced is, absolutely, unique in the annals of our race, and, significantly
enough, it, too, was related to the 'tablet' and the 'pen' upon which rested the
entire structure of knowledge and civilization, and without which neither the
magnificent seats of learning would have come into existence nor the huge
libraries. I mean the Divine Revelation that was sent down to the Prophet
Mohammad, (Peace and Blessings of the Lord be on him,) on or about February, 12,
611 A.D., in the Cave of Hira, near Mecca. It said :
Read (O Mohammad) ! In the Name of thy Lord who created-
Created man out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood,
Read ! And thy Lord is Most Bountiful,
He who taught (the use of the) Pen,
Taught man that which he knew not. (Al-Quran : XCVI : 1-5)
Even in this initial instalment of the Revelation, this first shower of the
Rain of Mercy, the Lord and Cherisher of the Worlds did not put off the
proclamation that the destiny of learning was bound up with pen. To be sure, it
was in the solitude of Cave Hira where an Unlettered Apostle had gone to seek
Message from Almighty God for the guidance and instruction of humanity and whose
own state was that he could neither read nor write. Can the like or equal of it
be found at any stage of history? And to imagine the sublimity of it. The
Revelation is sent down, for the first time, to the Unlettered Prophet in an
illiterate country where what to speak of educational institutions, even bare
literacy was rare, and contact is established, after hundreds of years, between
the sky and the earth, and it begins with Read. He who did not know how to read
or write is being commanded to Read. It signified that the community that was to
be given to him would not be a mere student, but teacher of the world and bearer
of knowledge. It would promote learning among mankind. The era that had been
granted to him would not be an era of darkness and ignorance, but of progress
and enlightenment.
It declared : Read! In the Name of thy Lord who created --. The great
misfortune was that the bond between knowledge and the Creator had been broken,
and, consequently, learning had lost the sense of purpose and direction, and
gone out of the right way. The broken link was restored now when knowledge was
glorified. Besides, the warning was, also, given that knowledge should start
with the Name of God for it was a Divine gift and could make a steady and
balanced progress only under His guidance. It was the most revolutionary and
epoch-making call the world had ever heard. No one, indeed, could have conceived
of it at that time, and in those circumstances. Had it been put to the thinkers
and writers of the world to guess as to how would the Revelation that was going
to be received begin and what would take precedence in it, I am sure, no one
with an idea of the mental and cultural condition of the Arabs would have said
that it would commence with Read.
The announcement that the voyage of knowledge should begin under the guidance
of the Omniscient and All-knowing God was unprecedented. It marked a watershed
in the world of learning. The journey was long, hard and perilous. It was full
of pitfalls. Caravans were robbed in broad daylight. A perfect guide was
essential, and who could it be save The Supreme Being, The All-wise? It was not
abstract knowledge that was aimed at. Not the knowledge that consisted of
ornamenting with colours or playing with the dolls was meant simply for
entertainment or for fighting with one another or filling the belly. Not the
knowledge that taught only the use of the tongue. But :
Read! In the Name of thy Lord who created-
Created man out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood,
Read! And thy Lord is Most Bountiful.
He who taught (the use of the) Pen,
Taught man that which he know not.
The proclamation was clear, firm and positive. Read! Your Lord is Most
Benevolent. How can He be unaware of your needs and weaknesses? Read! And thy
Lord is Most Bountiful,-He who taught (the use of the) Pen. What could have
elevated the pen in power and dignity more than that? Who could have given
greater glory and honour to it? Remember, it was the first Revelation of Cave
Hira and in a town where, perhaps, there was no pen in any home. If you needed
one, you would have had to go to a Warqah bin Naufel (An Arab scholar who lived
during the days of the raising up of the holy Prophet, He was well-versed in the
Hebrew language and was considered an authority on the Torah and the Bible) or
someone who had received education in Persia.
It, further, unfolded the great reality that knowledge was infinite. It was
without end. He taught man that which he knew not What is science? What is
technology? Man is going to the moon. We have conquered space, and pulled the
ropes of the earth.
Is it not a miracle?
Gentlemen !
I shall crave your indulgence, now, to offer a few suggestions as an ordinary
wayfarer of the valley of learning.
The foremost task of the Universities is character-building. Their endeavour
should be to produce men who, in the words of Iqbal, may not be willing to sell
their conscience for "a handful of barley". Under the influence of modern
ideologies and current order of things, it has been presumed that everyone
carries a price. There is no one who cannot be bought in exchange for something
or another.
The real success of a University lies in moulding the personality of its
scholars in a way and giving such citizens to the society who do not put
themselves up to auction nor can be lured away by a destructive ideology or
misguided movement worthy specimens of humanity as can say with Iqbal
By Thy grace, I am not without honour, No Toghral's or
Sanjar's, ( Names of ancient Turkish Emperors) slave I am; Though world-seeing
is my nature, I am no Jamshed's cup.
Secondly, our Universities ought to send forth men who may be ready to
sacrifice their lives for the sake of truth, knowledge, reform and uplift, and
derive the same satisfaction from going without food as people, generally, do
from eating and drinking to their heart's content, and to whom loss appears to
be more worth- while than gain.
The Universities should see to what extent they are being successful in
producing men of real worth and merit. The greatness of a country does not
depend on the number of the Universities it has. This criterion has, now, become
out-dated. The real thing is how many of its citizens are endued with an
awareness of their duties and obligations and can come forward to dedicate
themselves to the attainment and promotion of knowledge, growth and development
of moral virtues, and suppression of evils like corruption, greed, cruelty and
injustice. How many of them are able to rise above personal considerations and
lift the country to a higher cultural and spiritual level?
The fundamental aim and purpose of knowledge is to impart a new life and a
new soul to the country and the nation. I shall read out to you a few verses
from Iqbal which though not addressed directly to the poets or writers are
applicable to all the branches of learning.
Valuable is the taste for Art, ye men of vision,
But vision that perceives not reality is futile.
The song of the poet or-the minstrel's strain,
Worthless is the zephyr which makes the garden depressed.
The goal of Art is the flame of immortal life,
Not a spasm or two that vanish like sparks.
Before I conclude, let me say a few words to the fortunate brothers who have
successfully completed their studies and obtained the degrees or are still under
instruction here. I shall take recourse to relating a parable which may sound
more agreeable to the ears after the exhortation I have just inflicted upon you.
Once, some students were enjoying a ride in a boat. The time was pleasant,
the air was cool, and the young men were in high spirits. With the simple-
minded boatman, also, being there to serve as a target of fun and entertainment,
who could make the students sit quietly ? One of them asked the boatman, "Uncle
! What subjects have you read ?" "I have read nothing," the boatman replied. The
young man sighed, and said, "Oh! Have you not read science ?" "I have not even
heard its name," replied the boatman. "But you must be knowing Geometry and
Algebra," said another young man. "These names, also, are altogether new for
me," came the reply. It was now the turn of the third student to sharpen his
wit. "You would have, surely, studied History and Geography," he said. "Are
these the names of men or towns ?" asked the boatman in reply. At it, the boys
burst into laughter, and inquired from the boatman what his age was. "Forty
years or so," he said. "You have wasted half of your life and learnt nothing,"
remarked the young men. The poor boatman remained silent. Soon afterwards, a
storm arose in the river and the boat began to be tossed on unruly waves.
Disaster seemed imminent, and the students who had no experience of journey by
water felt extremely nervous. They were seized with the fear of their lives. The
boatman, then, asked the young- men, with feigned seriousness, what they had
learnt. Failing to grasp the real intent of the boatman, the students began to
give a long list of subjects that were taught in the colleges. When they had
finished, the boatman said with a smile, "You have read all these things. But,
tell me, have you, also, learnt swimming ? If, God-forbidding, the boat
over-turns, how will you reach the coast ?" "Uncle!" the youngmen replied, "This
is the one thing we do not know. We never thought of learning it." Upon it, the
boatman laughed aloud and remarked, "I have wasted half of my life, but you have
lost the whole of your lives. Your education is not going to help you in the
storm. Only swimming can save you today, and you do not know it,"
The so-called powerful and advanced countries of the present-day world are
confronted with an identical situation. The boat of humanity is in grave peril,
the tides are moving menacingly towards it, and the shore is far away. The
worthy passengers of the boat know every- thing, but are wholly ignorant of the
art of swimming or navigation. Or, in other words, all the intellectual and
scientific achievements notwithstanding, the modern man does not know how to
live like a civilised and God- fearing human being. Iqbal has drawn pointed
attention to the dismal state of affairs, the strange contra- diction, which has
set up the biggest question mark before the Twentieth-Century world and brought
it at the cross-roads of destiny.
He says.-
He who enchained the sunbeams could not
Unfurl the dawn on life's dark night;
He sought the orbits of the stars, but failed
To travel his own thought's world;
Entangled in the laybrinth of his learning,
He lost count of good and evil.
The art of leading a good, useful and dignified life consists, basically, of
God-fearingness, humanitarianism, self-restraint and willingness to subordinate
one's own advantage to the common good. Unselfish interest in the welfare of
others, respect for mankind, the urge to protect the life, property and honour
of fellow-men, preference for duties over rights, defense of the weak and the
down-trodden and the strength to stand up against the oppressors, firmness in
opposition to those who have nothing to be proud of save power and wealth and
refusal to be over-awed by them, the courage to speak the truth at all times and
in respect of one's own country, belief in an All-knowing and All-seeing Power,
and anxiety of being recreated after death and called upon to render a full
account of one's doings on the earth,-these are the essential conditions of a
good and noble life, and the fundamental requirements of a healthy society, and
a strong and honourable nation. To arrange for training and instruction in these
attributes and to create an environment that may be conducive to their
development is the primary responsibility of educational institutions.
Occasions like the Convocation we have the honour to be attending today offer
an excellent opportunity to look into ourselves and see how successful our
educational institutions are in the realisation of these ends, and what is the
worth and caliber, in that regard, of the scholars produced by them, and draw up
plans for the future.
I thank you, once again, for the honour bestowed upon me, and the affection
and trust you have been kind enough to express through it.
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