Extracted points from Javed Ahmed Ghamidi’s conversation in the Geo News program ‘Bol Ke Lab Azad Hain Tere,’ recorded in America.
1. Knowledge is a journey, not a destination. It is a journey of discovering truths. In this journey, you continue to uncover facts. When you discover facts, many things that you previously considered as reality become tales of the past. Therefore, we should consider knowledge as a journey, not as a destination. If we consider knowledge as a destination, we will never be able to fully attain it.
2. Knowledge is the name of love for truth. If a student studies religion, science, history, or literature to attain truth, then his journey is in the right direction. However, if he studies these subjects to gratify emotions, fulfill desires, support prejudices, or seek arguments for preconceived notions, then he cannot tread on the path of true knowledge. A traveler on the path of knowledge desires to discover truth at all costs, even if that truth negates his own self.
3. We all should become true seekers of knowledge. A true student studies facts by rising above all kinds of biases. He enters the world of knowledge precisely at the point where there is no passage for prejudices. He always has the goal before him to reach the most accurate understanding possible.
4. Therefore, if I am to become a true student, I must make it my goal to reach the truth at all costs. Whether this truth dismantles my established beliefs, whether it takes away my past, whether it changes my present, or whether it crafts a new picture of my future, I must seek it, desire it, and pursue it above all else. It is true that rising above one’s biases and societal influences is not an easy task. If I look back even now, there have been numerous instances where a certain bias, a part of my past, or an emotion has obstructed my path to reaching the truth. A student who begins to remove these obstacles will commence the journey of knowledge.
5. Our entire life should actually be spent in an academic manner. By the academic approach, I mean that whenever you encounter an issue or a question, whether it be a personal issue, a family issue, a national issue, or an intellectual or practical question, you should analyze it. You should delve deep to see where this matter originates from, where its foundations are found. You will often observe that people try to comprehend the matter standing miles away from the point where it is actually arising.
6. The path to knowledge is solely through critique. There is no other path. A philosopher aptly stated that if you wish to build the best hospital in the world by simply sitting at a desk, you will never succeed. For this, you must adopt another method. Critically examine all the hospitals in the world and see what flaws they have. Then, strive to eliminate those flaws in your own hospital. In this way, your hospital will become better compared to others. Then, others will conduct a critical review of your hospital and try to build an even better one. The journey of knowledge, in essence, progresses in this manner.
7. Knowledge demands from you that when you speak from your position, give others the right to speak from where they stand. If a person has not traversed the journey or experienced what you have, how can they be in harmony with you? Every individual cannot adopt a different attitude than where they stand. When you understand this, you do not get angry at the perspective of others.
8. The biggest deficiency that has emerged among us is that we accept every prevailing notion related to knowledge and practice as creed and faith. This is not just a matter of religion; we do the same in science, in art, and in history. If our teacher has taught us something in sixth or seventh grade, we swear that we will never challenge it.
9. A challenge essentially arises from a question. If you consider a question as offensive and shy away from it, the door to knowledge closes upon you. However, if you question yourself about your thoughts, beliefs, perceptions, and ideologies, and question your environment, it opens the door to knowledge for you. You embark on a journey of knowledge and research. Then that thought, ideology, perception, belief either becomes a tale of the past or becomes part of your heart and mind as an intellectual truth.
10. The thinkers and scholars who influence us often have their words imprinted on the tablet of our hearts or inscribed on the tablet of our minds as if they are divine revelations. We repeatedly observe these imprints, yet they do not penetrate us deeply. The reason is that we accept the discovery as it is without making it our own, meaning we do not understand how that discovery was made. Generally, our teachers inform us about the conclusion of the thought process, but what should be communicated is the methodology and the stages they went through to reach that conclusion. The essential aspect is not the conclusion itself, but the methodology, the process, and the approach to reaching it.
11. Our issue is that we do not learn and understand knowledge in its abstract form, but rather in relation to personalities. A certain personality impresses us, we become inspired by them, and then we establish a connection with them. This attachment sometimes takes the form of obsession, and at times we refer to it as devotion, and then we begin to accept everything they say without question. This approach is common among us. It is a significant barrier in the path of knowledge. In the pursuit of knowledge, it is essential to overcome this.
12. The method of achieving salvation from this is to regard those personalities whom we seek to learn and understand from as ordinary human beings. This means benefiting from their abilities, acknowledging their virtues, and at the same time, being aware of their mistakes and shortcomings. None among them is a prophet; hence, instead of conferring them a status of devotion, they should be given a place of respect. This implies listening to them attentively, contemplating their words, comparing them with the views of other knowledgeable individuals, and if their words seem correct, then accept them; otherwise, respectfully decline to accept. A true student should adopt this approach. I often tell people for their understanding that worship Allah, hold devotion for Muhammad Rasulallah (PBUH), and respect everyone else.
[May 2018]
The Status of Imam Shafi’i and the Scholars of the Salaf
The Desired Attitude from Students
While reading the book “Al-Risalah” by Imam Shafi’i, the teacherRespected Javed Ahmed Ghamidi: A Dialogue with the Author
(1)
Question: The issue under discussion, as you have explained, is fully clear now. However, this has created a strange confusion as to why the matter that has become clear to a humble student like me was not evident to an eminent imam like Imam Shafi’i, renowned as the leader of leaders?
Answer: The question of why our predecessors could not understand what we have come to comprehend is a major misconception and even a sin within the academic realm. Thinking in such a way closes the door to knowledge. When you read a scholar, you should focus all your efforts on understanding their context, position, and viewpoint. You should read their words according to their perspective and manner of thinking. It should never be the case that you interpret their writings from your own point of view. When someone reads a scholar’s work from their own perspective, it is, in fact, criticism. This not only creates an obstacle for the individual in understanding the scholar’s position but, if they convey this critique with the same mindset, it can lead to misconceptions for others as well. In this approach, criticism doesn’t manifest as, for example, claiming that Imam Shafi misunderstood a verse he referenced; rather, it suggests that since I understand its meaning perfectly, therefore, Imam Shafi’s interpretation is incorrect. Thus, it is necessary to develop the skill to comprehend the stances of scholars as they intended. The initial step is not to try and identify a scholar’s mistake, but to first strive to understand their perspective.
These are the shoulders of the scholars of the past on which we sometimes stand and our vision extends beyond them. Without them, the pursuit of knowledge cannot progress. If Aristotle had not provided a foundation, there would have been no space for Newton to emerge. If you are not well-versed in the scientific knowledge of the past, you will end up where Aristotle began. In essence, humanity progresses through its history because no person is granted a lifespan of two thousand years by God. The Almighty has not manifested the potential for knowledge in humans in an isolated or absolute manner, but rather within principles. Whatever form it takes, it combines with external knowledge, and in the external world, there is not just observation, but also a history of knowledge. This is why I used to tell you that if you have to create an advertisement, why start afresh? First, look at what previous people have achieved. You will move forward by adding to it, otherwise, you will be standing where the world’s first advertisement creator stood.
To understand the journey of human knowledge, one might observe a child’s small toy car. When it hits a wall or a table, the child picks it up and places it back where it originally started. The journey of knowledge is similar. While explaining the concept of instinctive knowledge to someone, I used this very example. I mentioned that the potential inherent in the car is akin to instinctive knowledge. This car begins its journey in the outside world; it might continue moving straight when you set it off, or it might immediately hit something and stop. It is also possible that after hitting an object, it might turn around and start moving in the opposite direction.
Looking back at the past from the vantage point of the present is never an accurate endeavor. Each era must be understood within its own context, a principle ingrained in me through a lifetime of learning. No human being, after all, can rise above the constraints of their time. What has always captivated my mind about the Holy Qur’an, however, is its remarkable transcendence beyond the boundaries of time itself.
The same capability of ruthless analysis can sometimes become a source of evil for a person, and one should seek refuge with Allah from it. You often observe that minds with extraordinary analytical abilities are denying explicit truths. Therefore, this double-edged sword of analysis should be used with complete control.
Keep in mind that when we think we have discovered the ultimate truth, it is purely self-deception. The reason for this is that human statements cannot be final until the Day of Judgment. Someone coming later may reveal its error. Therefore, one should never adopt a forceful and insistent approach about their own statements. Accepting this, one should live with the understanding that we have comprehended something with honesty, and we are fully convinced that we have reached the correct conclusion, but we also acknowledge the possibility of error. If you do not hold this position, then no one can engage in a conversation with you, and you fall into stagnation.
It is important to note here that understanding someone’s perspective, viewing their thoughts within the context of their time, or identifying their dilemmas is not intended to make you succumb to awe. I am not suggesting that you become overwhelmed and inactive; rather, I am saying that you should become simple. You have observed my life, and the person before whom I feel completely humble is my teacher, yet I am not overawed by them either.
Imam Shafi’i is the initiator, with nothing in the background. In this regard, if you observe, you will see that he stands at such a great position where we have no standing. We stand before his footsteps. This is not limited to religion that you may attribute it to devotion; the same is the case with every field of knowledge.
You should maintain a thoroughly academic mindset. Read and understand the words of Imam Shafi’i, and whenever there is ambiguity, interpret his words in the same manner as later Shafi’i scholars have interpreted them. This is because Imam Shafi’i’s book is like the book of Sibawayh; it is not a systematically organized book of principles. Imam Shafi’i has elaborated on many matters in Kitab al-Umm and in Mukhtalif al-Hadith, which should also be consulted.
When studying Imam Shafi’i, the demand of intellectual honesty is that one understands the words of the Imam, determines his position, and appreciates his issue. This is a process of comprehension. After going through this process, if one wishes to write any critique on him, it should be done in a purely scholarly manner. That is, if Imam Shafi’i has drawn an inference from a Qur’anic verse, what is the flaw in it? If he has based it on a narration, what is the error in it? If he has used rational reasoning in any matter, does it truly measure up to the standards of logic? If he has made an observation or mentioned an experience, is it contrary to reality, and do observation and experience truly verify it? If he has used human natural knowledge as evidence, is that indeed natural knowledge?
We possess natural methods of reasoning. We reason either through natural processes, deduction, experience, or observation. Thus, when we attempt to prove things, we essentially have two methods: deduction and induction. Apart from these, humanity has not invented any other methods. These methods should be used with complete impartiality, and when applying them, it should not be considered whether they are being applied to Imam Shafi’i or Imam Farahi.