Chapter Six
On the Nobility of the Intellect and the People of Intellect

Allah created the intellect in the most perfect form. He said to it, “Advance,” and it advanced; then He said, “Retreat,” and it retreated. He then declared, “By My might and majesty, I have not created among My creatures anything finer than you. Through you I take, through you I give, through you I call to account, and through you I punish.”

The proof of this is that Allah has laid two obligations upon His servants—command and prohibition—and both depend entirely on the intellect. In the decisive Revelation He says: “So be mindful of Allah, O people of understanding” (Qur’an 65:10). They are those endowed with intellects. The term ʿaql (intellect) stems from ʿiqāl, and al-maʿqil denotes an impregnable fortress perched atop a mountain, unreachable because of its height, strength, and solid construction.

A Persian sage was asked why the intelligent person is called ʿāqil. He replied, “The intelligent person is recognized by four signs: he pardons the offence of one who wrongs him; he is humble toward those beneath him; he hastens to do good for those above him; and he remembers his Lord constantly. In addition, he speaks only with knowledge, understands the benefit of speech in its proper place, and when hardship strikes he seeks refuge in Allah.”

The ignorant person, likewise, has telltale marks: he transgresses against people and oppresses them; he is harsh with subordinates; he arrogantly belittles leaders and elders; he speaks without knowledge yet keeps silent about his own mistakes; when adversity befalls him he ruins himself; and when he beholds righteous deeds he turns his face away.

Wisdom: Saʿīd ibn Jubayr said, “I have never seen a garment for a human being more honorable than the intellect—indeed …”