Solution of Intellectual Problems of Human Beings through sources of knowledge

Since the start of civilisation, scholars have made concrete attempts to find durable and logical answers to these questions. The first source available to the human beings in this regard is the senses. Almighty God has given five senses to human beings viz-a-viz speaking, hearing, tasting, touching and smelling but these senses are not perfect in nature.

We acquire first hand knowledge of the universe by utilising these senses. For example, when we see a river, we can say and testify that it is flowing but when we move away from it then we cannot see it but it does not mean that the river has stopped flowing as it is not visible to us.

In the same manner, there are a number of things that we cannot perceive through senses, such as the existence of Almighty God, life after death, etc, as we cannot pierce the barriers of death with naked eyes. Therefore, the knowledge obtained only on the basis of senses is deficient in nature and unable to give solid answers to these human intellectual questions.

As a next step, we have to resort to the next source of knowledge i.e. wisdom but our mental wisdom is also directly dependent upon senses as we can think about only those things that we can perceive through senses. However, wisdom provides us a definite line of action.

Almighty God has given five senses to human beings viz-a-viz speaking, hearing, tasting, touching and smelling but these senses are not perfect in nature.

Therefore, Almighty God declares in verse 22 of Surah Anfal of the Holy Quran Verily the worst kinds of beasts in the sight of Almighty Allah are those deaf and dumb people who do not think/use their intellect.

The wisdom is a source to find out the solution to the basic human problems but it is not the final method. The wisdom too fails to provide durable and comprehensive solutions answers to basic human intellectual questions as it is having certain inherent flaws and limitations.

Another source of acquiring knowledge is intuition which is the power of understanding something or a person’s feeling without the need for conscious reasoning or studying. Those people who recognise it as a source of knowledge term it as the 6th human sense and think that it is the entry point to spirituality. They are of the opinion that there are certain pre-requisites for intuition such as forsaking the world, self-abnegation, meditation and purification of mind as well as soul. For this purpose, observe self-mortification. But intuition too cannot present lasting solution to human problems.

Some religions like Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism attach extensive and unnecessary importance to intuition as the Buddhists believe that their founder Sidharta spent six years in self-abnegation and intuition which enabled him to find a permanent solution to human sufferings and subsequently to become an Enlightened One or Buddha. During this period, he became like a statue/skeleton. But intuition is also linked with wisdom and being a human capability is not free from errors and hence fails to solve human intellectual problems.

Since the senses, wisdom and intuition are not in the position to put forward cognizable solutions to human intellectual problems. Therefore, we are confronted with a knowledge vacuum and start striving for divine help in the form of a stable source of knowledge.

Therefore, Almighty God comes to our rescue and bestows upon us a blessing in the form of Revelation. Revelation is consisted of those commandments of Almighty God which were revealed by Him on specially chosen or selected people known as prophets. Prophethood is not something that can be acquired through struggle or hard work but it is a distinction bestowed by Almighty God.

Almighty God has selected more than One Hundred and Twenty four Thousand (124000) people as prophets and the task assigned to them was to guide the human beings to success in this life and in the hereafter. All the prophetic teachings were based on revelations. Therefore, it provided rational and logical solutions to all those questions that were asserting pressure on human mind. About the Divine nature of the revelation, Almighty God says in Verse No. 1 to 5 of Surah Najam i.e. The Star:

“By the star when it sets (1) Your companion has neither strayed nor is he deluded (2) He (the Holy Prophet PBUH) does not say anything of his own (3) But whatever is revealed unto him (4) Something that a very powerful One has imparted to him (5)’.

The Divine revelation made the human beings realise that their physical and mental capabilities are limited and certain aspects of human life such as soul, life after death, nature of God are beyond the scope of their knowledge. The Beneficent God says in Verse No. 85 of Surah Bani Israel:

‘They ask you about the soul/spirit. Say the spirit descends by the command of my Lord, but you have been given only a little knowledge’.

Islamic teaching also declares that the more we think about Almighty God, the more we would be surprised. On the basis of divine revelation and divine support the prophets experienced triumph in solving human intellectual problems and in reforming the society.

Being the last prophet sent by Almighty God, the teachings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) are for eternity, free from tempering, the best source for quenching our thirst for knowledge and for protecting the human society from intellectual disaster and turmoil. It is the best source of answering our queries about Almighty God and life and hence, the life of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is the role model for us as declared by Almighty God in Verse No. 21 of Surah Ahzaab:

‘For you is the best example in the life of Holy Prophet’