Obstacles To Wisdom

This article covers very important Obstacles To Wisdom mentioned in the Qur’an.

As we mentioned in the earlier chapters, everyone has the opportunity to be wise and make use of the good things wisdom provides. To achieve this, he has to see the greatness of Allah and live his life in this world as His proper servant. One who comprehends this is following the most righteous path. Because the only guide that truly guides and shows the believer the right way is the Qur’an. Allah reveals all the things that block the mind and ways to overcome these in the Qur’an.

The mind of someone who obeys Allah’s call is freed of all the filthy things that clog it up and it becomes clean and clear. The thing that provides this clarity of mind is the clear logic and ability to think righteously achieved by the Qur’an and having faith. A person’s understanding develops more and more as he becomes purified of ignorant people’s skewed logic and way of thinking, and the filth this type of life brings, and instead lives by the morals of the Qur’an. As he becomes freed of all ill-mannered habits, he also becomes freed of the restraints on his mind, and so becomes one of the people of wisdom mentioned in the Qur’an. Failing this, his mind will be filled with obstacles and he will knowingly lead himself to ruin.

In this section we will dwell on obstructions to wisdom mentioned in the Qur’an. Also, we will present the solutions to these problems, which again are covered only in the Qur’an.

Shirk – Attributing partners to Allah

Shirk means attributing partners to Allah and worshipping gods other than Allah. The values a person, who commits shirk, deifies can be making his ideals and passions the purpose of his life, as well as deifying a person or another living thing. If he sees these values as more important than pleasing Allah and if he feels the same or more love towards them, it means he is associating them with Allah.

This is the shirk that is explained in the Qur’an, but most people are unaware of this real meaning of shirk. They link “associating other gods with Allah” with people who worshipped the idols they carved at the time of the Prophet Muhammad (saas). However, in our times thousands of different types of shirk can occur. For a person to say he believes in Allah while at the same time not living his life in order to please Him, not practicing the rituals He prescribed, not living by the morals Allah approves of, but instead spending his time trying to turn his worldly ideals into realities is also a form of shirk. In the same way, forgetting our Creator and Provider, preferring and valuing another being above Him, and, instead of pleasing Allah, using his intellect and spending his time on trying to make this other being happy and love him is also a shirk. It is possible to run into people who associate their spouses, children, mothers, fathers, marriage, school, career, possessions, worldly ambitions, and even themselves with Allah. These people fall into the error of shirk by in a way deifying these concepts or people of whom they think so highly, and orienting all their deeds according to this viewpoint. However, there is no god other than Allah, and to say the opposite would be a lie against Allah and be unappreciative of Allah’s greatness.

One who cannot appreciate the power of Allah, Who faultlessly created him and the whole of the universe, is without a doubt in a state of thoughtlessness. Because a person, who associates other gods with Allah, cannot live a happy life in this world and will have to face Allah’s punishment in the Hereafter. Allah tells us in the Qur’an that the actions of those who associate partners with Allah will result in nothing:

It has been revealed to you and those before you:

“If you associate others with Allah, your actions will come to nothing and you will be among the losers”. (Surat az-Zumar: 65)

It is also explained that people who commit shirk will not be forgiven:

Allah does not forgive anything being associated with Him, but He forgives whoever He wills for anything other than that. Anyone who associates something with Allah has committed a terrible crime. (Surat an-Nisa’: 48)

In another verse, the Prophet Luqman (as) gives his son advice by reminding him that shirk is a terrible wrong:

Luqman said to his son, counselling him, “My son, do not associate anything with Allah. Associating others with Him is a terrible wrong”. (Surah Luqman: 13)

As can be seen in the verse, Allah describes shirk as a wrong. Shirk, as well as committing an offence against Allah, is wronging one’s self. Since a person who commits shirk has also fallen into a great error, his life that he has based on faulty thinking is also full of mistakes. In this situation, it is not possible to mention wisdom or the benefits it gives to a person who associates partners with Allah. Because, Allah seals the hearts and blocks the ability to comprehend of those who deny Him and invent a lie against Him, becoming unjustifiably arrogant.

To be saved from such a situation and become a person who can really think, the individual has to be able to comprehend the greatness of Allah and not worship anything other than Allah. This is the only way the veil can be lifted from his wisdom and his mind can be cleared.

Heedlessness

Heedlessness means that a person cannot see, sense, or be aware of the realities around him. As mentioned in the Qur’an, a heedless person’s most noticeable trait is his inability to comprehend the numerous proofs of creation, the reason for his being, the closeness of death, the reality of the Hereafter, and similar topics that are vital for him. In one verse of the Qur’an, Allah indicates the situation of heedless people:

Mankind’s Reckoning has drawn very close to them, yet they heedlessly turn away. (Surat al-Anbiya’: 1)

As mentioned in the verse above, one who lives his life heedlessly acts as if he is unaware of the fast approaching Day of Judgement and as if he will never be accountable for the things he has done. Because, heedlessness is like a state of slumber, which veils the mind, prevents perceptive behaviour and nullifies appropriate decision-making skills. One who is in this state all his life, becomes distant from the truth and because he cannot use his mind, he becomes unable to differentiate right from wrong, and puts himself in situations that will be harmful to him both in this world and the Hereafter.

The cause of heedlessness is a person’s remoteness from Allah and his Book, and the failure to live a life of faith. The following is an example Allah gives to describe the situation these people are in:

We created many of the jinn and mankind for Hell. They have hearts they do not understand with. They have eyes they do not see with. They have ears they do not hear with. Such people are like cattle. No, they are even further astray! They are the unaware. (Surat al-A‘raf: 179)

The situation such people are in is clearly explained in the Qur’an, but they are not even aware of this reality either. Since one who is oblivious would never see himself as being “oblivious”, he would not even admit that there could be any such possibility.

A wise person on the contrary can recognize the state these heedless people are in at first glance. This is because people of wisdom approach events by using the Qur’an as their guide. The Qur’an informs us of the behaviour, the mentality, and the reasoning a heedless person displays. For this reason, a heedless person gives himself away at every turn. As long as this person is in this state of mind, he will manifest his state by his actions and thoughts, even if he has had a good education and is a perfect speaker.

Foremost among the signs that shows a person’s heedless state is his judging everything by its outward appearances. The person in question thinks that everything consists of the things he sees. And because of this, he evaluates things wrongly and reaches wrong conclusions. He mostly cannot see the benefits and reasons behind events.

Another major mistake heedlessness brings about is for people to forget the reason for their creation and existence in this world. Such people become blind to the proofs of the existence of Allah Who has created them, and fall into a state of denial without thinking of what they will face in the Hereafter as a result of their actions in this world. This is because these heedless people cannot see the reality and intolerableness of Hellfire with a clear consciousness and do not, by reflecting upon it, fear it. Those who pretend not to understand their mistake in this world, will deeply regret Hell when they are face to face with it. That day the cover of heedlessness will be lifted and they will be given the power to evaluate everything they did throughout their lives with a clear consciousness. But, they will not have the chance to compensate for their heedlessness, which they did not try to correct even though they had been warned to do so many times. It is stated in the verse:

When the True Promise is very close, the eyes of those who have disbelieved will be transfixed and they will cry out: “Alas for us! We were unmindful of this! No, rather we were definitely wrongdoers”. (Surat al-Anbiya’: 97)

In Surah Qaf, the situation these people, who did not appreciate the numerous blessings Allah gave them and preferred blindness in the world, will face in the Hereafter is explained as:

The Trumpet will be blown. That is the Day of the Threat. Every self will come attended by one who will drive it on and by a witness: One will say “You were heedless of this so We have stripped you of your veil and today your sight is sharp”. His inseparable comrade will say, “My testimony is ready to hand”. Then a voice will cry: “Hurl into Hell every obdurate unbeliever”. (Surah Qaf: 20-24)

As we can see in the verses above, it is great thoughtlessness for a person to knowingly lead his life in a state that results in destruction. The damage to the mind of one who has turned away from the truth, despite the advice he has been given, will negatively affect his life in this world and the Hereafter. It is for this reason that Allah warns people against such dangers and reminds them not to be seized by heedlessness:

Remember your Lord deep in your soul humbly and fearfully, without ostentation, in the morning and in the evening. Do not be one of the unaware. (Surat al-A‘raf: 205)

Restrain yourself patiently with those who pray to their Lord morning and evening, seeking His pleasure. Do not turn your eyes from them, desiring the attractions of this world. And do not obey someone whose heart We have made neglectful of Our remembrance and who follows his own whims and desires and whose life has transgressed all bounds. (Surat al-Kahf: 28)

Warn them of the Day of Bitter Regret when our decree shall be fulfiled. But they take no notice. They do not believe. (Surah Maryam: 39)

Worldly greed

Allah has enhanced the world with many blessings that are pleasing to humankind. And has informed them that they can use these however they want to. But, along with this He has told them to be thankful for all these blessings and not to forget the Hereafter by being too preoccupied with greed in this world. This is because the life people lead in this world is not their real life. Their real life is the life of the Hereafter that starts with their death and continues till infinity. For this reason, forgetting the Hereafter and remaining engrossed with greed for 70-80 years of worldly life shows great heedlessness.

As a matter of fact, those who forget the Hereafter are deprived of the many beauties of this world and the blessings of the Hereafter. The effects of this deprivation in this world can be firstly seen in their understanding. People, who become passionately attached to this life, cannot properly assess the reason for their creation, their responsibilities towards Allah, and death and life after death, having become unable to think clearly. This situation shows that they are actually in a state of deception, while they think that they are doing the right things.

Because of their distorted value judgements, they think the real meaning of life consists of material things like money, wealth, and property, beauty, reputation, fame, respect, and leaving wealth and a respectable name for those they leave behind. And they spend all their lives trying to gain all these assets whereas, in fact, as our Prophet (as) has also advised, “the best richness is the richness of the soul.” (Bukhari)

Yet, such people spend years trying to achieve a respectable position in the eyes of others and search for ways to gain their appreciation, but they do not think for a moment that they need to thank Allah, Who created them and given them life, Who presented them with countless blessings and continual sustenance, and helped them in all their affairs. Or, they spend their days working hard without stopping to rest so as to be richer than everybody else and are always in quest of new projects, but they do not think that it is Allah Who has given them their riches and fail to set aside the time to perform their duties as His servants.

So, as a result of the wrong choice they make, they are deprived of the most valuable blessing given to mankind in this world—the ability to reason. In this state of thoughtlessness, they turn to denial and because of this they lose Heaven and face Hell in the Hereafter. In the Qur’an, Allah explains the situation of

“‘those who took their religion as a diversion and a game, and were deluded by the life of the world’. Today We will forget them just as they forgot the encounter of this Day and denied Our Signs.” (Surat al-A‘raf: 51)

It is pointed out that unbelievers

“rejoice in the life of the world. Yet the life of the world, compared to the Hereafter, is only fleeting enjoyment.” (Surat ar-Ra‘d: 26)

What people have to do to rid themselves of this thoughtlessness that leads them to destruction is very simple: if they realize that the blessings they are given in this world are all granted by Allah and if they do not forget that the real reason for their existence is to seek Allah’s approval, they will not have any obstacles to block or pressure their minds. Allah’s promise to His sincere servants is as follows:

To those who act rightly, male or female, being believers, We will give a good life and We will recompense them according to their noblest deeds. (Surat an-Nahl: 97)

Complying with Satan

In one of his verses, Allah, by saying,

“You who believe! Enter absolutely into peace [Islam]. Do not follow in the footsteps of Satan. He is your outright enemy” (Surat al-Baqara: 208)

calls upon people to keep away from complying with Satan and following in his footsteps. Because, as is stated in the verse, Satan is the enemy of human beings. He wants to divert people from the right path and in doing so cause them to face harm in this world and the next. One strategy he resorts to in achieving his aim is to occupy people’s minds with groundless suspicions, and unfounded and illogical issues, so that he can prevent them from thinking straight and behaving rationally. Such attempts on the part of Satan are explained thus in the Qur’an:

[Satan said:] “I will lead them astray and fill them with false hopes…” (Surat an-Nisa’: 119)

Satan, in pursuit of his aim, continues to whisper “varnished falsehoods” to people till the end of their lives and tries to prevent them from using their reason. He strives to make them forget Allah’s infinite power and to distance them from the Qur’an. But, it shouldn’t be forgotten that Satan does not possess any strength of his own. Allah created him as He did all of creation. Satan also submitted to Allah; he cannot do anything without Allah’s permission. Allah tells us that He reprieved Satan till Judgement Day to test people, see which ones would comply with him and turn away from the truth and which ones would show loyalty to Allah by not being fooled by Satan’s ploys:

He [Satan] said: “My Lord, grant me a reprieve until the Day of Resurrection”. He [Allah] said: “You are among the reprieved until the Appointed Day”. Satan replied: “I swear by your might, that I will mislead all of them except for Your chosen servants”. (Surah Sad: 79-83)

At the same time Allah in His verse:

“… Satan’s scheming is always feeble” (Surat an-Nisa’: 76)

draws attention to the fact that Satan’s traps and his innuendoes are based on extremely unsound logic. Also, according to the previous verse, He informs us that Satan has no effect on sincere believers. As is declared in another verse:

“He only has authority over those who take him as a friend and associate others with Allah”. (Surat an-Nahl: 100)

In the Qur’an, the line to be taken by believers against Satan’s unfounded allegations is thus prescribed:

If Satan tempts you, seek refuge in Allah. He is All-Hearing, All-Seeing. As for those who believe, when they are troubled by visitors from Satan, they have but to remember and they shall immediately see the light. (Surat al-A‘raf: 200-201)

As long as they do not take refuge with Allah, those who listen to Satan’s whispers will not be able to see the truth and will lead a life without reason. Allah has informed them that Satan will set up cunning traps but that these traps will be flimsy. And as we saw from the verses above, He has told people how to escape from these traps. A wise person immediately accepts the word of Allah and finds the right path. Those with frail understanding lead themselves to destruction by allowing themselves to be fooled by Satan’s deceits. They disregard Allah’s verses and, instead of Heaven, accept the life of Hell to which Satan drags them.

Distrusting God

Another very important factor that clouds people’s minds is their distrust of Allah, in other words not submitting to the fate Allah has decreed for them. One who doesn’t trust Allah has forgotten that Allah has infinite wisdom and controls every situation and every creature in the universe. And because of this, as with all the other factors that veil the mind, he cannot analyse things clearly or fully see realities.

However, Allah watches over and protects all beings. Whether they are aware of this or not, Allah creates events according to a decree and with these events He tests people. So, Allah creates every event a person faces throughout his life with a motive and for a good reason. This is how Allah warns people on this matter:

Allah alone has knowledge of what the heavens and the earth conceal; to Him all things shall be returned. So worship Him and put your trust in Him. Your Lord is not unaware of what you do. (Surah Hud: 123)

… It may be that you hate something when it is good for you and it may be that you love something when it is bad for you. Allah knows and you do not know. (Surat al-Baqara: 216)

One who believes these verses and comprehends that behind every incident there is a hidden motive and benefit for him, is one who has trust in Allah. Even if he faces a situation, which at first sight seems to his disadvantage, he knows that this will bring him good in this world and in the next and he acts on this knowledge. Because he evaluates incidents with full trust in Allah, his reasoning and judgement are in perfect shape, and as a result he can make sensible evaluations. On the other hand, one who has no faith in Allah forgets that Allah creates events in order to test him and so becomes totally distant from rationalism.

We can explain the great difference between these two people with an example. Let’s say that a factory goes on fire and the owner of the factory forgets that this situation is controlled by Allah and doesn’t think that there must be a benefit in this situation for him, so he begins to distrust Allah. And, one who doesn’t trust Allah cannot think straight or take the necessary precautions or in any other way, act sensibly. For example, not being calm and composed can cause the otherwise extinguishable fire to grow. He loses time by being panic and grief-stricken and making a fuss instead of putting out the fire, saving his property, or calling the fire brigade. After the fire, instead of taking measures against future fires so that it won’t ever happen again, he occupies himself with useless thoughts, such as “how and why did it happen, I wish it had not happened, or if I had done so-and-so it wouldn’t have happened”.

One, who trusts Allah, never becomes hopeless or sad, even if he loses everything he has. This person knows that Allah can take away a blessing He gave and that He does this to test people’s trust in Him. With a clear consciousness, he tries to take care of the damage as soon as possible and takes the most swift and sensible precautions. He doesn’t waste his time in panicking, worrying, or losing hope. Furthermore, without losing any time after such an event, he tries to make up for the damage by taking the most effective precautions possible so that it will not recur.

When it comes to the property he has lost, because he knows that the only owner of wealth is Allah, he is peaceful and at ease. He trusts Allah with all his heart and he prays for Him to give him more than what he has lost. And he is happy to know that he will be rewarded much more for his trust in Allah in the Hereafter.

Our Prophet (saas) explained this issue in the following example, “If you put your whole trust in Allah, as you ought, He most certainly will satisfy your needs, as He satisfies those of the birds. They come out hungry in the morning, but return full to their nests.” (Tirmidhi)

Sentimentality and romanticism

Romanticism is a way of life to which ignorant people see no objection; rather it is a way of life they like and encourage. They believe that, by looking at things romantically, life is enriched, as it is made much more colourful and interesting. For this reason, many movies, novels, and poems are given a romantic edge and romanticists try to make people believe that romanticism has a unique charm. However, the effect this has on people is to block their minds and prevent them from thinking logically and in a balanced way. This is because, romanticism totally disfavours reason. It is a way of life that leads people to ignore realities, live in a fantasy world, and think emotionally instead of reasonably.

One who submits himself to his emotions rather than his reason, who allows his emotions to guide him, can neither think realistically nor act logically. Let’s consider the individual who has given himself up to jealousy—an attitude considered unacceptable by the teachings of the Quran. He will make aggressive outbursts as he can no longer analyse the situation he is in nor can he evaluate others rationally. In like manner, someone who lets his anger get the better of him cannot think clearly and may do something he will later regret.

Similarly, one who becomes depressed as a result of romanticism is totally distanced from rational thinking. As a result of the state he is in, he can see only the negative sides of things and becomes plunged in melancholy.

The foul behaviour that is evinced as a result of romanticism all have one point in common: they are the result of being far from Allah’s religion and His book. This distance leads a person into absolute loss, because it is not possible for him to advance, achieve anything useful, or prevent something harmful where the ability to reason has been lost as a result of not obeying Allah’s commands.

The destruction that lies behind the suicides, drug abuse, assault, or murders that occupy a large portion of the global news media is caused by romanticism and by being over-emotional. People become so apt to ignore the path of reason that they can easily destroy their own or others’ lives or property. All the reasons they give to justify themselves have emotional factors at the root. For example, there are people who become upset at a harmless joke and kill as a result. Or, there are students who cannot get into a university, even though they have studied for months, and who try to commit suicide. Such people as cannot break away from their ambitions and who are so averse to reasonable conduct that they cannot even see other opportunities ahead of them, can make such irrational decisions under the influence of their emotions and then act upon these decisions.

Every step one takes under the influence of romanticism and with no reason being brought to bear will bring about an absolute loss. That is because romanticism is a belief of ignorant people that distances them from religion, and in turn from the real meaning of life. This way of life, which leads the individual into a life of hardship, is completely opposite to the way of thinking and morals laid down in the Qur’an by Allah.

Examples of thoughtlessness in everyday life

As we saw in the earlier sections, one who cannot use his wisdom is at a great loss both in this world and the next. However, it would not be right to assess this loss only in terms of spirituality. A person also faces various hardships, discomfort, and losses caused by thoughtlessness in his daily life.

So, in this section we will explain the seriousness of this danger by providing examples of the kind of thoughtlessness that dogs the unintelligent person throughout his life.

Imprudence of a thoughtless person

In newspapers and television, we witness many occurrences that come about as a result of a lack of caution. And there is no end to these happenings. And many people make similar mistakes themselves, even though they read about them in the newspapers. We regularly come across a number of people who are go to sleep holding a cigarette and burn their homes down, whose children fall from balconies, whose fingers get caught in factory machinery, and so on and so forth. Without a doubt such examples of thoughtlessness are daily events experienced in societies that have strayed from religion. These people cannot make accurate predictions on how an event will develop after a few phases. Similarly, they cannot draw wise conclusions from their past experiences which they may be able to use in the future. Because they cannot appreciate the value of the means they have to hand, they cannot take sound precautions to prevent possible dangers.

Let us list some of the accidents and dangerous incidents that come about as a result of the imprudence of one who doesn’t use his mind:

A thoughtless person tries to figure out how to use new equipment by experimenting with it, instead of using the manual or learning from someone who is acquainted with it. He doesn’t see anything wrong in the rough handling of fragile parts or fiddling with buttons he doesn’t know the use for on electronic items, such as a stereo set, or on a delicate device such as a computer. For this reason, he usually breaks brand new equipment without ever using it.

He doesn’t see any harm in giving a child small pieces of plastic, which he can swallow, to play with. He begins to think of the inappropriateness of this behaviour when the child starts choking and needs to be taken to the hospital.

A thoughtless person tries to carry furniture made up of two or three pieces in one go and generally drops them all, half way. He cannot calculate that these need to be carried one by one.

A thoughtless person cannot imagine the damaging effect the sun will have on the human body. He harms his skin by staying out in the sun for longer than necessary, and sometimes even for hours on end. Because of the sun, his skin begins to swell up and deep wounds appear on his skin. He becomes nauseated and has a headache. Although he experiences these troubles every summer, he repeats the same mistake the next summer because he doesn’t draw on his wisdom.

Moreover, he doesn’t see any harm in playing with stray cats or dogs, which may be diseased for all he knows. In fact, most cases of diseases, such as rabies are the result of such imprudence.

Such a person is not sensitive to sudden smells or noises. He doesn’t realize the significance of such things, even if he does realize it, he doesn’t pay attention to them, either because of his unconcerned nature or because he cannot think of the dangers that may ensue. However, his house could burn down or he could be poisoned, because he cannot sense danger in the smell of gas or he may be faced with a fire because he doesn’t respond to the smell of burning in time.

He injures himself by careless behaviour, such as plugging a wet plug into an outlet. He often suffers electric shocks because he changes the light bulb or does electronic repairs without shutting down the power.

He chops food very hastily with a very sharp knife. Because he doesn’t calculate the possible injury, he cuts his finger.

Because he empties the dishwater with wet hands, the plates slip from his hand. And because he attempts to pick up the broken pieces with his hands he cuts himself.

He doesn’t hesitate to open the door to a stranger and even invite him in. As a result, he is assaulted or his house is burgled.

By placing a hot pan on a glass table, he may cause it to crack. Or by placing a teapot on a wooden table he damages the surface.

When he is going on a road trip, he doesn’t think to take preventative measures in case his car breaks down. Even if he does think of doing so, his arrangements are barely adequate. If he fills up the fuel tank, he forgets to take a spare tyre or check the water or the oil in the car.

He leaves everything to the last minute. For example, even when he has to catch his plane, he doesn’t pack his luggage or run his errands till the last minute. Let’s say his house is an hour away from the airport; he doesn’t leave until there are only twenty minutes left. Even if he leaves on time, because he hasn’t planned how to get there, he cannot find a cab or, even if he finds a cab, because he hasn’t foreseen a traffic jam, he loses time and misses his flight. He experiences such mishaps all the time, but he still doesn’t give up his indifference or think of wise precautions.

When he is carrying things, he doesn’t think to remove anything that he could step on or bump into. He realizes his mistake only when he stumbles across obstacles or when he bumps into something while he is carrying something heavy.

He doesn’t see the danger in placing an object on the edge of a coffee table, or other such piece of furniture from which it can fall and break with the slightest impact.

A thoughtless person’s understanding of art and aesthetics

Generally, people have a standard understanding of art and aesthetics. They apply the things they have learned from an early age throughout their lives. They apply whatever is thought to be fashionable at the time. But they don’t apply their wisdom and try to produce something new. Their taste in art is completely based on imitation. Such people as are lacking in wisdom cannot come up with anything unique that they thought of themselves, even if they achieve a certain technical success with the things they imitate.

They especially use classical models in decorating their environment. We could make a list of the details of decorative styles people generally use.

As a thoughtless person doesn’t use his time wisely, it takes him months to redecorate his house. Even the painting and cleaning of a small house goes on for months on end. He cannot evolve ways of doing tasks practically and efficiently.

One who doesn’t apply his wisdom doesn’t have any special interest in art or decoration; he can live without making any changes in his house for years. When he does eventually decide to make some changes, the first thing he thinks of is to change the fabric of the couches. He has no conception of moving the furniture around or in any other way making his surroundings more pleasant.

Even if he has a lot of opportunities, he cannot use them wisely. Even if he buys the most expensive, highest quality furniture, he cannot position it with any attempt at artistry.

Even if he succeeds in decorating his living space pleasantly, he fails to make it a relaxed, comfortable, and a healthy place to live in at the same time.

He cannot use his intelligence in the placing of his furniture. He places breakable, glass vases at points where people can easily bump into them. Similarly, he doesn’t see any harm in using sharp and pointed objects as decorative pieces, and he places them where people can easily come into contact with them and hurt themselves.

He cannot get rid of anything, even though he has too many things. He tries to use old and new items at the same time. With every new item he purchases, he crowds his house and his house becomes even gloomier. He cannot realize the confusion that is created and is himself not disturbed by living in a gloomy place.

The things we listed thus far are only a few examples of how lack of wisdom reflects on daily life. But obviously, it is not possible to limit the hardship and damage thoughtlessness causes to people. One, who shuts his mind, will experience similar difficulties and hardship continuously till the end of his life. The only way to eliminate them, as has been explained from the beginning of the book, is to submit oneself to the clear mind with which religion rewards us. Thereby, wisdom, with the ease it brings, will rule a person’s existence so that he may live a life of peace and beauty.