IN THE NAME OF ALLAH MOST GRACIOUS MOST MERCIFUL
PEACE, GRACE AND BLESSINGS OF ALLAH BE WITH EACH OF YOU

Self knowledge – the beginning of wisdom

On October 15, 2004 millions of Muslims all over the world will begin the holy month of Ramadhan.  This is a time when we are urged to know ourselves in order to know our God. A Sufi saying tells us: “Whoever knows oneself, knows God.”¹ The Prophet Muhammad says “Whoever fasts with full faith, and accounts for the deeds of oneself, his past sins will be forgiven.”² As Christians, we are familiar with the saying of Jesus, “If you know me, you will know my Father too.” ³

If we summarize the three quotations above, we can say, we can know God through self knowledge and fasting – some of the best forms of prayer in a world which thirsts and longs for Someone more authentic and meaningful than all else that is offered……

Self-examination /Introspection is strongly suggested in the month of Ramadhan. This is a very good moment for us to look within and face our lives. It is a time to face whatever we have done, or not yet done, our failings, whatever we have indulged in, until we are truly aware that our repentance is related to our sins or failings. Introspection indeed is related to repentance.

There is an interesting saying from the Prophet Jesus (Isa al’ai salam)⁴ that is narrated by Ali ibn Musa al-Ridla (an Imam from the Syi’ah Muslims). The words of Isa al’ai salam are described as, “Truly I have cured people who are sick, and I have healed them with the intercession of Allah; I also healed the blind and those who had suffered from leprosy with the intercession of Allah; I also brought the dead back to life with the intercession of Allah; then I had a person who was stupid, however, I was not able to cure him!” Then Jesus also asked “Spirit of God, who is a stupid person?” The Spirit answered, “A stupid person is one that admires one’s own opinions, who gazes at oneself, has a superiority complex, and does not see one’s own limitations; who makes sure that all that is good is for the self. This is a person who is stupid and who has no way to be cured.”⁵

In Sufism we are exposed to four kinds of persons. First, “People who don’t know and know that they don’t know.” These are stupid and simple – naïve. People such as these are easy to cure, mainly through education. Second, “People who know but do not know that they know.” People such as these, are like people asleep. They need to be woken up from their sleep so that they become aware and awaken their abilities, to be able to help themselves and others. Third are “People who know and know that they know.” This is the group of wise people  al-hukama). They need to follow the holy teachings as well as a way of life, so that they become the example for the rest of humanity. While the fourth is, “People who do not know that they do not know.”  These are (al-ahmaq), according to the Prophet Jesus, Isa al’ai salam, this person is difficult to be cured from his stupidity  as long as he is not yet aware that he does not know (ignorance). The beginning of stupidity is, not knowing oneself, in addition to the attitude of ‘ujub (pride), that is, always feeling that one is right and that one never goes wrong.  Stupidity/foolishness does not characterize a person of faith, because a person of faith is a person who always makes the effort to “drop the mask” of ignorance in oneself.⁶ True faith results in an attitude of knowing oneself truly. Knowing oneself is the beginning of wisdom.

Human beings commit sin, because we are not able to suffer for a moment, even though we will experience a deeper joy later, if we are able to delay our gratification. Sin becomes a part of our humanity, because we are indeed weak. Hence the definition of sin is something that has as its short term goal, pleasure but has as its long term goal misery/suffering. Sin is also termed as ‘munkar’ which means “Something that is repudiated or refused by our “conscience” by our ‘core/centre’. We know that our conscience, our centre is the locus of awareness, holiness, truth, who we really are. “In it conscience and memory, intuition and energy reside. In it impressions and ideas turn into projects and decisions”.⁷

It is symbolised with a light (nur= light, nurani = that which has light) Hearts that are pure become the source of light for our lives to be lived in goodness and truth. The weakness of man however drops him into darkness (zhulmani, sin). Here the Heart of Light versus the Heart of darkness. “Look after your heart more than any treasure because it’s the source of all life”⁸ Our conscience, our centre becomes the source of virtuousness of humanity, while a heart that lives in darkness becomes the source of sin. The Prophet Mohammed says “Virtuousness is noble values, and sin is something which is in your heart that is known to the other and which you do not like”.

Thus, if “to know ourselves is the beginning of wisdom”, from time to time we need to cleanse ourselves, cleanse our hearts, so that the light can once again return to our hearts, to brighten us and to enlighten us. For St. Madeleine Sophie, the heart is the seat of what she calls “interior life” of which she even says that it is “the virtue that engenders all others”.⁹ The month of fasting gives us the space and time to respond to her invitation to us “My daughter, take care of your heart since in it are the wellsprings of life…”¹⁰ thus sharpening the sensitivity of our hearts, our centre to welcome truth and goodness and to reach our goal of God Consciousness. A gift the world is waiting for…

                                                               Gerardette Philips rscj
Area of Indonesia