THE DISPOSITION TO LEARN

It is said about the second Caliph, Umar Farooq, that he would learn something from everyone.  An example of this is found in a narration: once he asked a companion what is piety (Taqwa). The companion responded, “O Leader of the Faithful, have you ever walked on a path with thorny bushes on both sides?” Hazrat Umar replied, “Yes.” The companion then asked, “What did you do in such a situation?” Hazrat Umar said, “I gathered my garments and carefully walked through.” The companion said, “That is Taqwa.” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Vol. 1, p. 164)

Umar bin al-Khattab used the same approach in daily life. He would ask camel herders about camels and goat herders about goats. Likewise, he would inquire about topics related to each person’s profession. This way, he asked questions within their areas of expertise and learned new things from everyone he met.

In modern times, this is called the “spirit of inquiry.” From a scientific standpoint, it is extremely important. The fact is that only those who have this inquisitive spirit become great scholars. Such a spirit is very essential for everyone, whether they are ordinary people or hold high positions.

Generally, people are more eager to speak than to listen. However, this tendency is a constant obstacle to the growth of knowledge. People with this attitude can never reach meaningful scholarly progress. When you speak, you stay where you are, but when you listen, you expand your knowledge. The right scholarly attitude is to listen more than you speak. Whenever you meet someone, try to gather information by asking questions.

A vast amount of information exists everywhere, but only those who understand how to acquire it can truly share in it.