THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING AN OPEN MIND

It is reported that the Prophet of Islam once remarked: “Wisdom is the lost property of a believer. Wherever he finds it, he should take it (for it belongs to him).” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 2687)

This report tells us the way of a true devotee of God. Such a person is free of all kinds of prejudices. A believer does not discriminate between one person and another. He sees all individuals as God’s creatures, as members of God’s family. Hence, he accepts wisdom wherever he finds it. His thinking is universal, not narrow. He can learn valuable lessons from everything and everyone, including from people of other faiths.

In this world, success is related to wisdom. The universal thinking of a God-oriented person leads him to continue to increase his intellectual treasures by adding new things to them. His life never stagnates. At every juncture, he finds something positive by which he may continue his onward journey in life. He keeps all the windows of his mind open. Hence, it becomes possible for him to keep growing in wisdom.

Various religious traditions and other belief systems are a great source of wisdom. However, no matter what religion they subscribe to or the community they identify with, each individual and their life experiences can be a valuable source of wisdom for us. We can grow in wisdom by learning lessons from anything and everything in the universe, provided we have the right attitude and are ready to accept any good thing regardless of its source.

For a God-oriented person, everything can provide food for his soul. Like a tree, he keeps on growing. His personality keeps developing, moving towards perfection.