The second Caliph Umar Farooq used to learn something or the other from the people he met. It has been recorded that he once asked a companion of the Prophet as to what was meant by taqwa (fear of God). The companion replied: “O, Leader of the Believers (title of the Caliph), have you ever crossed a path lined on both sides by thorny shrubs?” Caliph Umar replied in the affirmative. He then asked the Caliph as to what he did on such occasions. The Caliph replied, “I gathered my clothes to myself, and walked along my path taking all precautions.” The companion replied, “This is the stuff of taqwa.”

Caliph Umar did the same in other matters as well. To a camel man, he would put questions concerning camels; to a herdsman, he would put questions about sheeps and goats. Similarly, he would ask his visitors questions concerning their respective fields, in which they were knowledgeable. In this way, the Caliph learnt many things about fields other than his own.

In modern times, this is called the spirit of enquiry. From the scientific viewpoint, this is of the utmost importance. In fact, it is only those who possess this inquisitive spirit who can scale the heights of scholarship in any field. This is extremely important both for the common man as well as for the scholar.

Usually people are interested only in talking, instead of listening. This is a permanent obstacle to academic progress. Great scientific progress can never be achieved by such persons. When you are talking, your level of existence remains just where it was before. But when you are listening, you are in fact adding to your knowledge. Anyone of a proper scientific temper will listen more than talk, and when he meets a person he will ask questions of him in order to obtain more knowledge and information from him.

There is a wealth of knowledge all around you. But it comes into one’s possession only if one knows the art of acquiring it. □