ABSTRACT

The role of the intellect in enabling human beings to expand their vision of creation and of ‘man as the best of creation’1 is a pivotal consideration in the Muslim tradition. This intertwining of the spiritual and learning is well illustrated in a dialogue between Ibn Sina (c.980-1037),2 the philosopher, and Abu Said Abul-Khayr (967-1049), the Sufi mystic, in which the former says, ‘Whatever I know, he sees’ to which Abu Said responds, ‘Whatever I see, he knows’. In the understanding of life’s necessities, to engage in intellectual search is to seek a fuller understanding of the mysteries of life itself. Accepting stewardship and trust of the environment means that this intrinsically places the onus on human beings to leave the world a better place than they found it – this categorically places the being of the human and all its faculties within the domain of acquisition of knowledge. Thus, what characterises this approach to learning is its esoteric quality. This personal search includes the spiritual and the material, both of which cornerstones are established on the ethics of Islam, which link the realms of faith and existence, offering a critical balance. However, no individual can achieve this balance in illiteracy, poverty or ill health. Learning carries a twofold meaning, each incomplete without the other – reason and logic activate

intellectual knowledge, whilst the development of spiritual knowledge is derived from awareness and experience of the sacred in everyday life. Both operate in an intertwined manner, enabling knowledge to become a means of activating moral and spiritual consciousness, factoring in a social conscience that protects one’s inherent dignity as a human being. This chapter sees the sacred not just as a component of religion, but as an ‘active participant in the human being’s and society’s ongoing construction in terms of learning and finding meaning’ (Hirji, 2007). How do the two concepts of sacred and learning connect? The Qur’an (4:17) reveals learning and acquiring knowledge as one of Allah’s (God’s) attributes, the

seeking of which is incumbent upon human beings in order to elevate each attribute to its highest degree. This is an approach to life, and learning is not seen as a thing apart. Unsurprisingly, lifelong learning is held in the highest regard and heavily advocated, with the proviso that it is nurtured with conscious intent. Like ethics, learning is part of the human DNA and it is in the ‘how’ that the meaning of learning is found embedded deep within the human heart. It is this meaning of learning as an integral part of the human being and its co-relation in the dynamism

of Islam as an everyday approach to a dignified lived reality, that particular attention is paid in this chapter. This is contextualised within the following questions: (1) how is learning related to faith? (2) how are learning and faith connected to human development? and (3) how does this embody the fusion of faith and intellect, the context given to the concept of learning from a Muslim perspective?