The first prerequisite for seeking knowledge is silence.
Often in my sessions on communication, I share the following amazing narration from Islamic history (Al-Kāfī, vol. 1, p.48) which neatly lists five key stages of knowledge, i.e., silence, listening, remembering, practicing, and disseminating.
Imam Jafar Sadiq narrates the following tradition about his forefather (Prophet Muhammad PBUH):
“A man once came to the Prophet and said:
‘O Messenger of Allah, what is knowledge?’
The Prophet replied: ‘It is silence.’
The man then asked: ‘Then what?’
The Prophet said: ‘It is listening.’
The man asked: ‘Then what?’
The Prophet replied: ‘Then it is remembering.’
The man further questioned: ‘Then what?’
The Prophet answered: ‘Then it is to practice (according to what one has learned).’
The man finally asked: ‘Then what O Messenger of Allah?’
The Prophet replied: ‘Then it is to disseminate (what one has learned)’.”
While each one of these five stages of knowledge is important, and offers an effectual framework to bridge the much debated gap between rigor and relevance (learning and practice), it vividly points towards one key pre-requisite, i.e., silence, which is a reflection of one’s attitude towards learning.
I wish all of you a joyful and productive silence!
—- Jawad Syed
(Picture credits: Jawad Syed, Hagya Sophia, May 2022)
South Asian Academy of Management 