100 Principles for Purposeful Living

development becomes a continuous process. Knowledge elevates a man from the animal level to the level of a human being. 3. Passion for Learning The second caliph of Islam, Umar bin al-Khattab, used to learn something from everyone he met. In other words, learning was a continuous process for him. How does this happen? When a person meets someone with an open mind, they learn from each other. To fruitfully continue this learning process, a person must be free from pride and prejudiced thinking. They should refrain from displaying a mentality of just teaching others. His psyche should rather be: I will be ever-ready to take whatever comes my way. Whenever someone points out my mistake, I will immediately admit it and correct myself. The learner’s role is as important as that of the teacher in the learning process. The right temperament on the part of the learner is required to fully grasp the learning from others. The world abounds with knowledge and learning which helps in the realization of God. The only condition is that man must have the right mindset to internalize learning. 4. The Treasure of Knowledge The Prophet of Islam once said: “Wisdom is the lost property of a believer. Wherever he finds it, he should take it (as it belongs to him).” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 2687) This tradition explains the universality of knowledge. This means that knowledge, whatever the source, belongs equally to all human beings. It is a common good, and not anyone’s monopoly. It is like the sun from which everyone has an equal right to receive light.