Attempt to Learn

ATTEMPT TO LEARN During my youth, when I was still in Madrasa, we discussed camels in class one day. Afterwards, the teacher asked, “Tell me, are a camel’s hooves split or united? Are they like the split hooves of a cow or the united hooves of a horse?” In our class, there were about two dozen students at the time, but none could answer the question with certainty. Only guesses were made; some said they were divided, while others said they were united. The teacher then delivered a speech. He explained that this was a simple question, yet none of you could answer it confidently. The reason is that you lack knowledge about the camel’s hoofs and are unaware of your ignorance. This is similar to the Arabic proverb: To say “I do not know” is half of knowledge. The teacher said, “When I asked you whether a camel’s hooves are split or joined, none of you admitted that you did not know. Yet, experience shows that you were unaware of this. If you had acknowledged your ignorance, it would have sparked what is known as the ‘spirit of inquiry’ within you. You would have developed a desire to learn more about it. Whenever a camel passed by, you would have immediately observed its hooves and then, with certainty, determined whether a camel’s hooves are split or joined.” Most people are unaware of their own ignorance, which keeps them from escaping it. For an individual, the spirit of