Useless Talk

USELESS TALK A man once wrote a letter to Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (1863–1943), a leading Sunni Muslim scholar of the Indian subcontinent whose influence continues to this day. He asked about the wisdom behind a particular religious commandment. Maulana Thanvi replied: What is the wisdom in asking about wisdom? You ask us about the wisdom behind God’s commands, while we ask you about the wisdom behind your own unproductive activism. Many people have a habit of asking questions that are not really needed. They lack the ability to examine themselves and reflect on their own responsibilities. Instead, they take great interest in finding faults in external matters and probing the reasoning behind them. Such an approach is not encouraged in Islam because it moves away from purposeful living. Those who develop such a mental attitude can never succeed in finding the truth. When it comes to earning a living or building a house,