dealing with idiots,ignorants or learners

[muslim brother]

CATEGORIES OF PATIENTS: Ignorant [people who are like] patients are of four kinds and among these [four] categories, the patients belonging to one category can be cured. The remaining four categories of patients are incurable.


First patient is the one who asks questions because of jealousy or who objects. Jealousy is such a lethal disease that has no cure. Just understand, that whatever answer you will give, no matter how good it is, he/she will consider you an enemy and his/her fire of envy and jealousy will be further ignited. Therefore, it’s better to not respond to this person. A poet has said something good in this respect:


“Kullul ‘Adawati Qad Turja Izalatuha
Illa ‘Adawata Mun ‘Aadaka Min Hasadin.”
“Every kind of animosity can be rectified (corrected) but the animosity born out of jealousy is not possible to be rectified.”


Therefore, its solution is that you leave this jealous one so that he/she stays infected with this disease.


“Fa ‘AaRid ‘Um Mun Tawalla ‘Un Zikrina Walam Yurid Illal Hayatad Dunya.”
“So stay away from the individual who [because of jealousy] turns his/her face away from Our remembrance and desires nothing but [the pleasures of] the life of the world.”

al ghazalli..dear beloved son

[muslim brother]

Second kind of patient is the one whose cause of disease is the lack of intelligence and foolishness. This disease is also incurable. Prophet ‘Isa (Jesus, peace be upon him) said that I am [with the Permission of God] not incapable of bringing dead to life but I am incapable of curing the fools and the ignorant folks. Ignorant fool is the one who spends very little time acquiring knowledge and has not even started [learning] intellectual and transmitted religious knowledge but objects to those scholars who have spent their lifetime acquiring intellectual and transmitted religious knowledge. This individual has no knowledge that his/her objection is considered agonizing by this individual [even though he/she is not aware of it], others like him/her, and scholars. Likewise, undoubtedly, this objection must seem agonizing to the one who is a great scholar. This individual does not even know that the objection he is having on the scholar is of no avail (useless) [to him/her]. This great scholar’s depth of knowledge and insights is not even known to him/her and to others like him/her. So if this person cannot even understand that (i.e. the knowledge and depth of understanding of the scholar) then it is his/her foolishness. One should stay away from this kind of person and should not even give [him/her] a response

[muslim brother]

Third kind of patient is the one who, due to his/her restlessness and impatience, do not understand the teachings of the spiritually elevated ones (saints) and keeps relying on his/her lack of intelligence, for whatever this individual understands, understands it according to his/her own interest (benefit). This [kind of] person is simpleminded and mindless and his/her mind is incapable of understanding the truth. This kind of person should not even be given a response, because Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has said:


“Nahnu Ma’aashirul Anbiyaee Umirna Un Natakallamun Nasa ‘Ala Qadre ‘Uuqulihim.”
“Our group of prophets have been ordered [by Allah] to talk to the people according to their minds (i.e. mental capacities/understandings).”

[muslim brother]

Fourth kind of patient is the one who is seeking the right path of guidance (Sirat al-Mustaqeem), is obedient, sharp and intelligent, and he/she should not have anger, following of the desires from the lower self (Nafs), jealousy, and desire for wealth and fame. Therefore, this person who is searching for the path of truth and for correct method (guidance), whatever question he/she asks or objections he/she makes is not due to jealousy or to find fault or to test. This type of person is that patient who can be cured. Therefore, to answer the questions of this person is not just legitimate but it’s obligatory (Wajib).

al ghazalli..dear beloved son