Those Who Respect The Elderly, Pave Their Own Road Toward Success

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 30 January 2023 --------------------------------------------------------- Knowledge Is Always Superficial, Whereas Wisdom Is Unfathomable. That's Why, The Latter Is So Calm, Cool And Collected And Doesn't Lose Its Moorings. Knowledge Thinks That It Knows Everything. Wisdom Says That It Has Just Started To Know And There's Still So Much To Learn. --------------------------------------------------------- “Those Who Respect The Elderly Pave Their Own Road Toward Success.” – African Proverb Photo: Dawat e Islam.com ----- I may sound pontificating, even exasperatingly sermonising, but I must say that the arrogance (at times, bordering on being ad hominem) of two over-active and fanatic young men on this forum and the mellowed refinement of a venerable gentleman can be cited as a metaphor or a template for youthful superciliousness vis-a-vis old age wisdom. There's a beautiful saying in the Bible: By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom (Proverbs 13: 10). These two haughty young men erroneously think that the knowledge of the whole universe is at their disposal but the elderly gentleman is always so serene in his wisdom and temperate replies. It's like a fight between knowledge and wisdom; knowledge of the youth and wisdom of the gentleman in the US. Knowledge is always superficial, whereas wisdom is unfathomable. That's why, the latter is so calm, cool and collected and doesn't lose its moorings. Knowledge thinks that it knows everything. Wisdom says that it has just started to know and there's still so much to learn. So, it's naturally mellowed down. In his last and unfinished Masnavi, Maulana Rumi described his equation with his soul-mate Shams-e-Tabriz. Shams was much older than Rumi. There was a gap of more than two decades between their age as the former was born in 1185 AD and the latter in 1207. Rumi, though universally regarded as a greater poet than Shams, conceded that when he met Shams for the first time on November 15, 1244 AD, he (Rumi) was full of youthful arrogance of knowing a lot. But the tranquil wisdom of Shams (he was 60-yr-old) bedazzled (Khunamat in Pahlavi) Rumi so much that he called Shams his Qutub (Perfect Guide). Rumi became Shams' Mureed (disciple). To cut the matter short, the hubristic arrogance of a little knowledge one gains at a young age cannot be pitted against the fully bloomed (Shagufta-e-Kaamil) wisdom of old age. Wisdom that comes with greying hair is light years ahead of the knowledge one acquires by reading a few books, referring to Wikipedia or blindly following dubious sources, teachers and people. Remember, wisdom is always distilled, whereas knowledge is often diluted. Sooner one learns this, the better it's for those who strive to tread on the path of self-enlightenment. One, therefore, must show respect to the wise and elderly people whose firmament of learning is boundless and the cornucopia of wisdom is inexhaustible. ---- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/respect-elderly-success/d/128990 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism