Prophetic Role
One of the qualities of the Prophet of Islam was his grand vision, as a result of which he urged his followers to adopt a wise approach in all their dealings. Several sayings on this subject have appeared in the books of Hadith. For instance, he observed: ‘We must not feel envy except for two kinds of people: those who, when given wealth, spend generously in the path of Truth, and those who, when given wisdom, judge accordingly and shed its light upon others.’ A companion of the Prophet, Abdullah ibn Abbas said that the Prophet of Islam embraced him and prayed to God to grant him wisdom. (Fathul Bari, Vol. 7, p. 126)
Many traditions have been recorded which underscore the importance of wisdom. For instance, the Prophet of Islam said: ‘How good is the gathering at which wise sayings are uttered.’ (Musnad Al-Bazzar, Hadith No. 2458) Similarly, he said: ‘There is no better gift than words of wisdom.’ (Musnad al- Shahab, Hadith No. 1316)
In some traditions, wisdom and a deeper understanding are more important than worship. As recorded in the Hadith (sayings of the Prophet);
One learned religious scholar carries more weight than one thousand worshippers. (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith No. 222 and Sunan Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 2681)