#1 DDN - The Two Seas of Knowledge, Holistic Thinking and Alchemy
#1, 20th September 2024
Assalamu Alaikum!
Welcome to Issue #1 of the Divine Duty Newsletter and yes, well spotted, I’ve got a brand new format!
Instead of just sending long-form musings from time to time - I thought it was time to go to the next stage of our relationship (haha) and begin a regular newsletter.
Each week/fortnight/month (yet to be decided!), I’ll be sending you a newsletter full of timeless ideas and insights you can use in life and work, insha’allah. It’s something I’m trialling at the moment, but of course, I am open to feedback and tweaking as we go along.
They are going to have a different focus every time but all loosely centred around the core themes of lifelong learning, critical thinking and fulfilling your purpose and potential.
Before you read, you should check out the free scorecard which tell you how on track your current life is with your true purpose. 1400+ Muslims have taken this so far! (link)
In today’s newsletter, the theme is holistic thinking and we will go over:
Quaint Quotes - My favourite often obscure quotes, relevant to the theme
Deep in Thought - A Deep Dive into the ‘two seas’ concept and what it represents
Actionable Insights - How can you start putting new ideas into action?
Resources to Review - Some of the best resources on this issue’s theme…
And much more…
"In Islam, we do not have any division between the Islamic and secular sciences. Our curriculum should have all the beneficial sciences. You cannot teach Sahih Bukhari without teaching psychology and economics. Bring unity to the curriculum. A divided curriculum will continue the problems.” - Shaykh Dr. Akram Nadwi
Totally agree with this. This was how education was always taught - and indeed, I have heard of some schools in remote Turkey going back to a mixed curriculum and reviving the traditional Ottoman way of teaching. Our modern school system that has separated subjects in this way has got a lot to answer for!
“In Islam there is no division between sacred and profane knowledge, and consequently, the pursuit of physical science is an act of ibadah. It is true that the highest level of knowledge is the knowledge on Din (religion), but the process of knowledge is such that one cannot understand the highest level of knowledge unless one builds up the lower.” - Maulana Fazal-Rahman Ansari
Love this one - and really speaks to how fiercely Islam champions the seeking of all sorts of beneficial knowledge - even if it’s not strictly about religion - because the process of that learning is also transformational.
The idea of holistic thinking is deeply embedded within my own personal philosophy and all of the work we do at KNOW through the concept of the ‘two seas’.
“Two Seas” represents “Majmahul Bahrain”, the place where the two seas meet (18:60) in Surah al Kahf of the Qu’ran. Imam Baydawi’s interpretation of this is that it also a metaphor pertaining to the seas of knowledge - the sea of knowledge externally experienced (knowledge) and the sea of knowledge internally received (insight). This polymathic, holistic approach to knowledge is what is needed in the age we live in more than ever. In an AI-centred, deceptive time like today, even what you can see in front of your two eyes needs to be verified. So we must rely on intuition and baseerah in CONJUNCTION with our logic and data to truly penetrate the reality of the world today - otherwise, we are prone to be deceived in this dajjalic digital age.
Here’s a deeper look into this concept. (link)
When was the last time you relied on your gut instinct and ignored the data? What was the outcome of that decision?
Spend time reflecting on the story of Musa (AS) and Khidr of Surah al Kahf and ponder on what that is telling us about the world we live in today. If not everything is as it first seems - what are things that you see in the world today that may seem one way to the untrained eye but the reality is actually different?
Are you naturally more logical and analytical or more creative / intuitive? We need to be able to understand both sides of the spectrum. Can you tackle a problem using the opposite method and write down how you found it?
The Polymath (book), Waqas Ahmed (link)
I read this when researching our Second Golden Age series. It showed me how well-rounded and deep the level of intellect they had and got me thinking - why don’t we see many of these polymath geniuses today?
Alchemy: The Surprising Power of Ideas that don’t make sense (book), Rory Sutherland (link)
I have to say, one of my most favourite books in recent years. You have probably seen Rory’s brilliantly irreverent views on social media about alternative ways of looking at marketing, other than the usual data and logic. Will definitely make you think a little bit differently after reading this!
Surah al-Kahf in the Modern Age (book), Shaykh Imran Hosein (link)
This book was a real eye-opener and a massive paradigm shifter. It introduced the rich depth of Surah al Kahf as a vital surah to study to understand the deceptive world today - which is an excellent starting point towards critical thinking. He also has lectures on the subject on YouTube.
If you’d like to work with me, you can book a call here (link)
Interested in our rich heritage and a brighter future? Check out the Second Golden Age newsletter (link)
Join our FREE community of like-minded lifelong learners. (link)
Interested in finding your purpose? Here’s some free training (link)
You, the people will decide
Please let me know what you think of this new format and give me suggestions for themes for future issues.
This is just the first issue so I’m sure there’s plenty of room for improvement - feel free to be open and honest - and I promise to read every single email insha’allah!
With Love,
Faisal
