Spiritual Lessons of Muslim Revolutionists Imam Ali and...

A prominent element in regards to oral traditions surviving the testament of time is the simplicity, directness, and concision that such traditions tend to be composed of. This makes it appear as though these early simple teaching can have an endless stream of commentary stem from a small assortment of simple words. Certainly such phrases and sayings by highly revered Islamic revolutionists Imam Ali and Jalal al-din Rumi tend to be simple in design much like these oral traditions, but a careful analysis of their work will depict the true depth of their teachings. Through their teachings, these two men are able to clearly show the distinction between spirituality as their lessons greatly depend on the individual recognizing that faith is†¦show more content†¦Ali’s did not just use religious learning but also incorporated other forms of learning as well. Ali acknowledged that religious learning though important was not the only learning that an individual must learn, b ut that through knowledge of many things much more can be understood, â€Å"knowledge is of two kinds that which is absorbed and that which is heard. And that which is heard does not profit if it is not absorbed† (Cleary, 52). Indeed, Ali’s lessons on faith rely on that of the concept of knowledge. For Ali, being able to possess information about the affiliation between the concept of knowledge and of spirituality was of high importance. In none of his lessons does he seem to convey that it is possible to become knowledgeable and educated without faith, rather he advises that it is education without faith that is restricting. However, Ali does not recommended being overconfident in the obtainment of large amounts of knowledge, rather he suggest that the amount of knowledge an individual has must be used only in times of certainty, â€Å"Do not make your knowledge into ignorance and your certainty into doubt. When you know, act; and when you are certain, proceed† (Cleary, 47). Using knowledge as the foundation Ali then turns to the importance of faith and of spirituality. For Ali faith was of vital importance, and the concept of faith was built upon four elements and according