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The remedy for ignorance is asking questions. (Prophet Muhammad)

The spirit of enquiry is the hallmark of an open society and the above saying of the Prophet aptly illustrates this principle. A culture of curiosity and open-mindedness will foster development in any society by motivating its members to learn enthusiastically and enrich their knowledge. This is because awareness of one’s ignorance is half of knowledge, as it becomes a stepping-stone to seeking and finding answers. A questioning mind is like a flowing river that is replenished with fresh thoughts and ideas and continues on its journey

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Nowadays it has been observed that most people suffer from tension (stress). People consult psychiatrists for this problem. I have recently had an experience in this regard. A person who was suffering from tension went to a psychiatrist. After spending a considerable sum, the advice he got from the psychiatrist was that he should worship according to his religion. The patient said, “But I already worship!” What is the solution to this problem? Please explain it in the light of the Quran.

The usual approach of the psychiatrists is to guide the patient towards a technique that will relieve tension. According to my assessment of the matter, this theory is wrong in itself. Tension or mental stress is a product of the system of nature. It necessarily follows that what is a product of the system of nature cannot be eliminated by any means. Thus, the solution lies in accepting what is inherent in nature, not trying to eliminate it.

It is stated in the Quran that God created man into a life of toil and hardship (90: 4). It is a common human experience that life is not free from hardships. The same has been proved by scientific research. The Russian psychologist Anton Nemilov rightly wrote in his book The Biological Tragedy of Woman that:

Human life is unthinkable without tragedies, without the tragic element. The more highly developed and nearer to perfection man is, the greater are the possibilities for tragic conflicts. (pp. 13-15)

When toil is an essential part of human life according to the law of nature itself, we must accept it as such. We should not deny it. When it rains in the rainy season, it creates many problems for human populations, but no one thinks to stop the rain. Rather, everyone thinks about how to protect oneself despite the rain.

This is the way we deal with the problem of tension. We cannot end the tension. However, if we consider tension as an inerasable reality, we can definitely protect ourselves from becoming its prey. This is the natural solution to this problem. The fact is that the only successful formula for a tension-free life is to accept the tension as an essential part of human life.

Are mental abilities God-gifted or acquired by one’s efforts? Is the human brain limited or unlimited? Can a person store all knowledge in his mind? What exactly is the human brain? Please enlighten me about the function and capabilities of the human brain in the light of your study.

The human brain is still a mysterious reality. Despite 5,000 years of research, little is known about the human brain. In my experience and study, the human brain is a treasure trove of infinite potential. This mental capacity is bestowed almost equally to every human being. But research shows that the capacity of the human brain remains latent. Knowledge and experience awaken this ability. In the present age, the ideology of brainstorming shows that the greatest stimulus in awakening the latent potentialities of the brain is ‘mental shock’, provided it is not so severe as to crush a person’s personality.

However, in the light of my experience, acknowledgement and gratitude are the greatest source of mental development. A person should look at the facts with an open mind and accept them without any reservation. There are very few people in the world who reach the stage of high mental development. The biggest reason for this is that people usually spend their lives with a closed and prejudiced mind. Due this, they do not understand any concept other than those that are familiar to them, and therefore they fail to adopt it.

On page 27 of Al-Risala December 2001 (Urdu monthly), you write that God has created the present world for the purpose of test. If we consider this sentence, we have to believe that God is not the Knower of the unseen, nor does He know what is in anyone’s heart. Because the advantage of the test is that what we did not know before becomes known after the test.

It is not the purpose of the test that God Himself should know the outcome of the test. The purpose of the test is selection. This test is not in relation to God, but in relation to man himself. Namely, human beings, good and bad, should be separated from each other. In other words, the purpose of the test is to make something that is a theoretical reality a known and visible event.

I suffer from a problem that has made me very sad. The problem is that I suffer from hair loss. In spite of medication, my hairs continue to fall and they do not grow back. Is the Lord of the universe not able to stop hair fall? Why is it that God bestowed beautiful hair to someone and made someone bald?

Your feelings are worthwhile indeed. The answer to what you have written about hair is that the present world is a place of testing. Everything here serves the purpose of test. Whatever one gets, or what is taken from one, or not granted at all, is all part of the test. In the same way, the growth of good hair on the scalp, hair fall or hair turning white is also a test. In order to pass this test, one must attribute all these conditions to be from God. He should not behave proudly if he receives something, nor should he become dejected and disappointed if something is not given to him.

You should treat the hair loss condition, but do not get frustrated under any circumstances. Rather, pray to God: O God, I am pleased with your decision, so decide for me good compensation. Give me Paradise in the Hereafter where there will be no sickness and no deprivation.

Man should not ask for himself any trouble in the world, but if any trouble befalls him, then he should adopt the method of perfect patience. This is the way of the believer and this is the price of Paradise.

O God! I seek from you a tongue that
speaks truth and a heart which is pure and clean.

—Prophet Muhammad