Ruminating The Past Corrupts Reflection

Allah, the Exalted, says, "Ask the people of knowledge if you do not know." And the Prophet said, "The ignorant are not excused for his ignorance, and it is not permissible for the ignorant to remain silent about his ignorance, nor for the knowledgeable person to remain silent about his knowledge." What knowledge, and knowledge of what? All sciences are of great importance, but in our discussion, true knowledge of the history of Islam is very important. The extremely dangerous matter is not knowing the truth from the falsehood in its sources. Unfortunately, Muslim scholars, ancient and modern, did not pay scientific attention to critiquing Islamic historical sources. The Prophet's biography also did not receive the deserved attention for preservation or even scientific critique. It is a shame for Muslims that their nation, claimed to be the "best nation brought forth for mankind," as they claim, does not know the true history or have a definite knowledge of the biography of their Prophet. Meanwhile, the West has credible research on its history and sources. When the West investigates Islamic biography and history, they find narrations that distort the image of the Prophet and the truth about some of the companions without mentioning the author who included them in his book or refuting them. This includes both Bukhari and Tabari. Because many of these narrations may be acquired customs and traditions, this is the reality of Islamic history and the state of the Prophet's biography! We will delve into these two topics in the following pages: There is a difference between knowledge and understanding. Where does the truth lie between them? Understanding, or perception, is a mental and psychological process that helps humans know their external world, comprehend the meanings and implications of things, and do so by organizing sensory stimuli to interpret and formulate them into meaningful entities. Both understanding and perception also involve sensory evaluation of the results of an action or deed. The problem of perceiving the source of knowledge is the same as the problem of perceiving the source of ignorance. Besides that, the act of knowledge is merely a mental activity of thought that enables one to perceive what is known by the researcher, observer, or listener!