Maulana Wahiduddin Khan I The Sunday Guardian I January 07, 2023
When a man is born into this world, he is like iron ore, raw in form. Nature has produced him like ore, and he has to develop himself on his own. Nature produces ore; man has to convert it into steel.
In this process of development, intellectual development is of the utmost importance. In developing one’s personality, the most important thing is for man to broaden his mind by awakening his consciousness. To awaken one’s consciousness, three things are required—study, observation and intellectual exchange with other people. Books are the greatest source of knowledge, and studying them is always beneficial. The world of nature is the greatest source for observation. And in the matter of intellectual learning, it is essential for man to form the habit of learning from others, and continue in this learning process.
In the case of married people, they are each other ’s immediate intellectual partners. From this point of view, marriage is a great opportunity for intellectual development, as both can interact with each other and make progress together intellectually. Intellectual development is essential for everyone. Marriage offers an ideal opportunity for intellectual partners, who are always available for each other, to commune, with one another. And to be successful in this venture there is one condition—that is, to give intellectual development top priority and to make it a part of one’s daily life.