Man, Knowledge and Society

What is common between the three?

Beyond Oxford Thesaurus and Dictionary that dole out words like: information, comprehension, proficiency, adeptness, gnosis, literacy, cognition; giving its meaning as facts, information and skills acquired through experience or education, I know little when the word Knowledge has been first coined in English language or of its vernacular equivalents like Ilm but in the present decade soon after the CONNECT 2001-, India Today Conclave at Tamil Nadu wherein reverberated the words of modern visionary of India, Abdul Kalaam - later president of India, – that put many states on the fast track of information technology and communication; lending a new parlance to us: knowledge–society, knowledge workers, knowledge management; besides  flagging off the race among all states  to prepare a vision document titled Vision 2020; and naturally IT & Communication subject also figured in the exercise; that resource persons in all major fields undertook, even in Kashmir; when a 4 day International Exhibition and Business Summit was held in the SKICC (in which I was also associated in my humble way to some extent) from 20 to 23 June 2002-for showcasing Business opportunities in J&K, wherein all government departments participated after toiling for months to churn out Charters, vision statements, speeches, presentations and what not. Some time later I too yielded to another temptation. On 11-3-2003 I published my full page article Silicon Dreams –I & II and later that year on 09.09.2003, Know-nots, Worse than Have-nots, besides making my silent token-contribution in the shape of a 32 page long document presented to the then minister for considering while making the IT policy by the government- witnessed partly in the shape of Community Information Centers that have come up thereafter in our state. How near we are this time, in 2009, to the goal envisioned for 2020 is an interesting subject of course and an exercise worth undertaking- that interests me not now ;and to be honest  that is not what has embarked me on my column writing today. It is in fact kick started by The Friday editorials –which readers have gone through in July on this page.

Readers may recall that after Quoting surah Al- Mumin, surah Aal- Imraan and al Fatir the writer has said that against 250 legislative verses of the Quran, there are 750 verses which urge us to study and contemplate the universe also the holy statement that the ink of a scholar’s pen is holier than the blood of the martyr. In the divine scheme God- consciousness takes precedence over contemplation thus acquisition of knowledge is subservient to the purpose, invoked in mysticism- portrayed in Alama Iqbal’s poetry:

The infinite ocean you are
Me a humble stream
Embrace me either
Or set me adrift
 

Pondering on the word ASM, appearing in Holy Quran, Surah Bakr (2:30-35) “Wa allama Adam al Asmai kulluha Summa…” seemed to be the KEY that unlocks what is in my mind about the topic, Man, Knowledge/ information & Society, that I present to readers today,- 2nd part next week.

The distinctive feature of man, that entitles him to the vice regency (khalifa) of the cosmos; is his ability to actualize his immense potential. As per Islamic thought man surpasses other creations (even Angels) in the richness and the ever increasing, expanse of language (Lisaan). To facilitate man in the discharge of the divine assignment, man- introduced by the title Ashraful makhlookat, nominated as Allah’s representative was granted untold potential for knowledge (ilm); bestowed upon with the ability to speak-- language and to know-- knowledge… cognition of phenomenal world and …much more.
    

The urge to enquire and delve deep in the realms of the unknown, has yielded ever- increasing treasures of knowledge, in whatever sphere man directed his conscious efforts. We human beings understand (Taqiloo) because Allah has bestowed on us a number of faculties- like sensory system, cognition, rationality and power of understanding as is revealed in 23rd surah, al Mominoon.

  

Just as an infant begins to speak, one fine day, likewise speech commenced at one point in time. Birds and animals…nay all the created ones, even trees and inanimate matter, use some type of language to communicate.

Language is the system of sounds, words and script. It is the medium of communication; mode of exchange; means of knowing and understanding; currency for day to day transaction; tool for expression. Try to think of an idea without words or imagine without form and you will at once realize the futility and exasperation of this exercise.

In fact Name and Form define our existence; just as the medium of attribute (Siffat) help us to have an idea of essence (Zaat), Name(Ism) is the brief title of which the whole book is a commentary.

Communication between two individuals or media needs familiarity of the mode (language). After all words are the codes and decoding is possible once the transmitter/ sender and the receiver are attuned – recognizing what a code, a sign, stands for. This is best understood by those who do the decoding job related to the tablets like archeological finds, or those doing the job of cracking signals, even scientifically. Holy Quran 10:47, 14:4 & 16:44 summarizes this way: The advent of man on earth witnessed bestowal of (knowledge) the names of (all) things (Asmai kuleha) to His earthly vice regent (Khalifa) and made him behold the information about their nature (ambihoom). Angels, who celebrated His praise and glory, had to admit “we know not, save that information (That little knowledge) YOU TAUGHT US.

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