People of Intelligence (Ulul Al Bab)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Ulul al bab are the ones who are doing good -- the people who are intelligent enough to worship Allah. They are those who turn to Allah and listen to the Quran and follow it. Allah praises ulul al bab many times in the Quran.

فَبَشِّرْ عِبَادِ ﴿١٧﴾ ٱلَّذِينَ يَسْتَمِعُونَ ٱلْقَوْلَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحْسَنَهُۥٓ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ هَدَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمْ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ ﴿١٨﴾

So give good tidings to My servants (17) Who listen to speech and follow the best of it. Those are the ones Allah has guided, and those are people of understanding. (18) [Quran, Az-Zumar 39:18]

The people of intelligence is not the holder of high certificates, degrees or academic titles, rather he is the one who has a combination of knowledge, strong and deep Iman, obedience to his Creator and constantly in acts of worship. These are the people of intelligence whom Allah describes as incomparable to others when He says,

أَمَّنْ هُوَ قَـٰنِتٌ ءَانَآءَ ٱلَّيْلِ سَاجِدًا وَقَآئِمًا يَحْذَرُ ٱلْءَاخِرَةَ وَيَرْجُوا۟ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّهِۦ ۗ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِى ٱلَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ۗ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ ﴿٩

Is one who is devoutly obedient during periods of the night, prostrating and standing [in prayer], fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, [like one who does not]? Say, "Are those who know equal to those who do not know?" Only they will remember [who are] people of understanding. [Quran, Az-Zumar 39:9]

There are many types of intelligence but the real intelligence is what the Quran praises.

Intelligence can be manifested in every single field --- in Mathematics, Engineering, Agriculture, Physics, Computers and Technlogy, etc, but the ultimate intelligence which is far more precious and useful than any type of intelligence, in fact all of them combined, is the intelligence of recognizing your Creator and the intelligence of worshiping Allah.

The one who knows how to get to the moon and back but hasn’t discovered his own purpose in life is truly not really intelligent. The one who can solve the most abstract equations and doesn’t know who created the universe that person’s intelligence has failed him.

The Muslim who might not know all of this fancy stuff of the world but knows why he is here, knows who created him, knows what is going to happen after this life and prepare for that Day, these are the real people of intelligence.

So do not be deluded by those who might have an intelligence of some facet of this world or those with worldly positions and power but do not understand the purpose of life.

May Allah make us of the ulul al bab. Aameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam