Intellect

Common people can understand the teachings of Mystics up to a small extent because they are based on Divine observations and intellect cannot comprehend them. Usually, when intellect is used to understand some reality regarding the religion and Allah, it restricts one to narrow-mindedness because of its small frame of reference that cannot contain Divine realities.

Intellect is subject to its era while the era evolves according to the knowledge. In other words, in any era, human intellect can expand only within the confines of the available knowledge. This is why one cannot reach or recognize Allah with mere intellect.

Intellect is the light of the way but not the destination.

The intellect is beneficial only if it is illumined with inward light.

The Pharaoh of Mohammadan umma is Abu Jahl. He was known as Abu al-Hakam (father of wisdom) but when he refused to bring faith upon the Holy Prophet, he became Abu Jahl (father of ignorance).

Intellect is the honour and guide of man. Man of intellect is called wise. However, when the self dominates the intellect and makes it enslaved to desires and lust, it becomes worse than beasts. Such a person becomes a slave to self and all the characteristics of the baser self gradually envelop him like a creeping plant.