Why Knowing A lot Isn’t Helping Our Minds
We live in a world where technology is rapidly advancing. There is more data out there than ever before, and scientists are working more strenuously researching and experimenting into the internal psyche of man and the external mysteries that are beyond this earth. We live in a world where knowledge is right at our fingertips.
One would imagine, that knowing more would actually be better for our mental and spiritual development. I mean, the more you know, the more precautions you can take to avoid harm and attract only what’s good and beneficial to you? This may be true to an extent. But knowing too much can also be dangerous.
Not only are our brains absorbing that which is pointless (games, random YT videos, FB news feeds), we also are becoming more worried, anxious, insecure, unsettled as a result of all the intake of knowledge. The question of ‘What ifs?’ and thoughts of how to avoid everything bad begin to cloud at mind.
Why is this? Shouldn’t knowing make us feel more secure than insecure? Shouldn’t knowing improve our mental health rather than silently destroy it?
The answer I feel, is this:
By knowing so much already about so many things, we feel entitled to know about what we don’t know. And the uncertainty of not knowing about particular things makes us frustrated and uptight. This may seem natural and even if we knew less than what we know today we will always want to know about the unknown because it makes us feel in control of ourself and our lives.
But our minds have become this way. We’ve been fed so much information that it’s become difficult to face any kind of uncertainty. We overthink every detail. If we can know about a, b, c that may not matter personally to us, then surely there must be a way to know about this, that’s so important to me and my future plans?
You see, in the past our fathers and forefather’s, went for days and months not knowing if today and tomorrow they would have food on the table to feed their family. Mothers wouldn’t know what their wombs were carrying, what gender and for how long. Children wouldn’t get frustrated if they missed out on a particular movie because their friends wouldn’t be advertising it on their news feeds. Some didn’t even know the time except through prediction, by watching the sunrise and sunset.
It was normal to feel uncertainty, daily. But the uncertainty didn’t chain them. It didn’t hold them back. It didn’t paralyse them.
Because they trusted God.
When we feel a pinch of uncertainty we want the pain to go away. We hate not knowing. We distract ourselves or we rush to solve the mystery.
But if only we reminded ourselves of Tawakkul. That we will never know everything. And that’s okay. We shouldn’t become victims to our doubts and fears. We should feel the worry, understand it and let it go. Let go and let God.
Because we don’t need to be in control of every aspect of our life all the time. It’s okay. We do our bit, but there’s only so much in our capability. And part of slavery to Allah is letting Him take control. That is true freedom. Because we aren’t chained to our worries. We won’t be pulled down into the pit of depression because we will know that worrying is okay and that there is a way to unbottle our concerns.
That there is a pillar we can lean on when we feel insecure. It is the pillar of trust. Relying on Allah, pouring our concerns in Du’aa and most importantly realising, that it’s okay not to be in control and that knowing a lot can be both a blessing and a danger. Hence, why we say:
اللهم إن أسألك علما نافعا و رزق طيبا و عمل مقبلات
O Allah, I ask you for knowledge that is beneficial, provision that is pure and deeds that are accepted.
