In this Quranic ayat Allah highlights the high value of one having been blessed with wisdom and knowledge.
“He grants Hikmah to whom He pleases, and he, to whom Hikmah is granted, is indeed granted abundant good. But none remember (will receive admonition) except men of understanding.”
(Qur’an, Surah Al-Baqara, ayat 269)
Reflections from this ayat “Hikmah” is translated literally as “wisdom,” stands for knowledge with the power of discerning what is true and right. It means here the knowledge, and understanding of the Quran, and the Sunnah and one’s ability to speak and act in the correct and right way. Anyone who has wisdom will not adopt the narrow ways of Satan but will follow the broad Way of Allah.
According to the short-sighted disciples of Satan, it is wisdom and cleverness to be miserly with one’s wealth and to be always on the look-out to acquire more and more of it. Those who are granted true wisdom, on the contrary, spend their wealth generously in good deeds after fulfilling their own necessities of a moderate standard. It is just possible that the former may enjoy a more prosperous life here in this world but this is not the whole life. It is only a very small portion of the real life which continues after death.
Therefore, one who gets enjoyment in this short life at the expense of happiness in the eternal life would be a big fool. The wise one is he who makes the best use of this short life and makes provision for the prosperity of the eternal life, even if he has been given a small measure of wealth here. Those who have sound minds and good comprehension with which they understand the words (of advice and reminder) and their implications will benefit from the advice.
Ali bin Abi Talhah (RA) reported that Ibn ‘Abbas (RadiyAllahu Anhuma) said (about ‘Hikmah”):
“That is knowledge of the Qur’an. For instance, the abrogating and the abrogated, what is plain and clear and what is not as plain and clear, what it allows, and what it does not allow, and its parables.”
Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn Mas’ud (RadiyAllahu Anhu) said that he heard the Messenger of Allah (SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) saying:
“There is no envy except in two instances: a person whom Allah has endowed with wealth and he spends it righteously, and a person whom Allah has given Hikmah and he judges by it and teaches it to others.”
[also collected by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, An-Nasa’i, Ibn Majah]