What Is Wisdom?

By: Maged Taman

In Quran: 2:269 He granteth wisdom to whom He pleaseth; and he to whom wisdom is granted receiveth indeed a benefit overflowing; but none will grasp the Message but men of understanding.

According to wordnet: The noun wisdom has 4 meanings:

Meaning #1: accumulated knowledge or erudition or enlightenment

Meaning #2: the trait of utilizing knowledge and experience with common sense and insight

Meaning #3: ability to apply knowledge or experience or understanding or common sense and insight

Meaning #4: the quality of being prudent and sensible.

I identify a wise person as the one whom when asked a question will use his knowledge, experience and common sense to give you the best answer. If he thinks he is not able to do that he would find to you the answer from the people who are wiser than him in this particular area of knowledge. His prudence makes him know his limited wisdom. A smart person is likely to give you an intelligent answer but a wise person will try to find to you the best answer even if he get it from someone else. A lot of proverbs and sentences of wisdom are human experience as well God inspired wisdom. The Bible and Quran are full of wisdom if you do not read and obey the righteousness of God you would be devoid of wisdom even if you are the smartest man in the world. If you meet God at the day of judgment with no good deeds, true faith and sincere heart you are in very serious situation. For someone to deny the Bible and the Quran would be extremely difficult. In order to prove no creator you have to bring with you at that day the intelligent design to show it to God.