Understanding The Prophet's Life
From Issue: 564 [Read full issue]
Human Potential
"Human beings are like ores containing silver or gold. Those who are promising and in leading positions in unbelief are better than others (in virtue) when they accept Islam and acquire a good understanding of it." [Bukhari, Muslim]
This hadith is very significant, especially with respect to education, which demands the imparting of insight and perceptiveness. Insight implies knowing each individual's character, potential, and shortcomings. Human beings are not alike in character, capacity, ambition, and taste. For example, they can be said to "contain coal, copper, silver, gold, and diamonds." The first step in providing a good education is to recognize individual potentialities and figure out how to develop them. Just as you cannot obtain gold from a coal mine, you cannot develop "copper" people into "gold" people. Conversely, if you try to extract copper via gold-ore extraction method, your efforts will be fruitless.
We also should note that those with great potential always distinguish themselves. For example, such leading opponents of Islam as Umar eventually embraced Islam and became leading figures of the Muslim community. This shows that their potential for virtue is refined an developed fully in the crucible of Islam.
Compiled From:
"The Messenger of God: Muhammad" - Fethullah Gulen, pp. 116, 117