From "the Book of the Intelligent"

One of the most interesting books I have ever read was Kitäbu (A)l-Aḏkiyä' [كتاب الأذكياء , The Book of the Intelligent] by Ibn (A)l-Qayyim (A)l-Jawzï [ابن القيم الجوزي]. The book contains many short narratives collected by the author, all concerning the high level of intelligence and wits of their protagonists. The book is segmented into 33 chapters, each discussing a different setting, context or type of individuals. The first 4 discuss the topic of intelligence. While I believe that part contains a great deal of pseudo-science, it was still very entertaining. There are chapters that discuss the intelligence of prophets (in the Islamic tradition) (Ch. 5), rulers (Ch. 11), religious scholars (Ch. 13), and even children (Ch. 29) and animals (Ch. 32).

One story that I personally relate to is that in Ch. 17, "On That Who Schemes but the Outcome he Seeks Turns Against Him".

حدثني أبو بكر الخطاط قال كان رجل فقيه خطه في غاية الرداءة فكان الفكهاء من عيبهم إياه فمر يوماً بمجلد يباع فيه خط أردأ من خطه فبالغ في ثمنه فاشتراه بدينار وقيراط وجاء به ليحتج عليهم إذا قرؤوه فلما حضر معهم أخذوا يذكرون قبح خطه فقال لهم قد وجدت أقبح من خطي وبالغت في ثمنه حتى أتخلص من عيبكم فأخرجه فتصفحوه وإذا في آخره اسمه وأنه كتبه في شبابه فخجل من ذلك

For the sake of those who can read Arabic a little, I have added the ħarakät (vowel markers). Fluent Arabic speakers can do without them.

حَدَّثَني أَبُو بَكْرٍ الخَطَّاطُ قَال: "كَانَ رَجُلٌ فَقِيهٌ خَطُّهُ فِي غَايَةِ الرَّدَاءَةِ، فَكَانَ الفُكَهَاءُ مِنْ عَيبِهِمْ إِيَّاهُ. فَمَرَّ يَوْماً بِمُجَلَّدٍ يُباعُ فِيهِ خَطٌ أَرْدَأُ مِنْ خَطِّهِ. فَبَالَغَ فِي ثَمَنِهِ فَاشْتَراهُ بِدِينَارٍ وَقِيرَاط. وَجَاءَ بِهِ لِيَحْتَجَّ عَلَيْهِم إِذَا قَرَؤُوهُ. فَلَمّا حَضَرَ مَعَهُمْ أَخَذُوا يَذْكُرُونَ قُبْحَ خَطِّهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُمْ: (قَدْ وَجَدْتُ أَقْبَحَ مِنْ خَطِّي وَبَالَغْتُ فِي ثَمَنِهِ حَتَّى أَتَخَلَّصَ مِنْ عَيْبِكُمْ). فَأَخْرَجَهُ، فَتَصَفَّحُوهُ، وَإِذَا فِي آخِرِهِ اسْمُهُ، وَأَنَّهُ كَتَبَهُ فِي شَبَابِهِ، فَخَجِلَ مِنْ ذٰلِكَ

As for those who are unable to read Arabic, I present my translation of the above:

Abü Bakr Al-Khaṭṭäṭ [Calligrapher] said to me, "There was a scholarly man whose handwriting was quite terrible, and it was of what jokers ridiculed him for. So one day, he passed by a skin-bound [book] put up for sail; in it was a handwriting worse than his handwriting. He then spent too much for its price, and bought it for one dïnär and a karat. Following this, he brought it to them as a testament for them when they read it. Thus when he came to them, they went on mentioning the ugliness of his handwriting, so he said to them, 'I have found handwriting uglier than mine, and I spent too much for its price so I could free myself from your ridicule!' So he took it out, and they browsed through it, and [lo and behold] at its end was his signiture, and he wrote it in his youth. Thus, he was embarrassed by it."

I do not think it is ever too late to go out and sign up for some calligraphy lessons.

Greetings!

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

As-Salämu `alaykum wa-raħmatu (A)llāhi wa-barakätuh

Peace be upon you, and God's mercy and His blessings

This is a greeting to you, the reader of this blog. This is my window to sharing my thoughts with you in hopes of achieving a greater overall understanding between us. As you may have guessed, I am Muslim, as well as fluent in both Arabic and English. I simply typed this post in English then translated it into Arabic. I might do the opposite later depending on the subject.

Personally I have many interests including learning, teaching, religion, science, graphic disign, linguistics and politics. However, among what I aim for the most is to be a positive force in the world, and an agent of peace and tolerance.

What then can I say more about myself? I am an American. I am African (literally born in Africa and have African ancestors), and an Arab (both speaking Arabic and having Arab ancestors). What I need to make clear, is that my affiliation with any group, wether ethnic or national, makes me better than anyone else. This is something that the last prophet [Muħammad] (Peace be upon him) emphasized during the Pilgramage of Farewell, and I will stay true to it, God willing until the day I die.

هذه تحيتي إليك يا قارئ هذه المدونة. هذه نافذتي إلى تقاسم أفكاري معكم آملاً في تحصيل تفاهم أكبر عامةً بيننا. كما قد خمنت، أنا مسلم كما أنني متقن لكلا العربية والإنجليزية. ببساطة طبعت هذا التدوين بالإنجليزية ثم ترجمته إلى العربية. قد أفعل العكس لاحقاً حسب الموضوع

شخصياً، لي اهتمامات كثيرة تتضمن التعلم والتعليم والدين والعلوم والتصميم المرئي وعلم اللغات والسياسة. ولكن من أعظم ما أهدف إليه هو أن أكون عاملاً إيجابياً في العالم، وعميلاً للسلام والتسامح

ماذا عساني أن أقول أكثر عن نفسي؟ أنا أمريكي. أنا إفريقي (حرفياً، وُلدت في إفريقيا ولي أجداد أفارقة) عربي (أتكلم العربية ولي أجداد عرب). ما أحتاج إلى أن أجعله واضحاً هو أن انضامامي إلى أي مجموعة عرقية أو قومية لا يجعلني أفضل من أي شخص آخر. هذا أمر شدد عليه خاتم النبيين - صلى الله عليه وسلم - أثناء حجة الوداع، وسأظل متمسكاً بذلك إن شاء الله حتى مماتي