intellectual laziness...?

I felt some kind of laziness, some unexplainable fatigue. Was it a sign of the times? the mismatch between my biological and physiological age? the current political and economic climate of the country? the impending global recession we read in financial periodicals? the predictable pattern of Japanese Prime Ministers' resignations? When I read Wadi's blogpost I realised...yes...its what we call intellectual laziness. Nothing could describe it better than the email which was sent to me by my MBA classmate last night at my gmail address. I have planned,registered and abandoned my doctoral candidacy a few years ago. I have been constantly pressured by my academic friends (Datuk Prof Ibrahim A Bajunid, Assoc Prof Rasid, Prof Roselina, Prof Fauzi..to name a few and the list goes on...) to register for my PhD,EdD or DBA. I should have got it 2 or 3 years ago...but you can't get through life saying you should have done this or that right? hehe.

"Intellectual Laziness

Intellectual pursuits are not exclusively reserved for the scholars. I believe ordinary folks like you and me can engage ourselves to seek basic /advanced knowledge and understanding of the very purpose of our existence to enable us to earn the pleasure of our Rabb. However, with the present hectic lifestyles and too much distractions/seductions in our daily lives, we keep on deferring this activitiy until we almost forget about it.

As muslims/muslimahs, we all acknowledged and accepted Qur'an as the book of Allah swt. How many of us had read the WHOLE translation of the Qur'an, not to mention the tafseer?. If we do not read, we do not know. If we do not know, how could we think? If we do not think, how could we understand? If we do not understand, how could we get the meaning? Knowledge only comes with the arrival of meaning at our souls!I hate to conclude that we are mostly very lazy, me included. Below is an article I copied from Nasiha.com which explains the issue better than the personal dialogue above:-

It is unfortunate that intellectual laziness has become widespread among today's Muslims, and they have come to prefer rest and idleness over striving and struggling. Luxury and all forms of useless curiosity have become a purpose of life for them, and pleasures have become a goal for them, such that they have no time left for studying and seeking knowledge. Their state has come to resemble that referred to by Imam Ahmad ibn Faris al-Razi, the philosophist born in 329 AH, died 395 AH, may Allah have mercy on him, when he said:

If you are harmed by the heat of summer

And the dryness of autumn and the cold of winter

And you are distracted by the beauty of springtime

Then tell me: when will you seek knowledge?!
Compiled From: "The Value of Time" - Abd Al-Fattah Abu Ghuddah"

So there you are? Perhaps I should rethink and actually get that PhD? Some say it's not necessary. While it does have its merit and advantages, I do believe that it can have its disadvantages too, depending upon circumstances. While it is revered, a prerequisite in academia, it sometimes can make you a bit overqualified for a job. Well, it's a matter of interpretation and perceptions again. You may disagree with me, but whatever it is, acquiring it would be a challenge as I count the days to my impending retirement. I was watching 'Pirates of Silicon Valley' on ASTRO awhile ago and Steve Jobs of Apple computers (in the movie) when he launched the Macintosh PC quoted Picasso 'A good artist copy, a great artist steal' Hahahaha...eh hello, I am not suggesting anything here ok?...just make sure you guys fast and get your 'sahur' in a couple of hours ok?