Wisdom & Emotionalisim
by Harun Yahya

Wisdom and Emotionalism One of the most important facts that cover wisdom is emotionalism, or in other words, romanticism. This is such a dangerous and harmful state of being that it can prevent one from rational understanding.

Emotionalism can be defined as the emotions overcoming the control of wisdom, and holding the person totally under control of his emotions. A sentimental person behaves irrationally and unwise, since he is totally under the influence of his emotions. Whereas the believer guides his emotions upon wisdom and acts accordingly.

For instance, love can both be the product of emotions or wisdom. A sentimental person may forward his love to people or subjects who in fact do not deserve it. Just as typical in the arabesque culture, people love things which cause them pain. And, they may also love the ones who do not respect themselves.

Whereas the love of the believers is totally according to their wisdom. The believers love people for their righteous characteristics, which are also the signs of their faith as mentioned in the Qur'an. So, the believers never feel love to the people who do not deserve it.

In the Qur'an this type of emotional love is frequently mentioned as a danger that the believers should hinder from. In the beginning of the Chapter Al-Mumtahina, the following verses explain this:

"O ye who believe! Take not my enemies and yours as friends (or
protectors),- offering them (your) love, even though they have rejected
the Truth that has come to you, and have (on the contrary) driven out
the Prophet and yourselves (from your homes), (simply) because ye
believe in Allah your Lord! If ye have come out to strive in My Way and
to seek My Good Pleasure, (take them not as friends), holding secret
converse of love (and friendship) with them: for I know full well all
that ye conceal and all that ye reveal. And any of you that does this
has strayed from the Straight Path.
If they were to get the better of you, they would behave to you as
enemies, and stretch forth their hands and their tongues against you for
evil: and they desire that ye should reject the Truth.

Of no profit to you will be your relatives and your children on the Day of Judgment: He will judge between you: for Allah sees well all that ye do.

There is for you an excellent example (to follow) in Abraham and those with him, when they said to their people: "We are clear of you and of whatever ye worship besides Allah: we have rejected you, and there has arisen, between us and you, enmity and hatred for ever,- unless ye believe in Allah and Him alone": But not when Abraham said to his father: "I will pray for forgiveness for thee, though I have no power (to get) aught on thy behalf from Allah." (They prayed): "Our Lord! in Thee do we trust, and to Thee do we turn in repentance: to Thee is (our) Final Goal." (Al-Mumtahina, 1-4)

With the verse stating, "Take not my enemies and yours as friends (or protectors),- offering them (your) love, even though they have rejected the Truth that has come to you, and have (on the contrary) driven out the Prophet and yourselves (from your homes), (simply) because ye believe in Allah your Lord!", Allah tells that it is entirely unwise to love people who are in fact enemies of the believers. Feeling love to such people has only one explanation, that is emotionalism.

There are also other verses in the Qur'an which draw attention to the same threat for the believers. For instance, Prophet Noah asks for forgiveness from Allah for his son who does not pray Allah for salvation. Yet, Allah tells Noah that his son is also among the unbelievers and (Noah) should not offer love to his son.

"So the Ark floated with them on the waves (towering) like mountains, and Noah called out to his son, who had separated himself (from the rest): "O my son! Embark with us, and be not with the unbelievers!" The son replied: "I will betake myself to some mountain: it will save me
from the water." Noah said: "This day nothing can save, from the command
of Allah, any but those on whom He hath mercy! "And the waves came between them, and the son was among those overwhelmed in the Flood. …And Noah called upon his Lord, and said: "O my Lord! Surely my son is of my
family! And Thy promise is true, and Thou art the justest of Judges!" He said: "O Noah! He is not of thy family: For his conduct is unrighteous. So ask not of Me that of which thou hast no knowledge! I give thee counsel, lest thou act like the ignorant!" Noah said: "O my Lord! I do seek refuge with Thee, lest I ask Thee for that of which I have no knowledge. And unless thou forgive me and have Mercy on me, I should indeed be lost!" (Hud, 42-47)

The command of Allah in these verses is crystal clear. The believers can not love any of the unbelievers even they are a member of their family. Wisdom obliges the believers to love the ones who are worth it and this is only decided with the perspective of the Qur'an. So there is no chance for the believers to love people who do not obey the judgements of Allah; and if such kind of love exists, it is only emotional love which is the characteristic and culture of the ignorant community.

In addition, the wives of Noah and Lut are also unbelievers and punished by Allah. Also, the community of Lut that have gone astray was destroyed the same way. The night before the destruction, the angels come to Prophet Lut in order to inform him that he should quit the city, but leave his wife back. They also warn Lut that he should obey this decree of Allah without any hesitation, and keep no emotional love for her.

"(The Messengers) said: "O Lut! We are Messengers from thy Lord! By no
means shall they reach thee! Now travel with thy family while yet a part
of the night remains, and let not any of you look back: but thy wife
(will remain behind): To her will happen what happens to the people.
Morning is their time appointed: Is not the morning nigh?" (Hud, 81)

Prophet Lut has obeyed to the command of Allah with all his heart, and
he has not reflected any emotional love to his wife. This is the praised
behavior of the believers. It will be never proper for the believers to
feel love to the ones who deny Allah:

"Thou wilt not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day,
loving those who resist Allah and His Messenger, even though they were
their fathers or their sons, or their brothers, or their kindred. For
such He has written Faith in their hearts, and strengthened them with a
spirit from Himself. And He will admit them to Gardens beneath which
Rivers flow, to dwell therein (for ever). Allah will be well pleased with them, and they with Him. They are the Party of Allah. Truly it is the Party of Allah that will achieve Felicity." (Al-Mujadila, 22)

The reason of such rational and wise behavior of the believers and avoiding any emotionalism, is their 'understanding of love'. In a verse of the Qur'an, this difference in the understanding of love between the believers and unbelievers, is mentioned below:

"Yet there are men who take (for worship) others besides Allah, as equal
(with Allah): They love them as they should love Allah. But those of Faith are overflowing in their love for Allah. If only the unrighteous could see, behold, they would see the penalty: that to Allah belongs all power, and Allah will strongly enforce the penalty." (Al-Baqara, 165)

As mentioned in the verses, the believers in fact love Allah. Their love for the believers is only a reflection of their love for Allah, since the believers hold the attributes of Allah. Whereas the unbelievers obey their desires and passions, and they are perverted from Allah. Their behavior and manner resemble to the Satan's. In due course, it is impossible for the believers to love the unbelievers.

So, it is clear that the believers can not keep any love in their hearts to the ones who deny Allah. On the contrary, the unbelievers consider every creature to have an independent being from Allah, so they love each one of them separately. But, this kind of love is actually "attributing a partner to Allah" - which is paganism or idolatry.

The behaviors that are given in the Qur'an as contrary to emotionalism do not only consist of love. There are many examples of wisdom in the Qur'an: The relation of Moses with one of Allah's servant, to whom Allah bestowed Mercy and whom He had taught knowledge from His own Presence, minor impairments are considered for major benefits (Al-Kahf, 60-82); regarding the sacrifice, Ismail tells his father "Do as thou art commanded: thou will find me, if Allah so wills one practicing Patience and Constancy!" (As-Saaffat, 102);

and the mother of Moses leaves the baby into the river without hesitating when he receives inspiration from Allah (Al-Qasas, 7); and the believers restrain their anger and pardon men (Al-E-Imran, 134); and do not despair over matters that pass them by (Al-Hadid, 23); and spend from what they love mostly (Al-E-Imran, 92).

However, at this point one should draw back from misunderstandings: Not being emotional does not mean not having any emotions at all. Oppositely, believers are tender-hearted and mild. In the Qur'an it is told that "Abraham was most tender-hearted, forbearing." (Al-Tawba, 114). What is wrong with emotionalism is that it derives from the ignorant conviction and offers negative feelings. These emotions appear when the person gets out of the atmosphere of religion and they cover one's wisdom. These emotions derive from the evil soul, not from the spirit.

In addition, in the society there are different examples of this kind of negative emotionalism. The romanticism of girls is one of this.

The ignorant culture retains a corrupted feeling of love. For instance, one does not love the spirit or character of the he loves, but his image or reputation. Moreover, there are stereotypes like "romantic lover" or the "prince on the white horse". These show that only the image of the person is loved, not his real character or spirit. As a matter of fact, this is an inculcation of the society. Since, when this man with the images of "romantic lover" or "prince on the white horse" is met on daily life, it will be seen that he has actually no character to admire.

Generally, emotionalism is a behavior particular to the people who do not have the ability to understand with wisdom. These people have simple and primitive characteristics, since wise, civilized and cultured people are away from emotionalism. As the degree of culture and wisdom decreases, the degree of emotionalism increases.