“Do not allow your heart to take pleasure with the praises of people, nor be saddened by their condemnation.” Imam Ghazali

This quote of Imam Ghazali should shape our approach to education (pedagogy) by instilling a particular ethical framework and attitude towards our subjects. We are not guided by our emotions but simply by our desire to acquire the truth and use it for our spiritual benefit.

Our quest for knowledge can become performative. We become defenders of an idea and with that idea we represent a group and so on. The consequence of which is to become joyful at praise and dismayed at criticism. Our quest for knowledge becomes associated with what other think.

The prophet (SAW) said “The word of wisdom is the lost property of the believer. Wherever he finds it, he is most deserving of it.”

This indicates that we must acquire knowledge wherever we can find it and use it to our benefit. We must not be afraid of people's thoughts.

That doesn't mean we inflate our egos and become self-centered and immune to criticism. It means we take the criticism, advice, discussions and debates without any emotional weight. We persue knowledge for the sake of God. Whatever someone else thinks of it is their problem.

Instilling this approach frees us from tribalism and group thinking. We become more objective and capable of assessing ideas and avoiding societal backlash. Once we break the shackles of our lower ego and allow our wings to spread, knowledge will be just a flight away.

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