The Most Intelligent Person

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, "The most intelligent person is the one who remembers death often." 

Explanation : If a person is thought to be very intelligent, yet fails exam after exam, soon all those around him/her will begin to think that he/she is not really very intelligent after all. To get through life with your faith intact, with good deeds, and with Allah’s pleasure as your greatest goal, is the biggest exam you will ever face. 

If you fail the exam of life you cannot call yourself intelligent, regardless of what else your “intelligence” allowed you to accumulate of education, wealth, fame or pleasure. These will all go to waste with your death, while you will still have to stand before your Lord and face the consequences for eternity. 

Your intelligence would have failed you if it didn’t give you the sense to properly attempt the biggest exam of your life. Such intelligence is cursed! In an examination hall if you start watching a movie, or discussing the score of a game, or pull out a lavish meal to eat, would you be considered sensible? No matter what your I.Q., you’d be considered mad. 

This life is one big exam. Are you busy answering the questions of what to believe and what to do or are you busy entertaining yourself? The time for enjoyment is later. Those who prepare and do well in the exam of life will be considered the intelligent ones for eternity. 

The people in Hell will say about themselves, "Had we but listened or used our intelligence, we should not (now) be among the Companions of the Blazing Fire!" [Al-Quran 67:10]

We are so engrossed in our various pursuits that the reality of death does not occur to us. Constant remembrance of death would keep us from getting easily distracted by the glittery entertainment beckoning from all directions, preventing us from seriously attempting the exam of life. Keeping death in mind would help us abstain from sin and motivate us to do good deeds without delay. 

The most intelligent person is the one who gives the exam of life his/her full attention, since there are no re-takes.