COMMONSENSE: Not So Common

Someone has rightly said that the commonsense is not that common. The more I think about it the more I am convinced of it. It is actually not common. It is, in fact, quite rare. Commonsense is like the precious gem – not easily available. One has to strive for it very hard – carrying out the most difficult job on earth (THINKING).

If commonsense was really common we wouldn’t have opposed ‘modern education’ while utilizing the tools which are the products of the same ‘modern education’. When we were writing and speaking – in whatever manner and using whatever tools – we were contradicting ourselves with every word uttered and written. Do we think that Sir Syed Ahmad Khan had commonsense? If he had, what about those who opposed him? 

If the commonsense was common we – the ‘salespersons’ – would have listened to the most earnest appeals of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad to cohabit with the ‘customers’ and would not have divided the masjid. We would have tried to foresee the situation utilizing the most valuable gift from the Almighty. What did we prove by not listening to Maulana Azad?

Finally, do we think that the Prophets had commonsense? If the answer is yes, then let us find out why they were opposed? Maybe the opposition was because the commonsense wasn’t really common.

There is a barrier in the path of commonsense. It is our faulty education system. Education was supposed to awaken the commonsense. It has done everything possible to suppress it. It has buried our generations under the debris of information and has blocked the way to the commonsense. It has done just the opposite of what it was expected to.

If there was commonsense we would have said good-bye to the emotive and sensational journalism – long ago. If there was commonsense we wouldn’t be teaching our younger generations – especially in madaaris - for close to fifteen years without enabling them to earn a dignified living without studying for some more years. Leave alone fulfilling any civilizational goals.