4.) Does an individual need a high I.Q. in order to make progress on the Sufi path? After all, aren't there many
subtleties and intricacies on the Sufi path which only could be understood by someone with considerable intellectual ability?
The
mystical path is not about intelligence per se. In other words, spiritual progress does
not depend on the extent of one’s intellectual capabilities but depends, instead, on
Allah’s barakah or blessings.
To be
sure, there may be some individuals who have been gifted with both considerable rational
abilities as well as mystical insight, and, as a result, have the capacity to give
eloquent expression to various mystical teachings and perspectives. However, one must
understand that it is the mystical insight which illumines and inspires eloquence through
such rational abilities. The latter abilities, no matter how extensive they may be, have
no means of penetrating to the depths of spiritual knowledge.
In fact,
most realms of mysticism cannot be given expression in rational, discursive terms. This
does not mean that the Sufi path is irrational; rather, it is trans-rational and, as such,
falls beyond the farthest reaches of intellectual functioning.
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