Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) said, “An example of the guidance and knowledge with which Allah the Exalted has sent me is that of a rain that falls on different kinds of lands. One land is good; it accepts water and produces vegetation and grass in plenty. Another kind of land is dry with a solid bed that preserves the rain water so that people can drink and irrigate from it. The third kind of land is porous that can neither retain water nor produce vegetation. This is the example of those who acquire knowledge of the religion and benefit from that which Allah sent me with, and of those who do not take heed and insist on rejecting Allah’s Guidance.” (Bukhari)
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) compares the knowledge of Islam to rain, because both are causes of life. Rain is the cause of life for the body, while knowledge is the cause of life for the heart. Just as there are three kinds of lands, there are also three kinds of hearts. This can be understood as a theory of personality of a human being. The personalities in the theory are categorised as ‘Type A’, ‘Type B’ and ‘Type C’. They are as follows:
TYPE ‘A’ PERSONALITY: INTELLIGENT
The first is fertile land which accepts water and is ready to produce vegetation. When rain falls on it, it absorbs the water eagerly, giving rise to all sorts of pleasant vegetation. This is the example of a healthy, pure, and intelligent heart, which embraces knowledge, is guided by its intelligent nature, and thus blossoms wisdom and faith. It is eager to take knowledge, and ready to bear fruit. It is like a rich businessman who has experience and knowledge, which enables him to invest his wealth in that which brings the best profit.
They are the people who have knowledge, put that knowledge into practice and convey it. He is equivalent to a good land which absorbs the water, benefits itself, causes vegetation to grow forth and thus benefit others from it. They are the ones who have intelligence, who invite others and who practise themselves.
TYPE ‘B’ PERSONALITY: CUSTODIAN OF KNOWLEDGE
The second kind of land is hard. It can hold water as a reservoir does and can be used to drink or irrigate from. This is the example of the heart that preserves knowledge so as to convey it accurately to others. But this person cannot reason or derive conclusions from the knowledge himself. He is like a rich man who does not possess the ability to invest his wealth and increase it, but who knows how to preserve it.
They are the people who have acquired knowledge appropriate to his time, but does not act on its optional aspects, or does not fully comprehend whatever he has acquired. However, he conveys it to others. He is equivalent to a land in which water remains, and so people are able to benefit from it. He is a person who listens to the information from the Qur’ān and the Prophet and memorises it. He then conveys it just as he heard it. Many times a person who has acquired knowledge is not fully knowledgeable himself. Many people who acquire knowledge may convey it to someone who is more knowledgeable than him.
TYPE ‘C’ PERSONALITY: WORTHLESS
The third kind of land is barren. It is incapable of producing vegetation or even holding water. No matter how much rain falls on it, it does not benefit by it. This is the example of the heart that does not accept any knowledge or wisdom at all. It is like a poor man who neither possesses wealth nor can he increase or preserve it.
They are the people who listen to knowledge being imparted but they neither memorise it or practise it nor convey it to others. Such a person is equivalent to a level or marshy land which does not accept the water or causes destruction to other lands. They are the unfortunate and worthless ones. They neither narrate anything, they have no intelligence, they are not custodians of knowledge, they do not memorise anything nor do they understand anything. They have neither accepted the guidance of Allah nor have they paid any heed to it but rather they have turned away from it.
The first type of personality refers to a learned man who teaches knowledge, and who calls people to Allah with clear guidance; such are the inheritors of the Prophets. The second type of personality refers to one who preserves the knowledge and transmits what he hears precisely; he carries to other people precious goods that they can use for trade and investment. The third type of personality refers to one who neither accepts Allah’s guidance nor benefits from it.
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) mentioned the first two personalities together as they are the ones from which benefit is derived and are worth praising. Thus, one should strive to possess ‘Type A’ personality; if not possible, he should at least try to possess a ‘Type B’ personality and should strongly avoid falling in the ‘Type C’ personality, so that the individual can be successful in this world and the hereafter.