Tradition

اَلْعاقِلُ هُوَ الّذِى يَضَعُ الشَّىءَ مَواضِعَهُ

Imam ‘Ali (‘a) was asked to describe the signs of someone who is intelligent. He replied by saying: “The intelligent one is he who places everything in its proper place.”1

Brief Commentary

There is much that has been said in regards to what intelligence actually is; out of all of what has been said, the short tradition above is the best description of what intelligence truly is. Intelligence is nothing but the placement of all things in their proper place. An intelligent individual will place happiness and sorrow, friendship and enmity, mildness and harshness, affection, worship, work, leisure, and all other things in their proper place. When all of these things are thus positioned, then that individual is truly one who is the epitome of intelligence.

• 1. Nahj al-Balaghah, Words of Wisdom.