Genius

Although I do not have a straightforward answer, perhaps this anecdote about the famous, learned late scholar 'Allamah Tabataba'i may give you some hope or inspiration.

---

Ayatollah Sadr al-Din Ha’iri Shirazi told me: ‘My brother-in-law told me that ‘Allamah said that in childhood, his mind was not sharp at all, and he could not comprehend his instructor’s teachings.

‘Until finally,’ ‘Allamah said, ‘I performed a prostration in the empty lands outside of town and pleaded with Allah to give me either death or comprehension.’

I wanted to confirm it with ‘Allamah. So I was looking for a proper occasion to ask him, without insulting him or being disrespectful, as it involved the idea of lack of comprehension. After a while, ‘Allamah and his son-in-law came to Shiraz. There I got to be alone with ‘Allamah when his son-in-law was praying in another room. I set the grounds gently by saying, ‘If I ask you a question, would you mind answering it?’

He replied, ‘What harm would it do? If I know it I will answer.’

So I said, ‘It is about you. So if you surely know that you will answer, then I will ask, otherwise I withhold my question.’

He said, ‘Please [go on]! If I know it, I will answer.’

I said, ‘It has been said that in childhood, you could not comprehend the lessons. Then you performed a prostration and [since then] Allah has favoured you with such a grace that you achieve the solution to the most difficult questions. Is that so?’

The instant I said these words, ‘Allamah blushed, to the extent that I somewhat regretted having asked that question.

Then he said, ‘When I was studying Suyuti in Tabriz [i.e. Suyuti’s al-Bahjat al-Mardiyyah fi Sharh al-Alfiyyah], our teacher used to test us, but I could not pull off one of the tests.

So he told me, “You have wasted both your and my time!”

I was really disturbed by his remark, as it got into my soul and spirit. Finally I could not stay in the city anymore, so I went outside Tabriz and did something on the top of the hills, and then Allah graced me.’

But he did not mention what he did. I asked, ‘Was it that no problem remained unsolved for you after that, and every question was resolved no matter how difficult it was?’

He said, ‘So far it has been so.’

[Source: https://www.al-islam.org/shining-sun-memory-allamah-tabatabai-sayyid-muh...