By WDM | Commentary and Critical Analysis
والمـال إن لم تدخره محصنا بالعلــم كـان نهايـة
الإمـــــلاق
والعلــم إن لم تكتنفه شمائــل تعليه كان مطيـــة الإخـفــــاق
لا تحسبن العلــم
ينفع وحـــده مـا لم يتـوج ربــــه أخلاق
هذه الأبيات الشعرية تعبر عن أهمية العلم وال أخلاق والمال. إليك ترجمتها بكلمات واضحة وبسيطة:
المال والعلم: المال يحتاج إلى علم ليحفظه، والعلم يحتاج إلى أخلاق ليرتفع شأنه.الأخلاق: العلم وحده لا يكفي إن لم تكن معه أخلاق حسنة.هل تريد مني أن أشرح لك معنى هذه الأبيات أكثر أو أساعدك في ترجمة نصوص أخرى؟
Suudi Yalaxow, a Somali warlord-turned a Federal Senator without a formal education once said, “Aqoontu naf ay gashay rabtaa” ( education needs a character to live in).
One of the finest lessons preserved in classical Arabic poetry is that wealth, knowledge, and character are inseparable foundations of a successful life and a prosperous nation.
The poet teaches that wealth without knowledge eventually disappears into poverty. Knowledge without noble character becomes a vehicle for failure. And knowledge alone is of little value unless it is crowned with ethics.
That timeless wisdom speaks directly to our age.
Today, societies celebrate academic degrees, professional titles, and financial success. Yet corruption thrives, institutions weaken, and public trust evaporates. The problem is not a shortage of educated people. It is a shortage of educated people with integrity.
A dishonest lawyer can pervert justice. A corrupt engineer can endanger lives. An unethical politician can destroy a nation. Intelligence without morality is not a blessing—it is a national liability.
The same is true of wealth. Money can build schools, hospitals, businesses, and opportunities. But without knowledge and integrity, it becomes an instrument of greed, patronage, and corruption.
This is why education must be more than the transfer of information. Its highest purpose is to cultivate honesty, humility, discipline, and a sense of public duty. A society that rewards credentials while neglecting character is preparing its own decline.
The Arab poet understood centuries ago what many modern leaders still fail to grasp:
The true crown of knowledge is not a diploma, but character. The true guardian of wealth is not a bank, but wisdom. And the true foundation of a great nation is neither money nor education alone, but the integrity that gives both their purpose.
——
Ahmed Farah Yare contributed to this commentary.