From Scholars to Scrollers

MUSHTAQ HURRA
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01 May 2026

Knowledge ( ilm ) is the flame that sets the cosmos in motion, propels the engine of the universe to explore the unexplored

Exploration and dissemination of knowledge have been the very root from which human progress, prosperity, and development have grown. Human ascension to new elevations has been catalysed by the magic of knowledge. Man has tirelessly worked for the quest for knowledge to unfold the mysteries and hidden phenomena of the universe.

The man would have been still dwelling and roaming in his primal form, draped in pelts, feeding on wild fruits and roots, hunting wing and fin and fang to silence the fire within his belly if Allah (SWT) had not bestowed the beauty of knowledge ( ilm ) upon him. The blaze of knowledge stimulated his ability to know and discern.

Knowledge ( ilm ) is the flame that sets the cosmos in motion, propels the engine of the universe to explore the unexplored. The holy Qur'an corroborates the fact that Allah (SWT) taught man by pen. Thus, Allah (SWT) Himself commenced the journey of knowledge dissemination, appointed the pen and the parchment as the bearers of ilm. This beautiful decree begot the sacred entity of the " Book ".

Books became the catalysts that sparked inventive thought and sharpened the blades of human intellect and mental acuity. The quiet magic of black and white pages dispelled the gloom of the universe and illumined the perception of the man, granting him eyes to behold what was once concealed and veiled. The magic enveloped in the leaves of books unfolded the vistas of progress and prosperity for man.

Across dozens of centuries, as man evolved and grew, he bound himself to books and drank deep from the nectar of knowledge, distilling it into the honey of science, philosophy, and wisdom. From those black-and-white treasures, he has harvested without end. With that harvest, man unveiled the unbelievable and forged the incredible, making life upon earth easier, gentler and more abundant. Those who clung to them reaped the produce in abundance. Thus, books became the measure of nations' strength and the yardstick to gauge their prosperity.

Libraries turned into the furnaces that drove societies forward, steady and swift. It is the magic of books that granted nations the mantle of leadership and the power to shape the world. Uranium did not bequeath the atom’s fire to mankind; it was the power of the book that taught him to descend into the hidden depths of the universe and draw out its latent force.

The world now bears witness to strides in the field of science and technology once unimaginable. Yet this prerogative, this privilege and this pride have fallen only to those who have befriended books. Those who turned away from them reaped humiliation, disgrace, and decline. Even in our age, the Ahl-e-Ilm, the people of knowledge, remain the pillars that uphold and strengthen the foundations of their nations. Individuals and nations that cling to books are shining like stars to illuminate the world.

Our own Valley of Kashmir carries a luminous legacy etched in light. This land has given birth to prodigious scholars. Abhinavagupta, Kalhana, Kumarajiva, Anandavardhana, Lalded, Shaikhul Alam, Allama Anwar Shah Kashmiri and dozens of other polymaths whose minds spanned worlds, are mention-worthy. For its splendour in the pursuit and sharing of knowledge, Kashmir was once hailed as the " Kashi of the North ".

On the banks of the Neelum stood Sharada Peeth — a renowned seat of learning, a residential university whose call drew seekers and scholars from across the subcontinent. Later, Sultan Zain-ul-Abideen raised a grand seminary that beckoned minds from Baghdad, Bukhara, and Persia. He founded a translation bureau where the wisdom of Sanskrit was poured into Persian, bridging civilisations through ink. Our fathers and forefathers did not let these traditions wither. They kept them alive, rather reinforced and embellished them, and wove from them a civilisation rooted in ilm, adab and enlightenment.

But now, those ethereal traditions and that inherited grandeur are fading. Our glorious past is mourning its stained and smeared today. Books are gathering dust on forgotten shelves and racks while a generation of scrollers sets out to mutilate its own heritage. Clowns and jesters flood social media with the obscene, the futile stuff, and the rest of the nation scrolls up and down, squandering the elixir of time.

Our tech-junkies have fallen prey to the maladies of technology. The screen has grown into a monster, swallowing the young who should have filled libraries and laboratories, lifting the pillars of this nation to newer heights. The devil of the screen has not only bred shirkers and slackers, but has torn and tainted our moral fabric as well. Molestation bids, drug trafficking, and crimes surge in the wake of easy access to mobile internet.

Deception and treachery have become the order of the day, for technology has made lying effortless. Generations addicted to social media stand bereft of values and ethics, because their " Shauq-e-Mutala’a ", their fondness for reading, has been exhausted by the glow of mobile screens. A catastrophe is in the making and none in concerned about the perilous consequences.

(The Author is a Teacher and a Columnist from Bandipora, writing regularly on culture, environment, education, history, folklore, and Social issues. He can be reached at: mushtaqhurra143@gmail.com)