True Wisdom Comes with Experience
📖Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2033
Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “There is no forbearance unless one has blundered, and there is no wisdom unless one has experience.
-
Lesser mistakes (blunders): These are minor errors or slip-ups, not major sins. They serve as natural learning opportunities.
-
Through these small mistakes, a person learns patience, self-control, and forbearance.
-
Recognizing the consequences of minor errors helps prevent repeating them and fosters humility.
-
-
Experience: By actively facing situations and challenges, a person gains practical insight.
-
This is how wisdom develops—through trial, reflection, and learning from real-life experiences.
-
-
Connection: Lesser mistakes create experience, and from experience, a person cultivates both forbearance and wisdom.
-
Blunder → experience → patience & wisdom.
-
Lessons for Today
- Do not fear minor mistakes: They are part of learning and personal growth.
- Be mindful: Each small blunder teaches self-control and forbearance.
- Seek experience: Life’s challenges are opportunities to gain wisdom.
- Reflect and improve: Wisdom grows when we reflect on mistakes and experiences, turning them into lessons.
Quranic Context
📖Quran 2:286
“Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear. It will have [the consequence of] what it earned, and it will bear [the consequence of] what it committed. Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we forget or err…”
-
Mistakes are part of human nature, and learning patience and forbearance comes through acknowledging and correcting them.
📖Quran 4:17
Allah only accepts the repentance of those who do evil ignorantly or carelessly and then repent soon after. It is they to whom Allah will turn in forgiveness.”
- Humans are created to make minor mistakes; this is part of growth.
- Major sins are outside the natural learning process and must be avoided.
- From minor mistakes and experience, we gain forbearance, wisdom, and spiritual maturity.
- Allah’s mercy ensures that lesser errors are forgiven if we avoid major wrongdoing.
