Creativity vs. Intelligence

If Intelligence is defined as the ability to solve mathematical and logical problems, to understand similarities and differences between things, to predict results after observing patterns etc. and Creativity  as the ability to create and understand an idea, through writing, painting, poetry or any other means, then, in my opinion, Creativity is more important than intelligence and is also more unique in the sense that humans possess Intelligence only on a greater scale than that of other species, but Creativity is an ability possessed by them alone. Other species have the ability of problem solving, however far less than that of the humans, but they don't have the ability to create and understand an idea at all.

A basic assumption here is that Creativity and Intelligence are essentially two different things, that a highly creative person doesn't necessarily have to be good at logic or mathematics, and vice versa. This assumption is neither supported nor rejected by any conclusive study, but observation usually supports it.

If that is true, then an intelligent person is nothing more than an organism which is better at problem solving as compared to other organisms. Even computers have this ability in the form of Artificial Intelligence, and their abilities might someday surpass the humans. What they don't have is Creativity; the ability to form and comprehend ideas.

For example, a mathematically intelligent person could be replaced by a computer that can perform calculations even faster. In fact, this has happened during the last few decades. But no computer has ever been able to understand the ideas of a poet or to form a political ideology, and probably no computer will ever be.

That's why I've always believed that the students of art and literature are more important and superior than the students of sciences. The former's abilities surpass the latter's as Creativity is required to study arts, while the study of sciences generally requires Intelligence only.

In the future, computers might replace intelligent humans. So, Creative humans will eventually become more important than their intelligent counterparts. As far as I know, Creativity is something very different than Intelligence, and computers might never be able to gain it.  

The Eternal Battle

Before 610 C.E., Arabia was in the dark age or the age of ignorance. Religion was a dominant factor in everyone’s life, just like it has always been in the history, and it was based on the materialistic interests of a small elite class that ruled over the masses through deception. The elite had created a paradigm which benefited only them, by instilling beliefs in gods who would unleash their wrath upon the people if they shifted even a bit from the norms established by them. The society was designed in a way that prevented the masses from rebelling against the elite because they were nearer to the gods. Their rule was justified because it was granted to them by the gods. Every tribe had their own gods which legitimized the stratification of the society on religious basis. Rational thinking was discouraged and any idea that could prove to be a threat for the established system was instantly curbed. Quraysh were the most powerful people in Mecca and were the owners of the Ka’aba, which they had filled with idols of the gods created by their ancestors. They were the descendants of the Prophet Ismael, Abraham’s eldest son, who had brought the Abrahamic religion to Arabia. Through centuries, the original religion was corrupted and adjusted to accommodate the superiority of certain people over others without ever being challenged. But in 610 C.E. one man rose against them and their unjust system, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The Prophet belonged to the Banu Hashim, one of the two major clans of the Quraysh tribe. Thus he was not a commoner, he was a noble, and his grandfather was the chief of his clan. This fact makes it hard to believe that the Prophet brought the existing system down for his self interest. The existing system was all about his own interests. Yet he struggled against the system of injustice and tyranny to replace it with a system based on justice and equality. He called for the rights of slaves in a society where slaves were treated like animals. He called for rights of women and for the first time in the history of Arabia women were given the right to inheritance. He stood against racial discrimination, social stratification, tribal chauvinism, ignorance and illiteracy. Like any reformer, he was first subjected to ridicule. When he didn’t abandon his stance, the opposition grew more violent. His powerful clan kept him protected until the enmity against him grew so strong that he had to leave his hometown altogether. In short, the Prophet abandoned his social status, his home, his wealth and eventually his powerful tribe for a cause that was against his own material interests. He stood against the unjust and illegitimate authorities of the time without considering what his stand would cost him. In 680 C.E., about 50 years after the Prophet’s death, the Arab society was once again degenerating to its earlier state. A tyrant had seized the Prophet’s pulpit and religion was being used to legitimize his rule. People were forced to pledge allegiance to him either through terrorism or by making them believe that he was the legitimate viceregent of God on earth. Those who could see through the deception didn’t have the courage to stand against him. At that time, the Prophet’s grandson, Imam Hussain ibn Ali, took the stand. Despite being sure that his campaign will end with him being killed by Yazid I, the self proclaimed Caliph of the Muslim empire, he left for Kufa without any hesitation to lead a rebellion aimed at liberating the city from Yazid’s Caliphate. On his way he learnt that Yazid had appointed one of his bloodthirsty generals, Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad, as the governor of Kufa and a huge army was on its way to trap his caravan. Most of the dissidents in Kufa were either killed or imprisoned and some of the opportunists among them were even conscripted as the vanguard of Yazid's otherwise largely Levantine army. Nevertheless, Imam Hussain didn’t take a step back until he was stopped by thousands of soldiers with orders to kill him if he didn’t pledge allegiance to the Caliph. Being the grandson of the Prophet and having no match to his piety, Imam Hussain had an immense influence among the masses. Had he pledged allegiance to the tyrant, his rule would have been legitimized without any doubt, but it was the only way he could save his life and the life of his family and companions. Imam Hussain had not left his hometown Medina for battle. He had left it for Mecca to perform pilgrimage accompanied with his family and some companions. He received letters from the chiefs of Kufa urging him to lead their rebellion against the illegitimate Caliph. The Imam left for Kufa without wasting any time. In his caravan were less than a hundred men and rest were women and children, including his six months old son. After being surrounded by Yazid's troops at Karbala, the Imam was given two choices. Either accept Yazid as the legitimate Caliph and pledge allegiance to him, or die. Imam Hussain knew that not only will he die, but his companions will also be killed and his family will be imprisoned. He told his companions to exercise their free will. They were to choose whether to leave and live or to stay and die. Everyone chose to die. For three days Hussain’s caravan was denied access to water. It is said that when children in Hussain’s caravan used to cry “Thirst! Thirst!”, their voice sometimes reached Yazid's soldiers and even they found it hard to keep themselves from bringing water to them. But the orders were clear and any kind of disobedience would have been severely punished. On 10th of Muharram, 61 A.H. (October 10, 680 C.E.), Imam Hussain made his stand which the Muslims still have not forgotten. That day is called Ashura and is still observed as a day of mourning by many Muslims around the world. Hussain chose death over humiliation. He chose to openly deny the authority of an illegitimate ruler instead of covertly accepting it. Thousands of Yazid's soldiers poured over Imam Hussain’s caravan and massacred them, including Hussain’s six months old son, who was brought by him out of the tent to ask the enemy for some water for the infant, instead he was shot by an arrow that pierced his neck. The women were taken as prisoners and severed heads of the Imam and his companions were impaled on pikes and paraded on the streets of Kufa and Damascus. It was a military defeat but a moral success. Imam Hussain had deprived Yazid of any chance of legitimization and had unveiled his true face which will never be forgotten by the history. Hussain’s martyrdom sparked unrest in Hejaz which further revealed Yazid's cruel and godless nature. In 683 C.E. Yazid's troops sacked Medina after the notorious battle of Al-Harra and plundered, murdered and raped the residents of the holy city for three days. The soldiers defiled the Prophet’s tomb by using it as stables for their horses. Later on, Mecca was besieged and Ka’aba was bombarded with catapults where Abdullah Ibn Zubayr, the leader of the revolt in Hejaz, had established his headquarters. However the news of Yazid's sudden death resulted in an abrupt ending of the campaign. Yazid's son Muawiya II refused to ascend his father’s bloody throne and the Umayyad Caliphate fell into a temporary state of chaos. Self proclaimed Caliphs kept ruling the Muslim world for centuries afterwards and Muslims as a whole failed to get inspired by the Imam’s revolt, just like they failed to sustain the reformation of the society brought by the Prophet of Islam, but his martyrdom showed the moral path to those who wanted to see. He made it clear that not everyone who seizes power becomes a legitimate authority. His struggle against the tyrant of his time taught the Muslims that Islam, in its true sense, can never justify injustice. Karbala was not just a battle, it was the epitome of the eternal conflict between Justice and Injustice. Imam Hussain was not just a rebel, he was the legend of Guardian of Justice. His message is clear; death is better than living under an illegitimate government. Ali and his sons, including Hussain, were cursed from every pulpit of the Muslim empire, from Sindh to Andalusia, for most part of the Umayyad era. Anyone who was suspected of being sympathetic to them was mercilessly persecuted. But Hussain’s martyrdom was never forgotten by most of the Muslims and every effort made by the Umayyads and their ideological descendants to eradicate the memory of Karbala largely proved to be futile. The life of the Prophet and that of his family shows that Islam is more than just offering prayers, keeping fasts, growing beards and declaring others infidel. Islam is about resisting illegitimate authority, tyranny and corruption. It’s not about killing others for something you believe in, it’s about sacrificing your own life for bringing justice to the society. Its main goal is to disrupt the system that benefits only some people and establish a system that benefits all.

"This world has changed, snubbed, and its good has turned tail. Nothing has remained from it except a thing that is as scanty as the leftover of a cup and a mean life that is like a noxious grazing. Have you not noticed that the right is ignored and the evil is not forbidden? This is sufficient for making the believer's desire for meeting Allah rightfully. I consider death as happiness and life with the wrongdoers as boredom. People are certainly the slaves of this world. The religion is only a slaver on their tongues. They turn it wherever their livelihood demands. If they are examined by misfortunes, the religious will be very few." ~ Hussain ibn Ali