The New World Order of Islam — Page 40
New World Order 40 and progress. If one is with a farmer even for a very short time, one gathers interesting information and acquires new knowledge about agriculture; or, again, if one associates with a carpenter, one gains fresh knowledge with regard to his craft. Such contacts are not only stimulating but refreshing for the mind. If a Punjabi travels into the UP or into Kashmir, he is bound to return to his own province with increased knowledge of many things. That is why in the Holy Quran, God exhorts the Muslims to travel in different lands so as to increase their knowledge and to develop their minds and intellects. If a Muslim from India were to travel to Arabia by way of Iran and Iraq, he would increase his knowledge in many directions and his mind would become broadened and more richly equipped. If, however, everybody is to be given only that which would meet his ordinary needs, foreign travel would become very restricted, and as a consequence this valuable source of intellectual progress would run dry. It is essential for the intellectual progress of a nation that a section of it should devote itself to the study of the intellectual activities of other nations by personal association and by the observation of those activities on the spot so as to enrich the store of knowledge of their own people. It may be said that agents of the State can undertake such journeys. But if this is to be confined to diplomatic and consular agents the object would