What is Ignorance

Once Emperor Akbar called upon Birbal and said, "I have many times asked you about questions of knowledge. But now I want to ask you an opposite question. Please tell me what is ignorance?"

Birbal said, "Your highness! Please give me a week's vacation. I need to search an answer for such a difficult question." Akbar agreed and Birbal went from the royal court. On his way back, he met a cobbler and said, "Please make a pair of diamond studded shoes of gold. It should be bigger than normal size. And after completing the order, you should forget about those shoes. I will pay you all the money."

The cobbler prepared such shoes within two days. Birbal took the shoes and put one of the shoe at the door of central mosque of city. One of the person who was returning after Namaz (prayer) saw the shoe. He never saw such a shoe and was surprised. As he was an honest person, he took the shoe and told the Maulvi (priest of mosque) about it. The Maulvi saw the shoe and examined it. After examining, he said, "This cannot be an ordinary shoe. It must be a shoe of some divine angel of Allah." Saying this, he took the shoe and kept it at the center of mosque.

Now the news of golden shoe spread across the kingdom. Many people started coming to mosque and started paying their tributes to the shoe. Many stories started coming that shoe had magical powers and it can fulfill the wishes whatever is asked from it.

Akbar also heard about the news of golden shoe. He along with few soldiers reached the mosque and found the people embracing and kissing the golden shoe. Akbar took the shoe in his hand and said, "Undoubtedly, it is a divine shoe and should be protected." Akbar kissed the shoe and ordered two soldiers to be always available providing security to the shoe. Akbar then returned to palace thinking about the golden shoe.

After one week, Birbal came to the royal court. Akbar saw him and started telling him the stories of golden shoe that were spread all over the kingdom. However, Birbal seemed worried. Akbar told that he could ask the shoe to remove the cause of worry. Birbal was relaxed and then he took out other golden shoe from his bag and said, "Your highness! Thank you for suggesting me the solution. I was very worried as the other shoe of my great grandfather is lost." Akbar could not utter anything after seeing the shoe in hands of Birbal. Birbal asked Akbar the reason for his shock. Akbar told him everything about the other shoe which was kept at mosque.

Birbal then replied, "Your highness, this is the answer of your question. This is ignorance. The ignorance is when we start following something blindly without knowing the truth. Ignorance is nothing in itself but the absence of knowledge. Wherever knowledge comes, ignorance disappears automatically."