Allah, when explaining the message revealed in the Quran, repeatedly challenges mankind to
“think” and “think deeply”. One wonders how this is different from the “regular
thinking” that we engage in on a day to day basis. Our thinking processes
enable us to reach conclusions, make decisions, and solve problems constantly.
However, a detailed study of the Quran reveals that these terms allude to a
more rigorous form of thinking, which in today’s terms can be equated to
“critical thinking”.
The difference between the two forms of thinking –
regular thinking and critical thinking – is quite profound. For the purpose of
our understanding, let’s consider one of the definitions provided by The Foundation for Critical
Thinking: “Critical thinking is that mode of thinking –
about any subject, content, or problem – in which the thinker improves the
quality of his or her thinking by skillfully taking charge of the structures
inherent in thinking and imposing intellectual standards upon them.” It
further states that “critical thinking is self-guided,
self-disciplined thinking which attempts to reason at the highest level of
quality in a fair-minded way.
Quran advocates this level of “thinking” because,
naturally, superficial thinking alone isn’t enough to cut through the beliefs
and faiths that people have held onto for centuries. As “thinking deeply”
allows people to question their internal biases and notice patterns that
otherwise they may not be able to see, such thinking has allowed many over
hundreds of years to understand Quran’s divine message and accordingly, to
reconstruct their belief patterns and come into the fold of Islam.
Quranic verses expand on this form of “thinking”
throughout by asking mankind to observe, seek knowledge, reflect, and
ask questions and to ultimately connect the dots by using the
faculties of human reason. Other similar terms used in the Quran in
various contexts can best be translated as “to reason”, “reflect”, “ponder”,
etc. Understandably so, a cursory and superficial study of the Quran (e.g.
merely relying on translations) carries the risk of the divine message being
misunderstood and misrepresented, something that unfortunately seems to be
quite common today.
The following are some of the examples (parts of
verses) where Allah has mentioned the use of reason and
thinking in various contexts.
- Verily, in this is indeed a sign for people who think. (16:69)
- Do they not think deeply (in their own selves) about themselves (how Allah created them from nothing, and similarly He will resurrect them)?…….(30:8)
- …. so that their hearts (and minds) may thus use reason… [22:46]
- …in all this] there are messages/signs indeed for people who use their reason. [2:164]
- Those who remember Allah (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth…..(3:191)
- ……….. So relate the stories, perhaps they may reflect. (7:176)
- Do they not reflect? There is no madness in their companion (Muhammad). He is but a plain warner. (7:184)
- …. Such are the parables which We put forward to mankind that they may reflect. (59:21)
It is well known that critical thinking skills have
to be learned. There is also abundant research highlighting that learning in
today’s world is mostly information-oriented and based on providing ready-made
answers rather than challenging people to think creatively and critically to
help them understand issues better, decide intelligently, and resolve problems.
Even in a technologically advanced country such as the US, a study (documented
in a book called Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses)
shows that a relatively high percentage of students demonstrated no significant
improvement in their critical thinking and reasoning skills as they graduated
and entered adult life.
Sadly enough, a considerable percentage of us
probably fall in that category as well.
When you are not thinking critically, your
understanding of the issues is usually muddled and vague. You are more prone to
jump to conclusions based on limited information. Your decisions aren’t
expected to be sound because you haven’t taken the time to consider
alternatives and compare options. You are driven more by various biases and
emotions, rather than being open minded and listen with an attentive ear. Such
thinking habits unfortunately can lead you to make the wrong decisions (or no
decisions at all) and sap away your problem solving abilities, thus increasing
your life’s inventory of problems.
On the contrary, thinking critically can bring
order to your thinking processes. When you force yourself to define the
issues and problems clearly, you can select better approaches to
resolve them. Gaining more knowledge can help you get a better
view of the landscape that you are facing. Asking the right questions
can help you disentangle from the problems faster. Generating
alternatives and comparing options push you forward
toward resolution of your problems. Applying sound logic and reason
helps in bridging the gaps in your thinking. All in all, taking the
needed time to go through the rigors of “thinking” can
help you draw warranted conclusions, render accurate judgments and arrive at
sound decisions.
Even if you don’t find solutions to your issues,
you would have at least maximized your mind power to contribute toward your
well being.
Finally, let’s not forget that if Allah challenged
the non-believers to employ the faculties of human reason and thinking to help
them get over their beliefs they have held for centuries – something that is
not just sacrosanct but also one of the most difficult things to overcome – we
too, then, can use those mental faculties to get over any of the problems that
we face in our daily lives.
