On critical self reflection and thought in Islam.
On Critical self reflection and thought in Islam:
The Islamic paradigm presents to us a mode of critical thinking unique to the modern world. On one hand it beautifies and limits the extent of human rationale and on the other other it persuades him to ponder, explore and question.
How so?
Allah promises Hidayah to those who are in search of the truth and those who question out of pure intention and not with an intent to find justifications to their own desires.
In surah Baqrah and various other surahs of Quran we are shown how the Bani-Israel questioned Musa(AS) not to learn but to justify their own desire.
Yet at the same time in various places in the Quran Allah (swt) encourages human thought to ponder, observe and reflect upon his ayahs. Those within the Quran, those outside the Quran and those within our own selves.
These ayahs are like indicators pointing like signs towards a truth. Only the one in search of these signs will find them.
Sadly though the modern Muslim is too fearful to question. He hangs on to his tattered iman with a fear of being swept away by the fitna of question.
If we look at the lives of the prophets, their struggle, their duas to Allah swt. We learn that they did not fear from asking questions.
But what’s the difference?
The difference is that they were ready to learn and we aren’t.
We are too afraid to find out that maybe the ways we are holding on to for so long could turn out to be wrong. We are too afraid to surrender our own will even in deen. In the name of Islam and iman we are ready to put on stake the natural logical progression of Islam . We are afraid to look at our permenant values from a new direction.
New to us is merely what’s new to the world.
Be that technology , trends and behaviours.
One can question the validity of such advancements and whether they are actually proving useful to the humanity or causing more harm. The reason we can not do that either is because we don’t have an alternative. So we have to give in every time and surrender to the will of others.
Ibrahim ( As) was led to surrender in search of truth. He questioned looking at the ayahs and he was answered.
Allah swt promises to guide and answer those who question him.
All courageous reformers and innovators through out history including imam ibn taymiyah, Ghazali, shah Wali ullah , Moudodi, Iqbal dared to question with a renewal of thought and guide the people of their time not through an existent way out but by creating a way out.
Today our Ulema are too afraid to be politically incorrect . They lack the innovative courage based in belief and permanace. Those who do either cross the limits or others who don’t, remain comfortably bound to their own schools of thought. Content in stagnation .
Allah does not help a people who do not help themselves.
The famous Sufiyan Sori ( RH) once said its easy to make things hard but it’s difficult to make things easy for people.
Meaning to make them practice deen easily is hard and to preach taqwa is easier.
The most convincing factor while debating with atheists is one’s unwavering iman and not logic which actually wins them over.
Human logic is limited but human faith is boundless.
Critical thought; when it stems from Ikhlas guides towards purification of faith and not towards doubt!
Our own lack of knowledge as daees and students of Islam encourages us to preach instead of guiding a person towards critical self reflection. What if he doesn’t understand as I meant him too, what if he follows that school of thought, what if she starts respecting that school of thought. Hidayah and balance is not in our hands . To guide is in our hands. Allah will take care of the direction only when our own faith / Ikhlas is solid. Let’s not be afraid to let people learn for themselves and study all. Let’s guide them towards self reflection and have faith/twakul and trust that Allah will guide all his men and women towards himself even if they don’t follow our school of thought or ‘our’ way as long as they stay within the bounds of la illaha il al Allah, Muhammad ur rasool ul Allah.
#havefaith
#surrender
S.
The Islamic paradigm presents to us a mode of critical thinking unique to the modern world. On one hand it beautifies and limits the extent of human rationale and on the other other it persuades him to ponder, explore and question.
How so?
Allah promises Hidayah to those who are in search of the truth and those who question out of pure intention and not with an intent to find justifications to their own desires.
In surah Baqrah and various other surahs of Quran we are shown how the Bani-Israel questioned Musa(AS) not to learn but to justify their own desire.
Yet at the same time in various places in the Quran Allah (swt) encourages human thought to ponder, observe and reflect upon his ayahs. Those within the Quran, those outside the Quran and those within our own selves.
These ayahs are like indicators pointing like signs towards a truth. Only the one in search of these signs will find them.
Sadly though the modern Muslim is too fearful to question. He hangs on to his tattered iman with a fear of being swept away by the fitna of question.
If we look at the lives of the prophets, their struggle, their duas to Allah swt. We learn that they did not fear from asking questions.
But what’s the difference?
The difference is that they were ready to learn and we aren’t.
We are too afraid to find out that maybe the ways we are holding on to for so long could turn out to be wrong. We are too afraid to surrender our own will even in deen. In the name of Islam and iman we are ready to put on stake the natural logical progression of Islam . We are afraid to look at our permenant values from a new direction.
New to us is merely what’s new to the world.
Be that technology , trends and behaviours.
One can question the validity of such advancements and whether they are actually proving useful to the humanity or causing more harm. The reason we can not do that either is because we don’t have an alternative. So we have to give in every time and surrender to the will of others.
Ibrahim ( As) was led to surrender in search of truth. He questioned looking at the ayahs and he was answered.
Allah swt promises to guide and answer those who question him.
All courageous reformers and innovators through out history including imam ibn taymiyah, Ghazali, shah Wali ullah , Moudodi, Iqbal dared to question with a renewal of thought and guide the people of their time not through an existent way out but by creating a way out.
Today our Ulema are too afraid to be politically incorrect . They lack the innovative courage based in belief and permanace. Those who do either cross the limits or others who don’t, remain comfortably bound to their own schools of thought. Content in stagnation .
Allah does not help a people who do not help themselves.
The famous Sufiyan Sori ( RH) once said its easy to make things hard but it’s difficult to make things easy for people.
Meaning to make them practice deen easily is hard and to preach taqwa is easier.
The most convincing factor while debating with atheists is one’s unwavering iman and not logic which actually wins them over.
Human logic is limited but human faith is boundless.
Critical thought; when it stems from Ikhlas guides towards purification of faith and not towards doubt!
Our own lack of knowledge as daees and students of Islam encourages us to preach instead of guiding a person towards critical self reflection. What if he doesn’t understand as I meant him too, what if he follows that school of thought, what if she starts respecting that school of thought. Hidayah and balance is not in our hands . To guide is in our hands. Allah will take care of the direction only when our own faith / Ikhlas is solid. Let’s not be afraid to let people learn for themselves and study all. Let’s guide them towards self reflection and have faith/twakul and trust that Allah will guide all his men and women towards himself even if they don’t follow our school of thought or ‘our’ way as long as they stay within the bounds of la illaha il al Allah, Muhammad ur rasool ul Allah.
#havefaith
#surrender
S.
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