Taking
Stock of our “Thinking” Abilities
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 questionsand 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)
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 …. 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..
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