Islam and Human Reason

[Islamis4u]

Islam and Human Reason

Sheikh `Alî Bâdahdah, professor at King `Abd al-` Azîz University in Jeddah


Islam affords the faculty of human reason with a lofty status. It is what allows us to think, contemplate, and draw conclusions. It is what gives us the ability to develop the Earth on which we live. The Qur'ân highlights this point from many different angles:

1. Allah singles out the people who possess reason and proper knowledge as being those who carry out the objectives of worship. He discusses the rulings of how to perform the pilgrimage and then concludes by saying: "And fear me, O people of understanding." [ Sûrah al-Baqarah : 197]

2. Allah declares that the ability to receive benefit from remembering Him and from hearing exhortations to truth and righteousness is the exclusive quality of those possessing reason. He says: "In their stories is a lesson for those possessing reason." [ Sûrah Yûsuf : 111]

He also says: "And We have certainly left of it a sign as clear evidence for a people who use reason." [ Sûrah al-`Ankabût : 35]

3. Allah honors the faculty of reason and makes it the crux of our legal accountability. The Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "The pen is lifted from three people: the sleeper until he awakens, the child until he reaches the age of discernment, and the insane until he is able to reason." [ Sunan al-Tirmidhî (1423) and Sunan Ibn Mâjah (2042)]

4. Allah reprimands those who unthinkingly follow in the footsteps of their forefathers who in doing so shun the dictates of reason. He says: "And when it is said to them to follow what Allah has revealed, they say: 'Nay, we follow what we found our fathers upon.' Even though their fathers could discern nothing of reason and were not rightly guided." [ Sûrah al-Baqarah : 170]

5. Islam has made it unlawful to compromise the faculty of reason in any way. It forbids intoxicants and narcotics. Allah says: "O you who believe! Intoxicants, games of chance, sacrificing on stone alters, and divining arrows are the filth of Satan's handiwork, so keep away from it that perchance you might be successful." [ Sûrah al-Mâ'idah : 90]

Umm Salamah relates to us that the Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade every intoxicating and narcotic substance. [ Sunan Abî Dâwûd (3686) and Musnad Ahmad (26634)]

6. Islam strictly prohibits every practice that offends reason or runs contrary to it, like seeing evil omens, resorting to soothsayers and fortunetellers, divination with sand or seashells, and all other deviant and superstitious practices.

In Islam, there are two sources of knowledge:

1. Divine revelation: This is the truth that is conveyed to us from Allah by way of His Prophets (peace be upon them).

2. Human experience: This is the truth that is achieved through the combined efforts of our sensory observations and our faculty of reason.

From this, we can appreciate Islam's balanced approach to the relationship between reason and revelation. Ibn Taymiyah writes:

Reason is a precondition for knowledge and for the proper performance of our actions. By it, knowledge and action are perfected. However, it does not stand independently in this capacity. It is but an innate ability like the eyesight of our eyes. If the light of faith and of the Qur'ân reaches it, it is the same as when the light of the sun or of a flame reaches our eyes. If it is kept isolated, it cannot perceive the matters that it is unequipped to perceive on its own. If it is taken away completely, words and deeds become nothing more than animal behaviors, experiencing likes, emotions, and tastes in the same way that cattle might experience them. Therefore, deeds carried out in the absence of reason are deficient and words spoken contrary to reason are false. [ Majmû` al-Fatâwâ (3/338)]

Reason does not play the same role in all fields of knowledge. In this respect, knowledge can be broken down into three categories:

1. Essential knowledge: This is knowledge of that which cannot be doubted by any rational person. Every reasoning soul must possess this knowledge. This includes a person's knowledge of his own existence, that two is greater than one, or that the sky is above us and the ground below us.

2. Theoretical knowledge: This is knowledge that is acquired through and gleaned from evidence. Such thinking must draw from essential knowledge in order for its correctness to be discerned. Many disciplines fall into this category, like the natural sciences, medicine, and various manufacturing arts. It is in these fields where reason plays its greatest, most critical, and most constructive role.

3. Knowledge of the Unseen: These are matters that reason alone cannot arrive at. For a person to arrive at such knowledge, some other source of information is needed. This includes knowledge of what is to be found in some distant land or knowledge of the events of the Hereafter, like the resurrection and the judgment. Such knowledge is only ascertainable by way of a report. When the questions at hand are those of religious faith, especially with respect to the particulars, then the only source that can be relied upon is divine revelation.

This is the balanced approach to reason and revelation. It can be contrasted with the approaches of various deviant sects. Some of them, like the Peripatetic philosophers, relied exclusively upon reason and eschewed revelation in its entirety. Others, like the majority of the scholastic theologians, discounted the purport of revelation where they presumed it to contradict with the dictates of reason. Others, like some of the Sufi sects, took personal inspiration and spiritual experience as the basis of truth even when it contradicted with both reason and revelation.

In order to appreciate the proper role of reason and accurately define its limitations, we should consider the following. Each of our senses has its limits of strength and its particular domain. Any attempt to employ one of the senses beyond its scope is an exercise in futility that might also prove injurious to the one attempting to do so.

For example, the eye provides us with the ability to see objects. However, regardless of how healthy and acute a person's eyesight might be, it cannot be used unaided to see microbes, in spite of the fact that microbes most surely exist. Likewise it cannot hope to see the colors of the Infrared or Ultraviolet spectrums of light. If a person tries to force his eyes to view these things, he will never succeed in doing so, though he might succeed in damaging his vision.

Likewise, the intellect has its limits. It cannot ascertain on its own all truths and all forms of knowledge. People believe in and accept things that their senses cannot perceive and that their intellects cannot comprehend. For instance, our intellects accept the phenomenon of gravity though we are of yet unable to comprehend its true nature. We can explain electricity as electrons moving from a negative to a positive charge. However, the true nature of the subatomic world still eludes us.

Among what must remain beyond the scope of our reason are matters of the Unseen. We can say with confidence that whatever falls squarely into the domain of the Unseen falls outside the domain of our intellects. For example, we know that when the body of the deceased is placed in its grave, its soul is returned to it then two angels approach that soul to question it. This is established by authentic hadith. How is the soul returned? Why doesn't his body stir and cry out at this time? How is his grave made spacious for him to the extent of his vision if he is among the righteous? Questions like these cannot be answered by our intellects. Our rational faculties are limited in their scope and cannot investigate matters that pertain exclusively to the world of the Unseen.

Our intellects must accept such matters if we come to know of them by way of divine revelation from Allah to His Messengers (peace be upon them). We are limited in our knowledge of these matters to what the sacred texts inform us about them and we cannot delve into their true nature or speculate on them any further. If we attempt to do so with our intellects, we will not arrive at any results, though we might bring harm to our faculties of reason in the attempt. This has been the plight of the philosophers and others who have tried to use reason to acquire knowledge of things wholly outside the world of human experience.

It is in light of this understanding that Allah says: "And those of firm knowledge say: 'We believe in it. All of it is from our Lord.' And none take heed except people of discernment." [ Sûrah Âl `Imrân : 7]

This was the approach of the Salaf , our pious predecessors. They knew the limits of reason and stopped at those limits, never attempting to use their rational faculties to plumb the depths of the Unseen. They did not ponder on the true nature of Allah, His essence, and His attributes. They voiced their objections to this pursuit and forbid others from engaging in it. In this way, they safeguarded themselves from doubt and error and kept their hearts secure in the certainty of faith.

We can actually use reason to argue against those who advocate the application of reason to these questions. We can say to them: It is a fact that rational minds differ in their strengths and abilities. Whose mind, then, must we give preference to when it is at variance with the texts? Why should we submit to the intellect of any human being? Moreover, any given mind is prone to change its opinions as it acquires new knowledge or as it contemplates and reviews matters more thoroughly. This means that we will be obliged to adhere to one viewpoint today and possibly a wholly different one tomorrow. Because minds differ so much, we will be subjected to a whole range of conflicting and often irreconcilable opinions that will consign us to confusion and doubt. Experience has shown us that many of those who have subjected the sacred texts to the rule of reason had later abandoned that approach as being in error.

It is one of the blessings of Allah upon the Muslims that he has sufficed them regarding matters of the Unseen. He revealed to them the Qur'ân and took its preservation upon Himself and He sent them the Messenger (peace be upon him) and preserved for them the Sunnah of that Messenger. In this way, he sufficed them in their knowledge of the Unseen, so they would not have to squander their intellectual powers trying to investigate matters that their minds are unable to cope with. In this way, He freed their minds to pursue the problems of their worldly existence and derive benefit from the world in which they live.

Sayyid Qutub writes:

There is no other religion that so honors the human intellect, awakens it, sets it on the right course, and mobilizes it for constructive effort, liberating it from the shackles of fables and superstition, and the oppression of soothsayers and possessors of "forbidden knowledge". At the same time, it safeguards the mind from straying outside of its proper domain and into an intellectual wasteland without a guide. There is no other faith that has done this quite as Islam has. [ Khasâ'is al-Tasawwur al-Islamî (49)]

He also observes:

The conceptual framework of Islam – in what is beyond the basis of this conceptual framework and its fundamentals – affords the human intellect and human knowledge a vast and total field of endeavor. It does not impede the mind or stand in its way of investigating the universe. Rather, it calls upon it to investigate and spurs it on. [ Khasâ'is al-Tasawwur al-Islamî (71)]

Among the gems of what al-Ghazâlî said in his later life is that Allah has sufficed the Muslims in the matters of their faith and commanded them to follow, while opening up to them the matters of the world and commanding them to be innovative. However, some Muslims instead opted to be innovative and inventive in matters of faith, while in the affairs of the world, they sufficed themselves with following the nations of the East and West without contributing any development or any new ideas.

[Nay]

Wow...how long did it take you to get that all together?

I can't tell if your preaching or not...are you?  To be honest I'm not sure you said your opinion so much as you spouted others.  

Nay

[Islamis4u]

I didnt write the article. Its an article by a scholar in the Arabian Peninsula.

The scholar quotes a lot of sscholars of the past, like for exmaple 13th, 14th century scholars. He is simply tryin to show proof of what he says from authentic sources, and not just something hes making up.

To be honest it is not about "opinion" in the Islamic sense. As Muslims we do not invent matters in our religion. The Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) said:

"Every innovation(in religion) is a misguidance and every misguidance leads to the Hellfire."

We have opinions based upon what Allah has revealed(the Qur'an and the what is reported from the Prophet(peace be upon him)), not out of our own conjectures.

[You]

My understanding of Islam isn't enough to dissect this entire article, but one thing did stand out that I would like to comment on.

1. Allah singles out the people who possess reason and proper knowledge as being those who carry out the objectives of worship. He discusses the rulings of how to perform the pilgrimage and then concludes by saying: "And fear me, O people of understanding." [ Sûrah al-Baqarah : 197]

Often we hear the phrase "People fear what they don't understand." When he commands those who understand to fear, it seems to contradict this. Do you believe Mr. Allah was trying to convey the idea that even the most enlightened sages would never understand God, and thus, they should fear him? If so, if no one is ever able to understand God, how can one assume the teachings are the correct understanding of Him? I think I would hope to understand God as my final reward for being faithful, as a gift of enlightenment and joy, over a truckload of virgins. Honestly, even if they're virgins, if you do to them what they're meant for, they won't all remain virgins forever.

[Islamis4u]

My understanding of Islam isn't enough to dissect this entire article, but one thing did stand out that I would like to comment on.

1. Allah singles out the people who possess reason and proper knowledge as being those who carry out the objectives of worship. He discusses the rulings of how to perform the pilgrimage and then concludes by saying: "And fear me, O people of understanding." [ Sûrah al-Baqarah : 197]

Often we hear the phrase "People fear what they don't understand." When he commands those who understand to fear, it seems to contradict this. Do you believe Mr. Allah was trying to convey the idea that even the most enlightened sages would never understand God, and thus, they should fear him? If so, if no one is ever able to understand God, how can one assume the teachings are the correct understanding of Him? I think I would hope to understand God as my final reward for being faithful, as a gift of enlightenment and joy, over a truckload of virgins. Honestly, even if they're virgins, if you do to them what they're meant for, they won't all remain virgins forever.

First of all, have some respect befoer you say "Mr. Allah".

The Qur'an says: "It is only those who have knowledge who fear Allaah"

They do not fear Allaah because they dont understand Him, but rather because they KNOW of His power and dominion, and because of what the consequences are of disobeying Him.

The way we understand God, is through His names and attributes that He revealed to us in the Noble Qur'an and what His Prophet informed us of. The truth of the matter is,  the attributes of God are beyond man's intellect to understand "how" they are".  So the Muslim is forbidden to delve into 'how' they are. For example, we affirm that God exists, yet we dont go into 'how' God exists, for this is beyond our intellect. Likewise, we dont say about God that we have no knowledge of, but rather only what we know through revelation.


And actually, the most precious gift that the Muslim is given in Paradise according to the Qur'an and sunnah is that he gets to see Allah.

[fuji257]

Its all about how somebody else views thing.  

Islam has just as many theological problems as Christianity (from an outsiders view).

If there is ONE God, who is good and who is ALL POWERFUL then it would stand to reason that we would have a uniform world where no suffering takes place.  OR suffering is good OR God is NOT all powerful OR God is not good.  Logically/theologically speaking; somethings got to give. That is reasoning.

Why would I fear Allah/Mohammed/God?  I've never seen?  That is reasoning.

Why would I believe Mohammed about anything he says?  I don't know him.  I've never met him.  Anybody can claim revelations from God (and many do).  If God/Allah *really* wanted people to know his message, and was all powerful, there are much better ways than telling one person (or a few) to spread the word. I've never even HEARD of Islam/Mohammed/Allah until a few years ago!  The "holy messenger system" just does not work/make sense at all.  That is reasoning.

If somebody was an evil being who caused suffering his/her whole life (lets say 80yrs) it is still not just to burn this "evil being" for an eternity for a finite amount of "sins".  That is reasoning.

When you accept anothers views without using your own (God given?) logic, that is NOT proof or reasoning - its blind faith.

You CANNOT convince somebody to follow Islam just because the Koran says something.  Those who are not Islam don't believe the Koran, so just because it says this or says that has no value.  Likewise when Christians try to use the Bible to PROVE God/Jesus;  and fail to understand first they must prove the Bible, because to an outsider it has no authority.

I just hope the Jews, Muslims, Christians and all can agree to disagree and make peace.  It makes the Abrahamic religions look a bit silly when the countrys the following the most devoutly can even quit killing one another.

[Islamis4u]

If there is ONE God, who is good and who is ALL POWERFUL then it would stand to reason that we would have a uniform world where no suffering takes place. OR suffering is good OR God is NOT all powerful OR God is not good. Logically/theologically speaking; somethings got to give. That is reasoning.

The problem is that you fail to differentiate between what God decrees and what He is pleased with. God may decree something for a person that He isnt pleased with(in general), yet it is decreed to serve a higher purpose.

I'm not in the mood right now to fully expound on this but if you want to read on this subject then goto http://63.175.194.25/index.php?ln=eng&ds=qa&lv=browse&CR=227&offset=0&recno=15&dgn=4

which has many questions and answers on His Divine Will and Decree.

Why would I fear Allah/Mohammed/God? I've never seen? That is reasoning.

Even though you haven't seen Him, the evidences and proofs of His existence and power would lead you to fear Him. And we dont ask you to ffear Muhammad(peace be upon him), hes simply a Messenger of God, not God Himself.

When you accept anothers views without using your own (God given?) logic, that is NOT proof or reasoning - its blind faith.

Yes but if anothers views conform with reason, then one should follow it. Following the Messengers conforms with reason, since there are issues which the intellect cannot delve into and deal with by itself, but rather can only be made manifest through revelation.

You CANNOT convince somebody to follow Islam just because the Koran says something. Those who are not Islam don't believe the Koran, so just because it says this or says that has no value. Likewise when Christians try to use the Bible to PROVE God/Jesus; and fail to understand first they must prove the Bible, because to an outsider it has no authority.

Yes, however, the Qur'an presents arguments to prove its Truth and we can quote the arguments as refutations.

[fuji257]

>>The problem is that you fail to differentiate between what God decrees and what He is pleased with. God may decree something for a person that He isnt pleased with(in general), yet it is decreed to serve a higher purpose. <<

I don't care what "God" decrees or is pleased with to begin with, because to me "God" does not exist (at least in Abrahamic terms).  

You did NOT even attempt to address my problem WHATSOEVER!  You are trying poorly to sidetrack.  Read my post again.

>>Even though you haven't seen Him, the evidences and proofs of His existence and power would lead you to fear Him. And we dont ask you to ffear Muhammad(peace be upon him), hes simply a Messenger of God, not God Himself. <<

I do not deny that Mohammed existed.  I also do NOT deny that he was a great man, from what I have read.  What I do DENY is his (and Jesus/Paul) theology.  It goes against reasoning; see the top of my first post which you tried to sidetrack.

And while I'm at it - why would someone (Allah/God) create a bunch of inferior beings just to recieve worship?  Please.  If I hold a gun to a womans head and tell her to $__ck my D!C* or I'll shoot; and then she does - THAT IS NOT FREEWILL.  So if you worship God/Allah because your afraid of eternal torment - THAT IS NOT FREEWILL.  The current Abrahamic theologies makes God into a cosmic rapist.  "Worship me or suffer!!!"  Ha.

>>Yes but if anothers views conform with reason, then one should follow it. Following the Messengers conforms with reason, since there are issues which the intellect cannot delve into and deal with by itself, but rather can only be made manifest through revelation. <<

As I have clearly pointed out - your views do not conform with reason.  They conform with faith.  Thats not a bad thing, just don't fool yourself.

>>Yes, however, the Qur'an presents arguments to prove its Truth and we can quote the arguments as refutations.<<

Go ahead, thats your right.  Its just my opinion that it won't get you very far - with logical and reasonable proof that is.  Quote away.

[Islamis4u]

You say that either suffering is good, or God is not all-powerful, or God is not good.

Well the first thing is, we dont deem suffering as something that is bad, because it strengthens the heart  and brings people to repent to Him. For example, we believe that suffering of pain and hunger etc. are due to one's sins, and they are a test for the believer. "Whatever misfortune happens to you, is because of the things your hands have wrought, and for many (of them) He grants forgiveness". It is known that in times of sufferring men turn in repentance to their Lord and seek His help, while in times of ease people are negligent.

Second of all, the term 'good' is a relative term. For something that is good to you, another may deem it bad. For example, lets say I believe the death penalty is good for the one who murders, while someone else may deem it bad. So the term 'good' is relative from person to person. In the case of the one who suffers due to a calamity, they may not deem it good for them, but in reality (by God's Wisdom) it would be good for them, because of the benefits it brings.

As for suffering in terms of social injustice, then this happens due to the fact that we have a free-will, and God decrees these things to happen(social injustices, wars, etc.) because if He did not, then free-will would be somethign that was meaningless. For those who do wrong, they will be payed back in full for what they did, whether in this life, or in the Hereafter.

Basically, this life is a test and simply a passing to the Hereafter. Whatever God decrees in this life there is a wisdom behind it, even if we don't understand it at face value.

[karnautrahl]

Well even under torture I'm afraid I couldn't give more than verbal lipservice to a dogma.
Extreme fundementalist faith is blind. It always has been. Always will be. And it's a nice fast way to encourage our entire race to head towards extinction. Hey maybe that's the plan.
Set us all to religious war, just in case other stupidities aren't quite enough along with natural disaster, disease and other issues. Lets give man this propensity to circular reasoning and blind faith.
Sorry but this Islamic /Religious dogmatic stuff REALLY gets to me. They always believe in their books. BAD MOVE. In this I nail my colours to the post.
Spirituality is great, blind religious faith is not. IMHO

[fuji257]

>>Well the first thing is, we dont deem suffering as something that is bad, because it strengthens the heart and brings people to repent to Him<<

Suffering is good because it makes people bow before the all powerful.  The all powerful could have created people that would not suffer, if he is all powerful.  That is asanine.  It is not using any PROOF (or logic).  Again if Allah is so good/powerful then why must innocent suffer?  You are evading issues.  

>>For example, we believe that suffering of pain and hunger etc. are due to one's sins, and they are a test for the believer. "Whatever misfortune happens to you, is because of the things your hands have wrought, and for many (of them) He grants forgiveness". <<

So all the children that drowned in the recent tsunami were infadels?  Again, if Allah is all powerful their would be no need for suffering.  You have yet to refute this with PROOF or LOGIC, just some weak speculations.

>>Second of all, the term 'good' is a relative term. For something that is good to you, another may deem it bad. For example, lets say I believe the death penalty is good for the one who murders, while someone else may deem it bad. So the term 'good' is relative from person to person. In the case of the one who suffers due to a calamity, they may not deem it good for them, but in reality (by God's Wisdom) it would be good for them, because of the benefits it brings.<<

Good is only relative if you want it to be.  You are getting confused.  I'm not talking about politics when I say "good".  Innocent kids being hurt is wrong, f&ck relativity.  And "God's Wisdom"/"the big picture" argument doesn't hold up here, you have yet to show proof or logic that there is a god.  And if the "little picture" you pull from the "big picture" has drowning babies in it; then f&ck the "Big Picture".  Circular logic isn't logic.

>>As for suffering in terms of social injustice, then this happens due to the fact that we have a free-will, and God decrees these things to happen(social injustices, wars, etc.) because if He did not, then free-will would be somethign that was meaningless. For those who do wrong, they will be payed back in full for what they did, whether in this life, or in the Hereafter.

Basically, this life is a test and simply a passing to the Hereafter. Whatever God decrees in this life there is a wisdom behind it, even if we don't understand it at face value.<<

You CANNOT possibly have an all powerful God, and Freewill.  The two concepts are logically incompatable - PERIOD.  This has been argued to death, AND NO ONE on earth has EVER reconciled an all-powerful god/freewill universe. I won't be pulled into that discussion as it has ALREADY been SETTLED a thousand times.  ITS A CLOSED BOOK.