Islamic Thought

Forward

Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the Worlds.

Peace and prayer be upon Mohammad and his generous and pure progeny. For every principle and belief or religion it has its own certain method in thinking, that leads to a set of concepts and thought which form that belief, principle and religion or of what is derived from them. Therefore, any deviation that may occur in the thinking process or to go far from the thought sources of that belief, will lead to farther and more deviated results than it.

Of course, this is the main reason behind all that we have seen of present- day deviated thoughts and culture which are not original and are in books, magazines, and newspapers; moreover, those which are being broadcasted by the media services. All that, first of all, happened due to the ignoring or carelessness of the writers and authors to Islamic Thought sources and its method and characteristics, as well as, the ways of its education.

So, thought is due, in its outcomes, to the first preceeded premises which is called a thinking process, and as usual the outcome goes after even its worst premises. So, to rebuild the cultural and ideological situation, we should first understand Islamic Thought and probe deeply into its method of thinking. Also, we must thoroughly realize how to distinguish between the original Islamic Thought and the bogus one; whether it pretends to be in Islamic uniform or hides its factual identity in scientific, objective or neutral clothing and, so on.

Nowadays, we see that our nation is in a necessary need of the right Islamic thought which is deduced by the Holy Qur'an and Sunnah of the Prophet, and which is without any kind of defects or marvels in order to restore its Islamic glory on the basis of strong and original foundations, as well as, to build other, different aspects of its life according to Allah's Will. And, also, to establish its lofty civilization with the following blessed slogan; Neither East, Nor West. With regard to the constant method of the Al-Balagh Foundation in explaining the concepts of Islam and spreading the genuine knowledge among people, it is an honour to present this book about Islamic Thought studies and its general features.

We say our final invocation; Allah be praised, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the Worlds.

Al-Balagh Foundation

Introduction

"And We did not send before you any, but men to whom We sent revelation-so ask the followers of the Reminder if you do not know-with clear arguments and scriptures; and We have revealed to you the Reminder that you may make clear to men what has been revealed to them, and that happily they may reflect." Holy Qur'an (16:44)

Thinking and matters of thought, being considered with all other matters or knowledgeable and cultural products that connect with it, is one of the most important and serious subjects in a Muslim's life due to the active influence on man's mind and his knowledge, as well as, the belief in Allah.

Also, it can exactly specify the nation's identity and its social and cultural personality, as well as, its missionary affiliation along with developing its social and civilized life. So, at the dawn of its revelation and earlier beginning of its vocation Islam has been concerned, much, with knowledge and science when considering the obtaining of science, as a kind of Jihad (a holy war) and it is a kind of worship to study, as well as, to learn is a charity.

But, moreover, to learn some branches of science and knowledge is regarded as an individual duty, such as, the knowledge of Allah (praise the Lord) and other worships which are compulsory to be performed. Furthermore, Islam considers some branches of science as a sufficient necessity like diligence in Shar'iah (Islamic Laws) and learning all facets of science and knowledge that are needed by society.

The Holy Qur'an and the pure Sunnah of the Prophet have urged Muslims to obtain and learn science. So, the first five verses of the Holy Qur'an that were revealed to Allah's honest Messenger at `Hiraa' Cave' spurred people on to the importance of reading, as well as, reminds them of the grace of creation and the bringing into being from non-existence, so that to make man understand full well that ignorance means death and non-existence while on the contrary, science is a life and existence as the Qur'an says:

"Read in the name of your Lord Who created. He created man from a clot. Read and your Lord is most Honorable Who taught (to write) with the pen. Taught man what he knew not." Holy Qur'an (96:1-5)

As mentioned in the history books, the first who used the pen and taught others to write with it, was one of Allah's Prophets named Edrees (a.s.). The Holy Qur'an has ordered the human being to think, understand and be aware in order to widen his horizons of thought and to stir his mind for emerging him from the thoughtless, motionlessness and fossilization shell, as well as, blind imitation, in order to make him think scientifically for enriching his life with discoveries of mind and science and, also, his knowledge being increased about the universe and its great Creator for believing and worshiping Him with regard to the aware faith and alive thinking. As Allah (be He exalted) says:

"Thus does Allah make clear to you the signs, that you may ponder." Holy Qur'an (2:219)

"And We set forth there parables to men that they may reflect." Holy Qur'an (59:21)

"Most surely there are signs in this for a people who reflect." Holy Qur'an (39:42)

"Do they not reflect within themselves, Allah did not create the heavens and the earth and what is between them twain but with truth, and (for) an appointed term? And most surely most of the people are deniers of the meeting with their Lord." Holy Qur'an (30:8)

It was narrated that the Messenger of Allah (a.s.) said:

"Allah enlightens a servant; he who heard my saying and learned it by heart or realized it and performed it as it was heard. For may one be a bearer of jurisprudence, but, he is not a jurist, and may a person know jurisprudence better than one who is more juristic?"(1) Quoting Imam al-Sadiq - upon whom be peace - in another tradition, he says:

"Allah will never accept an act that does not associate with knowledge; and no knowledge but with action. So, the one who has knowledge, it will lead him to act and the one who does not work is no longer obtaining knowledge. Whereas, now, surely, belief comes to the same result in each other."(2) It was stated that the Sunnah of the Prophet has urged people to place great emphasis on thought, thinking and understanding. This point is indicated by the following Hadith which goes as follows:

"When Allah wishes for a servant to be well, He grants him an understanding of religion."(3) It was related that al-Hassan al-Saiqel said, "I asked Abu-`Abdullah once about what people have related: `Thinking an hour is better than rising to pray in a night.'He replied, `Yes, Allah's Apostle said: `Thinking an hour is better than rising to pray in a night.'"(4) And, also, the Commander of the Faithful, Ali, - upon whom be peace - said:

"Thinking leads to science and to act in accordance with it."(5)

And he (a.s.) once said to his son Hassan (s.a.):

"There is no worship like thinking about Allah's creation."(6) It was related from Imam al-Rida (s.a.) who said, "Worship does not mean a multitude of fasting and prayers, but, it is a multitude of contemplation on Allah's affairs."(7)

At that, the one who investigates verses of the Holy Qur'an which talk about thought, consciousness, science, jurisprudence and intellect, will find that they are as a request which intends to free the mind from inactivity and to release the human's thinking to think thoroughly about nature, society, life and thought, then, he will be able to discover, invent and progress in degrees.

Definition Of Thought

If one looks through linguistic dictionaries, logical and scientific studies which deal with the definition of thought and talk about it; he will see that there is a clear confinement and strict definition of thought in these studies and sciences. So, it is more useful, here, to offer many definitions for thought; as they have been related to some distinguished personalities of thought, science and language.

Al-Raghib al-Esfahani said: `Idea is a struck-power of convincing for science to reach to the known thing; and thinking is a wandering of that power in accordance with the mind's view which deals with the human being rather than animals. And that will be correct if it has an image being formed in the mind.' At that, it was related:

`It is better to think of Allah's favors, not of His very essence for He is too exalted for being termed by any image'. As the Qur'an says:

"Thus does Allah make clear to you the signs that you may ponder." Holy Qur'an (2:219)

A thoughtful man means thinking much.

Some men of letters have said: `The word `thought' is derived from a word meaning `rubbing'. Whereas with regard to meanings the word `thought' is being used for giving meaning in probing deeply into the cases and searching through them to reach their truth.'(8) And, also, Ibn Mandhoor said: `Thought is the taking up of the mind into a thing.'(9)

The late Sheikh `Abbas Qommi has defined `thought' as follows: `Be aware that the essence of thinking is to ask for non-axiomatic science through premises which lead to it. And it was said: Thinking is a march of essence from the beginnings to the destinations; and it is closer to the view. And no one can ascend from defect to perfection without this march.'(10)

In another definition to `thought' given by Sheikh Muhammad Rida al-Mudhaffar follows thus: `You know, as we have said before, that `thought' means to perform an intellectual process on given facts in order to reach to a demanded thing.'

The demanded thing is to know about the absent ignorance; and in another meaning `thought' is a mental movement from a known to an unknown thing.(11) Thus, that team of distinguished personalities have put before us the definition and expression of the word `thought' or `thinking'. By this, the fact of thinking becomes clear along with its diagnosed meaning which is as follows: It is a mental motion and power of reason through which a man can discover things which are unknown to him and the aim is to be gained by his research. Due to this, all his knowledge, sciences and ideas, in life, will be developed.

According to what has been mentioned, we find ourselves able to reach a serious result, thus: Most surely Islam in its vocation for thinking means only science and knowledge, as well as, the discovery of codes that touch on thought, nature, society and life. Of course, that most surely gives life, Islamic knowledge and civilization a dynamic feature which is considered a development, growth, activity and continual secret that has an effect on human progress. Moreover, it is an immunity from collapse, as well as, historical stoppage and absence.

Islamic Thinking:

If that is thinking, in general, and a product of the thinking process together with its scientific outcome which we call `thought', then, we will stop around a fundamental cause which deals with the Islamic nation's life and its successive generation, as well as, in the life of human beings. That cause touches on Islamic thinking and thought, so what do we mean by each one?

A. Islamic Thinking:

According to what we have said before about the definitions of `thought' and `thinking', it is suitable, here, to define `Islamic thinking', because every intellectual act and ideological activity has its method, and aims. Therefore, we have understood that thinking is no more than intellectual motion which starts from a known thing and ends in the discovery of an unknown one.

If this intellectual motion practises its role through the field of human knowledge like philosophy, jurisprudence, ethics, theology and theories of economics, politics, literatures, social psychology, philosophy of history and, etc., it will practise its action as follows:

1. It starts moving from a limited feature of principles and premises due to the ideological field that moves in it.
2. It moves according to a certain way and method that agrees with the thinker's view and his mode of thinking.
3. It ends up always with the ideological results of a limited identity and characteristic.

But, if that thinking process starts moving away from Islamic methods and premises or it harmonizes well with the Islamic line, as well as, moves in accordance with the Islamic thinking method; it aims at obtaining results according to these premises and modes of thinking that it depends on.

Moreover, it has its target on the results of thinking being of the Islamic identity and quality; so, this thinking will be an Islamic one. And as thinking does not go in line with those three Islamic prinicples, we cannot describe it as an Islamic thought because, it has started from non-Islamic premises and moved due to non-Islamic thinking methods and surely arrived at a non-Islamic consequence. So, we can define Islamic thinking as follows:

Any mindful motion that moves as a result of Islamic rules and aims at obtaining a committed Islamic thought.

B. Islamic Thought:

After defining Islamic thinking we can, then, define Islamic thought, thus: It is a group of knowledge and sciences that rely on principles and Islamic criteria. So, Islamic thought goes like this: It is produced by Islamic thinking that is in harmony with committed Islamic rules and criteria. And, by then, we will reach an essential conclusion with regard to a matter that gives full proof to both identity and feature of thought, culture, civilization and knowledge to be termed either as an Islamic or non-Islamic one; as it is incorrect to say that all things produced by Muslims are Islamic.

Whereas, only thought that is committed to Islam can be called Islamic. And this fact, also, can be applied to every artistic and literary product; as it has been applied in every mental product. But, nay ! We do not apply a name to the literary product as an Islamic literature unless it is committed by values and Islamic criteria; besides, having the nature and spirit of Islam.

In addition, to this, we cannot call every art being performed by Muslim artists as an Islamic art unless it deals only with values and Islamic criteria, as well as, to display them in full expression. As the Qur'an says:

"(Receive) the baptism of Allah, and who is better than Allah in baptising? and Him do we serve." Holy Qur'an (2:138)