Islamic Thought

For the Sake of Fulfilling the Intellectual Originality

It is not easy for one who wishes to learn and read or anyone who tries, intensively, to obtain ideas and knowledge to achieve, for himself, the ideological originality of Islam through throngs of civilizational and intellectual accumulations and theses that books overflow with, as well as, being broadcasted by non-Muslim propaganda and the publishing media, and other schools, parties and movements.

Many of these people face a danger of intellectual confusion and disorder; particularly a person who obtains knowledge by means of self-education and not from the efficient hands of abiding Muslim teachers or from pure original sources; but, he can obtain all thoughts and concepts from any source as correct, knowledgeable and scientific axioms.

Surely, this style of acquiring knowledge has many dangers to cultural and intellectual originality, as well as, purity. Therefore, it is imposed as a duty upon everyone who undertakes research and strives to obtain thought, knowledge and culture to be more vigilant against falling into the traps of schemes and intellectual poison which are broadcasted by non-Muslim ideological foundations and sources.

The following fundamental principles can fulfill the intellectual originality and protect the comprehension, as well as, thought from danger of deviation and disorder:

  1. To start believing in the existence of Islamic ideological schools and, the independent, Muslim, cultural personality. This principle lets Muslim Thought and view progress, which is distinguised from other opinions, when he reads and studies or researches in any field of thought and culture.

  2. A Muslim must start, when he wants to form an Islamic culture and knowledge with the original Muslim Thought and culture in order to make, for himself, the rules and starting points; equally the intellectual and fundamental criteria that can enable him to keep its ideological and cultural originality.

  3. To be critical and careful of what he reads and learns in order to be more rational in his learning of thought and knowledge, besides being established on rules and intellectual original criteria to be able, in the light of the rules, Islamic fundamentals and criteria, to put to trial all thoughts and views; via refusing anything except those that harmonize, perfectly, with his Islamic belief and principles.

By this, the researcher can accomplish, for himself, the ideological originality and purity.

  1. Ability of Growth and Fertility:

The history of Islamic Thought and civilization, besides the history of human thought have admitted this excellent fact: We will be able to realize this fertile attribute and ability of development and contribution through Islamic Thought if we understand that the endless source of this thought is Allah's Book and revelation; which was revealed to a teacher of human beings and a guide to humanity; that is, Allah's Apostle Muhammad (a.s.)

It is a fact that all sciences and knowledge which are produced by Islamic Thought are attributed to the Holy Qur'an, because it is the origin, spring and the standard of their adjustment and commitment.

If we study and analyze this scientific structure of Islamic Thought with its all-inclusive sciences of interpretation, religious jurisprudence and fundamentals, as well as, psychology, ethics, history, sociology and theories of politics, economics and other knowledge, we will see an objective and intellectual phenomenon of multiplication, as well as, the continuous fertility and growth attribute; similarly, the power on contributing, confronting and protecting the heritage and covering a person's need through their intellectual extensions and social (objective) expanse.

Of course, the secret behind that growth of Islamic Thought is hidden in several reasons; the most important are as follows:

  1. Generality of rules and intellectual principles, besides their scientific enrichment.

  2. Islam gives free permission to the diligence process and is satisfied with any average which results from it to the benefit of Islam and regards it as an Islamic doctrine, and trend, as well as, it can form the intellectual extension for fundamentals and Islamic rules as long as it is in keeping with the commitment and acts, in accordance with the right method of understanding, styles and education.

  3. Islam gives its full attention to making life more developed and flourished, besides its vocation to useful movements and to stir the mind through its flat refusal of immobilization and stoppage.

So, all these elements, together, have granted Islamic Thought that power and movable contribution, for there is no longer any problem that Islamic Thought may still suffer from; the one that other positive theories and principles have endured; those that deal with their sterility and incapable power of contributing and growing due to their narrow horizons and limited view.

Meanwhile, the contrary is true, about the deep-rooted fertility and ability in Islamic Thought to occupy the intellectual and social movement widely and deeply. In fact, the enrichment of Islamic rules and fundamentals that the Qur'an and Sunnah include, besides their capacity of having an endless storage of ideas and concepts, is the essential material of that growth and contribution in Islamic Thought and its power of being able to cover great areas of a person's activity and his life's growth.

If the Islamic mission does not admit that the mind has a role and that it urges one to think, speculate and deduce, as well as, its given authority to diligence and the education process taken from rules, fundamentals and principal sources (i.e., Qur'an and Sunnah), the Islamic Thought and Muslim thinker will have no chance to go further in his activity of trying to cover every aspect, matter and problem that may face a person in the fields of belief, thinking, legislation or system of life. So, the thinker and Muslim researcher has found, beforehand, a prime intellectual material and legal authorization in researching and deducing outcomes which are added to Islam at the time when the thinker faces problems of the mind or civilizational and social matters.

  1. Unity and Association:

The Islamic Thought is distinguished by its set of principles which form an integral and constructional union that effects and completes each other; as an instance, the philosophy of morals with their values included which connects, firmly, with the belief of Oneness and Allah's attributes; moreover, it is affected by them. These morals and their values have an influence on the systematic lawful field; over and above the economic side and is connected and affected by the thought of worship.

The concept of worship is a spirit that runs through every activity or thinking that is performed by human beings, due to Islamic rules. So, it is impossible to dissociate between various aspects of thought and the ranges of its areas with regard to the theoretical and practical side.

For instance, a talent for moral justice that Islam has called for with regard to a rule in human behaviour, as well as, a talent has an active influence on a person's social and political conduct; furthermore, to his relation with his family members and society. The association and interaction between worship and the morality of generosity, mercy and economic planning that appears clearly in the duty of paying alms (zakat) which is obligatory in Islam to be given by Muslims.

And so, this characteristic of unity and association in Islamic Thought has taken part in the field of preparation in applying and making a suitable climate for commitment. Each side will provide the space and make human beings ready to accept the next one, as well as, help it to be more progressive.

Morals and piety, for instance, can make the economic and political system, as well as, social relations, more successful. Moreover, the belief in Allah and the next world will prepare human beings to hold law in high esteem and stay aloof from crimes and disobedience.

As a result of this, we can see the association and integration; equally, mutual affection among all different fields of thought. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

Endnotes

  1. Al-Shaheed al-Thani: Al-Dirayah.
  2. Kulayni: al-`Usul min Kafi, Vol. 1, p. 44, 3rd Edition.
  3. Harrani: Tuhaf al-`Uqool.
  4. Tabrisi: Mashkat al-Anwar, p. 37, 2nd Edition.
  5. Ibid.
  6. Qumi: Safinatul Bihar, Chapter F-K.
  7. Ibid.
  8. Raghib al-Esfahani: Mu`jam Mufradat Alfad al-Quran, A Matter of Thought.
  9. Ibn Mandhoor: Lisan al-Arab, A Matter of Thought.
  10. Sheikh Abbas al-Qommi: Safinatul Bahar, Chapter F-K.
  11. Sheikh Muhammad Rida al-Mudaffar: al-Mantiq, vol. 1, p. 23. 3rd Edition.
  12. Kulayni: al-Usul min al-Kafi, vol. 2, Fadlul Qur'an, p. 609, 3rd Edition.
  13. Presented by Subhi al-Salih: Nahj-ul-Balagha, p. 315, 1st Edition.
  14. Sayyid Abul-Qassim al-Kho'ie: Tafseer al-Bayan, p. 23, Printed in 1394 A.H. - 1974 A.D.
  15. Al-Kulayni: al-Usul of al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 59, Edition 1388 A.H.
  16. Ibid., p. 60.
  17. Ibid., p. 59.
  18. Al-Tabrisi: Mishkatul Anwar, Acceptance of the Sunnah and the Meanings of the Qur'an.
  19. Ibid.
  20. Raghib al-Esfahani: A Matter of Method.
  21. Tabrasi: Majma'ul Bayan, vol. 1, An Introduction.
  22. Ibid.
  23. Abul-Qassim al-Kho'ie, Al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an, p. 421, Edition 1399 A.H.
  24. Tabataba'i: al-Mizan fi Fasir al-Qur'an, vol. 1, Introduction.
  25. Fakhr-el-Deen al-Turaihi.
  26. Tabrasi, Majma' al-Bayan, vol. 1, an Introduction.
  27. Tabrisi: Al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an, vol. 4, p. 421.
  28. Ibid.
  29. This verse of the Qur'an "And those who join that which Allah has bidden to be joined..." Holy Qur'an (13:21), was explained by Imam Sadiq (a.s.) to Umar Ibn Yazid thus: "This verse was revealed to deal with Muhammad's (a.s.) relatives; and may be used to deal with your relatives. So, do not say this thing is limited to only one meaning."
  30. Sheikh Abbas al-Qommi: Safinat-ul-Bihar, A Matter of Origin.
  31. Ibid.
  32. Ibn Manzur, Lisan al-Arab.
  33. Hur al-Amili, Wasa'il al-Shi'a, vol. 18, p. 109.