1

FIKR AND‘
AQL

THINKING AND REASONING

Fikr means thinking. Like many other human activities, fikr can be for good or evil. There are many
people whose thinking is directed towards harming others or in the service of falsehood and injustice. An
example of this is mentioned in the Qur`an, which is translated as:

For he thought and he plotted; And woe to him! How he plotted! (74:18-19)

A story that is said to provide the background for this verse is that when the mission of the Prophet (sall allah
‘alay hiwas all
am) started and the season of hajj came, the Quraysh were concerned that the Prophet would
preach his message to the pilgrims and in this way turn them against the Quraysh. So they decided that one of
them, Walid bin Mughirah, should speak to the pilgrims and try to discredit the Prophet. Walid thought hard
about what accusations he should fabricate against the Prophet. He applied logic, listing many possibilities and
then excluding them for various reasons. He finally decided that he would defame the Prophet before the
pilgrims as a magician.

These days there are missionary and zionist individuals and organizations that are similarly busy thinking about
how to harm Muslims and to discredit Islam and its Prophet, not by fair use of the evidence but by manipulating
it.Thepa stfewc entur iesha vea l
sopr oduc e di nt heWe stpeopl ec a l
led“ or i
entali
sts”whoc a rryouts tudies of
other societies and religions in order to assist their countries in colonizing other people and/or taking away their
lands and/or attacking them and/or exploiting their labor and resources.
 Apart from the passage cited above, fikr is used in the Qur`an in a positive sense. It is closely related1[1] wi
th‘
aql,
whi chi sa lwa ysus edi naposi
ti
veorne utrals ens e.‘Aql means: sense, reason, understanding, discernment,
2[2]
2 rationality, intelligence .

Fikr a nd‘aql lead to fiqh, which means understanding and in the Qur`an usually refers to the understanding of
religious principles.

Fikr a
nd‘ aql take place in our minds or brains but it is closely related to our hearts, that is, our motivations and
emotional reactions to events. Our hearts to a large extent determine what we will think about, how we will think
about it and what conclusions we will reach. Likewise, our thinking and reasoning can influence our hearts,
modifying our motivations and emotional reactions. Enough of our thinking and reasoning needs to be specifically

1[1]
The Qur`an several times puts fikr and‘
aql in parallel verses next to each other, e.g. 13:3-4, 16:10-12, 16:67-69, 30:21,
24.

2[2]
Thever
b‘aqala has the following meanings:

(i) To intern, to arrest, confine, overcome (in wrestling and throw down the opponent). Thus ‘ aqal
aal
-ba‘
ira means he tied (the
feet of) the camel and ‘ aqalalisan hu means he tied his tongue, that is, made him speechless.

(ii) To be or to bring something within the grasp of the mind, to comprehend, to understand. Also, to be reasonable, have
int el
li
gence,t obei none’ssenses,tobeconsci ous.Thewor dcanal somean,t ohavememor yofsomet hingThusla a‘ qalhadha
means“ Ihavenomemor yoft hi
s.”

(iii) To pay blood money.

Int he Qur `an t

he meani
ng oft
he worl
di s“understandi ng”or“ r
easoning”.I n 2:
75 i tissaidt hatt he Jewsused t o hearthe
word ofGod and t hen aft
erunder
standing (
‘aqalu) its meaning used to change it. In other verses, the meaning is mostly
reasoning.
 directed towards our motivations and emotional reactions, so that they become more reasonable. We also need
to think more about the short-term and long-term consequences of our actions for ourselves and others. Islam is
3 primarily concerned with this type of thinking and reasoning. Walid bin Mughirah used thinking and logic to
devise a plan to discredit the Prophet but he did not think and reason enough about his motivations and
emotions or consequences of his actions. In Islamic terms he woul dbec onsidereda mong“ peoplewhodonot
rea son”(qawml aya‘qilun)or“ pe opl
ewhodonotunde rst
and”( qawm la yafqahun).

We cannot really become reasonable people unless our hearts also become reasonable. An obvious characteristic
of a reasonable person is that s/he does not ignore or suppress or deny any of her/his observations and
experiences and does not rashly jump to conclusions on the basis of some others. But this would not be the case
if our motivations and emotions are unreasonable. In some specific matters we may be able to carry out a very
rational and profound analysis but if our motivations are misguided and our emotional reactions are unsound,
then in some other important matters we would incorrectly use our observations and experiences. We would
ignore some of them, build too much on some others, and as a result arrive at erroneous and possibly disastrous
conclusions.

To be a thinking/reasoning person with overall reasonable approach to life, one does not have to be a great
philosopher or scholar or scientist. Even a simple uneducated person can have such an approach. After all many
of the early ashab of the Messenger of Allah were uneducated slaves. And if a simple uneducated person can be
essentially a reasonable person, a great philosopher or scholar or scientist may be essentially an unreasonable
pe rson.F ore xamplema nyphi los ophe r s,s
chol ar
sa ndsci
ent i
stss uppor t edHi t
ler’sma de nt
erpr
is
eofe s
tabli
shing
supremacy of German race over other nations and races just as many others now support the equally mad Zionist
enterprise of emptying a country of its inhabitants and making it a racist Jewish country.
 HUMAN BEINGS ARE MEANT TO GROW TO BECOME THINKING/ REASONING PEOPLE

4 The Book of Allah says, which is translated as:

It is he who has created you from dust then from a sperm-drop, then from a clot; then he brings you out as a child
for you to reach your age of full strength, then to become old -- though some of you die before that -- then to
reach a time (of death) appointed and in order that you may reason. (40:67)

T heconc l
udi ngwor dsoft hisv erse,“
inor dert haty ouma yr eason”s how t ha tj us ta sahuma nbe ing,s
tarti
ng
from a sperm-drop, should normally develop into a child, then reach the age of full strength, then to become old,
and then die, so also he should become a thinking/reasoning person.

FIKR AND‘
AQL ARE A PRIMARY MEANS TO RECEIVE RELIGIOUS GUIDANCE

The Holy Qur`an makes it clear that normally fikr a

nd‘
aql are a necessary as well as a sufficient means to receive
religious guidance. That is:

(1) As a rule, thinking and reasoning should by themselves lead to the basic religious truth taught in Islam. Every
sane human being makes enough observations in the world outside and in his own self and has sufficient mass of
information stored in his subconscious that if he has a thinking/reasoning attitude he should normally be led to
the basic message of Islam, though not to all of its specific teachings.

(2) Thinking and reasoning are normally required before a person can receive religious guidance. People who do
not think enough and do not use their reason enough get lost into serious error.
 The basic religious truth

5 The basic religious truth taught in Islam may be expressed as follows (2:62, 91:7-10, 98:5 etc):

(a) Reality has an internal harmony and unity, it is transcendent and mysterious, and it is purposeful (belief in one
God).

(b) Ma
n’sa
cti
onsha
vec
ons
eque
nce
sev
enbe
yondhi
sde
ath(
bel
i
efi
nthehe
rea
fte
r).

(c) Right and wrong are generally known to human nature; man needs to do what is right and avoid what is wrong
(leading a righteous life).

(d) The above three beliefs should not simply be professed but affect our motivations, emotions, and actions.

Fikr and‘
aql can by themselves lead to the basic religious truth

The Holy Qur`an says that when the disbelieving people will be brought to hell:

They will say: "Had we but listened or used our intelligence, we should not be among the companions of the
blazing fire!" (67:10)

This verse mentions two ways for safety from the fire of hell: sam‘a nd‘ aql. Sam‘r eferst ol i
s teni
ngt oa nd
unde r standingt heme ssag ebr oughtbyt heMe sse ng e rwhi
l
e‘aql r
eferst ous ingone ’sreason.T hiss ug
ge ststhat
fikr a
nd‘ aql can by themselves lead man to guidance. The same conclusion is suggested by verses in which some
basic Islamic teachings are introduced with words like:
 afala t(y )
a‘qilun (do you or they not reason) i
nkunt
um t a‘qil
un (if only you reason) afalam takunu t
a‘qi
l
un (did
you not reason) afala tatafakkarun (do you not think) tatafakkaru (think!) awalam yatafakkaru (do they not
6 think).. For example, the translation is:

Do they not reflect on their own selves? Not but for just ends and for a term appointed, did Allah create the
heavens and the earth, and all between them. Yet are there truly many among men who deny the meeting with
their Lord! (30:8)

Here it is understood that if people reflect on their own selves, i.e., on their motivations, feelings, pursuits etc
they can reach the conclusion that there is purpose in this universe, that the universe is moving towards an
appointed time, and that we will meet with our Lord (for reward and punishment). Other similar verses are: 6:32,
7:169, 7:184, 10:16, 11:51, 12:109, , 21:10, 21:67, 23:80, 26:28, 28:60, 36:62, 34:46.

Fikr a
nd‘
aql are normally necessary to realize the basic religious truth

The Holy Qur`an often says that the signs that Allah shows us in nature (2:164, 13:3-4, 16:10-12, 16:67-69, 30:24,
28, 39:42, 45:5, 13), or in history (29:35), or in our own selves (30:21, 39:42), or in the Qur`an (10:24) are for
those who are in the habit of thinking and reasoning: li qawm yatafakkarun and l iqawmy a‘qi
lun. This shows that
thinking and reasoning are normally necessary to find guidance. This is also clear from several verses stating that
thosewhodonotus e‘aql are not guided:

Among them are some who listen (with their physical ears) to you (O Prophet). But can you make the (mentally)
deaf to hear (with the ears of their hearts), considering that they do not reason? (10:42; see also 6:25, 17:46,
18:57, where the verb used is faqiha)
 Thisverses howst hatonene
edst
obei
ntheha
bitofus
ingone
’s‘
aql before one can be guided by the message
brought by the Prophet.
7

Indeed, the worst of living creatures in the sight of Allah are the deaf and the dumb (human beings), those who
do not reason. (8:22)

Accordi ngt ot hisversehuma nbe ing swhodonotus et he ir‘

aql are worse than all living creatures. This is because
other living creatures grow to realize the potential of development with which Allah created them while human
beings who do not think and reason fall ruefully short of their potential.

The idea that those human beings who do not use their faculties of thinking and reasoning are worse than
animals is also stated in the following verse, which is translated as:

Many are the jinns and men we have made for hell. They have hearts wherewith they understand not, eyes
wherewith they see not, and ears wherewith they hear not. They are like cattle, nay more misguided. These are
the ones who are heedless.(7:179)

Acommonwa ytor e j
e cttheus eof‘ aql is to insist on ideas received from past generations without question. The
Qur`an condemns this and once again uses a comparison with animals:

When it is said to them: "Follow what Allah has sent down:" They say: "Nay! we shall follow the ways of our
fathers." What! even though their fathers did not understand a thing and were not well-guided? The example of
those who reject faith is as if one were to shout like a goat-herd, to (creatures) that listen to nothing but calls and
cries: Deaf, dumb, and blind, they do not reason. (2:170-171)

The following verse also makes clear that without fikr a

nd‘
aql the guidance does not come.
 No person can believe, except by the will of Allah, and he placed rijs on those who do not reason. (10:100)

8 Thes ta teme nttha tfaithdoe snotcomewi thoutAl lah’slea vedoe snotme a nt ha tthink i
nga ndrea soni
ngdone in
the right way do not lead to faith. It rather means that like other human efforts, there are many possibilities of
things going wrong. The right way of thinking and reasoning, as mentioned before, is to ignore none of our
observations or experiences and jump to premature conclusions on the basis of none. This is easy to say but
difficult to achieve. The tendency to ignore some evidence and to overuse some other is extremely strong in
human beings. History shows that even in science very clever and intelligent people think and reason for years
only to reach completely wrong conclusions. And the possibility of error in the matter of religion is much greater
because: a) religious truth is much more illusive than scientific truth, especially before it has been expressed in a
revelation; b) religious truth demands a radical change in the way we live and is therefore resisted much more by
ma n’sowns el
ft ha nscie nti
fi
ct r
uth.

Hence for an overwhelming majority of people guidance comes in two steps: They develop a thinking/reasoning
attitude. This leads them to listen to the message of the Prophet with some open-mindedness, which then makes
them accept his message. Afterwards they direct a good part of their thinking and reasoning to the Qur`an itself
and develop further in the understanding and practice of Islam.

The meaning of rijs

The verse 10:100 quoted above says that Allah places rijs (dirt or filth) on those who do not reason. But what is
this rijs?

The following verses give weakness, fearfulness, de f

eats,di vi
s ions ,a
ndhy
poc
ris
yast
her
esul
tsofnotus
ing‘
aql
and it is natural to think that these negative results constitute rijs:
 They will not fight you (even) together, except in fortified townships, or from behind walls. Strong is their fighting
amongst themselves. You would think they were united, but their hearts are divided. That is because they are a
9 people who do not reason. (59:14)

O Prophet! Rouse the believers to the fight. If there are twenty steadfast amongst you, they will overcome two
hundred and if a hundred, they will overcome a thousand of the unbelievers. For these are a people who do not
understand3[3]. (8:65)

Whenever there comes down a Surah, they look at each other, (saying with their eyes), "Does anyone see you?"
Then they turn aside: Allah has turned their hearts (from the truth); for they are a people that do not understand.
(9:127)

Some Muslims discourage thinking/reasoning on the grounds that this will mislead people or create divisions. The
above verses teach the exact opposite. They tell us that thinking/reasoning, far from misleading people is
necessary for receiving guidance and that it is lack of thinking/reasoning that leads to all types of rijs, weakness,
cowardice, hypocrisy, and yes, even divisions. I would say that differences among people who think and reason is
rahmah or mercy from Allah. And agreement among people who do not think and reason is l a‘nahor curse from
Allah.

The meaning of deaf, dumb, and blind

Seve r
a lv ersesde scri
bet hos ewhodonott hi
nka nddonotus
ethe
ir‘
aql as deaf and/or dumb and/or blind. In
case of blindness the Qur`an clarifies the meaning:

3[3]
The word here and in 9:127 is fiqh andnot‘
aql. But fiqh i
snor
mal
lyt
her
esul
tofusi
ng‘
aql.
 Do they not travel through the land that they may have hearts with which to reason and ears with which to hear?
(In most cases), it is not the eyes that become blind, but the hearts that are in the breasts. (22:46)
10

Thusbl indne ssist hef ai

luretoa pply‘aql to what one sees and as a result fail to see a great many important
truths. For various reasons we ignore or suppress or deny some of what we observe and experience. This makes
us blind to some very important religious truths. Similarly, we can speak of deaf
nes
sa st hefa i
l
ur et
oa ppl y‘aql to
what one hears. But what is dumbness? Dumbness is not to speak the truth as one sees it but as a habit say what
serve sone ’sintere s
tsort heinte restsofone ’sg rouporr epe att heg ene r
all
yort radit
iona l
lyaccept ed views
wi t
houtt hinking.Whe nonedoe st hatov eral ongpe ri
od, one’sabili
tytope rc
eivet
ruthisa l
l butlos
t.

Notice that in this verse reasoning is said to be done with the hearts. Non-Muslims have objected to this as a
pr oofoft heQurà n’ signoranceof the fact that thinking and reasoning is done in the brain (see also 7:179, where
fiqh is associated with the heart). Muslims have replied by saying that the Qur`an uses the language of literature
and not of science. But while this reply is valid, there is probably more to the Qur`anic reference to hearts doing
the reasoning. It is probably drawing attention to the fact, noted earlier, that brain cannot reason adequately in
all important matters unless our motivations and emotional reactions, often associated with the heart in
literature, also become reasonable. Moreover, reaching the basic religious truth involves not only cerebral
thinking and reasoning but also some intuitive sense, which is likewise associated with the heart.

FIKR AND‘
AQL AND REVELATION

One may ask: If fikr a

nd‘ aql can by themselves lead to religious truth, then what is the function of the Qur`anic
revelation? The answer to this question is:

There are so many possibilities of our thinking and reasoning going astray due to the unreasonableness of our
motivations and emotions that relatively few people reach the basic religious truth on their own. An
 overwhelming majority of people need revelation to guide their thinking and reasoning towards the truth.
Revelation provides the clearest possible expression of the basic religious truth and in this way makes the journey
11 of thinking/reasoning people towards the truth much easier.

Even those who do reach the truth on their own, their sense of it in most cases is so hazy and their hold on it so
weak that they can loose it under the pressures and influences that they must inevitably face. Revelation helps
such people stay on the guidance and not fall back into error under various pressures and influences.

Revelation creates social environment in which realizing the truth and staying on the path indicated by it
becomes much easier.

After Allah leads thinking/reasoning people to the revelation given to the Holy Prophet, they realize that he must
be obeyed, since otherwise it would be an unacceptable loss of opportunities to do good in the world. Also, their
thinking/reasoning does not stop but continues except that a major part of their thinking/reasoning is now done
using the Qur`an.

The Qur`an is very concerned about its basic message being understood and not simply accepted as a revealed
mystery, although it does contain mysteries. Thus it says that its revelation is in Arabic so that you, its first
recipients, may understand (la‘
allakum t a‘qilun: 12:2, 43:3). And after giving laws (2:219, 242, 6:151, 24:61),
para bles( 2:
266,7: 176,59: 21,andme nti
oni ngs ignsf rom na tur
e( 57:17)i tof tens ays“ thatyouort he yma y
unde rstandorus e‘aql (l
a‘all
ak{
h} um t{y}atafak karun or la‘
al l
ak (
h)um t{y}a‘qilun). Then in some verses it states
the same for the whole book:

(This is) a book that We have sent down unto you (O Prophet), full of blessings, that they may reflect on its
verses, and that men of understanding may receive admonition. (38:29)
 Thewor df or“ refl
e ct”,tadabbara, always used in the Qur`an (4:82, 47:24, 23:68) in connection with reflection on
the Qur`an itself, also means: to be prepared or organized or planned and to treat with care. It has thus a sense of
12 thinking in a careful, organized and thorough way.

…Weha ves ent down unto you (O Prophet) the Message that you may explain clearly to men what is sent for
them, and that they may think. (16:44)

Thewor ds“thatyoumaye x
plai
nc l
earl
ytome nwha ti
ss entforthe
m”a reoft
encorr
ectl
yus
edt oarg
uethatthe
authentic a
ha di
thareasourceofIsl
amicgui
dance.Butwes houldal
sonotfor
getthela
stwords,“
thatt
heyma y
thi
nk” .Thesewor dsshow thatther
ea rerea
ll
yt hre esour cesofgui
danceinIs
lam:therev
e a
ledme s
sage,it
s
explanationbytheProphetandma n’
sownt hi
nking/reasoning.

CONCLUSION

The verses I have quoted show that Allah expects man to think about nature, history, basic philosophical
questions such as whether there is a purpose in the universe, about our motivations and emotions and about the
Qur`an itself. In early Islamic centuries this inspired Muslims, on the one hand, to study, develop or initiate all
kinds of fields of knowledge, and, on the other hand, to devise spiritual systems of tasawwuf for inner
development. The Qur`an demands us to do this in all ages. But in the past few centuries we have not been doing
enoug ht hi
nkinga ndma kinge noug hus eof‘ aql about the world around us and about the Qur`an itself. And
tasawwuf has largely degenerated into superstitious deviations from Islam. So as a result, just as the Qur`an says,
the rijs of weakness, fearfulness, cowardice, hypocrisy, and divisions has been placed on us. May Allah forgive us
and enable us to pay heed to his call to think and reason.