Mind is a tool, not a reference

One of the most misunderstood issues among Muslims today is the role of the mind (Aql). As a result of this misunderstanding, the Muslim Ummah has suffered from a distorted outlook. Because the mind is used to formulate ideas and concepts about life, then misunderstanding the function of this tool will lead to misuse of the mind, which will ultimately result in a consistent pattern of incorrect ideas, thoughts, and concepts. Therefore, it is crucial for the Muslims to understand how Islam defines the role of the mind.

Role of the Mind in the Islamic Aqeedah

When it comes to the issue of establishing the foundation of the Islamic Aqeedah - the belief in Allah (swt) as the One Creator, the belief in the Qur'an as the Book of Allah, and the belief in Muhammad (saaws) as the Messenger of Allah (swt) - the mind is used to its full capacity. Allah (swt) created the human being and distinguished the human being with the capacity to think. And in the Qur'an, Allah (swt) addresses the human being to think and ponder about the universe to come to the realization that Allah (swt) exists. Furthermore, Allah (swt) orders the human being to think and ponder about himself to come to the realization that the human being must depend upon Allah (swt) to provide a system and way of life for the human being. Also, Allah (swt) instructs the human being to think and contemplate about the Qur'an itself, to arrive at the conclusion that the Qur'an is the Book of Allah, thereby establishing Muhammad (saaws) as the Messenger of Allah.

This use of the mind is necessary when it comes to the issue of belief because of two reasons. First, Allah (swt) ordered us to establish the truthfulness of the Islamic Aqeedah through the intellectual method, and He condemned those who built their belief on other means such as emotion, doubt, conjecture, imitation of forefathers, or following the masses. Secondly, the belief or Aqeedah is the most central issue for the human being, and it is the foundation that defines the outlook and behavior of the human being. Furthermore, the belief is the reference that provides the thoughts and concepts, the criterion for measuring all things, as well as the source for solutions and answers to all issues - for human beings as individuals as well as for society. Therefore, it is essential that the Aqeedah be erected upon a solid foundation that is built upon conclusive proofs. Any doubt in the Aqeedah will translate into a shaky foundation that will be prone to compromise, influence by foreign ideas, inconsistency, and weakness. And absolute certainty cannot be established except through the intellectual method, which is the process of examining the reality as it is, enabling one to build thoughts based on definite facts.

How Islam Defines the Role of the Mind for Muslims

Once the human being establishes the truthfulness of the Islamic Aqeedah and enters into the fold of Islam, then Islam becomes the reference point that defines the thoughts, outlook, and behavior of the Muslim. In addition, Islam also defines the role of the mind. In Islam, the mind is a tool that is used to understand the reference, but it does NOT serve as a reference itself, nor can be used to question the validity of any aspect of the reference or to pass judgment on the reference. The Message of Islam, once proven correct, does not need to justify any of its contents. Therefore, in Islam, the mind is used to understand the Islamic rules and what Islam expects from the Muslims, but once this understanding is reached, then the attitude of the Muslim should be as Allah (swt) described the believers in the Qur'an: 'We listen, and we obey.'

The evidence that establishes this role can be deduced intellectually and textually. On the intellectual level, the foundation of the Islamic Aqeedah rests upon two points, the first one being the realization that Allah (swt) exists as the One Creator, and the second point being the realization that we as human beings must depend upon Allah (swt) to provide us with answers and with a system of life. The existence of Allah (swt) is established through an intellectual study of the universe, which conclusively proves that Allah (swt) exists. And the dependency of human being to Allah (swt) is established through an intellectual study of the human being. The human mind is limited in its scope, and is subject to bias, error, and influence from the environment. Therefore, any attempt by the human mind to define the system of life or to provide answers and solutions to the questions and issues that humanity faces will be subject to mistakes, error, inconsistency and bias. This fact leads us to the realization that the human being must depend upon Allah (swt) to provide us with the correct system and the correct solution to our questions and problems. Because Allah (swt) is the Creator, then His Knowledge is unlimited and is not prone to error, mistakes, or inconsistency; thus, it follows naturally that the system that Allah (swt) provides is correct, and once it is proven that Islam is that system, then the Muslim should submit to everything that emanates from Islam with the contentment that whatever emanates from Islam is from Allah (swt) the Creator.

On the textual level, the role of the mind is established by the many Qur'anic ayat and hadiths that clearly order the Muslims to obey Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saaws) unconditionally. Once we establish that the Qur'an is the Book of Allah, this means that whatever is mentioned in the Qur'an is from Allah (swt) the Creator. And the Qur'an explicitly orders the Muslims to submit to Allah (swt) and the Messenger without conditions. As such, the role of the mind becomes a tool that is used to understand what Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saaws) said.

Some Additional Points to Keep in Mind

That being said, two additional points must be kept in mind. First, stating that the mind has a well-defined role does not constitute 'narrow-mindedness' or 'closed mindedness.' If it is meant by narrow-mindedness or closed-mindedness that we refer to a specific point of view, then all human beings are narrow-minded and closed minded because all human beings have a reference point. However, if it is meant by narrow-mindedness that we close our minds to other opinions that are WITHIN the framework and boundary of Islam, then this should be fought against because such a state of mind will kill creativity and productivity in the Ummah. Equally dangerous would be to extend our minds beyond the perimeters that Islam defined and to open our minds to accept any opinion, regardless of whether it conforms with Islam or not. Such a mentality would open the door for influence by foreign thoughts and would dilute the purity of the Islamic concepts, which would pollute the thinking of the Ummah and lead to stagnation and confusion. There is a difference between narrow-mindedness and being FOCUSED. We as Muslims should use our minds, but we should have the focus and the clarity to realize that the use of our minds should not extend beyond the boundaries set by our reference, which is Islam.

Secondly, Islam defines the role of the mind in other aspects and not just in issues related to the Deen. Regarding issues related to science, technology, or issues of an administrative nature, Islam gave the mind an unrestricted role. For this reason, we find that the Prophet (saaws) would be extremely vigilant in ensuring that the Muslims would refer exclusively to Islam in their belief, thoughts, values, outlook, legislation, and culture. However, the Prophet (saaws) borrowed the concept of the trench from the Persians and utilized this technology in the Battle of Al-Ahzab, and he would send some Muslims to Yemen (which was not Muslim at the time) to learn how to manufacture swords. In addition, the Prophet (saaws) changed his opinion and accepted the opinions of others on technical issues, but when it came to issues related to concepts, belief, or legislation, the Sahabah would submit to Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saaws) totally and completely.


What Went Wrong?

Muslims in the past clearly understood the role of the mind in all aspects. The Muslims understood that the Aqeedah must be established intellectually, and as a result, Islam was built upon a solid foundation. As a result, the Muslims had no difficulty in submitting to the revelation unconditionally, and this strong foundation created within the Muslims a great intellectual momentum on all fronts. On the linguistic and juristic fronts, the Muslims established such fields as Usul ul-Fiqh, Fiqh, Usul ud-Deen, Ilm ul-Hadith, and Tafseer in order to facilitate understanding of the Islamic text. On the scientific and technological fronts, the Muslims excelled in all sciences and technologies in order to establish and advance the supremacy of Islam and to facilitate the implementation and propagation of the Islamic Message.

However, with time, the Muslims lost this understanding of the role of the mind. It began when Muslims began to debate issues that are beyond the thinking process. In this context, Ilm ul-Kalaam was borne, and Muslims began to discuss issues that are beyond the human mind, such as Allah's Essence and Allah's Attributes. Eventually, this provided fertile ground for the emergence of Sufism and Muslim 'Philosophers,' which further pushed the use of the mind above and beyond its limits. All of these influences succeeded in weakening the strength of the Aqeedah of Islam and caused a shift in the Muslim mentality. Rather than building the Islamic Aqeedah through profound intellectual study established upon concrete proof, the Islamic Aqeedah was established upon abstract metaphysical arguments that were grounded in speculation, conjecture, and superstition. This state of weakness caused the Muslims to become easily influenced by the Western Culture and civilization, and along with this culture came the Western definition of the role of the mind.

Nowadays, the understanding of the mind's role among Muslims is the diametric opposite of what it should be. Rather than establishing the belief through intellect, the Muslims adopt Islam through 'faith' and blind following. The Islamic Aqeedah is taken blindly in the absence of the profound intellectual process that Allah (swt) ordered humanity to use in establishing their belief. However, when it comes the Akham Shariyah, rather than utilizing their minds as a tool to understand the reference, Muslims have begun to refer to the mind itself as a source for their thoughts, their actions, their values, and as a reference to address issues and measure things. This confused status can only be attributed to the influence of the Western culture and the definition of the mind's role as espoused by the West. In the West, the mind is completely divorced from belief, and as a result, belief cannot be proven intellectually and must be taken on 'faith'. This separation was a by-product of the Secular Aqeedah of the West, in which Allah (swt) was removed from life, and Deen was detached from the life affairs. As a result, the West looks to the human mind as the source for laws, rules, and legislation, and as the criterion and reference.

As the Muslims were declining, the West began to experience a dramatic revival, and as a result, the Muslims became fascinated by the West and began to adopt their culture and outlook. Therefore, it was a natural consequence that the Muslims began to view the role of the mind according to Western standards. The level of confusion was so severe that Muslims would prohibit themselves from adopting the science and technology of the West while turning a blind eye when it came to adopting the culture, outlook and thoughts of the West, even though Islam allowed us to adopt science and technology from foreign cultures and civilizations but strictly prohibited us from adopting their culture and way of life.

Today, understanding the role of the mind according to the West has become an accepted norm among Muslims. The situation has deteriorated to the extent that Muslims will go as far as citing so-called 'Islamic' justifications to promote this view. Concepts such as 'Shariah was revealed for our benefit' and 'the mind is a source of Shariah' only reinforce this twisted thinking. Therefore, it is crucial for the Muslims, if they are serious about revival, to address this issue. Revival of the Ummah will begin by reviving the thinking of the Muslims, and this cannot be done without developing a clear and correct understanding of how Islam defines the very tool that we use in thinking.

May Allah (swt) help us in understanding Islam correctly so that we can fulfill our responsibilities and worship Him in the correct manner.