Qur'an invites you to ponder and think and not just believe blindly
Hundreds of verses of the Quran exhort its readers to study one’s own body, the nature around us, past history, and the Quran itself. There is no invitation to blind or illogical beliefs in this book.
The Qur’an asks people to use the ability given to them by Allah to think and use reason. It condemns those who do not use it. God says: Indeed, the worst of living creatures in the sight of God are the deaf and dumb who do not use reason.
[Al-Quran 8:22]
At another place, the Qur’an says: …They have hearts with which they do not understand, they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear. Those are like cattle; rather, they are more astray. It is they who are the heedless.
[Al-Quran 7:179]
About numerous signs spread throughout the universe, God says:
Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding; Those who remember God while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], “Our Lord, You did not create this without purpose …”
[Al-Quran 3:190-191]
The Quran reasons the unity of God by saying: If there were gods in them [i.e., in the earth and the heaven] other than the one God, then surely they would have been ruined …
[Al-Quran 21:22]
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was the perfect example of how to practice the Qur’an. Edward De Bono, who is a world leader on thinking says: Prophet Muhammad had more to say about thinking than any other religious leader.
Quran identifies the obstacles to thinking. Among them are:
Pursuit of one’s desires that disturbs impartiality and good judgment
The Qur’an says: And who is more astray than the one who follows his desire without guidance from God?
[28:50]
Pursuit of guesswork
The Qur’an says: They follow not except assumption and what [their] souls desire, even though there has already come to them from their Lord guidance.
[Al-Quran 53:23]
Blind imitation of forefathers
The Qur’an says: And when they are told to follow what God has revealed, they respond, “No, we will follow what we found our forefathers doing.” Even though their forefathers did not understand nor were they guided?
[Al-Quran 2:170]
Blind imitation of wrong leaders
They Qur’an says that in the hellfire, the wrongdoers will say, “Our Lord, indeed we obeyed our masters and our dignitaries, and they led us astray from the [right] way
[Al-Quran 33:67]
In the next part we will talk about the Qur’an as a book of peace and spirituality and to fight depression and a solace for the troubled heart.
Don’t forget the miraculous fact that the Qur’an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad who could not read nor write! It is impossible for such a person to write this book. It can only be from God. Check it for yourself. Read it! It is for you.