Some people use thinking as a doorway to despise others or act condescendingly, making erroneous judgments. Others use it as a means to criticize religion or accuse it of falling short of meeting modern needs.
Those who engage in such criticisms often do so due to incorrect information, flawed or biased thinking, or neglecting the true objectives and consequences of things.
To achieve sound thinking, certain essential steps must be observed for accuracy and completeness of information, balanced judgment, and consideration of consequences, as illustrated below:
1. Accuracy and Validity of Information:
Sound thinking cannot be based on incorrect information or ignorance of essential facts. Errors or lack of reliable information hinder thoughtful judgment. Allah emphasizes this in His words: "And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight, and the heart - about all those [one] will be questioned." (Al-Isra, 36)
Relying on flawed information can lead to placing things incorrectly, leading to judgments about someone’s moderation, deviation, acceptance, or rejection without any basis in reality, resulting in misguided actions.
Therefore, the Qur’an instructs verifying information before making decisions. Allah says: "O you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done, regretful" (Al-Hujurat, 6). This verse was revealed regarding Al-Walid bin 'Uqbah bin Abi Mu'ayt, whom the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent to the tribe of Banu al-Mustaliq to collect their alms. There had been enmity between him and them in the pre-Islamic period, and when the people heard of his approach, they went out to meet him in respect to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. But Satan suggested to him that they intended to kill him, so he became fearful and returned to the Prophet ﷺ, saying: "Banu al-Mustaliq have refused to give their alms and planned to kill me." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ became angry and considered waging war against them. When the tribe learned of Al-Walid's retreat, they came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: "We heard of your envoy, and we went out to welcome him and honor him and to give what we owe to Allah. But he turned back, and we feared he may have received a letter from you expressing your anger toward us. We seek refuge in Allah from His wrath and the wrath of His Messenger." (1)
The Sunnah also emphasizes the need to avoid basing decisions on unverified information. We should not act upon hearsay or claim "some have said such and such," then make decisions based on that assumption. In support of this, a hadith from Abu Dawud, narrated by Ibn Mas'ud, states that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "It is a bad riding-beast for a man (to say) za’ama (they asserted)."
2. Comprehensive Perspective:
Thinking about a matter is only sound if all necessary information from every angle is gathered. Incomplete information or a limited perspective on events can lead to neglecting various aspects that serve the topic and contribute to a disciplined approach.
When comprehensive information is available, one must employ sufficient tools to ensure sound thinking; decisions should not be hastily made without contemplation, reflection, and deduction.
The Quran criticizes those who, upon first hearing about an issue, rush to make judgments and spread them without letting the matter pass through an internal process of reasoning and reflection, which engages mental faculties to analyze and synthesize information.
The Quran describes this hasty approach as a superficial reception of information with the tongue, without patience to let it pass through the ear and reach the realm of awareness. It warns of divine punishment for those who act in this way due to the errors in judgment and harm to the innocent that arise from such behavior. Allah says: "When you received it with your tongues and said with your mouths that of which you had no knowledge and thought it was insignificant while it was, in the sight of Allah, tremendous. And why, when you heard it, did you not say, 'It is not for us to speak of this. Exalted are You, [O Allah]; this is a great slander?'" (Surah An-Nur, 15-16). (2)
3. Balanced Analysis:
A thinker should not embark on researching a matter or passing judgment on something while influenced by love or hatred for it, or by inclination or aversion toward it, as such bias affects the thinking process.
This skewed approach to thinking has been relied upon by deviant groups, past and present. They begin with a pre-determined conclusion or a fixed outcome in mind and then seek supporting evidence for it. This bias leads to twisting the meanings of texts to serve a predetermined goal or taking certain texts out of context to reach a desired conclusion.
The correct approach is for the researcher to start from a neutral position, without favoring one side over another, and then gather evidence, carefully examine it, and consider its benefits and harms, to reach a sound and just conclusion.
4. Awareness of Consequences:
Ibn al-Jawzi said: "Considering consequences, and what might occur, is the domain of the wise, while focusing only on the present situation is the trait of the ignorant. For instance, a person might feel healthy and forget about illness, or feel wealthy and overlook poverty, or enjoy immediate pleasure without considering its eventual consequences. The intellect has no duty other than contemplating outcomes." (3)
This emphasizes that a one-sided view is insufficient for forming a sound opinion. Focusing only on the immediate without considering the long-term, or on benefit without detriment, or on actions without their resulting impact, reflects a lack of proper thinking.
The correct approach is not to restrict one’s thoughts to present perceptions but to think of purposes and objectives. A real-life example of this is a Muslim who worships Allah, seeking His pleasure and the reward of Paradise. Such worship may deprive a person of certain immediate pleasures, but they forsake those pleasures because they consider their consequences and remain mindful of outcomes, believing that whoever leaves something for Allah’s sake, Allah will grant them something better.
They are also aware that entering Paradise requires patience in the face of certain hardships, and that indulging in desires leads to Hellfire. In Sahih Ibn Hibban, Anas ibn Malik reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Paradise is surrounded by hardships, and Hellfire is surrounded by desires."
Thus, despite feeling the allure of sin, the Muslim refrains from it because thinking about the consequences compels them to. Similarly, they endure hardships because reflection on consequences motivates them to do so.
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(1) Asbab al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi, p. 390.
(2) The Characteristics of A Muslim Personality by Dr. Majid Arsan Al-Kilani, pp. 55-56.
(3) Sayd al-Khatir by Ibn al-Jawzi, p. 438.
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