Before we begin, let's remember what we discussed so far. First, we saw that lack of critical thinking and its active suppression are major factors inviting the Antichrist and facilitating his actions. So, a necessity to conserve critical thinking was born out of this conclusion. However, critical thinking comes with inherent differences in opinions. Such differences have been historically responsible for major conflicts and clashes. Islam strictly warns its adherents against such misfortunes. Then, are we to give up critical thinking to avoid divisions? If we do so, then we are inviting the Antichrist! So, what is the solution?
With this question, in the second part, we looked at Quran and Hadiths about differences and disputes. After a critical look, we figured that Islam is against any atmosphere that suppresses free thinking, but not at all objecting to friendly diversity. Having resolved our problems at the fundamental philosophical level, we turned to what is happening to critical thinking among Muslims. We saw that critical thinking is neither flourishing nor surviving among Muslims! The factors underlying this problem are the topic of the current article.
In my opinion, the fundamental reason behind the Muslim's lack of hospitality towards critical thinking is the lack of direct, unmediated relationship with Quran. Below, I am going to discuss the various manifestations or symptoms of this disease.
First Symptom
Quran is the word of God that is guidance for all who embrace it (2/2, 27/2). Quran can be a friend, a teacher, a protector or healing for those clinging to it. This poetic introduction based on Quranic verses and hadiths may sound nice, but in practice, there are barriers between people and the Quran!
Usual connotations of barriers before Quran include the unlimited worldly pleasures and actual enemies who are working to disinform and misinform people about Quran. However, aside from these, I am going to elaborate on an unusual barrier: scholars!
This sounds counter intuitive, I know. So, I am going to make myself clear. When I present the scholars as the barrier before Quran, this is either due to the scholars themselves or due to the way they are treated by people. Let's see how these unfold in real life.
Today, who we call a scholar varies according to who we are. The title of scholar may be assigned based on ideological or cultural adherence, rather than critical and objective assessment. When a human is held at an unquestionable position to convey the Quranic knowledge and wisdom, that person's intellectual horizon becomes the limit of those following that human, the width of perception of that person defines the big picture available to those in the following.
This is how the fundamentalists consider themselves as truthful, because they are following the "scholars". But in fact, those scholars are a barrier, preventing their followers' direct access to and free thinking on the Quran. And this is not just about the fundamentalists! Other believers, too, are vulnerable to holding a scholar at a position to block their direct benefit from Quran.
What makes things worse is the constant propaganda from the learned people that warns ordinary people against taking their personal initiative to understand and interpret Quran. As a result, the works of scholars remain as the sole source to learn from Quran, when they are limited by the human conditions, namely bu time, culture and intellectual ability. So, overtime, those sources and respectable individuals become obstacles to be removed. But nobody can do it, because removing them requires wisdom, well-trained manners, courage and, most of all, direct relationship with Quran. In this context, the ordinary people would think "who are we to interpret Quran, who are we to question the conclusions and injunctions of scholars?" This learned helplessness over centuries, in turn, leave people in an expectation of someone else worthy enough to be imitated, hence a moratorium for free and critical thinking, and good bye to the direct relationship with Quran.
Second Symptom
Quran is the unmediated communication between God and his servants. A symptom of severing this tie and constructing walls between God and people is the silencing of hearts and minds. A consequence of their silence is blind imitation and formalism, that is valuing the visible and outward entities and actions, rather than the invisible and the inward. In other words, this means erecting buildings rather than individuals, this means a blind focus on increase in the number of followers rather than strength and sincerity in faith. At a larger scale, this is when people neglect "individuality and personal relationship with God through Quran" in favor of "social adherence and political power to shape people", hence a state-regulated religion.
At this point, I am going to remind you the statement by Karl Marx: "religion is the opium of the people". We can make a critique of these words but in our context, it is logical to modify this statement as "political Islam is the opium of Muslims".
Remember, Islam came to remove everything between God and His servants, and acting in the opposite direction comes with a cost, which is traditionally formulated as becoming servants of those other than God. Of course I don't mean that people are becoming idol worshipers, but the underlying psychology and the mental construct is the same. That is believing in things we see, rather then those invisible.
Third Symptom
Quran is a telescope that enables us to live in this transient world with a perspective for the infinite afterlife. This connection to infinity is not just about responsibilities but also about adjusting our attitudes and manners to the transients in this life. Nevertheless, we humans don't really like death nor situations reminiscent of it. We try to keep things forever, if possible, whereas God wants us to tame this instinct of ours and aim at the eternity, not in this life but, in the afterlife.
What's more, God creates death in this life as an agent of renewal, and so invites us to have confidence in the works of his unseen hand (41/39). Still, even those who believe in the afterlife fail to get this message, and exhibit a resistance to renewal, which is more famously termed as bigotry. The reflections of mentally ascribing infinity to the mortals or our mental constructs are manifold in the social life.
For example, a leader is kept as the leader until they die, and even after that, their teachings and principles are deemed untouchable and permanent. So, the good leader of the past transforms to an idol-like spirit, disabling the motivations for renewal, hence suppression of critical thinking. But Quran criticizes holding the mortals at a status that solely belongs to God (9/31). However, knowing this subtlety and acting upon it requires a direct relationship with Quran.
Another reflection of inability to accept mortality is the will to continue a social construct forever and to spread it as wide as possible through increasing the number of adherents. But again, retaining social constructs beyond borders and beyond times means an ascribed eternity. If there is someone to be praised beyond times and places, that would be God (1/2); but even He is not doing this! So, this motive to spread boundlessly and unconditionally is reminiscent of acting like God. Such effort for omnipresence can only happen if critical thinking is systematically suppressed.
Especially in our times, the pace of change in anything is at an ever-highest level. So, we humans must admit our mortality in the face of time and changing social conditions. This opens the way to the emergence of new leaders and new social constructs for the flourishing of the good. It can even enable a second birth opportunity for ourselves, too. The power to go through death and come alive renewed is found in the Quran (2/54), which is the Qaaba of the minds.
Now that we talked about these three symptoms of lack of personal relationship with Quran, let's remember why we were here. In order to equip ourselves against the Antichrist, we need critical thinking. And that can be attained if we can establish a direct and personal relationship with Quran. To facilitate this direct communication with the word of God, all believers must be equipped with the essential knowledge and methods necessary for a safe navigation in the ocean of Quran. That is, instead of waiting for and sticking to a single scholar, Muslims must become community of critical thinkers.
"Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: A section of my people will not cease fighting for the Truth and will prevail till the Day of Resurrection. He said: Jesus son of Mary would then descend and their (Muslims') commander would invite him to come and lead them in prayer, but he would say: No, some amongst you are commanders over some (amongst you). This is the honour from Allah for this Ummah." (Grade Sahih, Muslim, Book of Faith, 71/156)
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