All of the decrees of Islam are rational. There is nothing in Islam that is contrary to the mind and logic
The most important characteristic of man that differentiates him from other beings is his mind. Man thinks about the things he sees through his mind; he distinguishes between good and evil, right and wrong through his mind. Therefore, in about 70 verses in the Quran, Allah mentions ‘using the mind’ and ‘those having a mind’. Allah directs His orders to the mind. In the Quran, the phrases “Do they not hear?” and “Do they not use their minds?” are often used.
In our religion, responsibility is based on the mind; therefore, people with mental disabilities are not held responsible for what they do.
When the people who did not believe in Hazrat Prophet said, “Show us miracles so that we will believe in Allah and accept that you are a prophet“, Allah did not like their offer and called them to look at the earth and the skies and think in order to draw lessons rather than ask for miracles. The following is stated in the Quran regarding the issue::
“Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth; in the alternation of the Night and the Day; in the sailing of the ships through the Ocean for the profit of mankind; in the rain which Allah sends down from the skies, and the life which He gives therewith to an earth that is dead; in the beasts of all kinds that He scatters through the earth; in the change of the winds, and the clouds which they trail like their slaves between the sky and the earth;― (here) indeed are signs for a people that are wise.” (al-Baqara, 164)
Some of the hadiths about the mind are as follows:
“A person without a mind has no religious responsibility.”
“Allah does not like the believer who does not use his mind.
“Unless a person has a mind, his religion will not be true...”
“O Ali! While people approach Allah through good deeds, you approach through your mind.”
“Allah did not create a more valuable and honorable being than the mind.”
The Top of the Mind
From Abu Hurayra:
“The top of the mind after belief in Allah is to approach people with love.”
[Bayhaqi/ Shuabul-Iman (9055); Majmauzzawaid/ 8/17, 28>
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A wise man approaches people with love and treats them respectfully. This is the principle rule of communicating and getting on well with people.
Ways of Living Peacefully in the World
From Nazzal bin Sabra:
“Whoever has the following 3 things becomes happy (does not face any trouble or anxiety):
1- A name that will protect him from the ignorance of the ignorant people,
2- A mind that will enable him to get on well with people,
3- A feeling of abstinence that will prevent him from disobeying Allah (committing sins)”
[Majmauz-Zawaid / 10/295>
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The hadith points out that it is necessary to have a nice name, nice mind and nice ethics in order to be happy and peaceful in the world.
What is cleverness?
From Shaddad bin Aws:
“A clever person is someone who questions his soul and works for the hereafter. A person who cannot use his mind does what his soul tempts him to do and expects mercy and Paradise from Allah. ”
(Tirmidhi/Qiyama 25; Ibn Majah/Zuhd 31)
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It is emphasized in the hadith that questioning one’s soul and getting ready for the hereafter by thinking of the death is cleverness.
It is pointed out that people who do not use their minds fulfill all of the illicit desires of their souls, and despite this, they expect mercy and goodness from Allah. A believer should not expect reaching goodness without giving up obeying his soul’s desires. As a matter of fact, in the treatment of substance addiction, it is impossible to cure the addict unless he shows his will and determination to get rid of that substance.
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From Abu Ya’la Shaddad bin Aws:
“A clever person is the one who questions his soul and works for the hereafter.” (Tirmidhi - 2461)
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The mind is the ability to discriminate between what is useful and harmful, and not to think of the present only but to think of the future too.
Indeed, a really clever person knows that he was not created only for this world; he is aware that the real happiness and success for him is to obtain the endless bliss.
The way to obtain happiness and success after death is through remembering the hereafter all the time and questioning one’s soul continuously. The soul pursues momentary worldly pleasures and daily achievements and happiness. Therefore, a clever person always questions that state of his soul; he never forgets about the endless future that awaits him after death.
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From Hazrat Jabir:
“A person stands on his feet through his mind.” (Bayhaqi)
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That hadith shows the importance given to the mind in Islam. If the mind is used appropriately and correctly, it discriminates between what is right and wrong, and what is useful and harmful.
A person can obtain happiness only by using his mind. If a person has no mind, he has no religious responsibility.
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Once Hazrat Abu Bakr went out of his house.
He met the Messenger of Allah on the way.
They walked together for a while.
Hazrat Abu Bakr asked him:
– “O Messenger of Allah!” He asked “What were you sent with?” The Messenger of Allah said:
– With the mind.
Hazrat Abu Bakr:
– How can we use our minds? What is the criterion of being regarded clever? He asked.
The Messenger of Allah answered:
– A person who accepts halal (licit) what Allah defined as halal and haram (forbidden) what Allah defined as haram is regarded clever.
After accepting them, if he does what Allah orders and avoids what Allah forbids he is regarded as the real slave of Allah.
(From Abu Nuaym Isfahani)
“If you tell a community about something that they cannot understand, a disorder may occur among them.” (Ramuz)
The most important rule in tabligh (conveying the message of Islam) is to address people in the capacity of their minds and to consider their level of understanding. It is necessary to act in accordance with that rule in order to be effective and successful. There is no use in telling people fine truths that they will not be able to understand and realize. In this case, you cannot be effective on them and you may confuse their minds and cause disorder.
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