The reality of rationality

Fajr Reminders - Mahmood Habib Masjid and Islamic Center

Video version: https://youtu.be/pEn9hJ4wTsw We hear many times that Islam is a reasonable, logical, and rational religion and that Allahﷻ has encouraged us to think and reflect. For example, Allahﷻ said: A’fa-la tadhakkaroon (don’t you think/remember). A’fa-la tatafakkaroon (don’t you reflect), A’fa-la tubsiroon (don’t you see) and so on. Allahﷻ addressed us by terms such as Ya Ulil-albaab (O people of intelligence). Ya Ulil-absaar (O people who can see) and so on. So, the Qur’an encourages rational thought. All well until this time. However, some people take this to mean that we are free to take any Ayah of the Qur’an and any Hadith of Rasoolullahﷺ and come to our own conclusions about it and legislate according to those conclusions, without any reference to, and indeed even denying, denigrating, and discounting the 14 centuries of scholarship that is behind the interpretation of the Qur’an and the laws of our Sharia. The proponents of this irrational, illogical, and dangerous philosophy are the ones that I want to address here. Let us begin with defining logic and rationality because that is the foundation of the argument. If an argument is valid, then every argument with the same form is also valid. If an argument is invalid, then every argument with the same form is also invalid. So, the first thing to ask is, ‘What is the basis of my logic?’ Fundamental Laws of Logic (Aristotle) 1. Law of Identity – If something is identified as one thing, that is what it is. TheLaw of Identity basically states that anything that has been determined to be true must be identical to itself and different from other things. E.g., if a snake is venomous, then it is not non-venomous. And someone who knows the difference between the two but is afraid of all snakes is irrational. 2. Law of Non-Contradiction – If something is one thing, it can’t be its opposite at the same time. The Law of Non-Contradiction states that if something is true it cannot NOT be true at the same time. E.g., is to look at two opposing religious beliefs and use the Law of Non-Contradiction to evaluate them. One belief is that there is a Heaven that people go to when they die. The other belief is that there is no Heaven at all. Each belief seems legitimate on their own, but when compared to each other, one of them MUST be false. If Heaven is real for one person, it MUST be real for everyone. 3. Law of Excluded Middle – Everything is one or the other and not something in the middle of those two things. A way to think about this law is regarding death. A being is either alive or dead. There isn’t another state that a living being can be in. An unconscious person is still alive. Allahﷻ challenged the disbelievers with respect to their belief in the Creator. قُل لِّمَنِ ٱلْأَرْضُ وَمَن فِيهَآ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ سَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّهِ قُلْ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ قُلْ مَن رَّبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ ٱلسَّبْعِ وَرَبُّ ٱلْعَرْشِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ سَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّهِ قُلْ أَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ قُلْ مَنۢ بِيَدِهِۦ مَلَكُوتُ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ وَهُوَ يُجِيرُ وَلَا يُجَارُ عَلَيْهِ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ سَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّهِ قُلْ فَأَنَّىٰ تُسْحَرُونَ Muminoon 23: 84-89 Ask ˹them, O Prophet˺, “To whom belong the earth and all those on it, if you ˹really˺ know?” They will reply, “To Allah!” Say, “Why are you not then mindful?” ˹And˺ ask ˹them˺, “Who is the Rabb of the seven heavens and the Rabb of the Mighty Throne?” They will reply, “Allah.” Say, “Will you not then fear ˹Him˺?” Ask ˹them also,˺ “In Whose Hands is the authority over all things, protecting ˹all˺ while none can protect against Him, if you ˹really˺ know?” They will reply, “Allah.” Say, “How are you then so deluded?” وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُم مَّنْ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَسَخَّرَ ٱلشَّمْسَ وَٱلْقَمَرَ لَيَقُولُنَّ ٱللَّهُ فَأَنَّىٰ يُؤْفَكُونَ Ankabut 29: 61 If you ask them ˹O Prophet˺ who created the heavens and the earth and subjected the sun and the moon ˹for your benefi...