THESE ARE THE FRAMEWORK OF HOW MEN THINKS ACCORDING TO ISLAMIC SCHOLARS

1. THINKING AND
REASONING STYLES
IN THE AL QURAN

2. Types of reasoning
Abduction
Analogical reasoning
Cause-and-effect reasoning
Comparative reasoning
Conditional Reasoning
Criteria reasoning
Deductive reasoning
Inductive reasoning
Modal logic
Pros-vs-cons reasoning
Set-based reasoning
Decomposition
Systemic reasoning
Decomposition & Induction used together

3. Types of reasoning
Reasoning within an argument gives the rationale behind why one choice, for example should be
selected over another. Types of reasoning include:
•Abduction:the process of creating explanatory hypotheses.
•Analogical reasoning: relating things to novel other situations.
•Cause-and-effect reasoning: showing causes and resulting effect.
•Comparative reasoning: comparing one thing against another.
•Conditional reasoning: using if...then...
•Criteria reasoning: comparing against established criteria.
•Decompositional reasoning: understand the parts to understand the whole.
•Deductive reasoning: starting from the general rule and moving to specifics.
•Inductive reasoning: starting from specifics and deriving a general rule.
•Modal logic: arguing about necessity and possibility.
•Traditional logic: assuming premises are correct.
•Pros-vs-cons reasoning: using arguments both for and against a case.
•Set-based reasoning: based on categories and membership relationships.
•Systemic reasoning: the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
•Syllogistic reasoning: drawing conclusions from premises.
Note that these are not all mutually exclusive methods and several give different lenses onto
overlapping areas. In classical argument, for example, all arguments are framed as either
inductive or deductive.

4. Abduction
A is observed. If B were true, then A would be true. Therefore B may be true.
Abductive reasoning, or abduction, is the process of explaining something that is
experienced or observed in some way and where there is no existing knowledge to
explain the phenomenon. It creates a hypothesis that may or may not be true and
which may require further work to verify.
Example
A doctor, meeting a set of symptoms not met before, considers diseases that have
similar symptoms and wonders if the presented condition is something similar.
Example from Quran
alBaqarah /85 (A.Yusuf Ali)
After this it is ye, the same people, who slay among yourselves, and banish a party of
you from their homes; assist (their enemies) against them, in guilt and transgression;
and if they come to you as captives, ye ransom them, though it was not lawful for you
to banish them. Then is it only a part of the Book that ye believe in, and do ye reject
the rest? but what is the reward for those among you who behave like this but
disgrace in this life?- and on the Day of Judgment they shall be consigned to the most
grievous penalty. For Allah is not unmindful of what ye do.

5. Analogical reasoning
A is like B. M is in A. N is in B. So M is like N.
In analogical reasoning, an analogy for a given thing or situation is found, where the
analogy is like the given thing in some way. Other attributes of the analogical situation are
then taken to also represent other attributes of the given thing.
To use an analogy:
•Start with a target domain where you want to create new understanding.
•Find a general matching domain where some things are similar to the target domain.
•Find specific items from the matching domain.
•Find related items in the target domain.
•Transfer attributes from the matching domain to the target domain.
Example
This company is like a racehorse. It's run fast and won the race, and now it needs feed and
rest for a while.
Dating of it like flying. At some point, your feet are going to leave the ground.
Example from Quran
Baqara/223
Your wives are as a tilth unto you; so approach your tilth when or how ye will;but do some
good act for your souls beforehand; and fear Allah. And know that ye are to meet Him (in
the Hereafter), and give (these) good tidings to those who believe.

6. Say this Not this
If I help you, you will be more successful. I will help you.
When the moon is high, things are abroad. Things are sometimes abroad.
The new additive to fuel makes your car go so much further. Add our new fuel additive to your car.
Cause-and-effect reasoning
When you are presenting an argument, show the cause-and-effect that is in operation. Help
the other person see why things have happened or will happen as they do.
Show purpose. Link things to higher values. Show the inevitable linkage between what
happens first and what happens next. Go beyond correlation (that may show coincidence) to
giving irrefutable evidence of causality.
If you cannot show causal linkage, then you may be successful just by asserting it, because few
people will challenge a cause-and-effect assertion.
Example from Quran : Al-i Imran/160
If Allah helps you, none can overcome you: If He forsakes you, who is there, after that, that can
help you? In Allah, then, let believers put their trust.

7. Say this Not this
I guess your wife will want something good-looking. How about this one? This is the right one for you!
How will we know when we have succeeded? Let's discuss this first... Success means maximum profits.
Our manifesto says we must help those who cannot help themselves. Now, can
this person help himself?
We should not help this man.
Comparative reasoning
Comparative reasoning establishes the importance of something by comparing it against something else.
The size of the gap between the things compared indicates importance. Compare against a high standard to make
something look undesirable. Compare it against a weak example to make it look good.
To create a logical argument, first establish the validity of the comparison benchmark. For less logic, the
benchmark may be assumed.
There are many ways to compare, for example:
•Compare what people have got (or not got) against what others have.
•Compare the past with the future.
•Compare what is actual with what is ideal.
•Compare words and actions against values.
Example(s) from Quran : Anaam/122
Can he who was dead, to whom We gave life, and a Light whereby he can walk amongst men, be like him who is
in the depths of darkness, from which he can never come out? Thus to those without faith their own deeds seem
pleasing.
Nahl/75
Allah sets forth the Parable (of two men: one) a slave under the dominion of another; He has no power of any
sort; and (the other) a man on whom We have bestowed goodly favors from Ourselves, and he spends thereof
(freely), privately and publicly: are the two equal? (By no means;) praise be to Allah. But most of them know not.

8. Conditional Reasoning
If...then...
Conditional reasoning is based on an 'if A then B' construct that posits B to be
true if A is true.
Note that this leaves open the question of what happens when A is false, which
means that in this case, B can logically be either true or false.
A classic form of conditional reasoning is in using syllogisms, where a general
major premise is combined with a more specific minor premise to form a
conclusion. Syllogisms are easy to get wrong and there are many fallacies.
Example from Quran : Saba/14
Then, when We decreed (Solomon's) death, nothing showed them his death
except a little worm of the earth, which kept (slowly) gnawing away at his staff:
so when he fell down, the Jinns saw plainly that if they had known the unseen,
they would not have tarried in the humiliating Chastisement (of their Task).

9. Say this Not this
I guess your wife will want something good-looking. How about this one? This is the right one for you!
How will we know when we have succeeded? Let's discuss this first... Success means maximum profits.
Our manifesto says we must help those who cannot help themselves. Now,
can this person help himself?
We should not help this man.
Criteria reasoning
Start by defining the criteria by which the outcome of a decision will be judged, and
then identify the best decision, given these constraints.
In a logical argument, you will spend much time establishing the criteria as valid first.
In a less logical situation, you may assume the criteria are correct, minimizing the
time spent on any discussion about them.
Criteria which appeal to common values are likely to be easily accepted.
Example from Quran : Baqarah/258
Hast thou not turned thy vision to one who disputed with Abraham about his Lord,
because Allah had granted him power? Abraham said: "My Lord is He Who Giveth
life and death." He said: "I give life and death". Said Abraham: "But it is Allah that
causeth the sun to rise from the east: Do thou then cause it to rise from the west."
Thus was he confounded who (in arrogance) rejected faith. Nor doth Allah Give
guidance to a people unjust.

10. Say this Not this
Gravity makes things fall. The apple that hit my head was due to
gravity.
The apple hit my head. Gravity works!
They are all like that -- just look at him! Look at him. They are all like that.
Toyota make wonderful cars. Let me show you this one. These cars are all wonderful. They are made by Toyota, it seems.
There is a law against smoking. Stop it now. Stop smoking, please.
Deductive reasoning
Deductive reasoning, or deduction, starts with a general case and deduces
specific instances.
Deduction is used by scientists who take a general scientific law and apply it to
a certain case.
Sherlock Holmes used deduction when he took some general indicators and
deduced the specific details of a rather knotty case.
Example from Quran: Al-i Imran/110
Ye are the best of peoples, evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right,
forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah. If only the People of the Book
had faith, it were best for them: among them are some who have faith, but most of
them are perverted transgressors.

11. Derive a general rule in an accepted area and then apply the rule in the area where you want
the person to behave.
Give them lots of detail, then explain what it all means.
Talk about the benefits of all the parts and only get to the overall benefits later.
Take what has happened and give a plausible explanation for why it has happened.
Inductive arguments can include:
•Part-to-whole: where the whole is assumed to be like individual parts (only bigger).
•Extrapolations: where areas beyond the area of study are assumed to be like the studied
area.
•Predictions: where the future is assumed to be like the past.
Example from Quran : Maidah / 43
But why do they come to thee for decision, when they have (their own) Torah before them?-
therein is the (plain) command of Allah; yet even after that, they would turn away. For they
are not (really) People of Faith.
Say this Not this
Look at how those people are behaving. They must be mad. Those people are all mad.
All of your friends are good. You can be good, too. Be good.
The base costs is XXX. The extras are XXX, plus tax at XXX. Overall,
it is great deal at YYY.
It will cost YYY. This includes XXX for base costs, XXX for extras and
XXX for tax.
Heating was XXX, lighting was YYY, parts were ZZZ, which adds up
to NNN. Yet revenue was RRR. This means we must cut costs!
We need to cut costs, as our expenditure is greater than our revenue.

12. Say this Not this
The door might be open. The door is open.
You must do it. You do it.
They could come here. They will come here.
Modal logic
Describe things in terms of possibility and necessity. Also explore how there intertwine.
Do not state things in terms of absolute truth, but say how likely it is.
For necessity, talk about how necessary something is. Thus use words like can, may, should,
ought, must, have to.
Talking about how true or necessary something is gives you more potential in arguments as
you now have an analogue continuity of alternatives, rather than the black-and-white binary
decision of simply whether something is true or false, necessary or unnecessary.
Example from Quran : Araf/130
We punished the people of Pharaoh with years (of droughts) and shortness of crops; that
they might receive admonition.

13. Pros-vs-cons reasoning
Pros-vs-cons reasoning seeks to weigh up the arguments for a case (pros) against the arguments against
the case (cons).
The argument will usually end up with a conclusion of whether the pros or cons are stronger, thus
precipitating a 'reasonable' conclusion. Things that will make a 'pro' stronger (and vice versa) include:
•More logical arguments.
•More evidence being displayed (including actions and perceptions of other people).
•Greater emphasis being put on key words.
•More arguments for the case.
Starting with the favored side allows you to fill the other person's mind with the key points, such that the
second list becomes less easy to absorb. Starting with the disfavored side allows you to make it sound
reasonable, then knock down each of the disfavored arguments with stronger arguments for the contrary
case.
You can also choose between giving all of one side and all of another or alternating between each side
(the latter is good for comparing related for-and-against arguments).
Example from Quran Baqarah / 219
They ask thee concerning wine and gambling. Say: "In them is great sin, and some profit, for men; but
the sin is greater than the profit." They ask thee how much they are to spend; Say: "What is beyond your
needs." Thus doth Allah make clear to you His Signs: In order that ye may consider-
Say this Not this
It is useful and cheap, but on the other hand it won't
last long and will make you look ungenerous.
It won't last long and will make you look ungenerous.
James likes it, Jan likes it, Bill likes it, Fred likes it.
Only Sam and Alice don't like it.
Most people like it.
Look at the list of features on this...But when you try
it at home, you may find that...
When you try it at home, you may find that...

14. Set-based reasoning
Set-based reasoning is founded on Set Theory. Its arguments range around whether things are
members of named groups or not, thus 'A dog is an animal but not a vegetable'.
The basic assumption is one of membership, that an item can be categorized into a given
group or set. This also assumes that both the item and the set exist in the first place. The
following argument then may include consideration of the overlap between sets and the
implications of this.
Set reasoning often thus includes statements along the lines of:
•A is a B
•If A is a B then...
•A is not a B, but it is a C
•A is both C and D, therefore...
Example
Example from Quran
Enbiya/98-99
Verily ye, (unbelievers), and the (false) gods that ye worship besides Allah, are (but) fuel for
Hell! to it will ye (surely) come!
If these had been gods, they would not have got there! But each one will abide therein.
Say this Not this
He works for Microsoft. Microsoft people are intelligent.
Therefore he is intelligent.
He works for Microsoft and is intelligent.
If this is an international standard CD then it will use ISO
standard encryption coding.
ISO encryption will be used here.
If he is both Italian and lives in New York, then he is likely to
be fond of pizza.
He probably likes pizza.

15. Decomposition
Break the item in question down into its component parts. Analyze
those parts and how they fit together. And then draw conclusions
about the whole.
Example
I want to find out how a rubic cube operates. I pull it apart to see its
hidden workings. By reassembling it slowly, I am able to explain its
apparently magical cohesion as a whole in terms of three-dimensional
geometry.
I listen to your argument and take note of each element. I then argue
against each element in turn. Having destroyed the parts, I then
assume I have destroyed the whole argument.
Example from Quran : Muminun/78
It is He Who has created for you (the faculties of) hearing, sight,
feeling and understanding: little thanks it is ye give!

16. Systemic reasoning
Understand something by considering it as a whole system. Analyze not
just the parts but also the relationships between the parts.
You can use decompositional reasoning to identify parts, but go beyond
this in considering the additional things beyond just the parts.
Example
I argue for a new square in the middle of town by considering the
aesthetics of space and the relationships between the empty square and
the tall buildings around it. I also consider the dynamics of movement
and pauses of people during parts of the day and weekend.
Example from Quran : Yasin/40
It is not permitted to the Sun to catch up the Moon, nor can the Night
outstrip the Day: each (just) swims along in (its own) orbit (according to
Law).

17. Decomposition & Induction used together
Example from Quran : Araf/179
Many are the Jinns and men we have made for
Hell: They have hearts wherewith they
understand not, eyes wherewith they see not,
and ears wherewith they hear not. They are
like cattle,- nay more misguided: for they are
heedless (of warning).

18. Inquisitive thinking style.
Objective thinking
Hypothetical thinking style
Perceptual thinking style
Visual thinking
Rational Thinking
Metaphorical thinking
Conceptual Thinking
Qur'anic Terms for Thinking
Barriers that Hinder Tafakkur, Creativity

19. With sleep thinking style, it is known that even our
brain keeps functioning and many ideas and
inventions came to the minds of many people while
they were asleep. We can solve many problems, get
many ideas through this sleep thinking type. Its very
beneficial.
The mind or brain ,our intellect is created by Allah and
our thinking styles are in the Qur`an, the Qur`an
mentions almost 15 thinking styles, but they are
more than that.

20. The reasons why the Qur`an uses various thinking styles are
many, but one of them might be that people usually have
different preferences of thinking due to the environment, our
genetic, our logic and various other things. So due to this the
message of humanity that the Qur`an conveyed and people
will be convinced, as different people think differently and
would be convinced by the style they understand.
Another reason is that the Qur`an aims at enhancing and
improving the thinking styles in the minds of the Muslims.
Many scholars have tried to talk about this earlier, but this
approach was a more linguistic approach.
But we are using cognitive approach because our mind is
concerned.
Linguistic and cognitive approach go together.

21. Inquisitive thinking style
If they ask a lot of questions. Children are very inquisitive and
this is one of the reasons why they gain a lot of knowledge.
We have to change the altitude people e.g. people at
university level should ask their Ustaz questions. They should
be courageous enough to dare to ask, this will help them in
their quest to seek knowledge.
In the Qur`an, the 1st observation that comes to you is the
recitation of the Qur`an and the great number of questions
asked in the Qur`an. About 1,200 questions in the Qur`an in
about 600 pages. The Qur`an uses different ways in asking
these questions.

22. Inquisitive thinking style….contd
Questions and answers is only one third in the Qur`an.
Sometimes the Qur`an asks question and answer the questions
because there are certain issues that the Qur`an has to talk about,
what is beyond the reach of the human perception :al-ghayb,
unseen.
The other two thirds kind of questions in the Qur`an is where the
questions are given but the answers are not written, but those
answers are very crystal clear and everyone knows those answers.
The third type of the questions is where the questions are given in
the Qur`an, but we have to make an effort to find the answer, it
depends on human interpretation. We have to do testing, further
examination to find the answers.
Any Qur’anic verse that starts with: aa, afala, atwi’,??? Are
questions.

23. • Objective thinking
• With objective thinking expectation is very
important, we have four uses of objective
thinking:
• Seeking proofs for claims.
• Not to rely on conjecture (zan).
• Condemnation of hawa’a.
• Condemnation of blind following.
• Objective thinking produces an evidence if what
you are saying is true.
• We should not rely on zan,if you want to make a
judgment then we should believe in yakeen.

24. • Objective thinking…..contd
• We should not follow our lust, these are all forms of
hawa’a.
• Sound reasoning proves, yakeen should be our basis
of believe.
• Imitation is blind following, but following means with
understanding. We know that it is right and it is ibadah
and this is if we are obliged to follow.
• In blind following we follow without knowing anything,
without any evidence, something that is not valid.
• If we are following something then we should be
confirmed and satisfied with what he/she is saying, we
are not following people we are following the haq.

25. Hypothetical thinking style
The use of hypothesis. The Qur`an uses many hypothesis where only
one is true, so Allah (SWT) wants us to follow the truth.
Allah can tell us the right way, but there’s a purpose, our minds are
locked towards truth, so these hypotheses unlocks the mind towards
the truth.
E.g. Have they been created of nothing or have they created themselves
or have they created the heavens, earth etc, and the other ayah says
that Allah (SWT) is the one who created.
The hypothetical and inquisitive thinking styles are inter-related
(questions). The aim is to provoke the intellect to accept the truth
for the truth is clear. It is also used for exploring the truth and as a
impetus to engage in deep thinking in order to understand.
"Have they themselves been created without anything that have
caused the creation or were perchance their own Creator" (al-Tur:
35-36).

26. • Perceptual thinking style
• The Qur`an came with new perceptions which were totally
different from the peoples.
• It says that there is only one God whereas at the time, they
were worshipping many idols, so it was very strange for them.
• Therefore Al-Qur`an came to change perception.
• Allah says “that you may dislike something and Allah makes
out of it something beneficial.”
• No one is perfect so when it comes to marriage, they don’t
know eachother and then after marriage they come to know
about each others shortcomings, and there might be things
that you dislike, but then look at the other side, because a
muslim should not dislike his wife.
• Love is blind, marriage is an eye opener.
• Islam tells us to look at all sides.

27. • Visual thinking
• It is the use of images in thinking.
• In Qur`an we find many ayahs where you will
find images.
• Something is conveyed to us in images e.g.
about Janna, about nar.
• I am so surprised that those who want to enter
the paradise ,they are very lazy, they don’t make
any effort.

28. Rational Thinking
It is correct reasoning and sound judgment which aims at
•minimizing fuzziness and imprecision;
•striving for consistency and avoiding contradiction;
•questioning, doubting, criticizing, justifying, to find truth;
•avoiding conjecture; striving for achievable goals;
•practicality in using means to help attain goals.
Rational thinking in the Qur'an is to
•prove & affirm the existence of Allah, His oneness, His attributes
•to prove and affirm the Day of Judgment;
•and to attack faulty reasoning of those who deny the existence of
Allah, and to refute their arguments and misconceptions.
"Had there been gods besides Allah, then verily both would have
been ruined. Glorified is Allah, the Lord of the Throne, above all
that evil they associate with HIM" (al-Anbiya': 22).

29. • Metaphorical Thinking
Also known as parable thinking style. It is the use of metaphor.
Where one concept is used to explain the other one when we
understand the concept ,and use it to explain another concept.
It is a way of making something understandable.
It also discourages us from evil acts, it makes them look ugly to
us.
• "a figure of speech or analogy for understanding
something by seeing something in terms of something
else."
• It is also called a parable. Parables in the Qur'an can be
described as penetrative diction, closer to reality,
motivational forces, preventive measure, and as a source
of enlightenment. Purpose of using parables in the
Qur'an:

30. • Metaphorical Thinking..contd
• Stressing and affirming the Oneness of God (al-Zumar:
29)
• Proving something which is beyond the reach of human
mind such as resurrection (Fussilat: 39)
• Encouraging and promoting good deeds (al-Baqarah:
261)
• Discouraging evil acts by making them appear ugly in the
sight of human kind (al-Ankabut: 41)
• Warning us not to be misled by our life's materialistic
temptations (al-Hadid: 20)
• Comparing the status of those who are guided with those
who are misguided (al-An'am: 122)
• Glorifying Allah and His Attributes (al-Nur: 35)

31. • Conceptual Thinking
• Two types of conceptual thinking:
• Conceptual expansion - constructing, stretching,
extending, modifying, and refining concepts to fit
new situations and thus creating new meaning - for
example, concept of worship is stretched to include
all halal things which are done to achieve Allah's
pleasure
• Conceptual combination - combining two concepts
together to produce new ideas or meaning where a
non-existent concept is brought into being -
example, the rope of Allah (Habl Allah) which
refers to Islam or the Qur'an

32. • Qur'anic Terms for Thinking
• Nazar - to consider
• Tabassur - insight
• Tadabbur - pondering
• Tafaqquh - to fully understand, to grasp, to
comprehend
• Tadhakkur - to bear in mind, to take to heart, to
remember, to receive admonition
• I'tibar - to learn, derive or take lesson from the
history of other nations and the experiences of
others and not to repeat their faults
• Ta'aqqul - to use one's mind the right way
• Tawassum - to contemplate or reflect

33. Barriers that Hinder Tafakkur, Creativity
1.Ignorance and not being aware of the truth
2.Turning away from the truth
3.Traditionalism and blind imitation
4.Lust and desires
5.Arrogance
6.Hypocrite
7.Reliance on conjectures
8.Conscious rejection of the truth after being convinced
about it
9.Giving the live to the message of God
10.The role of satan in influencing human perception

34. Conditions for Islamic Creative Method
1.Aims are determined by Islamic law
2.Creativity should not contradict Islamic law
3.Creativity should lead to more knowledge about The Creator
4.Creativity that can lead to scientific advancement for social progress
5.Creativity that can strengthen the Ummah
6.Creativity that can enhance the clarity of Islamic message and causes
it to spread world wide
Characteristics of Islamic Concept of Creativity
1.multi-dimensional; incorporating physical, mental, spiritual, and
theological components
2.related to the role of vicegerency; therefore, must consider
responsibility, accountability, taqwa, humility, and gratitude
3.practical and reflect the spiritual dimension of human
4.consider the interest and needs of the community