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Contents
4. Hypothetical Thinking Style
5. Rational Thinking Style
6. Reflective / Contemplative Thinking Style
• The creation of heavens and earth.
• Quranic verses themselves.
7. Visual Thinking Style
8. Metaphorical Thinking Style
• Stressing and affirming the Oneness of Allah
• Other purposes
9. Analogical Thinking Style
10. Emotional Thinking Style
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Contents
11. Perceptual Thinking Style
• The status of the Hereafter
• To Change the perception of the disbelievers about Allah
and His attributes
• Values
12. Conceptual Thinking Style
• Conceptual Expansion
• Conceptual Combination
References
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Introduction
Human mind and its capability to function
is Allah’s creation.
Qur’an is Allah’s word to be conveyed to
all mankind.
It is not surprising to find that Qur’an
uses a variety of thinking styles.
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• Every style is carefully and effectively used
for right comprehension.
• These styles of thinking are derived to widen
the scope of human perception in order to:
• have a better understanding of the message
• live a better life in this world.
• they may also be taken as means for
communicating the message to people with
different cognitive preferences.
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1
Inquisitive
Thinking Style
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Asking questions is one of the most
effective tools in teaching and learning.
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Thought provocative questions can be
noted as a general phenomenon in the
Quran to invoke people to think.
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Examples:
(a) Affirming Belief
• [؟.ربكم...لستب.. ]أ172ف.ألعرا..ا
• [Am I not your Lord?] (7: 172).
• ن
[ ؤفكو...أنىت...الهو ف.. إ.له.. إ.ألرضال..لسماء وا.. منا.رزقكم.. ي... غير هللا.له..]هلمنإ3 اطر...ف
• [Is there any creator, other than Allah, that could provide for
you sustenance from heaven and earth.] (35:3)
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Examples:
(b) Creating Certainty
• ذي
[ ل.. ربيا.هيم.برا.ل..ا..ق
إ لملك إذ.. ا... هللا.تاه.نآ. أ.يربه... ف.هيم.برا.آج إ.لذيح..لىا..ر إ... ت.لم..أ
أت...لمشرقف..لشمسمنا..ا...أتيب.. ي...إنهللا... ف.هيم.برا.ل..ا..ق
ميت إ.حييوأ.نا أ.ل..ا..ق
حييويميت أ..ي
لمين..لظا.. ا.لقوم..ديا.ه.. ي. ال...فر وهللا.لذيك..بهتا...ربف.لمغ..ا منا.ه... ]ب258 لبقرة..ا
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Examples:
(c) Disapproving
• [.ليه.. إ.م... ث.حييكم.. ي.م... ث.ميتكم.. ي.م... ث.أحياكم...تا ف.موا. أ. وكنتم.هلل..ا...كفرونب...يفت.ك
ون.رجع... ]ت28 لبقرة..ا
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2
Objective
Thinking Style
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Objectivity means to express the claims,
and judgments on proofs and evidences,
based on certainty and not on doubt or
conjecture to avoid bias, personal
interests, or whims in forming opinion
and giving judgments.
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Examples: (a) Seeking
evidences to prove a claim
• ن
[ ادقي.. ص.نتم.نك. إ.رهانكم...لهاتوا ب.. ]ق111 لبقرة..ا
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Examples: (b) Warning us not
to rely on conjecture
• ن.
[ يئا إ..لحقش..غنيمنا.. ي.لظنال..نا.الظنا إ.. إ.كثرهم. أ.تبع..وما ي
فعلون..ما ي... ب. عليم... ]هللا36ونس..ي
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Examples: (c) Condemning
Al-Hawa’وى.له..(اpersonal interests)
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3
Positive
Thinking Style
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Islam has a lot to contribute towards positive
thinking in the Quran.
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(a) Not to lose hope in
Allah’s mercy
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(b) To have hope and trust in
Allah’s guidance and help to us.
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4
Hypothetical
Thinking Style
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This style of thinking aims at increasing
human intellect by exposing it to Truth.
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• ن
[ وقنو.. ي.لال...ألرضب..توا.لسماوا..وا ا. خلق.م. أ.لقون..لخا.. ا. هم.م.يء أ. وا منغير ش. خلق.م.]أ
36-35 لطور..ا
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5
Rational
Thinking Style
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Areas that Al-Quran used
rational style of thinking in
Proving and affirming the existence of Allah,
His oneness, His attributes and that He is
the only one that deserves to be worshiped,
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In using rational thinking style to affirm the
oneness of Allah by refuting the views of those
who deny it, the Quran stresses:
• [Had there been therein (in the heavens and the earth)
gods besides Allah, then verily both would have been
ruined. Glorified is Allah, the Lord of the Throne, (High is
He) above all that evil they associate with Him.] ( 21: 22)
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6
Reflective / Contemplative
Thinking Style
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To start with, the Quran has been revealed so that
those who recite it or listen to its verses will
contemplate and reflect upon its messages.
• باب
[ ل.أل..يتذكر أولوا ا. ول.ياته.يدبروا آ..ليك مبارك ل.. إ.نزلناه.تابأ. ]ك29 ص
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The Quran draws the attention of humankind to reflect upon
the creation of the universe: the sky, the stars, the sea, the
natural phenomena such as: day and night, the wind, the
rain etc. This reflection leads to :
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Reflective Thinking can be
Directed to the following areas
a) The creation of heavens and earth.
• [Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the
alteration of night and day, and the ships which sail through the
sea with that which is of use to mankind, and the rain which Allah
sends down from the sky and makes the earth alive therewith
after its death, and the moving living creatures of all kinds that
He has scattered therein, and in the veering of winds and clouds
which are held between the sky and the earth, are indeed signs
for people of understanding.] (2: 164).
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b) Another area for reflection and contemplation are
the Quranic verses themselves.
• لذين..ل
[ رون.غف. ويست.ه... ويؤمنونب.حمد ربهم...سبحونب.. ي.وله.رشومنح.لع..حملونا..لذيني..ا
ب.ذا. ع.بيلك وقهم..وا س.تبع.ابوا وا...لذينت..ر ل.اغف... رحمة وعلما ف.يء. لش..منوا ربنا وسعتك.آ
.لجحيم.. ]ا7 افر.غ
• [Those who bear the throne (of Allah) as well as all those who
are around it, extol their Lord's limitless glory and praise, and
have faith in Him, and ask forgiveness for all who have
believed ( saying): O our Lord, You embrace all things within
(your) grace and knowledge; so forgive, their sins unto those
who repent and follow Your path, and save them from torments
of the blazing fire]. (40:7)
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7
Visual
Thinking Style
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Visual thinking is the ability to think and communicate in
images.
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• ل.ك
[ ذهل...ا ت.رونه... ت.وم.. ي. .يء عظيم. لساعة ش..نزلزلة ا. إ.تقوا ربكم.لناسا..ا ا.يه.ا أ..ي
سكارى... ب.كارىوما هم..لناسس..ا وترىا.تحملحمله.لذا. ك.ة عما أرضعتوتضع.مرضع
ديد.. ش...بهللا.ذا. ]ولكنع2-1 لحج..ا
• [O men! Be conscious of your Sustainer: for verily, the violent jolt
of the last Hour will be an awesome thing. On the Day when you
behold it, every feeding mother will utterly forget her nursing, and
every pregnant woman will bring forth her burden (before the time)
and it will seem to thee that all mankind is drunk, although they will
not be drunk – but severe will be the torment of Allah.] (22: 1-2).
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8
Metaphorical
Thinking Style
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Metaphor is described as: "a figure of speech
using analogy or close comparison between
two things that are not normally treated as if
they had anything in common. Metaphor is a
common means of extending the uses and
references of words."
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Purposes of using parables
in the Quran
(a) Stressing and affirming the Oneness of Allah.
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Purposes of using parables
in the Quran
(b) Other purposes:
* proving something which is beyond the reach of human
perception such as resurrection
“ and among His signs that you see the earth barren; but
when We send down water (rain) to it, it is stirred up to life
and growth (of vegetation). Verily, He who give it life, surely,
is able to give life to the dead on the Day od Resurrection.
Indeed He is able to do all things” (Fussilat: 39)
*
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encouraging and promoting good deeds, and
discouraging evil acts by making it appear ugly in the
sight of human kind.
“ The likeness of those who spend their wealth in the
way of Allah, is as the likeness of a grain (of corn); it
grows seven ears, and each ear has a hundred
grains. Allah gives many fold increase to whom He
wills. And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures’
needs, All-Knower” Al-Baqarah: 261
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9
Analogical
Thinking Style
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It uses similes in order to indicate similarity of
characteristics common between the two things.
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In discouraging polytheism, hypocrisy, and disbelief
by revealing the consequences of their deeds in the
Hereafter.
• [But as for those who are bent on denying the Truth, their
(good) deeds are like a mirage in the desert, the thirsty
imagines it to be water- until he approaches it, when he
finds nothing; instead he finds (that) Allah (has always
been present) with him, and (that) He will pay him his
account in full- for God is swift in reckoning!] (24: 39).
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10
Emotional
Thinking Style
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Also called as empathetic thinking, refers to care or mercy of
Allah towards His ‘Ibad عباد.
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11
Perceptual
Thinking Style
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This style is related to the human perception
about the world around him.
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a) The status of the Hereafter
Most of the people used to glorify this
world and ignore or deny their final
destination.
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b) To Change the perception of the
disbelievers about Allah and His
attributes
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c) Values
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There are two situations where this perception holds true.
One is regarding fighting enemies and defending Muslim
communities, which many people may dislike because the
fighter is subject to be injured or killed
• ن.
[ وعسىأ.كم..يئا وهو خير ل..كرهوا ش...نت. وعسىأ.كم.. ل.ره..لوهو ك..لقتا.. ا.تبعليكم..ك
علمون... ت. ال.نتم. وأ.علم.. ي... وهللا.كم..ر ل..يئا وهو ش..حبوا ش... ]ت216 لبقرة..ا
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12
Conceptual
Thinking Style
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Category #1:
Conceptual Expansion
It refers to constructing, stretching, extending,
modifying, and refining concepts to fit new situations
and thus creating new meanings.
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Category #2:
Conceptual Combination
Conceptual combination refers to the combination of
two concepts together to produce a new idea or
meaning where a formerly nonexistent concept is
brought into being.
It is one of the basic processes that can produce a
creative outcome and is a source of conceptual
change and growth.
The Quran describes marvelous natural
phenomenon puts it in the following way:
• س
[ نف...لصبح إذا ت.. وا.لليلإذا عسعس.. ]وا18-17 لتكوير..ا
• [and the night as it darkly falls, and the morning as it softly
breathes.] (81: 17-18). It is as if night and morning are
living beings.
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13
Intuitive
Thinking Style
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This style has to do with insight &
inspiration that Allah bestows on the
Muslim
Only those who use their reason &
intellect in the right manner, enlightened
& inspired by Allah’s revelation that can
have this insight, & inspiration
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Allah says: [He answered: “I have gained
insight into sth wh they were unable to see, &
so I took a handful of (dust) fr the print of the
Messenger & threw it away, for thus has my
mind prompted me to act] (Taha:96)
Scientific
Thinking Style
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The term ‘scientific thinking style’ in light of the Quran
connotes the style by wh the Quran enhances the
thinking ability of mankind in matter of natural sciences,
as to enable him to realize & recognize the greatness of
Allah as the Creator; & to utilize as well as develop the
finding resulting fr the exercises of such thinking, for the
betterment of humanity as a whole
Islam encourages the study of nature. In fact, the Quran
mentions certain scientific fact about ocean, mountains,
fetal stages & other matters th proceeded the scientific
discoveries, some of which hv been discovered recently,
more than one thousand & 1400 yrs after the revelation of
the verses
This confirms the divinity of the Quranic message.
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1) Creation of heavens
[Then Allah turned the creation of heavens (the planet), when
they were but a smoky substance] (Fussilat:11)
[Hv not those who disbelieve known that the heavens & the
earth were joined together as one united piece, then We parted
them? & We have made from water every living thing. Will not
then they believe? & We have placed on earth firm mountains,
lest it should shake with them, & We placed therein broad
highways for them to pass through, that they may be guided.
And We have made the heaven a roof, safe and well guarded.
Yet they turn away from its signs (i.e sun, moon, winds, clouds,
etc.) And He it is Who has created the night and the day, & the
sun & the moon, each in an orbit floating (Al-Anbiya: 30-33)
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2) Creation of mankind
[O mankind! If u are in doubt ab the
Resurrection, then verily We have
created you (i.e. dam
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3) Formulation of natural milk
The Quran describes the factors whi form milk in animals in a
way i.e. entirely compatible with the findings of modern science
[There is in truth for u a lesson in yr animals & folks. We give
you to drink a pure milk derived from that wh is contained in
their bodies, fr the emerging of what is held in their intestines
with blood. The drinking of that is then made easy for those
who drink it] (an-Nahl:16)
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15
Wishful
Thinking Style
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1) Extreme grievance & regret of the
disbelievers in the Day of Judgment
Holding wishes that are definitely
impossible to come true
[Those who were bent on denying the
truth & paid no heed to the Apostle will
on that Day wish that the earth would
swallow them] (An-Nisa:42)
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References
The Holy Qur’an.
The Hutchinson Dictionary of Ideas, (Great
Britain, Heligon Publishing Ltd. 1994) p. 347.
Creative Thought. Edited by Thomas B. Ward
and others. American Psychology Association.
Washington DC. P. 6, 7 & 10
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