ICICE AL-NOOR MASJID KHUTBAH FOR FRIDAY 01/01/2021

SIGNS FOR PEOPLE WHO MAKE USE OF REASONING

 All praise is due to Allah. I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship but Him and I testify that Prophet Muhammad is His final messenger.

O you who have believed, fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice.

Allah said in the Qur’an:

(2:164) Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and earth, and the alternation of the night and the day, and the [great] ships which sail through the sea with that which benefits people, and what Allah has sent down from the heavens of rain, giving life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness and dispersing therein every [kind of] moving creature, and [His] directing of the winds and the clouds controlled between the heaven and the earth are signs for a people who use reason.

(3:190) Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding.

(30:24) And of His signs is [that] He shows you the lightning [causing] fear and aspiration, and He sends down rain from the sky by which He brings to life the earth after its lifelessness. Indeed in that are signs for a people who use reason.

(13:4) And within the land are neighboring plots and gardens of grapevines and crops and palm trees, [growing] several from a root or otherwise, watered with one water; but We make some of them exceed others in [quality of] fruit. Indeed, in that are signs for a people who reason.

(8:22) Indeed, the worst of living creatures in the sight of Allah are the deaf and dumb who do not use reason.

(16:12) And He has subjected for you the night and day and the sun and moon, and the stars are subjected by His command. Indeed, in that are signs for a people who reason.

(30:21) And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed, in that are signs for a people who give thought.

(39:42) Allah takes the souls at the time of their death, and those that do not die [He takes] during their sleep. Then He keeps those for which He has decreed death and releases the others for a specified term. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.

(10:24) The example of [this] worldly life is but like rain which We have sent down from the sky that the plants of the earth absorb – [those] from which men and livestock eat – until, when the earth has taken on its adornment and is beautified and its people suppose that they have capability over it, there comes to it Our command by night or by day, and We make it as a harvest, as if it had not flourished yesterday. Thus, do We explain in detail the signs for a people who give thought.

(2:219) And they ask you what they should spend. Say, “The excess [beyond needs].” Thus, Allah makes clear to you the verses [of revelation] that you might give thought.

(16:44) And We revealed to you the message that you may make clear to the people what was sent down to them and that they might give thought.

Qur’an enjoin reasoning and called to contemplating in revealed, worldly and abstract signs.

Among the most ridiculous accusations against Islam are that it calls for fighting reason and science, and that science and the Qur’an are in opposition to each other, and that it establishes a great barrier between Islam and the mind and science.

The one who looks at the verses of the great Qur’an finds that it includes tens of verses that call for prudence, contemplation, consideration, reflection, looking, thinking, deduction finding out distinctions between things while freeing the mind from subordination and superstition all in order to drawing it to the religion of truth, the law of guidance.

The observer, the researcher, the reader of the Holy Qur’an sees the interest of the Noble Qur’an and Islam in science and the realization of reason and thought in the verses of Allah written in the Qur’an or in the universe.

The Qur’an urged mankind to make use of reasoning and called for rejection of stagnation and blind imitation. It also showed that whoever neglects the blessing of the mind and does not use it, would descends to a level below that of an animal. Despite all these, mind has its limitation in perception and use.

Major objectives, purposes, and goals of Shari’ah contained protection of intellect by prohibiting anything that impair and destroy judgement, reasoning and thinking as well as stipulating befitting punishment for consumption and dealing in alcoholics and narcotics et c.

The first verse revealed in Qur’an was: Read. It is an instruction to feed, grow, nurture, respect the faculty of thinking by applying information, knowledge, reasoning and education to it.

Reasoning, thinking and contemplating are causes for preferring solutions to problems. Successful organizations give high priority to R and D departments plus high budgetary allocation so that the department could assemble big minds and cause them to continue thinking and be problem solving sources. It is the reason that kept tech companies and startups soar and stay relevant.

No nation lives with no thinking, reasoning, contemplation, problem solving, planning, preparedness, readiness except they find themselves relegated to the background, enslaved, disrespected, be susceptible to manipulation, naivety, consumption of fake news and misinformation and become a dumping ground…

Conclusion:

1. Let us all, individually and collectively, imbibe the habit of thinking, reasoning and contemplating as Allah instructed us
2. Thinking frees the mind from the enslavement and disenfranchisement
3. Our curriculums and educational institutions must train our young one on how to reason, think and problem solving rather than continue dependent on others for help.
4. It is part of reasoning producing most important of what we need, as a nation, to live such as food, water, medication, security, manufacturing… Prayers.