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INTRODUCTION TO CRITICAL THINKING
LECTURE 1
Pertaining to the introduction to critical thinking, we should firstly remember that Allah has perfectly inculcated in human person several faculties that enable him to carry out the assignment of being His vicegerance (KHILAAFA). One of such is thinking faculty which is not in other human being .It is the faculty that distinguishes between man and other creatures even the angels. Therefore it is only human that think.
There is difference between human being and human person, human person is someone that is conscious and matured enough to know what he is doing while human being is anybody that does not recognize the state of being human. Allah says in Q 17:70 “And in deed we have honoured the Children of Adam, we carried them on land and sea, and have provided with them At-taayibat (lawful good things) and we have preferred them above many of those whom we have created with a marked preferment.”
Before critical thinking can be defined we have to consider the point below
How do you think?
What do you think?
Is one thinking well?
Do one think clearly and carefully?
Can someone be trained to think critically?
Now critical thinking can be said to be the process of thinking clearly, accurately, precisely and carefully with logic and depth and open mindedly by testing the point of view and acknowledging assumptions and biases within a given view point.
Tools of critical thinking
We have four main tools of critical thinking, they are:
Data collection: - This means accumulation of all the necessary information about the subject matter.
Evaluating the data:- Stating out the opinion as a result of having been studied the facts surrounding the subject matter critically
Drawing a logical conclusion; This is to state your fact
Evaluating a conclusion :- This is affirmative of final opinion
THE STATUS OF THINKING IN ISLAM
The status of thinking in Islam as a religion on its own does not disagree with thinking rather it encourages it, some of which are:
• Tafakkur can be directed towards the creatures of the universe and the signs of Allah put therein.
• Another area where Tafakkur can be directed is the divine laws whgich Allah has created as a means of regulating this world and life.
• It can also be so be directed for the purpose of understanding grasping the message of the Quran itself
• It can be directed for the purpose of self reckoning and self accountability.
• It can be directed from the future problem solving based on anticipated and available information.
FACTORS THAT HINDER TAFAKUR
1. Jahl (Ignorance)
2. Al-i’raad (Abandonment)
3. Taqleeb and Ta’sub (Dogmatism)
4. Hawah (Self desire)
5. Takabbur ( Arrogance)
6. Nifaaaq (hypocrisy)
7. Dhannah Suui’ (Prejudice)
8. Juhuud (Dispute)
9. Takdhib ( Refutation)
10. Khuluq Shaytan (Evil attitude )
LECTUTE 2
TAFAKKUR VERSUS IJTIHAD
Ijtihad is defined as the application by a Jurist of all his faculties either in inferring the rules of shariah from their sources, or in implementing such rules and applying them to particular issue.
It is also considered as a critical and creative but disciplined intellectual effort to derive legal rulings from those various sources while taking into consideration the variables imposed by the fluctuating circumstances of Muslim society. This means that Ijtihad mainly consist of intellectual exertion. If this is the case, then the rules of shariah cannot be achieved without Tafakkur.
From the afore-statement we can say that there is correlation between TAFAKKUR and IJTIHAD, Someone that want to strive on the cause of Allah must possess deep thinking faculty so as to broaden his ability to execute the task ahead him. The ability to think is not possessed by every human, that’s why there is difference between human being and human person. There are numerous reasons why Islam encourages thinking. Evidence of this is stated in Q 3:190 Allah says that “Verily, in the creation of heavens and earth and in the alternation of night and day, they are indeed signs for men of understanding” Al-Albaab.
Tafakkur can be directed for the purpose of understanding, grasping meaning of Quran, purpose of self reckoning and accountability. It can be directed for future problem solving based on anticipated information.
Some terminologies concerning thinking as appeared in the Qur’an
• At-tafkir (Thought)
• At-tadabbur (Pondering)
• At-tabassur (Insight)
• An-nazor ( Considerig)
• Al-idraq (Perceiving)
• At-tafaqih (Comprehending)
• At-tawasi’ (Reflecting)
• Al’itibar (Taking a lesson)
• Al-fiqh (Grasping)
• At-tadkhir (Remembrance)
LECTURE 1
Pertaining to the introduction to critical thinking, we should firstly remember that Allah has perfectly inculcated in human person several faculties that enable him to carry out the assignment of being His vicegerance (KHILAAFA). One of such is thinking faculty which is not in other human being .It is the faculty that distinguishes between man and other creatures even the angels. Therefore it is only human that think.
There is difference between human being and human person, human person is someone that is conscious and matured enough to know what he is doing while human being is anybody that does not recognize the state of being human. Allah says in Q 17:70 “And in deed we have honoured the Children of Adam, we carried them on land and sea, and have provided with them At-taayibat (lawful good things) and we have preferred them above many of those whom we have created with a marked preferment.”
Before critical thinking can be defined we have to consider the point below
How do you think?
What do you think?
Is one thinking well?
Do one think clearly and carefully?
Can someone be trained to think critically?
Now critical thinking can be said to be the process of thinking clearly, accurately, precisely and carefully with logic and depth and open mindedly by testing the point of view and acknowledging assumptions and biases within a given view point.
Tools of critical thinking
We have four main tools of critical thinking, they are:
Data collection: - This means accumulation of all the necessary information about the subject matter.
Evaluating the data:- Stating out the opinion as a result of having been studied the facts surrounding the subject matter critically
Drawing a logical conclusion; This is to state your fact
Evaluating a conclusion :- This is affirmative of final opinion
THE STATUS OF THINKING IN ISLAM
The status of thinking in Islam as a religion on its own does not disagree with thinking rather it encourages it, some of which are:
• Tafakkur can be directed towards the creatures of the universe and the signs of Allah put therein.
• Another area where Tafakkur can be directed is the divine laws whgich Allah has created as a means of regulating this world and life.
• It can also be so be directed for the purpose of understanding grasping the message of the Quran itself
• It can be directed for the purpose of self reckoning and self accountability.
• It can be directed from the future problem solving based on anticipated and available information.
FACTORS THAT HINDER TAFAKUR
1. Jahl (Ignorance)
2. Al-i’raad (Abandonment)
3. Taqleeb and Ta’sub (Dogmatism)
4. Hawah (Self desire)
5. Takabbur ( Arrogance)
6. Nifaaaq (hypocrisy)
7. Dhannah Suui’ (Prejudice)
8. Juhuud (Dispute)
9. Takdhib ( Refutation)
10. Khuluq Shaytan (Evil attitude )
LECTUTE 2
TAFAKKUR VERSUS IJTIHAD
Ijtihad is defined as the application by a Jurist of all his faculties either in inferring the rules of shariah from their sources, or in implementing such rules and applying them to particular issue.
It is also considered as a critical and creative but disciplined intellectual effort to derive legal rulings from those various sources while taking into consideration the variables imposed by the fluctuating circumstances of Muslim society. This means that Ijtihad mainly consist of intellectual exertion. If this is the case, then the rules of shariah cannot be achieved without Tafakkur.
From the afore-statement we can say that there is correlation between TAFAKKUR and IJTIHAD, Someone that want to strive on the cause of Allah must possess deep thinking faculty so as to broaden his ability to execute the task ahead him. The ability to think is not possessed by every human, that’s why there is difference between human being and human person. There are numerous reasons why Islam encourages thinking. Evidence of this is stated in Q 3:190 Allah says that “Verily, in the creation of heavens and earth and in the alternation of night and day, they are indeed signs for men of understanding” Al-Albaab.
Tafakkur can be directed for the purpose of understanding, grasping meaning of Quran, purpose of self reckoning and accountability. It can be directed for future problem solving based on anticipated information.
Some terminologies concerning thinking as appeared in the Qur’an
• At-tafkir (Thought)
• At-tadabbur (Pondering)
• At-tabassur (Insight)
• An-nazor ( Considerig)
• Al-idraq (Perceiving)
• At-tafaqih (Comprehending)
• At-tawasi’ (Reflecting)
• Al’itibar (Taking a lesson)
• Al-fiqh (Grasping)
• At-tadkhir (Remembrance)
