Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Qur'anic MethodOf Interpretation

Themethod which is observed and planned, by Muslims, is the one that is restricted by the Qur'an, itself.So , the Qur'an has talked about:

1. Itself and explained to us that it is an Arabic evident Qur'an and, also, it is easy to remember; besides, it speaks to people in their own languages as Allah (be He Exalted) says:

“SurelyWe have revealed it-an Arabic Qur'an-that you may understand.” Holy Qur'an (12:2)

“AndWe did not send any apostle but with the language of his people, so that he might explain to them clearly...” Holy Qur'an (14:4)

“And certainlyWe have made the Qur'an easy for remembrance, but is there anyone who will mind?” Holy Qur'an (54:17)

2. The task of both the Apostle andSunnah in showing and clearing up what was dubious for them about the meaning of the Qur'an and other subjects.“...then if you quarrel about anything, refer it to Allah and the Apostle...” Holy Qur'an (4:59)

This method has been followed by the companions of the Holy Prophet (a.s .) who were contemporary with His Honor. So, they used to consult Allah's apostle on understanding the Qur'an, whenever there was a doubt for them and asking for satisfactory explanation of any purposes and meanings in the Qur'an.

3. The role of mind in understanding the Qur'an and discovering its meanings. So, Allah (be He Exalted) says:

“Do not then reflect on the Qur'an? Nay, on the hearts there are locks.” Holy Qur'an (47:24)

“And (as for) these examples,We set them forth for men, and none understand them but the learned.” Holy Qur'an (29:43)

“...thus does Allah make clear to you thecommunications, that you may ponder.” Holy Qur'an (2:219)

“...AndWe set forth these parables to men that they may reflect.” Holy Qur'an (59:21)

Thus, we will arrive at the Islamic method which abides by specifying understanding of the Qur'an and discovering its meanings. This method makes us refuse all irregularattempts which are pushed into the spirit of the Qur'an and, surely, they are all methods that try to take the Qur'an out of its actual purpose to their doctrinal and ideological purpose which is not intended by the Qur'an.

Surely, the Qur'an refuses petrifaction and immobilization, as well as, any pause in the understanding of its meanings and discovering its content.Also , it calls for reflection, discovery and deducing from its methods and extracting from its fountainheads; equally, the Qur'an refuses those who interpret it according to their own desires and their own fancy. Allah (be He exalted) says:

“He it is Who has revealed the Book to you some of its verses are decisive, they are the basis of the Book, and others are allegorical; then as for those in whose hearts there is perversity, they follow the part of it which is allegorical, seeking to mislead, and seeking to give it (their own) interpretation, but none knows its interpretation except Allah and those who are firmly rooted in knowledge say: “We believe in it, it is all from our Lord; and none do mind except those having understanding.” Holy Qur'an (3:7)

Interpretation and significance will be incorrect except with an evidence and legal justification. Surely, the most dangerous thing that may threatenQur'anic thought is the interpretation and significance of the Qur'an according to self-fancy and personal view. QuotingSayyed Abul-Qassim al-Kho'ie about explaining this fact, he says:

“The interpretation is Allah's (be He Exalted) intent of His Holy Book. So, it is not allowable to rely on supposition and approval of it, nor on matters not approved of as yet, to bean evidence by way of mind or law in an attempt to forbid following supposition, and prohibit attributing anything to Allah without His permission”. Allah (be He Exalted) says:

“...Say: Has Allah commanded you, or do you forge a lie against Allah?” Holy Qur'an (10:59)

“And follow not that of which you have not the knowledge...” Holy Qur'an (17:36)

And other verses and narrations that forbid deed without knowledge; besides, narrations that forbid interpretation according to personal opinion are exhaustive in both ways.( 27)

Hence, interpretation and significance will be incorrect unless theQur'anic method of interpretation is exactly adopted by the interpreter , as follows:

1. The Qur'anshould be interpreted and testified to by depending on other verses of the Qur'an, itself .

2. The Qur'anshould be interpreted and testified to by abundant and correctSunnah .

3. Intellectual education that is cohesive with the Holy Book andSunnah .

4. FollowingQur'anic externals that are understood by a competent Arab person in depending upon a rule for external evidence,( 28) as well as, theQur'anic Interpretation method.

So , we can eliminate two serious problems which have befallen many interpreters and researchers through the open space of the Qur'an, which are as follows:

1. Eliminating intellectual immobilization and petrifaction; besides, the call to stop the opinions and education that are made by external examiners.

2. The problem of interpreting the Qur'an with personal opinions, as well as, beliefs and doctrinal inclinations of the interpreter. In addition, encumbering the Qur'an with significance and endurance thatare not intended by it; equally, the submitting of the Qur'an to the special, personal tastes and understanding of the interpreters.

Surely, protection against all of this may occur via the Qur'an-abiding spirit and with whathas been stated bySunnah in light of the expressions and interpretations that depend on the discerning, correct Arabic understanding.

It is important, here, to say that meanings and uses of vocabularies over the period of revelationshould be taken into consideration from a linguistic point of view of the Qur'an without bringing the everyday development-affected words, which haveoccured over the ages, into understanding and deduction.So , the Holy Qur'an has communicated to the Arab people in their own used vocabularies, formations and styles during that period. Therefore, the Qur'anshould be understood in those linguistic terms and by those methods.

In this connection, a matter of interpreting thevocaularies of the Qur'anhas been linked with regard to other ones having the same use.So , the thing which must be given more attention to is that all synonyms are not equivalent in ability for illustrating the hidden purpose of the Qur'an. Therefore, the reason behind the fact that the Qur'an uses a linguistic word, in place of other synonymous words, is for the sake of giving more accurate expression to the subject, as well as, showing its skillfulness in describing the requested meaning.

Certainly, it is not a spontaneous matter or abstract, aesthetic one, so the linguistic word shouldbe understood well and be used, along with its content, according to its exact, given meaning over the age of revelation.

Deepening the linguistic studies and analyzingQur'anic vocabularies, as well as, their uses, have all taken part in opening wide horizons before the researcher, thinker and deviser. For instance, the use of certain words in place of other words gives ameaning which cannot be given by another synonym. Also, the use of certain adjectives and nouns which stand for Allah (be He Exalted) or human beings, for example, at any place, may give us other meanings and ideas.

All these meaningscannot be understood except by way of research and deepened linguistic studies of theQur'anic words, forms, structures and styles. In addition, the researchers who deal with the Qur'an have taken part in explaining theQur'anic hidden aims by removing doubts from it.So , in this way, a rich, intellectual, material and scientific means for understanding is created within reach of the researcher, thinker and deviser; besides showing the manner in which thoughts and concepts can obtain much benefit from the Holy Qur'an.

Revelation Causes

It is clear that in understanding interpretation science there are causes behind the revealing of some holy verses of the Qur'an, because they were all revealed to address a certain event and status or to answer either a particular question or to explain a certain incident. So, the scientists who deal withQur'anic studies have allocated some books for writing down the revelation causes, as interpreters have stated the causes of revealed verses in books of interpretation, and made them quite clear for people.And , since a showing of revelation causes depends on narration and quotation, we find a difference in statements.

Some causes for revelation, held among interpreters, deal with suspicion of accuracy, because, occasionally, interpreters, due to personal inclinations, concentrate on a private view or try to defend it, particularly if the revelation is connected with noble deeds andvirture or with pointing out mistakes, as well as, when they imagine a negative status and, there again, sometimes, due to other motives and reasons.

In connection with causes for revelation, there is anotherproblem which concerns confusing the application of the verses according to theircredibilities by considering the credibility as a cause of the revelation. All thiswill be submitted to fair, objective research, as well as, investigation through studying and research into the Holy Qur'an.

The point, here, touches on the value of the revelation cause and its role in understanding and finding out the ideas; besides, enrichment of thought,culture and Islamic knowledge. It is clear that the verse, at the time of its revelation, surely discovers a phenomenon and state that may expressSunnah and public law, and that phenomenon is repeatedly congruent with its causes.

Therefore, the well-known, contemporary religious authorities have made an appraisal which is thus: “Thespeciality of researching the source does not signify the incoming item.” (29)

In summary, studying the cause of revelation will supply us with facts thathave been addressed by the Qur'an, as well as, provide us with new thoughts and knowledge; which cannot be provided by the outward meanings of the Qur'an, alone.

Practical Steps:

Concepts,ideas and Islamic knowledge are spread throughout the horizon of the Holy Qur'an and the broad ocean of its verses.

In order to obtain the needed thought from the Qur'an, we should pursue the matter in the following ways:

1. The meaning and concept of the verse may lack an idea, for instance, political, moral, economic, lawful or psychological and, so on.Also , that meaning may form, in some states, the complete idea for the subject that we are going to research into, and in other states, it may form only a part of that subject. In this case, we have to move to the second step to be able to achieve the completion and deduce the basic elements that have a complete thought, as well as, the theory we are going to discover.

2. With regard to the second step that we are going to turn to for deducing the thought, or theory, which addresses one of the everyday subjects, is a method of objective interpretation which depends on the induction of verses with regard to their treatment of the subject and whether we can link the concepts of the verses and their treatments and analyses, as well as, their comprehensive ideas, with each other; we will be able to deduce the idea and theory that we intend to discover.

3. Perhaps, we will be unable to discover the idea or theory in full form through the ideological unity of all the verses that deal with a certain subject, such as, an economic or political one. Therefore, we need to coordinate and make a link between them and other verses that may deal with monotheism, ethics,worship or general concepts about life and, etc.

By reacting and linking the innate and other ideas of the verses together, we can understand and deduce the thought and theory we are looking for. Wecan, also, obtain ideas and concepts that have taken part in establishing thought and theory in every aspect of human life; ones by the help of the whole thought, treatment andQur'anic trend.

Surely, this method will help both the thinker and researcher take much benefit from theQur'anic text by including its literal meaning and concept to be relied upon for deducing the thought andtheory which is meant to bedicovered , as well as, constructed.

Of course, these three mentioned waysare considered the practical method that must be followed in an attempt to deal with detecting idea and concept or theory in the Holy Qur'an.

B. The SacredSunnah (of the Prophet):

The linguistic meaning ofSunnah is `the beaten path', and conventionallymeans: `every word or deed and report that issued from the infallible ones '. Itis sometimes used to mean heresy; and sometimes means all things that used to be done, to show guidance and manner of living, by Allah's Prophet (a.s .). Itis considered the second source of thought and legislation after the Holy Qur'an, as well as, a principal fountainhead of guidance and uprightness.And it has a restricted link with the Holy Qur'an by making it clear and more obvious in discovering and expressing its content.

The well-known, contemporary religious authorities have paid much attention toSunnah through many a hard and organized effort to preserve, revise, adjust,record and quote it. A process of preserving and quotingSunnah has passed through these following two stages:

A. Learning it by heart and quoting, orally, those chains of citations.

B. Recording and writing, as well as, storing theSunnah into private books, which entails thousands of traditions and narrations that address different events and incidents. Most of those books have acted as legislative, ideological, educational, moral, social,political and economic general rules and principles. In bringing them together with what is revealed in the Holy Qur'an; to link them to each other, we can obtain a huge wealth of ideas, as well as, a knowledgeable,cultural and unique contribution.

Sunnah of the Prophet plays a key role in the Muslim's ideological life andis summed up as follows:

A. It is a source of Islamic thought,law and knowledge.

B. It is a standard of achieving rightness and correctness of what Muslim thinkers and researchers are going to produce; besides, it is an instrument to explain both error and correction.

C. It is a tool to understand the Qur'an and discover its meaning along with its content.

The Islamic Thought could set up this Islamic, ideological, cultural, knowledgeable and towering structure by way of depending on the Holy Qur'an andSunnah , as well as, activating their contents together with providing and covering the social, ideological and legislative life with recent originated matters and intellectual legislative events and to classify it and bring some narrations forward which excel others.

So,Sunnah has been discussed as a whole with its three origins, i.e., word, deed and report by the well-known, religious authorities through deep study, analysis and investigation, where they have laid the foundation for `ilm ar-Rijal , i.e., the science of biography and criticism of traditions and `ilm al-Hadith , i.e., the science of traditions, to approve the rightness of it and discard anything that may interpolate it within the scope of work and education. Also the science of religious jurisprudence principles has taken part in studying and understandingSunnah together with deducing its content, as well as, to tackle its problems as a method of understanding and deduction.

Thus, the religious authorities have made great efforts in keeping the originality of theSunnah and maintaining it from distortion; equally, they strive much to create a favorable understanding of it.

Since the Holy Qur'an has been protected by Allah (Glory to Him) against any falseness and misinterpretations which is, now, before us as it was revealed to Muhammad (a.s .) Allah's Prophet; then, the only problem that man is faced with is the problem of interpretation, significance and playing on the meanings of the Qur'an, as well as, its causes of revelation and, also, the reporting of false and doubtful narrations in which the Qur'an is explained by supporting either this or that wrong view. Therefore, the problems that weare faced with in studyingSunnah are as follows:

1. The rightness and wrongness of the narration.

2. How we should understand the narration and take benefit from it.

So , it is imposed on the Muslim researcher and thinker to be quite sure about the rightness and evidence of the narration, as well as, to interpret and understand the Qur'an objectively and fairly according to the scientific rules and faculties that justify comprehension and interpreting it.Sunnah of the Prophet, with its whole application and practical process, has provided us with endless verdicts,concepts and values.

In addition, the traditions, sermons, and debates have been issued by the infallible Imam about thebehaviour and practical action in his personal life, in order to show us a section of thought and legislation; besides to embody the applied formula.And , to join the maxims, deeds and personal behavior of the infallible Imam together with the reports and agreements that are issued by him; we can get a more clear idea about the practical understanding and a formula of life and well-built Islamic society.

The balanced relations between the verdicts and concepts can tackle one of the most serious problems that face Islamic law and thought ifthey are treated by us as a method for practical life and an example of commitment in guidingbehaviour .

C. The Mind:

Surely, the mind plays an important role in setting up the high structure of Islamic Thought according to its contents, wide dimensions and rich gifts, as well as, construction. The mind is an active tool which is used by the well- known, contemporary religious authorities and philosophers, as well as, thinkers to discover: sciences, knowledge, ideas and various civilized concepts; in addition, to establish the high structure of civilization.

The process of diligence or discovering and deducing verdicts, concepts, as well as, ideas is no more than a practice of the mind's role in understanding, connecting, analyzing and concluding. The Holy Qur'an has given the mind a great deal of liberty and released it from stagnancy, as well as, immobilization; besides, urging it on to think, understand and deduce, as is pointed out in Allah' saying:“Do they not then reflect on the Qur'an ? Nay, on the hearts there are locks.” Holy Qur'an (17:24)

As pointed out by several verses, the necessity of understanding, thinking,deducing and advantage aredicussed . Thus, it will place before us the evidence of the validity of understanding and deducing along with verdicts and concepts that may arisetherefrom .However, this, on condition that the action be carried out on the grounds of the correct method and premises to come to correct conclusions, as well.

ImamJa` far bin Muhammad al-Sadiq (upon whom be peace) has related what role the mind has and how it incites us to understanding and education; as shown in his following saying:

“Surely, it is for us to send down roots and for you to send out branches.” (30)

Also , it was related that Imam AliIbn Musa al-Rida (a.s .) said:

“Surely, it is for us to send roots to you, and for you to send out branches.” (31)

It isquite obvious that the mind plays a key role in both fields of understanding and intellectual education, because it executes its role by depending on laws and primary mental senses and those who “send out branches”. Occasionally, the mind works apart from the Holy Qur'an andSunnah ; sometimes, it deals with the text (i.e., the Book andSunnah ) in carrying out the process of understanding and education or by way of understanding and deducing via the Holy Qur'an andSunnah .

At any one of the mind's three acting phases, its actwill never be endorsed and its outcomes never accepted unless they are consistent with the Book andSunnah , as well as, when it works together with their legal logic and not against it. Indeed, when we talk about the mind as a source of Islamic Thought, we mean the mentalactivity which it abides by in regard to the Qur'an andSunnah . As we are talking about this scientific tool for obtaining sciences, knowledge and ideas; it is necessary, here, to declare that the mind performs its role whichis ratified by the Holy Qur'an and SacredSunnah on two levels :

1. The belief and thought level: This means the level of approving belief along with its borne-evidence regarding the existence of Allah (be He Exalted) and proving revelation with prophecy, as well as, their argument; besides, assuring the reality of the existence of the hereafter and that the obedience to Allah is obligatory; equally, other studies, research, evidences and debates that deal with belief such as, theological and philosophical studies which are endowed with wide horizons and fields, together with what we may deal with or depend on, like delimiting the research area to discover ideological laws (i.e., logic) and like studies, research and knowledge rules.

Surely, Muslim scholars and philosophers havepractised a prominent role, in this regard, and enriched the Islamic Thought and life on both the theoretical and practical level; besides, all other research, sciences and studies, such as, religious jurisprudence, rudiments, ethics, politics, sociology, psychologicalbehaviour and, etc., which are attached to these two sciences, and are influenced by them, have.

In the same manner, the mind has enjoyed a prominent role in discovering ideas and concepts, as well as, other various theories in Qur'an andSunnah that touch on the fields of politics, economics, finance, sociology, culture, ethics,behaviour and, so on.

2. Considering the mind as a discoverer of legal verdicts andbeing realized by it (i.e., the mental evidence of looking at it as equal proof of the Qur'an andSunnah with regard to power and evidence). The mind has been considered, by a team of scholars ofAhl -ul -Bait School called `Usoliyyoun ' (a Muslim sect specializing in first principles), as a guide of verdicts and of being depended on as a base; besides the Qur'an andSunnah , in the deducing process.

Whereas, these scholars have been objected to by another team called `Ikhbariyyoun ' (a Muslim sect that deals with traditions) who have taken a negative position towards the mind's role and its ability to discover legal verdicts through independent means (mental independence) into the Holy Qur'an andSunnah ; equally, they refuse it to be employed or depended on in this regard.

Also , they condemned its testimony due to the ambiguity of the intended meaning about considering the mind as one proof among the legislation ones.So , they have imagined that the mind's legal role in regard to religious jurisprudents depends on the mind as a legislator, but, on the contrary, the truth of the mind is to understand legal verdicts. Therefore, the mind will be able to know and discover a verdict far from legislating it.The deductive field in which the mind exercises its role is divided, by scholars, into two parts , thus:

1. Intellectual independences field( ): That is to say, all verdicts which can be discovered and realized by the mind, independently, apart from the law of Islam and without interposing any legal mode of expression (i.e., Holy Qur'an andSunnah ); in other words, it depends on itself in realizing the ugliness of injustice and the beauty of justice, as well as, order and arrangement; and, the ugliness of disorder and, so on. So , the mind fully realizes and diagnoses the ugliness of injustice and disorder along with the beauty of justice and order, in the same way as is diagnosed by the lawmaker.

For example, thejudgement of the mind as to giving no permission to the master to commit any disobedience is due to the previous realization of the mind regarding the ugliness in giving permission to him to practice disobedience, because ugliness is impossible for a wise man to practice.

2. Non-intellectual independences field: Concerning the second field in which the mind can practice its role, is the field that deals with realizing the verdicts by the mediation of the legal mode of expression (i.e., Holy Qur'an andSunnah ).

In this field, the mind practices discovering ambiguous legal verdicts, by way of finding out the connection between a certain legal verdict thatis defined by the lawmaker and another, unlimited one. Its power is in discoveringthe legal necessity of the compulsory duty premise after its necessity has been specified by lawmakers .

Therefore, in this regard the mind can judge that the lawmaker imposes premise due to the necessity ofduty which is achieved by depending on fulfilling it. The same as in its given-judgement to the necessity of covering a particular distance in order to perform obligatory Hajj (pilgrimage) together with compulsorypreparation of military experiences which are depended on in carrying out Jihad (Holy War).And, also, the mind can judge the `prohibition of attempt' premise which leads to committing taboo acts, such as, its realization to have a look at forbidden, immoral films which result indissoluting morals and propagating corruption which is as a prohibition firmly proven by Islam in spite of the films, themselves, or that they are motion pictures which are not forbidden to be looked at. As the mind has realized these concomitants and diagnosed verdicts by this realization so surely, the mind can realize verdicts and discover them by analogy (i.e., measuring priority and measuring equality)( ).

Muslim religious authorities have depended on the mind's role, in this field of analogy, via allocating it strictly and widely. Moreover, these intellectual verdicts occupy a vast field of legislative area and meet one of the most serious legislative personal and societal needs, especially the latest ones.

D. Consensus:

Muslim scholars have discussed the consensus case in religious jurisprudence principles science and considered it as a source of legislation.And , in view of the fact that our subject is about sources of Islamic Thought, and in spite of the limited area of consensus; in the field of thought and legislation analogy; it sometimes provides us with an idea about matters in which it conducts as a source to be taken from. Therefore, consensus is considered an origin of thought around these affairs whichare able to be taken from and attributed to Islam, because it will be unfair to attribute any thought to Islam unless it is taken from an Islamic source.

2. Secondary Sources:

As we have made clear before, there are prime sources for IslamicThought which directly provide us with the thought and culture we need; such as, the Holy Qur'an andSunnah , and, they form the base of the Islamic Thought structure.At the present time, if we try to deal with political, economic, moral, philosophical and issues of belief, we will find that there are secondary sources, which are derived from primary ones, as an instance of religious jurisprudence and other juristic studies and researchers that represent a scientific interactive task of religious jurists and researchers in the field of religious jurisprudence and legislation; equally, its principles, which are interacted with rules and primary sources that supply us with the fundamental material of Islamic Thought.

For instance, we can deduce a theory of work and value from much text and analytic juristic studies that deal with work, rent, as well as, ownership. From all verdicts that touch on vital legal rule, we also can derive ideas and concepts with regard to political theory. Thus, all these studies and research, which represent scientific tasks, have taken part in establishing Islamic Thought.

And as the juristic studies are taking a great share in building the high structure of Islamic Thought, in the same manner, philosophical, theological, moral and other studies have taken part in discovering psychology theory and expressingbehaviour and history, as well as, philosophy of ethics, politics and, so on. So, if the Islamic researcher and thinker wants to deal with political and economic theory or civilizing matter and the like, he will go back to the Qur'an andSunnah ; equally, fundamentals, rules and analytic studies of religious jurisprudence.

These, produced by researchers and thinkers with regard to philosophy, theology and ethics and to obtain intellectual material along with scientific and methodical restricts to theorize and treat variouscivilizational cases and problems in a form that saves him commitment and missionary truth; equally, it provides the researcher with endless intellectual wealth.

Features of Islamic Thought

Islamic Thought has limited, obvious and specific features that have the ability to differ it from other ideas and theories along with granting it energy and power on contribution, as well as, original development; besides, enabling it to face different problems of life by giving them suitable solutions. We can summarize the most important features as follows:

1. Mental trend:

Muslim Thought and thinking is characterized as anactivity which relies on intellectual breaks, because it believes in the mind's role; in the field of human knowledge by depending on two prime principles in this regard:

A. Giving free rein to truth (i.e., the harmonizing of the view of the mind with reality).

B. Believing in the mind's power in discovering truth.

Surely, the mindhas been given a prominent role and principal duty by Muslim Thought.So , the mind has a right of understanding and deduction, as well as, derives knowledge, science, concepts and theories from the Qur'an andSunnah to be attributed finally to Allah (be He Exalted).

It is correct to say that it is an Islamic Thought and that, for example, so and so is an economic, philosophical, political, gregarious opinion of Islam. Indeed, it is quite true for us that nothing is referred to Islam (i.e., to be attributed to Allah-be He Exalted), in saying this Islamic matter and that non- Islamic one, unless we are sure that matter has been truly revealed by Allah and delivered by His Holy Prophet.

As long as we are sure that Islam gives us permission to employ the mind in understanding, deducing and discovering; besides, allowing us to allocate the mind's energy in every field of legislation, thought and knowledge; equally the mind helps us to derive political, economical, moral, philosophical, social and other ideas and concepts from their original sources, then, we can say that any thought which gets benefit via the mind under the guidance of legislation is exactly an Islamic Thought.

2. Extension and Inclusiveness:

Islamic Thoughtis characterized by its wide idea and includes all aspects and fields of life. The main reason behind that extension and inclusiveness is due to the width and generality of its horizons of sources which depend on Islamic Thought whether in its material or structure. The thought,knowledge and Muslim culture, before us, are as a clear evidence and witness to this.So , Muslim scholars,philosphers , thinkers and researchers have discussed all affairs and aspects of life, starting with knowledge theory, method of research, thinking and philosophy of existence, along with the explanation of life and the world, up to lesser matters in the human being's life. They have studied matters of belief, regulation, morals, psychology,behaviour , legislation, philosophy and history; besides, other ever so little or great knowledge sciences and arts to a degree that they include all fields and horizons.

In addition, they have laid down the basis, rules and totalswhich can involve every new thing in life and give it a solution.But , surely, Muslim Thought has the priority with regard to all its basis and totals. Truly, thought always guides life as a pioneer and never goes behind it.And if we saw somevaccant areas in thought and knowledge, the cause would be the retardation of Muslim researchers and thinkers; as a result of the intellectual andcivilizational relapse that has been inflicted on Muslims over the last periods, and not because of the self-incapacity of Islamic Thought and knowledge. Therefore, if a researcher deals with any chapter or idea, art, literature, knowledge and human sciences, he will find intellectual material and a huge wealth of information can supply him with what he needs to cover the research and theory in this regard or on that subject.

3. Activity and Dynamism:

The Muslim Thoughtis characterized by its activity and influence on the person and society's lives by giving it a dynamic power that boasts energy of the person along with material, as well as, psychological powers directed towards highness and integration for creating a reality of motion.

So , it is a thought that aims at building and moving life; besides, igniting the human being's powers to transfer it tobehaviour , work, positions and contributions. Surely, the value of thought in a human being's life lies behind its ability to provoke the human being to act upon himself together with igniting his powers of positive motion for making lofty human civilization and life.And, also, Muslim Thought, due to its witnessed history and practical truth, is a thought that has full ability to put the human being in a particular circle of movement and contribution.

Because, in theory, it thoroughly refuses concrete motionlessness and inactivity or to be as an academic thought and on the far practical side of the human being; besides, creating a dynamic power in the human being, as well as, a self-movement, and, also, to affect his surroundings and interact with the world round him (i.e., world of nature, life and the human being).

Nowadays, the problem of Muslims is not an intellectual and theoretical one to the extent that it is a problem of motivation, revival and dynamism, as well as, how to convert intellectual, material and psychological power into life, charity, product and work style.And the Muslim who attempts this uphill road, will be a dynamic power and creative, as well as, a constructive man who can affect his surroundings which is full of stagnancy, retardation and immobilization.So , Muslim Thought, with its whole, available strength and moveable, practical trend, as well as, its ascent power, besides its integral trend, can create, from pre-Islamic society, which was immersed, totally, in stagnancy, retardation and automatism, a dynamic, strong nation along with a boasting power for anhistorial movement.

Nowadays, this Thought has the ability to bedynamic, and organized and direct the human being's power by enriching it with charity, activity and creativity.

4. The Existence of Limited Standards and Precepts (Commitments):

Allah (be He Exalted) says:

“And (know) that this is My path, the right one, therefore, follow it, and pursue not (other) ways, for they will lead you away from His way;... “. Holy Qur'an (6:153)

“(Receive) the baptism of Allah, and who is better than Allah in baptizing?and Him do we serve.” Holy Qur'an (2:138)

One of the features of the Muslim Thought is that which is characterized by its principles,criteria and precepts; that which has the ability to keep it in good condition with connected, logical originality and structure.If a Muslim researcher wants to think or probe into current issues, such as, sociology, psychology, aesthetics, education, history, expression, ethics, finance, economics, international relations and subjects of civilization, for example, liberty and the like, he will find himself face to face with Muslim ideological material and criteria, as well as, precepts that have the ability to restrict his direction of thinking and research methods, and all the results that will be reached by him when he wants to prove a scientific definition or pose any intellectual matter and when he discovers interpretation for any certain matter or plans any organization for it.

In that situation, he will find himself committed to principles and criteria that can organize his thinking, research, definitions, and expressions. These criteria and preceptscan be summed up as follows:

1. Tenets and concepts.

2. Values and morals.

3. Verdicts.

The Muslim thinker, when he wants to prove a theory on expressingbehaviour and history, he should inhibit his analysis, expression,organization and history from going against the divine rule. One of its evidence is that: Surely, the human is free and does things by choice, i.e., he has the ability to pick out any certain kind of conduct, because, freedom objects to the concept of justice.So , the recompense of both retribution and reward will never be justifiable unless done within the ability of choice.

Also , when a Muslim thinker wants to research into a case of liberty, he will make a link between it and the commitment with Islamic values and verdicts and does not leave them to disorder and dissolution. So, we find the thinker who deals with meaning in his explanation of the cause of an economic problem, cannot attribute it, for example, to the lack of the power of nature on providing man's needs; because, he previously knows that it is against Allah's wisdom, as well as, His knowledge and justice.

Whereas, on the contrary, the thinker will refer it to the problem of distribution which is hidden in man's essence. The same human being whois overcome with the inclination to greed, gluttony and injustice, is lead to give unjust orders and rules of economic distribution.

The Muslim researcher who deals with these ethics finds a link between morals and absolute divine integration. (i.e., Thou adopt Allah's manners); such as, justice, mercy, wisdom, forgiveness, truth, etc., and makes a connection between them and the present-day reality; as we have made it clear before in the economic example, therefore, the consideration of morals with regard to him and due to this meaning are divine and practical.

In this way, the thinker proves his ideas and theories, and can move through his research,deduction and development and within the limited criteria and precepts of tenet principles. As Islamic rules of belief act as a group of precepts and criteria for maintaining Islamic research, thought, theory, literary and artistic product it, also, protects research from deviation, disorder, contradiction and from the infiltration of strange ideas and concepts; besides, the odd and non-Muslim tendencies.And the same basis of belief can form an orbit for ideas and theories that move round; and a spirit that flows in over research, a degree that the intellectual construction becomes a united, coordinated, integral structure.

The ideas in belief (i.e., a group of thoughts and concepts about the world, life, the humanbeing and existence) behave as a prime base to be built up on all foundations ofcivilizational and moral construction, as well as, man's cultural activities, such as, knowledge, the arts and literature.

Verdicts (i.e., compulsory, lawful and unlawful) behave as measures and criteria for thought. So, every intellectual, cultural,artistic and literary product will submit to commitment with lawful, unlawful and compulsory measures. As belief and ideas behave as measures and concepts of intellectual commitment, in the same way, morals behave as measures and precepts of intellectual commitment. Surely, morals are as a spirit that flows in all dimensions of human production and affects them, as well. By this, the commitment is accomplished and constructionis being built up solidly, and the progress of thought is corrected according to the obvious Islamic basis.