Intellect & Texts Don’t Clash

The scholars say:

‎العقل الصحيح ‎لا يخالف النقل الصحيح
‘A correct intellect (‘aql),
does not clash with
a correct Islamic text (naql).’

When there is a clash, it usually means that: the text is not authentic, the interpretation is wrong or the person lacks intellect and intelligence.

It is said:

‎ډاکټر مریض ته وویل: د شپې لخوا خواړه خوړل د وزن د زیاتوالي سبب کیږي.
‎مریض وویل: نو دا خواړه څه پوهیږي، چې اوس شپه ده که ورځ
‘A doctor said to a patient: ‘eating at night makes you overweight.’
The patient rejected the doctors advice, saying: ‘Nonsense! a stomach doesn’t know if it’s day or night!!’

On the surface – this patients reasoning sounds correct, but if you think about it, it’s incorrect.

There are plenty of pseudo intellectuals like this, who rush to reject established Islamic texts, left, right and centre. If they had sat down with the scholars, they would have understood – like that patient. Everyone’s intellect develops differently. Some people’s intellect may be at primitive stages, but they still feel confident to reject or bend Islamic texts.

Islam is not unreasonable. God would not give us brains and then tell us not to use it. There is no reason to fear and discourage people from using their intellect. That’s the difference between humans and cattle. The Qur’an repeatedly encourages using the intellect. It does not say: accept everything on auto-pilot.

They say: Be open minded, but don’t keep your mind so open that your brains fall out …