As
the Aqeedah is a thought, a comprehensive thought about the universe, human and
life, then like any other thought it is subjugated to what any thought is
subjugated to and submits to, when wanting to ascertain its validity or
falsity. It has to be judged and it applicability upon its reality or
non-applicability needs to be known. This is because every thought is a
judgement upon a reality and the correctness of the thought is determined by it
being applicable upon the reality that it has been applied upon. Similarly when
we judge the thoughts to know their validity then it is necessary for us to have
solid criteria and true measures which establish the true reality of that
thought upon their basis. As such it is necessary to understand these criteria
and measures so that the judgment can be clear and all obscurities can be removed.
The
thought (Fikrah) is a judgement upon a specific reality and in the case where
we state that it is a Hukm ‘Aqliy (Intellectual judgement) then it is necessary
to go to the mind or intellect for judgement i.e. to utilise the correct
intellectual principles. In other words to make the mind or intellect judge
upon it and to be based and built upon it and what the sound mind decisively
judges to be correct. So the intellect necessitates for example that behind
every effect there lies a cause, that behind every system there lies an
organiser of it, that everything that has been organised by a system requires
that which has organised it and that the thing that is deficient from
completeness is in need, and that the matter or thing in need is not self
sufficient by itself. And that the one who is incapable of fulfilling his own
need is himself and that he is in greater need of fulfilling the need than others
in regards to the same need and that the one that does not possess something
cannot give it to others.
Similarly
the sound mind dictates that two opposites cannot be brought together just as
it dictates that there are only two options in regards to a matter or thing existing
or not existing. These are some of the principles that are given and accepted
intellectual facts (axioms) and they are necessary so that the mind can build
upon its rules and so that thoughts and opinions can be measures, and to rely
upon it when issuing rulings. When however these principles and rules are
neglected or ignored or judgement is made in opposition to them, then we say
that it is intellectual judgement (Hukm ‘Aqliy) although it is not built upon
the ‘Aql (mind/intellect). This means that it is not built upon these principles
and laws or based upon these measurements which are given and accepted facts
(axioms) that no two rational people can disagree upon. Therefore the first
measurement in determining the correctness of this thought (the Aqeedah) is
that it needs to be built upon the ‘Aql (intellect/mind) so that every
possessor of a mind can be convinced by it.
This
does not happen by leaving the question unanswered and equalising between
existence and non-existence or by providing a middle compromising answer or by
making matter the source of thinking or by leaving that which is incompatible
due to chance, coincidence or impulse. So the first condition is for the
mentality (‘Aqliyah) to be built upon the ‘Aql (mind/intellect). As for the
second measurement then this is a measurement of a different kind: This is
because the study is related to the human and the meaning of his existence in
the life so that he can know how he should proceed in life and how he should
act and behave in accordance to his understanding of the meaning and purpose of
the life. For this reason it is necessary for the reality of this human and
understanding his true reality to be the area and scope of the study. This is
because it is the reality that we want to apply the thought upon so that it is
valid to become a correct thought due to its applicability upon this reality. This
is because the correct thought is the thought that is applicable upon its
reality. So what is the Haqeeqah (true reality) of this human i.e. what is the nature
(Fitrah) that he has been provided with? These two measures or criteria are
necessary to pass judgment upon the comprehensive thought (Aqeedah).
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