Verses on Intellect

While we do not have even a single verse that mentions taqlid or permits people to suspend their rational judgment and blindly follow the opinions of scholars, the Qur'an on the contrary repeatedly calls all human beings to use their intellect and rebukes them for failing to do so. By searching for words from the root "ʿaql" in the Qur'an, we find 49 occurrences in 49 verses, categorized below.

Verses That Rebuke with a Rhetorical Question: "Will You Not Use Reason?"

Will you bid others to piety and forget yourselves, while you recite the Book? Do you not understand? (2:44)
When they meet the believers they say, 'We believe'; but when they withdraw one to another, they say, 'Do you tell them what God has revealed to you, so that they may dispute with you concerning your Lord? Do you not understand?' (2:76)
O People of the Book, why do you dispute concerning Abraham? The Torah was not sent down, neither the Gospel, but after him. Do you not understand? (3:65)
The present life is naught but a sport and a diversion; surely the Last Abode is better for those that are godfearing. Do you not understand? (6:32)
And there succeeded them after them a succession who inherited the Book, taking the chance goods of this lower world, and saying, 'It will be forgiven us'; and if chance goods the like of them come to them, they will take them. Has not the covenant of the Book been taken touching them, that they should say concerning God nothing but the truth? And they have studied what is in it; and the Last Abode is better for those that are godfearing. Do you not understand? (7:169)
Say: 'Had God willed I would not have recited it to you, neither would He have taught you it; I have dwelt among you a lifetime before it — do you not understand?' (10:16)
O my people, I ask of you no wage for this; my wage falls only upon Him who originated me; will you not understand? (11:51)
We sent not before thee any save men whom We inspired from the people of the cities. Have they not journeyed in the land and beheld how was the end of those before them? Surely the Last Abode is better for those that are godfearing. Do you not understand? (12:109)
Now We have sent down to you a Book wherein is your remembrance; do you not understand? (21:10)
Fie on you and on that you serve besides God! Do you not understand? (21:67)
It is He who gives life and makes to die, and to Him belongs the alternation of night and day; will you not understand? (23:80)
Whatever thing you have been given is the enjoyment of the present life and its adornment; and what is with God is better and more enduring; will you not understand? (28:60)
He led astray many a host of you; did you not understand? (36:62)
And to whomsoever We give long life, We cause him to stoop in his stature; will they not understand? (36:68)
And by the night — will you not understand? (37:138)

Verses That Say "Perhaps You Will Understand"

So We said, 'Smite him with part of it'; even so God brings to life the dead and He shows you His signs; perhaps you will understand. (2:73)
So God makes clear to you His signs; perhaps you will understand. (2:242)
Say: 'Come, I will recite what your Lord has forbidden you: that you associate nothing with Him, and to be good to your parents, and not to slay your children because of poverty — We will provide for you and them — and not to approach indecencies, whether outward or inward, and not to slay the soul God has forbidden, except by right. That He has charged you with; perhaps you will understand.' (6:151)
We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an; perhaps you will understand. (12:2)
There is no fault in the blind, and there is no fault in the lame, and there is no fault in the sick, neither in yourselves, that you eat in your houses, or the houses of your fathers... So God makes clear the signs to you; perhaps you will understand. (24:61)
It is He who created you of dust, then of a sperm-drop, then of a blood-clot, then He brings you forth as children, then you reach your full strength, then you become old — some of you die before — that you may reach a stated term, and that perhaps you will understand. (40:67)
We have made it an Arabic Qur'an; perhaps you will understand. (43:3)
Know that God gives life to the earth after its death. We have made clear the signs to you; perhaps you will understand. (57:17)

Verses That Condemn Not Using Reason

And when it is said to them, 'Follow what God has sent down,' they say, 'No, but we will follow such things as we found our fathers doing.' What? And if their fathers had no understanding of anything, and were not guided? (2:170)
The likeness of those who disbelieve is as the likeness of one who shouts to that which hears nothing, save a call and a cry; deaf, dumb, blind — they do not understand. (2:171)
Surely the worst of beasts in God's sight are those that are deaf and dumb and do not understand. (8:22)
And some of them give ear to you; but can you make the deaf to hear, though they understand nothing? (10:42)
It is not for any soul to believe save by the leave of God; and He lays abomination upon those who do not understand. (10:100)
Have they not journeyed in the land so that they have hearts to understand with, or ears to hear with? It is not the eyes that are blind, but blind are the hearts within the breasts. (22:46)
Or do you think that most of them hear or understand? They are but as cattle; nay, they are further astray from the way. (25:44)
Those similitudes — We strike them for the people, but none understands them save those who know. (29:43)
If you ask them, 'Who sent down out of heaven water, and therewith revived the earth after it was dead?' they will say 'God.' Say: 'Praise belongs to God.' Nay, but most of them do not understand. (29:63)
What, have they taken to them intercessors apart from God? Say: 'What, even though they have no power anything, and they do not understand?' (39:43)
Those who call thee from behind the apartments — most of them do not understand. (49:4)
They will not fight against you all together except in fortified cities, or from behind walls. Their valour is great among themselves. You think of them as a single body, but their hearts are scattered; that is because they are a people who do not understand. (59:14)
They say, 'Had we listened, or understood, we would not have been among the inhabitants of the Blaze.' (67:10)

Other Verses

Are you then so eager that they should believe you, seeing there is a party of them that heard God's word, and then tampered with it, and that after they had comprehended it, wittingly? (2:75)
Surely in the creation of the heavens and earth, and the alternation of night and day, and the ships that sail in the sea with what profits men, and the water God sends down from heaven therewith reviving the earth after it is dead, and His scattering abroad in it all manner of crawling thing, and the turning of the winds, and the clouds compelled between heaven and earth — surely these are signs for a people who understand. (2:164)
O believers, take not as your intimates those apart from you, who spare nothing to corrupt you; they long for you to suffer. Hatred has already shown itself of their mouths, and what their breasts conceal is yet greater. We have made clear the signs to you, if you understand. (3:118)
When you call to prayer, they take it in mockery and sport. That is because they are a people who do not understand. (5:58)
God has not appointed anything such as Bahirah, Sa'ibah, Wasilah, or Ham; but the unbelievers forge against God falsehood, and most of them do not understand. (5:103)
In the earth are diverse tracts, side by side, and gardens of vines, and corn, and palms, single and clustered, watered with one water; and We make some of them to excel others in fruit. Surely in that are signs for a people who understand. (13:4)
He has subjected to you the night and day, the sun and moon, and the stars are subjected by His command. Surely in that are signs for a people who understand. (16:12)
And of the fruits of the palms and the vines, you take therefrom an intoxicant and a goodly provision. Surely in that is a sign for a people who understand. (16:67)
He said, 'The Lord of the East and West and what between them is, if you have understanding.' (26:28)
And We left thereof a manifest sign for a people who understand. (29:35)
And of His signs He shows you lightning, for fear and hope, and He sends down out of heaven water and therewith revives the earth after it is dead. Surely in that are signs for a people who understand. (30:24)
He strikes for you a similitude from yourselves: have you, of what your right hands own, any associates in what We have provided for you, so that you are equal in regard to it, you fearing them as you fear each other? So We distinguish the signs for a people who understand. (30:28)
And the alternation of night and day, and the provision God sends down from heaven, therewith reviving the earth after it is dead, and the turning of the winds — these are signs for a people who understand. (45:5)

After all these verses, one must ask: Was God's intention from all this emphasis that only jurists should use their intellect to determine religious duties, while the general public is permitted to suspend their reason for distinguishing good from evil, using it only to choose a marja' and apply his fatwas to their daily lives?!

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Parent page: Qur'anic Verses Praising Tafaqquh and Thought

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