FOREWORD

FOREWORD T he study of the Quran tells us that the actual target of the Book is to change the thinking of an individual. The Quran gives many principles to inculcate right thinking in a person. Thinking is man’s greatest action. Right thinking is, in fact, a form of worship. After his death, someone asked the widow of Abu Darda, a Companion of the Prophet, what his greatest action had been. She replied, “Thinking and drawing lessons.” (Kitab al-Zuhd wa al-Raqa’iq by Ibn al-Mubarak: 286) Likewise, after the death of another Companion of the Prophet, Abu Dharr, someone asked his widow what his special worship had been, and she replied, “The whole day, he would keep thinking.” (Hilyat al-Awliya, Vol. 1, p. 164) Thinking occurs at the level of the mind. It is the mind that is the biggest aspect of human existence. Thinking makes a person capable of effectively planning his actions, which is key to his success. Thinking is the means for one’s intellectual development. Thinking lifts a person to a higher level of humanity. The Quran says: “Be mindful of God; He teaches you” (2:282). In this verse, ilm means understanding. The