Njia ambayo Mwislamu hupata maarifa na fikra ina umuhimu mkubwa katika kuamua athari ya mawazo ya Kiislamu kwa mtu binafsi. Ikiwa njia ya kupata maarifa ilikuwa sahihi na imejengwa juu ya utafiti, kufikiri kwa kina, na uchambuzi (kama Allah (swt) alivyoamuru), basi itazaa matokeo yenye ufanisi, na mtu wa namna hiyo atageuka kuwa mtu wa kiitikadi anayefikiri kwa namna ya kipekee. Allah (swt) anamwamuru mwanadamu kufikiri kuhusu mambo mengi ya Uumbaji Wake kwa namna ya kina na yenye mwanga:

The method by which the Muslim acquires knowledge and thought is critical in determining the impact of the Islamic thoughts upon the individual. If the method of acquiring knowledge was correct and based upon research, profound thinking, and analysis (as Allah (swt) ordered) then it will produce effective results, and such a person will turn into an ideological person who thinks in a distinct manner. Allah (swt) orders the human being to think about many aspects of His Creation in a profound and enlightened manner:

"Kwa hakika! Katika kuumbwa kwa mbingu na ardhi, na katika kupokezana kwa usiku na mchana, zipo ishara kwa wenye akili." [TMQ 3:190] "Je, hawaitafakari Qur'ani kwa makini? Lau ingekuwa imetoka kwa asiyekuwa Allah, bila shaka wangeliona ndani yake mikinzano mingi." [TMQ 4:82] "Niambie! Maji mnayokunywa, je, ni nyinyi mnayoyateremsha kutoka mawingu, au ni Sisi ndio tunayoteremsha?" [TMQ 56:68-69] "Ameumbwa kwa maji yanayomwagika, yanayotoka kati ya uti wa mgongo na mbavu." [TMQ 86:6-7] "Je, hawatazami ngamia jinsi walivyoumbwa? Na mbingu jinsi zilivyoinuliwa? Na milima jinsi zilivyosimamishwa imara? Na ardhi jinsi ilivyotandazwa?" [TMQ 88:17-20] Katika aya hizi zote, Allah anamwelekeza mwanadamu afikiri na kuchambua ili kujenga ndani yake Aqeedah ya Uislamu kupitia imani thabiti yenye uhakika.

"Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding." [TMQ 3:190] "Do they not then consider the Qur’an carefully? Had it been from other than Allah, they would surely have found within it many contradictions." [TMQ 4:82] "Tell Me! The water that you drink — is it you who causes it to come down from the rain clouds, or are We the Cause for it to come down?" [TMQ 56:68-69] "He is created from a fluid poured forth — proceeding from between the back bone and the ribs." [TMQ 86:6-7] "Do they not look at the camels, how they are created? And at the heaven, how it is raised? And at the mountains, how they are rooted and fixed firm? And at the earth, how it is spread out?" [TMQ 88:17-20] In all of these ayahs, Allah directs the human being to think and analyze in order to build the Aqeedah of Islam within him through a definite conviction.

Hivyo basi, mbinu ambayo Uislamu unahimiza katika kutafuta elimu inajengwa juu ya akili na inahusisha kufikiri, utafiti na uchambuzi. Haijengwi juu ya imani ya upofu, imani ya kihisia, wala utii bila majadiliano yoyote. Mbinu kama hizi haziwezi kuzaa Imani hai, wala haziwezi kutumika kama msingi wa mtazamo wa maisha, wala kama msingi wa kujenga mawazo mengine juu yake. Mtu anayeukubali Uislamu kwa njia hizi ataendelea kuwa mateka wa dhana alizobeba kutoka katika malezi yake ya awali. Ingawa mtu kama huyo anaweza kugeukia Uislamu kwa kiwango kidogo katika mambo kama ibada zake, ataendelea katika fikra zake kurejea dhana nyingine. Atakuwa akibadilika-badilika mara kwa mara kati ya Imani ya juu juu isiyojengwa juu ya mchakato sahihi wa kufikiri, na kujishughulisha na mijadala isiyo na mwelekeo maalum wa kifikra, jambo litakalompelekea kupotoka au kupotea kabisa mbali na Uislamu.

Thus, the method that Islam encourages in pursuing knowledge is based upon the intellect and entails thinking, research, and analysis. It is not built upon blind faith, emotional belief, or submission without any discussion. Such methods will not produce a dynamic Iman and cannot serve either as a foundation for a point of view of life or as a foundation to build other thoughts upon. A person who adopts Islam through these methods will remain a hostage to the concepts that he carried from his previous background. Although such a person may turn to Islam in a limited scope for such aspects as his ibadat, he will continue in his thinking to refer to other concepts. He will constantly shift between a superficial Iman that is not built upon a correct thinking process and indulging in discussion without a specific frame of mind, which will lead him either to diverging or straying from Islam altogether.

Na hataweza kutoka katika mzunguko huu isipokuwa kwa njia moja kati ya hizi: ama kwa kufanya maridhiano kati ya yale aliyoyapokea kutoka katika Uislamu na dhana potofu zozote alizonazo tayari, ili kuziba pengo; au kwa kutenganisha Uislamu na fikra zake, kwa kuufungia Uislamu katika ibada zake tu na kufikiri kwa njia ya kidunia au ya kimatumizi; au kwa kuamua kutofikiri kabisa isipokuwa katika kujipatia riziki yake, ili ajiokoe na kupotoka. Chaguzi zote hizi si sahihi, na kwa kweli hazitamtoa mtu katika mzunguko huu. Hatimaye, mzunguko huu utamaliza nguvu za mtu, hasa uwezo wake wa kiakili, 5

And he will not escape this spiral except by either compromising between what he adopted from Islam and whatever erroneous concepts he already possesses in order to bridge the gap, or by separating Islam from his thinking by restricting Islam to his rituals and thinking in a secular or pragmatic manner, or by deciding not to think at all except in his livelihood in order to save himself from diverting. All of these options are incorrect and, in reality, will not get the person out of this spiral. Eventually, this cycle with drain the person’s power, particularly his intellectual capacity, 5

ni mali gani ya thamani zaidi ya binadamu katika maisha haya. Mzunguko huu usio na mwisho hutokana na mbinu isiyo sahihi ya kuukubali Uislamu na kupata elimu.

which is the most valuable possession of man in this life. Such an endless spiral results from an incorrect method of adopting Islam and acquiring knowledge.