IT is a common belief that ‘religion is a matter of blind faith’. Often, Iqbal’s famous verse is quoted to support this view which says, “Be khatar kood pada aatish-i-namrud mein ishq/ Aql hai mahw-i-tamasha-i-lab-i-baam abhi”. The gist: love leapt fearlessly into Nimrod’s fire; while reason stood numb at the edge watching the spectacle.

On the contrary, it is the same Iqbal who says, “Jahan-i taza ki afkar-i-taza se hai numud/ Ki sang-o-khisht se hote nahin jahan paida” (New worlds are [created and] driven from fresh thoughts; [remember] new worlds are not brought to life from [dead] stones or wood). Iqbal alludes here to the necessity of fresh thinking and innovative ideas that help create new worlds.

What we argue for is a thinking Islam that promotes not only faith, but equally the intellectual search to explore the signs, symbols, metaphors (aayaat) of God, spread out both through the Word of God (the Book) and the Work of God (all around us) as speaking verses.

While the Quran — and perhaps all sacred literature — makes humans surrender to the awe and wonder of the Supreme Being, their intellects are invited to explore the signs, symbols, metaphors, and stories (qasas) that are often narrated........

© Dawn