Islam Rediscovered
2. Faith and Reason
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2. FAITH AND REASON
It is through reason that man justifies his faith.
Rational justification strengthens his convictions.
Rational argument is thus an intellectual need of
every believer. Without this he would not be able to
stand firmly by his faith. It is reason which
transforms blind faith into a matter of intellectual
choice.
History shows that man has employed four kinds of
argument to find rational grounds for his faith.
Each of these reflects different stages in his
intellectual development.
NATURAL ARGUMENT
The first kind of argument is one based on nature.
That is, on simple facts or common experiences.
This has been the most commonly used since
ancient times. Some examples of this kind are found
in the Qur’an, one of which relates to the Prophet
Abraham. It is stated as follows in the Qur’an:
Have you not considered him (Namrud) who
disputed with Abraham about his Lord,
