Mastering Theology: The Critical Mindset
This is the third in a series of articles on mastering the science of theology drawn from a seminar delivered by Dr Hamza al-Bakri & Dr Omar Qureshi. The full seminar can be found here: Mastering Theology
A critical mindset is earned through proper qualifications, not assumed from early study.
Following and Understanding Are Not the Same
The first level of theology requires you to grasp the different issues, topics, and doctrines and understand them correctly. When you move beyond this level, something changes. You need different approaches.
In Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), following qualified scholars (taqlid) is necessary. The standards for independent reasoning (ijtihad) are high. However, there are degrees of following, and there are degrees of independent reasoning.
Theology (ilm al-kalam) works differently. Because it is grounded in both rational and transmitted proofs, the focus is on assessing those proofs themselves. You cannot uncritically accept a position simply because a scholar holds it. You must understand and evaluate the evidence behind it. This demands critical engagement.
The Critical Mindset in Theology
A student of theology must bring a critical mindset to their studies. This means assessing arguments carefully, not taking them at face value. Instead, you ask important questions. What is the nature of this evidence? What is the strength of this argument? These are the questions a critical thinker asks.
Consider the beatific vision of Allah Most High in the hereafter. Is the evidence purely transmitted? Or can reason also establish that the beatific vision is possible? Imam Maturidi took one position and later Maturidi scholars differed from him. The Ashʿari also have a particular position.
What Critical Mindset Is Not
There are two errors people commit. The first is superficial criticism. Someone reads a few things, attends a few classes, and decides they are ready to critique the great authorities. They have not studied what Imam Ghazali studied.
They have never worked through Imam Juwaini’s arguments. Yet they begin finding fault with these masters. This is not a critical mindset. This is arrogance dressed up as thinking.
The second error is the opposite: teachers who teach the text as it stands without engaging critically with the arguments within it. A student asks a genuine question about the strength of an argument, and there is no real engagement.
The Proper Stage and the Proper Qualifications
Critical assessment must meet two conditions: you must be at the proper stage of learning, and you must have proper qualifications.
At the foundational level, the critical mindset is not expected of students. However, the teacher should read the text critically, assess the arguments, and present them well.
As you progress through the stages—when you reach the levels of verification and pinpointing the precise point of disagreement—then you must become critical. This is the proper stage.
But even then, you must be judicious. You cannot simply assume that because you have read something and disagreed with it, your critique is valid. You must have studied deeply. The next article will look at how to become confident in this science.
Related Articles:
Mastering Theology: The Path to Deep Understanding – To truly know something is not to have read about it but to possess it. First in this series.
Mastering Theology: The Inner Discipline – Mastering theology requires more than intelligence; it calls for a particular kind of character. Second in this series.
