The Quran’s Words for Thinking and States of Mind

In Surah 55 (Al-Rahman), Allah the Exalted refers to both humans and jinn (a species of creature created from fire) as thaqalān, which means “heavy/weighty” in the dual form used when addressing two. The “heavyweight” here refers to that both humans and jinn have free will plus intellect. Humans identify themselves as thinking creatures, and that faculty is indeed “heavy,” especially when combined with free will, as intellect must have autonomy, hence choice, in order to develop higher/heavier powers. And with weightier powers comes heavier responsibility.

These powers of intellect are described in the Quran as different ways of thinking and gaining knowledge, and the way in which one uses these ways of thinking results in different states of mind/heart. In the Quran, what we call “the mind” is in the heart, as described in a previous post. So what we call a state of mind is really a state of heart, with all the qualitative meanings associated with it. But studying the Quran more closely, we find that there are many ways of thinking, and these produce different states of mind.

When Exactly Is Laylatul Qadr?

The Quran does not direct us to look for that specific night, and so we are not given “directions” or “signs” to it. We are always looking for shortcuts to “get to paradise quick” or guarantee our place in paradise. Some say if you offer a specific du’a it will be better than another and some people are anxiously searching to “get the right night.” But Allah is eternal and not restricted by time.

How to Contemplate the Quran

This is so important, and nobody says it like Nouman Ali Khan. We need to all engage in deeper thinking about the Quran, to truly discover its power and message. This is just a “starter,” but look for more on the “Deeper Look” section of Bayyinah Institute on YouTube.

And another video in the “Deeper Look” series relevant to the Du’a series: “where do our du’as go?”

Describes where our du’as go on a deeper level.