Peace Mirch bro
Please take a deep breath and re-read what I wrote. I did not say Islam curbs our thinking. Look again and then again for sure I have not said this.
Islam has left out so much from the confines of Quran and Hadees for a reason , the reason being we should do research and find out how powerful that creator is.
I would like to add there are more reasons, one other reason could be so we realise that we do not know everything and need to ask the question. Another reason could be that it would be pointless for some information to be present because it would betray our understanding capacities. And there could be more reasons that are with Allah (SWT). Essentially I agree Allah (SWT) has not allowed total knowledge to be obtained through just Qur'an and Sunnah, and even then if there is knowledge therein sometimes Allah (SWT) does not allow us Tawfiq to obtain the benefit of it's understanding. And we ask ... "What did Allah (SWT) mean by such and such" and we are left compelled to a state of wanton insight.
If you mean to say that everything for us is contained in Quran then that is not true either. It does no contain rocket science or treatment of cancer.
No I am not saying that as you have misunderstood me. However, I do assert that if we knew nothing else except Qur'an and Sunnah, the wisdom to implement them, then that would enough for our existence in this world as investment for the Hereafter.
I am talking about something entirely different. Quran and hadees does not provide us knowledge about everything in the world , it is not encyclopedia. It gives us framework to lead our lives in the moral and spiritual framework.
Agreed ... and I never was in disagreement
It is a dangerous thinking to assume that everything for us is contained in Quran or hadees. It is exactly what I am trying to bring our brothers and sisters off of. When Muslims stopped free thinking and research and development they stooped to low levels of Universal totem pole. If someone says , yeh hamaray ammal ka nateeja hay that is not true either Muslim Ummah has never been devoid of those who have been on the right path.
If Muslims start that process again that will be the only way out of the fix we are in.
Free-thinking is the ability to think on ones toes and manage themselves when placed in a completely new situation. Islam of course provides this, because it addresses the key to free thought ... which is the idea of investigation. Without truthful investigation and then pondering over i.e. analysis and then concluding i.e. reflecting then we cannot ratify or benchmark our actions. Of course Islam encourages this. I was talking about free thought in the sense that Islam also encourages us not to be carefree with concepts and teaches us to hold certain concepts sacrosanct so we do not end up destroying the foundations from what we believe.
Example:
Colonel Khadafi said that the chapter Surah Ikhlas should not have Qul before it, because Qul means "say" he deduced that this was not part of the Qur'an but instead was the angel Gabriel (AS) instructing Muhammad (SAW) to read. So we should consider this word external and not part of scripture. Of course he is misled. The scrutiny of his misjudgment is another discussion but it shows that all thought is not allowed to be free in Islam ... we do hold things sacrosanct.