Re: Does Islam allow free thinking ?
Islam encourages us to freely curb our thinking
Because our thoughts can lead us astray. When we reach the boundaries of imagination and acceptance of concepts then we should beware that we have not convinced ourselves of something that we have led ourselves towards without the evidences required for those conclusions to be accurate.
We are encouraged to freely roam within conceptual boundaries ... interpolative thinking. But to extrapolate can be a dangerous thing. We can ponder over how Great God must be, by looking to His creation, but then to assume we can think like Him or try to understand His nature we are warned against this.
Likewise we can think about how we can be good, but then thinking about something evil will poison our minds and could lead to tainting our actions too.
To be free-thinkers means not to be bound by others impressing upon us concepts as absolute. However, to choose to be in control of ones freely-thinking capabilities is what Islam encourages. Those who are not free thinkers are people who have the ability to think outside the box removed, whereas the enlightened are not such people, they are indeed able to think outside the box but have chosen through faith and religious conviction not to do so, out of moral, ethical and humble choice.