IN THE LIGHT OF THE QURAN AND THE SUNNAH THE ANALYSIS OF THE SOME CONCEPTS ABOUT RELIGIOUS CONTEMPLATION

Humans, unlike other creatures, have the ability of reasoning. It makes humans the only moral being in universe. In accordance to the nature of humans, the Holy Qur’an appeals directly to the mind and heart of humans. It is so because the purpose of the revelation of the Qur’an is to provide guidance. To achieve this purpose, an approach to the Qur’an as to set the basis for contemplation is necessary. This is how the Prophet Muhammad and his Companions approached the Qur’an. Religious contemplation in the context of the Qur’an consists of the following four stages: Reading/reciting, understanding, interiorizing and assimilating, and living according to the Qur’an. There are many concepts in the Holy Qur’an that signify each of these four stages. The most important of these are: First Stage: Qiraah, tilawah, tartil, dirasah and tamanni-umniyyah. Second Stage: Sama-istima (listening), aql, ilm and fiqh. Third Stage: Zikr-tazakkur, fikr-tafakkur, tadabbur and nazar. Fourth Stage: Ittiba, imsaq-istimsaq and iqama