THE MA？N PROBLEMS FAC？NG TODAY’S REL？G？OUS THOUGHT

Derived from the Arabic root f-k-r, the term tafakkur means to contemplate, to think, and to reflect, and is also used as a noun in the same way. Tafakkur is done in the present time, still with references to the past and the future. The term used for tafakkur for the future, which also means taking precautions, is tadabbur. Similarly, the term used for tafakkur for the past, which means remembering and mentioning, is tazakkur. Tafakkur, then, is a high level cognitive activity in which an individual reflects in life what s/he learns on the one hand and breaks it down to smaller pieces to better understand (analysis) and reassemble them (synthesis) and evaluate the newly produced original products (contemplation/thought/reflection) according to their inferior and superior qualities. This study deals with the barriers to tafakkur in terms of its contributions to religious and human development. It is so because tafakkur is one of the strongest sources of power for human development, as well as a phenomenon that requires not only as much cognitive power as heart, as much knowledge as sincerity, and as much questioning as faith, but also effort and devotion