The Philosophy of Doubt and Certainty in the Thought of Maulana Azad
According to Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the absence of knowledge about a reality does not mean that the reality does not exist. Just as the properties and effectiveness of certain medicines were discovered in a particular era, this does not imply that those medicines or their effects did not exist prior to that discovery.
Similarly, the remedies for human doubts, disbelief, and denial have always remained the same. While human knowledge may increase over time, reality remains constant.
(Tazkira, pp. 236–237)
Maulana states that no one can achieve success in the world while carrying the disease of doubt and heedlessness. To attain any form of success, one must possess faith, truthfulness, and the spirit of sacrifice.
The universal system of God is based on the principle that success is granted only to those who act according to His laws. If someone dreams of success while living in heedlessness, they are in fact moving towards their own destruction.
(Khutbat-e-Azad, p. 61)
In Maulana’s view, the affliction of doubt, skepticism, and denial in a human being arises due to a corruption in natural thought. However, this temporary condition can be removed in the light of the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah.
Just as guidance and certainty come in a consistent manner, doubt and denial also appear in a similar pattern.
(Tazkira, pp. 224–225)
To Maulana Azad, reason can comprehend all matters within the bounds of the human intellect. However, if something is beyond human reason, it does not imply that it is against reason. Denying a truth merely because it lies outside the scope of human understanding is a sign of intellectual weakness.
True knowledge and insight demand that one distinguish between truth and illusion, and refrain from accepting or rejecting anything without understanding.
The Qur’an condemns both types of behavior:
① Accepting something without knowledge.
② Rejecting something just because it surpasses human comprehension.
"بَلْ كَذَّبُوا بِمَا لَمْ يُحِيطُوا بِعِلْمِهِ"
"Rather, they denied that which they had no knowledge of."
(Tarjumān al-Qur’ān, Vol. 3, p. 589; Afkār-e-Azād, pp. 147–75)
According to Maulana, all spiritual and internal diseases stem from two core causes:
① Atheism and Denial
② Superstition and Sophistry
These two illnesses give rise to doubt, ignorance, and restlessness, stripping the human soul of peace. The cure for these diseases lies only in Divine Revelation and the wisdom of Prophethood.
The objective of the Qur’an is to rescue mankind from the darkness of doubt and lead them into the light of certainty and insight. Any form of knowledge that is based on doubt and speculation cannot guide those who are already lost in misguidance.
(Tazkira, pp. 1855–92)
Denial of Reality and the Limitation of Knowledge
According to Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the absence of knowledge about a reality does not mean that the reality does not exist. Just as the properties and effectiveness of certain medicines were discovered in a particular era, this does not imply that those medicines or their effects did not exist prior to that discovery.
Similarly, the remedies for human doubts, disbelief, and denial have always remained the same. While human knowledge may increase over time, reality remains constant.
(Tazkira, pp. 236–237)
The Relationship Between Doubt and Success
Maulana states that no one can achieve success in the world while carrying the disease of doubt and heedlessness. To attain any form of success, one must possess faith, truthfulness, and the spirit of sacrifice.
The universal system of God is based on the principle that success is granted only to those who act according to His laws. If someone dreams of success while living in heedlessness, they are in fact moving towards their own destruction.
(Khutbat-e-Azad, p. 61)
The Link Between Doubt and Guidance
In Maulana’s view, the affliction of doubt, skepticism, and denial in a human being arises due to a corruption in natural thought. However, this temporary condition can be removed in the light of the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah.
Just as guidance and certainty come in a consistent manner, doubt and denial also appear in a similar pattern.
(Tazkira, pp. 224–225)
Reason, the Supra-Rational, and Ignorance
To Maulana Azad, reason can comprehend all matters within the bounds of the human intellect. However, if something is beyond human reason, it does not imply that it is against reason. Denying a truth merely because it lies outside the scope of human understanding is a sign of intellectual weakness.
True knowledge and insight demand that one distinguish between truth and illusion, and refrain from accepting or rejecting anything without understanding.
The Qur’an condemns both types of behavior:
① Accepting something without knowledge.
② Rejecting something just because it surpasses human comprehension.
"بَلْ كَذَّبُوا بِمَا لَمْ يُحِيطُوا بِعِلْمِهِ"
"Rather, they denied that which they had no knowledge of."
(Tarjumān al-Qur’ān, Vol. 3, p. 589; Afkār-e-Azād, pp. 147–75)
Diseases of the Heart and Soul and Their Cure
According to Maulana, all spiritual and internal diseases stem from two core causes:
① Atheism and Denial
② Superstition and Sophistry
These two illnesses give rise to doubt, ignorance, and restlessness, stripping the human soul of peace. The cure for these diseases lies only in Divine Revelation and the wisdom of Prophethood.
The objective of the Qur’an is to rescue mankind from the darkness of doubt and lead them into the light of certainty and insight. Any form of knowledge that is based on doubt and speculation cannot guide those who are already lost in misguidance.
(Tazkira, pp. 1855–92)
