What Does “Thinking Well of Something” Actually Mean?

Many people misunderstand the nature of assumption.

When something is not yet clearly known, has not been examined, lacks sufficient evidence and cannot yet be established with certainty, a person is still within the realm of ظنّ — assumption.

The problem is that many people try to reassure themselves by saying:

“We should think positively.”

Yet they themselves do not know what actually happened.

If there is no evidence, insufficient knowledge and no witnessing, then it remains an assumption. Placing the word “good” before it does not transform an assumption into knowledge.

The Quran warns:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ

“O you who believe, avoid much assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sinful.”

— Al-Hujurat 49:12

Notice the wording:

بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ

“Some assumption.”

The Quran does not say that every assumption is sinful. But it warns human beings against living by drawing conclusions based merely on assumptions.

ASSUMPTION IS NOT KNOWLEDGE

The Quran explains:

مَا لَهُم بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِلَّا اتِّبَاعَ الظَّنِّ

“They have no knowledge of it except that they follow assumption.”

— An-Nisa’ 4:157

Here, two things are distinguished:

عِلْم — knowledge

and

اتِّبَاعَ الظَّنِّ — following assumption.

When knowledge is absent, human beings easily replace it with assumptions.

Then the assumption is repeated.

Others follow it.

Over time, the assumption comes to be regarded as fact.

Yet the Quran has already warned:

إِنَّ الظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئًا

“Indeed, assumption is of no value whatsoever against the truth.”

— Yunus 10:36

And:

إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئًا

“They follow nothing but assumption, while assumption is of no value whatsoever against the truth.”

— An-Najm 53:28

Notice the word:

يَتَّبِعُونَ — they follow.

Assumption can very easily become something that people simply follow.

One person makes an assumption.

Others repeat it.

The next generation inherits it.

Eventually, people defend something they themselves have never examined.

SO, WHAT DOES “THINKING WELL” ACTUALLY MEAN?

Thinking well does not mean blindly accepting something despite having no evidence.

If someone says:

“I choose to think positively.”

while they do not know the actual situation, have no evidence, have not examined it and have never witnessed it, then their position still remains an assumption.

It has not yet become certainty.

Thinking well can serve as a temporary attitude so that a person does not rush to accuse others. But it cannot become an excuse to stop learning, stop examining and stop seeking evidence.

THE OPPOSITE OF ASSUMPTION IS CERTAINTY

Assumption still contains possibilities:

“Maybe it is like this.”

“Maybe it is like that.”

“I think.”

“People say.”

Certainty, on the other hand, arises as something becomes increasingly clear through knowledge and evidence.

The Quran mentions:

عِلْمَ الْيَقِينِ

“Knowledge of certainty.”

— At-Takathur 102:5

Then:

عَيْنَ الْيَقِينِ

“Witnessing with certainty.”

— At-Takathur 102:7

And:

حَقُّ الْيَقِينِ

“The truth of certainty.”

— Al-Waqi‘ah 56:95

Therefore, the human journey should not stop at:

“I assume.”

Instead, it should move towards:

“I know.”

Then:

“I witness.”

And finally:

“I am certain.”

DO NOT CALL IGNORANCE “THINKING WELL”

If the reality is that we do not know, then say:

“I do not know yet. Therefore, I need to learn.”

Seek evidence.

Examine the information.

Use reason.

Compare the evidence.

Witness what can be witnessed.

Do not accept something merely because it has been repeated for a long time.

Because as knowledge increases, assumption decreases.

As the evidence becomes clearer, doubt diminishes.

When something can be clearly known and witnessed, a person moves from ظنّ — assumption towards يقين — certainty.

THINKING WELL WITHOUT EVIDENCE IS STILL AN ASSUMPTION.

THINKING BADLY WITHOUT EVIDENCE IS ALSO AN ASSUMPTION.

DO NOT STOP AT ASSUMPTION.

LEARN UNTIL THERE IS KNOWLEDGE.

EXAMINE UNTIL THERE IS EVIDENCE.

WITNESS UNTIL CERTAINTY ARISES.