The Accusation of Thinking

By Saleh Al-Diwani

The Accusation of Thinking is an intellectual and philosophical work that examines the crisis of reason in Arab and Islamic societies and explores the historical tension between thinking, religious authority, and cultural tradition.

The book opens by defining the concept of the mind linguistically and philosophically, drawing on classical sources such as Aristotle and Ibn Rushd, as well as major Western philosophers including Augustine, Aquinas, Kant, Hegel, Bacon, and William James. Through this comparative framework, the author analyzes how different civilizations treated reason-either as a source of enlightenment or as a threat to authority.

Central to the book is the argument that Arab and Islamic history has often marginalized reason in favor of transmission, myth, and rigid textualism. The author critiques the prioritization of narration over rational inquiry and explores how the suppression of critical thinking led to intellectual stagnation. He examines the concept of "the relativity of the mind," debates over revelation versus reason, and the philosophical struggle between logic and dogmatism.

A significant portion of the book discusses the historical persecution of philosophers, writers, and rational thinkers-both in the Arab-Islamic world and in Europe. The author presents examples of excommunication, censorship, torture, and intellectual repression, arguing that "excommunication" represents the opposite of thinking and functions as a mechanism of power and fear.

The book also analyzes different types of thinking-critical, creative, scientific, logical, and cognitive thinking-and emphasizes the necessity of critical thinking as the foundation of intellectual development. Through philosophical reflection and cultural critique, the author calls for liberating the mind from inherited rigidity, emotional manipulation, and authoritarian structures.

Ultimately, The Accusation of Thinking is a call to restore trust in reason, promote intellectual courage, and confront the cultural patterns that criminalize questioning and rational inquiry.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 6030512552
• ISBN13: 9786030512553
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Madarek Company for Publishing and Distributi
• Length: 132 Pages
• Weight: 0.37 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.8" x 8.3"