The Abrahamic Method of Reasoning6:74
Note
Abraham was a rational monotheist. Before his messengership, Abraham, as a young philosopher, reached the idea of the "greatest" by a series of hypothetical questions. His method of proving the existence of the creator of all things was both empirical and rational. He invited people to observe the heavenly bodies and then deduce the existence of an absolute creator from their contingent characteristics. God supports this empirical and rational methodology.
Abraham, not only supported his monotheistic faith through rational arguments, but also falsified the claims of his opponents via rational arguments by breaking the little statutes of his pagan people and sparing the biggest one. When the polytheists inquired about the "disbeliever" who committed such a blasphemous act to their idols, Abraham stood up and pointed at the biggest statute, thereby forcing his people to reflect and examine their religious dogmas (21:51).
The Quran provides a rational argument for why God cannot have partners or equals. The argument in verse 21:21 is a logical argument called Modus Tollens, or Denying the Consequent. Thus, it is no wonder that the Quran invites us not to be gullible. We should not follow anything without sufficient knowledge, including belief in God (17:36).
Abraham's methodology of emphasizing reason, valiantly examining the religious dogmas of his people, engaging his opponents with intellectual dialogues, and occasionally modeling the thinking process for his audience, later was made famous by Socrates, a messenger of God to Greece. Socrates, like Abraham criticized the superstitions and polytheistic religious dogmas of his people through dialogues where he subjected them to a series of questions and inferences. Socrates, similarly received the wrath of the ruling class, whose authority depended on the ignorance of their subjects. The Abrahamic method has been used by many messengers of God. Thus, we are asked to follow Abraham's example (60:4)(edip).
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