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In the context of talking about reading, we find ourselves in front of a complex concept, and we can define the concept of reading as a thinking process based on decoding various symbols in order to reach the desired meaning. Reading is also a cognitive process through which the meanings of words overlap and are arranged, so that the read text is understood. It is said that it is the art of employing Previous knowledge: While reading a book or a text, a person uses his previous information and knowledge to organize and clarify his thoughts and understand the goals of what he reads.
Reading is one of the most important tools for discovering oneself and knowing others, as reading removes temporal barriers and spatial boundaries. Whoever reads a book feels that he is living the events with the characters contained in it. Reading gives the reader the ability to move between the past and the present, and encourages him to look towards the future and its hopes. It also enables the reader to live in different eras and countries. When reading a story or novel, one also achieves the cognitive goal, such as learning about the conditions of different peoples and gaining information about the conditions of present and past nations. It also gives him the ability to differentiate between the paths of good and evil and distinguish between forms of truth and falsehood. .
Reading, as a linguistic skill, is based in its philosophy on a cognitive and psychological structure, as it builds the reading self cognitively, shapes it morally, and takes it to new worlds and wider spaces than the geographical, spatial, and temporal space in which it lives, as if the reader is stepping on the letters unless his feet actually set foot on them.
Between the sanctity of reading, its confinement, and its framing
The first thing that Gabriel – peace be upon him – addressed our Master Muhammad – may God bless him and grant him peace – when the revelation descended upon him in the form of a human while he was alone in the Cave of Hira was his saying, “Read.” His answer, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, was, “I am not a reader!” out of fear. He was astonished by the revelation and its command, as he was illiterate and could not read and had not learned it, so Gabriel hugged him tightly until he tired him, and repeated the command 3 times until he read to him the first thing that was revealed from the Noble Qur’an, which is the Almighty’s saying in Surat Al-Alaq: “Read in the name of your Lord who created (1)” He created man from a clot (2) Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous (3) Who taught by the pen (4) He taught man what he did not know (5)﴾.
Reading is a clear, general, and inevitable divine command. It is obligatory for you, for me, and for all Muslims. Through reading, a person gets to know his Creator, realizes the significance of his existence in this worldly life, and becomes clear from reading the Noble Qur’an his right approach to life, and learns about the consequences of his choices, the signs of his paths, and the conclusions of his deeds. . He – Glory be to Him – the Most High – says in Surat Al-Anbiya: “We have sent down to you a book in which is your mention.”
The Qur’anic command to read did not specify its type or quantity. Reading is the key to knowledge and the first step toward enlightening and refining the soul. Whenever the reading is successful and specific to religious sciences, it is a tool for purifying and elevating the soul.
Part of the generosity of reading and the beauty of doing it and the impact it leaves on the soul of the loving reader is that it gives him a feeling of broadening of horizons and exposure of perceptions, and generates a sense of tranquility and tranquility that brings to the heart and mind a feeling of strength and mastery. So what can the reader be afraid of? Ignorance is dissipated by the abundance of readings, the abundance of knowledge, and the increase of knowledge. Reading is the weapon of the living and knowing person in the face of the darkness and darkness of ignorance.
When the Qur’anic command to read freely and without restriction came, it made reading in Islam universal, and gave worldly sciences their share without diminishing or belittling their importance, as long as they serve the life of man on this earth, even if it is a temporary life. Rather, he made worldly sciences a wide path to knowing the truth of life. And to realize its essence, to know its Creator, and to contemplate His blessings, and all that He created and formed.
On this particular point, there are opinions that do not conflict as much as they are intertwined. One group believes that reading in Islam is limited to reading the Holy Qur’an and the religious sciences, and that they have absolute priority, and that there is no point in reading anything else unless one is able to do them. A group holds that the religious sciences have their people, and every Muslim must To read from it what will help him in his life and apply the teachings of the religion of Islam correctly and adequately. Whatever people and scholars think about the matter of reading, it remains the first divine command, and a person must choose what he reads and what comes to his heart and thought, and he must have a sincere intention in what he reads, for reading is food for the minds and speech for the hearts that are aware.
Reading as an automatic process
Reading is based on a person's ability to distinguish letters of the alphabet and connect them to each other to form words that lead to specific meanings. After identifying the letters, it is necessary to connect them, then translate them into meanings and intended ideas that lead at the end of the read text to understanding the main idea. Reading must be followed by understanding and surrounded by concentration, which necessarily results in analysis and conclusion, and perhaps projecting what is read onto reality and activating it. Reading is a linguistic skill based on vision and its backbone is sight. This is then followed by the process of pronunciation, then perception, and finally comes emotion. During reading, the reader recalls his previous knowledge and experiences. To understand and understand what he reads, reading is a physical, nervous and mental activity at the same time.
The importance of reading in learning language and building a human being
Reading combines intellectual structure, applied skill, and effectiveness of implementation. It is a behavior resulting from an individual desire and personal experience, and it is one of the skills that a person acquires through a group of sources of input – so to speak – such as books of various types, newspapers, and magazines.
There is no doubt that it contributes significantly to building a person’s life, his livelihood, his personal development, and his collective performance, as it is the first gateway to knowledge and culture, as reading – in general – is the main source and the first step towards learning any language, as it is the tool of study and the first means of learning.
Through reading, the fruits of the human mind are transmitted to us throughout the ages. It is a means of education and a tool for entertaining oneself, which made it one of the important topics that occupied a large space among scholars and those interested in the educational field.
Recent studies have proven that reading is a cognitive and intellectual process that stimulates the reader’s mind and pushes him to remain constantly active. One of its great benefits is that it reduces the occurrence of various mental illnesses, maintains the brain’s health, and increases its ability to concentrate, analyze, and draw sound conclusions.
Studies have also confirmed that the more knowledge a person has of expanding his circle of reading, the more capable he becomes of facing life’s difficulties and dealing with them, through the knowledge, mechanisms, and ways of life he acquires to overcome the hardships and unpleasant surprises that come his way.
It is known that reading strengthens the avid reader’s skills in analysis and criticism, as the reader acquires the skill of critical thinking, by developing his ability to notice and comprehend details, so that over time he becomes able to differentiate between a good writer, a weak writer, and a distinguished writer who draws his ideas and embroiders his meanings accurately and professionally. He becomes able to distinguish writing styles and knows a strong plot from a weak one. It is worth noting that a person’s possession of the skill of critical thinking is reflected positively in the various observations and observations he experiences in his private life.
One of the beautiful things about reading is that it develops a person’s imagination. When he reads a story or novel, he uses his imagination to draw places, determine the time, and the degree of lighting that surrounds the characters. He draws faces and chooses colors according to what his imagination has envisioned for him, thus expanding his perceptions, strengthening his imagination over time, and gaining the ability to… To explore the different worlds around him and dare to enter into new adventures and experiences.
What is the relationship between reading and generational cognitive decline?
First, we must ask: Is reading itself in decline? Or are generations in cognitive decline?
In the age of speed in which we live, and the replacement of electronic devices and smart devices with books, reading has become a real, clear and tangible decline. The current generation prefers video clips and rushes to watch them, and does not have the energy to read lengthy articles. By lengthy articles here I mean an article whose words may not exceed a thousand!
These smart devices numb the brains, program them to prefer every short summary, and make them love every funny thing, whether it is silly or not! It creates hidden boredom in the soul, until one becomes unable to follow a video clip that is sometimes no more than 3 minutes long! How do we recover these generations from the clutches of destructive technology, and how do we preserve ourselves?
We must restore the value of libraries in our homes, that warm corner to which a person escapes from the hardships and troubles of life, where he finds a solution and a rest. We must love our children with books and create a friendly relationship between them and them. Through reading alone, the soul soars far and rises above the filth of life. The world, provided that it is conditional upon the reading of every useful and useful book, and not limited to reading what pleases the soul without adding anything real to it, for the essence is in the effect left on the reader himself, and it is not achieved by reading any book, but rather the opposite is achieved if the book has an orientation that contradicts the truth. And common sense.
During training or practicing reading, we must remember that we are not obligated to complete any book we started reading just because we started with it! Many readers know this feeling well, as it restricts the reader, and he feels as though it is a fulfillment to complete everything I started, but this is not the case. If you do not enjoy what you read well, then do not continue and enjoy absolute comfort in searching for what will add to you and refine your essence.
A society in which reading is strengthened as a collective human behavior is a society that heralds progress. The greater the rate of reading in any society, the greater its opportunity to shake off the dust of backwardness, inability, and dependency, and the more capable it is of breaking the individual and collective shackles imposed by today’s reality and its political and cognitive entanglements.
