What is Tasawwur?

Tasawwur means understanding a thing in the mind without affirming or denying anything about it. When a person hears the word "horse" and understands what a horse is, he has formed a concept of a horse. No judgment has yet been made. The mind has merely grasped the meaning. Examples of Tasawwur include horse, tree, book, water, and mountain. These are all concepts. They do not contain any judgment. As soon as we say, "The horse is fast," we are no longer dealing with Tasawwur alone. We have entered the realm of Tasdeeq. Tasawwur means understanding. Tasdeeq means judging. Tasawwur is important because every judgment begins with a concept. A person cannot judge something unless he first understands what it is. Before saying, "Fire is hot," we must first understand what fire is. Therefore Tasawwur is the foundation of all knowledge.