Short answer
No. The Qur'an asks to be tested, not taken on trust. It uses one word, ayat (signs), for its own verses and for the things of creation. The rain, the ships on the sea, night and day, and the many languages and colours of mankind are all called signs. Again and again it tells the reader to look at them and think. It also sets a test for itself: had it come from anyone but God (﷾), people would have found many contradictions in it. It tells people who claim God's (﷾) favour for themselves alone to bring their proof. It blames people who follow their fathers without thinking. And the first revelation to the Prophet (ﷺ) speaks of God (﷾) teaching by the pen. So in Islam, faith is trust built on evidence, not blind trust.
Full explanation
Creation is called a sign
The Qur'an uses one word, ayat (signs), for its own verses and for the things of creation. It points to the sky, the rain, the animals and the winds. It points to the many human languages and colours. It says each is a sign for people who use their minds. It also praises those who think deeply about creation and conclude that it was not made for nothing.
“Behold! in the creation of the heavens and the earth; in the alternation of the night and the day; in the sailing of the ships through the ocean for the profit of mankind; in the rain which Allah Sends down from the skies, and the life which He gives therewith to an earth that is dead; in the beasts of all kinds that He scatters through the earth; in the change of the winds, and the clouds which they Trail like their slaves between the sky and the earth;- (Here) indeed are Signs for a people that are wise.”
“And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your languages and your colours: verily in that are Signs for those who know.”
“On the earth are signs for those of assured Faith, As also in your own selves: Will ye not then see?”
“Behold! in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day,- there are indeed Signs for men of understanding,- Men who celebrate the praises of Allah, standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and contemplate the (wonders of) creation in the heavens and the earth, (With the thought): "Our Lord! not for naught Hast Thou created (all) this! Glory to Thee! Give us salvation from the penalty of the Fire.”
The Qur'an asks to be studied
The Qur'an asks why people do not earnestly seek to understand it. It also promises to show its signs in the world and in people's own selves, until it is clear that it is the truth. So it does not ask to be believed first and understood afterwards. It asks the reader to look at the world, draw the conclusion the world points to, and then come back to the Book.
“Do they not then earnestly seek to understand the Qur'an, or are their hearts locked up by them?”
“Soon will We show them our Signs in the (furthest) regions (of the earth), and in their own souls, until it becomes manifest to them that this is the Truth. Is it not enough that thy Lord doth witness all things?”
Proof, not blind following
When people claimed that only their own group would enter Paradise, the Qur'an told them to bring their proof. It blames those who follow their fathers' ways even when their fathers lacked wisdom. It forbids following what one has no knowledge of. And it tells the Prophet (ﷺ) to call people to God (﷾) on evidence as clear as sight.
“And they say: "None shall enter Paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christian." Those are their (vain) desires. Say: "Produce your proof if ye are truthful."”
“When it is said to them: "Follow what Allah hath revealed:" They say: "Nay! we shall follow the ways of our fathers." What! even though their fathers Were void of wisdom and guidance?”
“And pursue not that of which thou hast no knowledge; for every act of hearing, or of seeing or of (feeling in) the heart will be enquired into (on the Day of Reckoning).”
“Say thou: "This is my way: I do invite unto Allah,- on evidence clear as the seeing with one's eyes,- I and whoever follows me. Glory to Allah! and never will I join gods with Allah!"”
The Qur'an commands knowledge
The first revelation to the Prophet (ﷺ) begins with the word iqra, which means read or proclaim. It speaks of God (﷾) teaching by the pen. The Qur'an also teaches the believer to pray for more knowledge.
“Proclaim! (or read!) in the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, Who created- Created man, out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood: Proclaim! And thy Lord is Most Bountiful,- He Who taught (the use of) the pen,- Taught man that which he knew not.”
“High above all is Allah, the King, the Truth! Be not in haste with the Qur'an before its revelation to thee is completed, but say, "O my Lord! advance me in knowledge."”
The test the Qur'an sets for itself
Any book that claims to come from God (﷾) must be checked, and the Qur'an sets the test in its own words. It says a book from anyone but God (﷾) would contain much discrepancy (many contradictions). So readers are told to study it with care. It also makes a claim about history: that God (﷾) will guard it from corruption. Anyone may check that claim against the manuscripts.
“Do they not consider the Qur'an (with care)? Had it been from other Than Allah, they would surely have found therein Much discrepancy.”
“We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption).”
Checking where the Qur'an came from
A claim to be from God (﷾) has to be checked. Does the book agree with itself? Is it true to history? Can we trace how it reached us, and through whom? Islam invites exactly these questions. The Qur'an was carried by men who knew it by heart, and it was written down from the start. It also points out that before it came, the Prophet (ﷺ) could neither read nor write. So he could not have copied it from a book.
“Do they not consider the Qur'an (with care)? Had it been from other Than Allah, they would surely have found therein Much discrepancy.”
“We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption).”
“And thou wast not (able) to recite a Book before this (Book came), nor art thou (able) to transcribe it with thy right hand: In that case, indeed, would the talkers of vanities have doubted.”
Zayd ibn Thabit reports that after many who knew the Qur'an by heart were killed at Yamama, Abu Bakr asked him to gather the Qur'an into one volume, reminding him that he used to write down the revelation for the Messenger of Allah. Zayd collected it from written pieces and from the memories of men, and the finished copy passed from Abu Bakr to Umar and then to Hafsa.
Verse by verse
Qur'an 2:3 — Surat al-Baqara (The Cow), verse 3
“Who believe in the Unseen, are steadfast in prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them;”
Cited for
Believers are praised for believing in the Unseen, which critics take to mean belief with no evidence.
The response
The Unseen means what cannot be seen from here, such as God (﷾) Himself, the angels and the life after death. The Qur'an does not ask anyone to accept these with nothing to go on. It first points to signs that can be seen, and to a Book that invites testing. Then the Unseen is accepted on the word of a source that has been shown true. People do the same with reports of places they have never visited.
Where it lands — Belief in the Unseen rests on what can be seen and checked, so it is not blind faith.
The Selfish Gene (1976), chapter 11
In the chapter on memes, describes faith as blind trust held without evidence, and even against the evidence.
Cited for
Faith means blind trust, in the absence of evidence and even against it.
The response
That may describe some religion, but it does not describe the Qur'an. The Qur'an asks for proof and condemns blind following. It tells people to look at the signs on the earth and in their own selves.
Where it lands — The Qur'an's idea of faith is trust built on evidence, the opposite of blind trust.
Perspectives
Faith as blind trust
Some critics of religion hold that religious faith, by its nature, means believing without evidence.
Richard Dawkins, a British biologist and atheist writer, describes faith as blind trust, held without evidence and even against it.
Rebuttal
Dawkins may describe some people's faith, but not the Qur'an's. The Qur'an asks for proof, and blames following one's fathers without knowledge. It rests its own case on evidence anyone can weigh: an ordered creation, and a Book that invites a search for contradictions.
The Islamic perspective
Faith in Islam rests on signs. Creation points to its Maker, and the Qur'an invites people to check its own claims. The Prophet (ﷺ) was told to call people on clear evidence.
The Qur'an calls the things of creation signs and tells its readers to reflect on them.
The Qur'an offers a test of its own origin: a book from anyone but God (﷾) would contain much discrepancy.
The Qur'an demands proof from those who claim God's (﷾) favour for themselves alone. It blames people who follow their fathers without knowledge.
The Prophet (ﷺ) is told to call people to God (﷾) on evidence as clear as sight.
Creation and revelation come from the same God (﷾). So the signs in the world and the verses of the Book point to the same truth.