Thought

Defining Thought

The true thought is the one that agrees with the reality that it indicates, or it agrees with a natural disposition (Fitrah) with which man has been created. In other words, truth is that which agrees with the reality, whilst falsehood is that which does not agree with the reality. So what matters is the nature of the thought and its reality and not its carrier, whether he could explain it forcefully or not. For example, the Communists say that thoughts are the reflection of matter on the brain. This means that the comprehension of matter is the impression of the reality on the brain, and from this one gains comprehension. This thought, if it is true, will agree with the reality, and if false its non-agreement will be apparent. When attack or criticism comes from any human being, in deciding whether it is true or false, we do not look at the eloquence or rhetoric of the attacker in his explanation, nor do we consider his inability to express any weakness in explanation, rather we look at the reality of the thought with which he attacks.We should attack this concept and said this definition of thought is mistaken from two angles: first, no reflection takes place between matter and the brain at all. This is because reflection of light, for example, is that it falls off matter; it is reflected from it like the reflection of the light from a lamp on a wall etc. Nothing like this takes place from the matter. There is no reflection, whether from the matter on the brain or from the brain on the matter. What exists is the sensing of the matter by one of the senses. So the issue is one of sensation and not reflection. This is evident in touch, smell, taste and hearing. As for seeing with the eye, which is a debatable issue, what takes place is refraction and not reflection. The light refracts in the eye and the image of the matter is formed on the retina and is not reflected outside. It is a process of sensation and not of reflection. This shows that what the Communists have said about the definition of thought is erroneous. That is why this thought of the Communists has crumbled before the true attack. As for the second angle, the mere sensation of matter does not produce comprehension. It only produces a sensation no matter how many types of sensations occur. In order for thought to be produced there must exist previous information that explains this reality, i.e. this matter. Without previous information there will be no comprehension: there would be sensation and nothing else. The fact that a person can determine his position towards a reality once he sensed it does not mean that he comprehended it. This is because he is not able to determine his position regarding it except when it relates to the instincts(ownership, survival ..etc) and organic needs(hunger, thirst ..etc), or when it relates to the change of the form of the reality. As for anything other than this, in terms of knowing its reality, he cannot determine his position regarding it at all. By testing the thing via more than one sensation or different types of sensations, man can know that the thing can be eaten or not, whether it brings pain or delight or if its form has changed. All of this is possible for the animals just as it is possible for man, and none of this is called comprehension - i.e. thought - rather it is a sensation and nothing else. When this matter does not relate to the instincts, such as a piece of rock for example, however many times it is sensed its essence will not be comprehended, only the change of its form is what is comprehended. When previous information is given with the sensation then comprehension, i.e. thought, will take place.

'And He taught Adam all the names; then He placed them before the angels, and said: 'Tell Me the names of these if you are truthful.' They said: 'Glory be to You. We have no knowledge except that which You taught us. In truth it is You who are the All-Knowing and the Wise'. He said: 'O Adam tell them their names.' When he had told them their names. He said: 'Did I not tell you that I know the secrets of the heavens and earth, and I know what you reveal and what you conceal?'

[2:31-33].

These ayat (verses) indicate that the previous information is necessary in order to reach any knowledge (ma’rifah). So Allah taught Adam the names or the meanings of things, so when they were placed before him he recognised them. Thus the first human being, Adam, had information given to him by Allah; and that is why he recognised the things; if he had not had this information he would not have known them.

A simple evidence for this is the issue of inventions. Inventions take place due to experiments to which previous information has been added. Without information no inventions can take place. By information we do not mean information about the reality but information through which the reality can be explained. Consequently, the definition of the Communists from this angle is also erroneous. Thus this thought is vanquished and it becomes clear that it is false due to its contradiction with reality. That is why we, after demonstrating the falsehood of the Communist thought, defined thought as the transmission of the reality via the senses to the brain and the application of previous information that explains this reality. In other words there must exist a brain, sensation, object and previous information so that comprehension, i.e. thought, can take place, and hence for one to have intellect. That is why the concept has been attacked and defeated, because its claims were not in agreement with the reality. It also becomes clear that the Islamic thought with which the communist thought was attacked is true because it agrees with reality. So in this issue the thought has defeated the communist thought.

Also, for instance, the Capitalist thought defines society as consisting of individuals, i.e. an individual, plus another individual and another individual etc. make up society. Thus, the society for them is a group of individuals that have gathered together. So this thought, if it is true, will agree with the reality and if it is false its contradiction to the reality will be apparent. When it is criticised and attacked, it is criticised on this basis.We has attacked it and said that this definition is wrong because individuals only make a group and not a society. When permanent relationships arise between people they become a society, and when there are no permanent relationships between them they do not form a society. This is because they are nothing more than travel companions, each going to the port he intends to go. Whilst the inhabitants of a village of about two hundred people, for example, form a society, because they have permanent relationships. Therefore, the definition of the Capitalists is purely mistaken, because if a group of individuals do not have permanent relationships arising amongst them, they cannot be a society in any manner whatsoever. Hence the Capitalist thought regarding the definition of society is defeated and it is clear that it is false because of its contradiction with the reality. In order to comprehend the definition of society correctly one has to study it deeply. Relationships arise between individuals based on their interests. Thus, the interests of individuals are what create the relationships. The thoughts of the individuals must unite over something in terms of whether it is or not an interest in order for the relationship to exist. Their consent, anger, delight and sorrow regarding it must also unite. In other words, their emotions must unite in order for the relationship to exist. The system by which they treat this interest must also unite in order for the relationship to exist. When the thoughts differ over the interest: (one of them considers it an interest and the other one does not consider it an interest), or when the emotions differ, (so that one is happy about it and the other is angry about it), or if the systems differ (if one wishes to solve it by a particular system and the other wishes to solve it by another system). If any one of these elements, namely the thoughts, emotions and systems differed among the individuals regarding an issue, then there will be no relationship, i.e. no society. Thus, after demonstrating the fallacy of the Capitalist thought regarding the definition of society,we have defined society as being a collection of people, thoughts, emotions and systems. In other words, it is the unification of the thoughts, emotions and systems of individuals over the interest that forms relationships and so a society exists. With this understanding the Capitalist thought has been attacked and exposed because it contradicts the reality and it is clear that the thought with which it was attacked is true because it agrees with reality. Thus, our thought in this issue has dismantled the Capitalist thought, and so on and so forth. If the thought with which the Capitalists attacked and challenged Islam was correct, Islam would have been defeated and not the Muslims. But the thought with which they undermined Islam does not actually conform to reality and the Islamic thought that is being attacked is actually what agrees with reality. Thus the true Islamic thought has been challenged by a false thought but the carriers of the truth were not aware of it, in addition to the weak intellectual conviction. Thus, shocking defeat was inflicted on the ummah.

Conclusion

When an intellectual attack comes from the enemies of Islam,we should not be concerned about the eloquence or high sounding words of the attacker. Rather the sensation of the attack has to be linked with information to determine the type of attack. Eloquent words and rhetoric will only produce sensation, not thought. Also, We should be aware that listening to the eloquent recitation of the Quran without understanding the meaning of what is recited, only produces sensation, not thought. Therefore we should not be preoccupied with listening to the speeches, recitation for the sake of sensation.And When a person says something its more important to pay attention what a person say rather than the personality. Human being is distinguished from animals because of his/her capacity to produce thought.
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