Reason is the best vehicle through which man worships God. It has a great effect on man’s personality and relationships. The question of reason is not one of theory and thought alone. It is not just about what is possible or impossible. It relates to the practical side in life. It shapes man’s entity. It makes him a dynamic element in his relationship to God, himself, and others. Reason emphasizes the secret of truth. It shapes man’s approach in life.
In this chapter, we study the consequences of using one’s mental powers. We study thinking, evaluating, understanding, and reasoning. They represent essential elements of the safest approach people can adopt. They use this approach in their daily life, relationships, and problems. In doing so, they discover the value of these powers that God has blessed them with. This is in contrast to other living things.
Senses versus Reason
Imam Ali (a.s.) says: "Seeing is not like insight, for one’s eyes may fool you, but the mind never cheats whoever turns to it for advice." These words emphasize that one must rely on reason and thinking. One must seek advice from it. One must not blindly follow the senses. The senses may be wrong due to some external effects. These effects can make one judge things in a way that is not real. Sight does not tell on its own what the person is seeing. It is like a camera that needs information and awareness to understand what it sees. This is why when a person has brain paralysis, he opens his eyes and sees things but cannot tell what they are. This applies to the senses other than sight.
Reason and reasonable judgment, however, let us know things as they really are. This is achieved through basic recognition of axiomatic knowledge. It is also achieved through close thinking and analysis.
The difference between the two is highlighted in the Quranic verse: "For indeed, it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts within the breasts that grow blind." (Surah Al-Hajj - 22:46)
This verse describes those for whom seeing and blindness are the same. Even if they recognize what they see, they remain in the dark. They lack insight. They lack the "seeing" of the mind and of the heart. This is why it is said that true seeing enriches man. It develops his thoughts and expresses reality. This is mental insight, not physical eyesight.
As mentioned in Peak of Eloquence by Imam Ali (a.s.): "Definite things are reasoned things, not sensed things." This means that what gives one clarity is definite. The senses—hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch—can be wrong. They can be wrong in expressing what they perceive. They give us beliefs. When we base our beliefs on our senses, our beliefs can be wrong. They will be wrong if the senses are wrong. If the mind has a reasoning power, it proceeds from fundamental facts that no one denies. Consequently, no error would result from it.
On this basis, one has to proceed from the instinctive mind. It relates things through fundamental facts about which there is no doubt. What stirs argument are theoretical things, not fundamental facts. This is why scholars say: "There is no basis for correct judgment if the theory does not end in fundamental facts." Therefore, we must study any given theory. If we arrive at axiomatic concepts, then it is correct. If we cannot, then it remains disputable.
Edited excerpts from “Contemplation on Reason in Islam”
Reason is the best vehicle through which man worships God. It has a great effect on man’s personality and relationships. The question of reason is not one of theory and thought alone. It is not just about what is possible or impossible. It relates to the practical side in life. It shapes man’s entity. It makes him a dynamic element in his relationship to God, himself, and others. Reason emphasizes the secret of truth. It shapes man’s approach in life.
In this chapter, we study the consequences of using one’s mental powers. We study thinking, evaluating, understanding, and reasoning. They represent essential elements of the safest approach people can adopt. They use this approach in their daily life, relationships, and problems. In doing so, they discover the value of these powers that God has blessed them with. This is in contrast to other living things.
Senses versus Reason
Imam Ali (a.s.) says: "Seeing is not like insight, for one’s eyes may fool you, but the mind never cheats whoever turns to it for advice." These words emphasize that one must rely on reason and thinking. One must seek advice from it. One must not blindly follow the senses. The senses may be wrong due to some external effects. These effects can make one judge things in a way that is not real. Sight does not tell on its own what the person is seeing. It is like a camera that needs information and awareness to understand what it sees. This is why when a person has brain paralysis, he opens his eyes and sees things but cannot tell what they are. This applies to the senses other than sight.
Reason and reasonable judgment, however, let us know things as they really are. This is achieved through basic recognition of axiomatic knowledge. It is also achieved through close thinking and analysis.
The difference between the two is highlighted in the Quranic verse: "For indeed, it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts within the breasts that grow blind." (Surah Al-Hajj - 22:46)
This verse describes those for whom seeing and blindness are the same. Even if they recognize what they see, they remain in the dark. They lack insight. They lack the "seeing" of the mind and of the heart. This is why it is said that true seeing enriches man. It develops his thoughts and expresses reality. This is mental insight, not physical eyesight.
As mentioned in Peak of Eloquence by Imam Ali (a.s.): "Definite things are reasoned things, not sensed things." This means that what gives one clarity is definite. The senses—hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch—can be wrong. They can be wrong in expressing what they perceive. They give us beliefs. When we base our beliefs on our senses, our beliefs can be wrong. They will be wrong if the senses are wrong. If the mind has a reasoning power, it proceeds from fundamental facts that no one denies. Consequently, no error would result from it.
On this basis, one has to proceed from the instinctive mind. It relates things through fundamental facts about which there is no doubt. What stirs argument are theoretical things, not fundamental facts. This is why scholars say: "There is no basis for correct judgment if the theory does not end in fundamental facts." Therefore, we must study any given theory. If we arrive at axiomatic concepts, then it is correct. If we cannot, then it remains disputable.
Edited excerpts from “Contemplation on Reason in Islam”