The Wahi – 3 “Intellect and Emotions”.
The laws given by wahi are essential
for the growth and development of personality, and wahi is not a product of
human intellect; it does not mean that human intellect is incapable of understanding
the truth put forward by wahi. Here, I must point out that human research
is not final. In his book, Philosophical Aspects of Modern Science, James
Arnold Luther said that although the system of nature is simple, it is astonishingly
complicated in detail. The final word on any scientific topic must be left for
the last man on Earth.
Intellect is a precious gift given to
human beings. The Quran tells us about the human creation, “Who began the
creation of man from clay. Then He perfected his faculties and put a dab of divine
energy in man. He has bestowed upon him hearing, sight, and intellect” (32:8-10).
The material collected by the senses gains the first or perceptual knowledge; conceptual
knowledge comes later. However, all of this is due to intellect and thinking,
which are the specialties of human beings. The Qur'an says, “In the sight
of Allah, those who behave like the deaf and dumb and do not use their
intellect are the worst creation " (8:22). Every individual who believes
in the truth that the Quran puts forward struggles to achieve excellence in nafs’
development. The ability to analyze and reason out their problems distinguishes
humans from animals.
“Civilized people living in cities or
people residing in villages, “says the Quran, “most of them are headed
for the path that leads them to hell. They have hearts, but they do not use them
for understanding; they have eyes, but they do not use them for seeing; and they
have ears, but they do not use them for listening. They are like cattle: only
more astray. They are utterly heedless,” (7:179). Reason is the only feature
that distinguishes a human from an animal; those who do not use this gift live
on a lower level than an animal because an animal uses all the faculties Allah
gives. Their low desires easily trap them and lead them to destruction.
The solutions for the intricate problems
of life are vividly explained in the Quran; humans can fully understand
and use them to their advantage if they decipher these formulas critically and wisely
and interpret them logically. Almost every third or fourth page of the Quran
emphasizes thinking, reflecting, and reasoning. “Thus does Allah make His
verses clear to you that you may reflect upon this world and the next” (2:219).
In this verse, humans are advised to think about the world in which we live and
the next that we will face after death; we can compare the short-term benefits of
this world with the permanent advantages of the next.
Some people point out that intellect is
the cause of all evil in the world. A battle of wits is going on in this world;
those who are cleverer exploit less clever folks. Similar is the case of
nations; knowledgeable and advanced nations exploit and take away their
resources from less advanced ones. Undeniably, intellect plays a significant
role in destruction, but it does not mean intellect is evil. Intellect is created
by Allah, who never creates evil. It is a torch of light to show the balanced
path in life. Intellect is a neutral faculty; its use makes it good or bad. Wahi
trains it and marks the path that leads to the safety and betterment of humans.
Emotions are another aspect of human
life and are the basis for action. They contain tremendous energy that leads to
actions. Our desires arise from emotions; occasionally, some desires become so
strong that they overpower the intellect, and it starts forming justifiable excuses
for wrong actions. “Is he who relies on a clear proof from Allah,” says
the Quran, “like those for whom the evil that they do is beautiful while
they follow their lusts,” (47:16). Furthermore, this type of approach leads
them to a situation where they face limitations of use, thinking powers are eradicated,
and they heedlessly follow their emotions.
When a person is under the influence of alcohol,
his knowledge, experience, and wisdom cannot work correctly; similarly, a
person who is overpowered by his emotions loses his senses and, without
thinking, follows his emotions. The Quran portrays such a person and says,
“Have you reflected over the case of him who has made his desires his God?
According to the law of requital, despite intellect and knowledge, it turns him
astray, seals up his hearing and heart, and sets on his sight a covering” (45:23).
After stating this fact, the Quran supports it with examples of ancient
history and declares that these nations were not destroyed due to lack of wisdom
and knowledge, they were eradicated because they denied the law of Allah.
Their emotions painted a glorious illusion for them, and they heedlessly
followed their emotions. “These nations were more established and influential
than you. Their eyes saw everything. Their ears heard everything. Their hearts
understood everything. (It means they had vision and wisdom) When they followed
their emotions, flouted, and neglected the law of Allah, their wisdom
and vision were of no avail, and that which they used to mock encompassed them (46:27).
Wahi comes to our aid in marking
the spheres of intellect and emotion. The wahi recognizes the strength and
power of emotions. Unlike Vidant and mysticism, it disagrees that emotions are evil
and hinder human growth, so humans must destroy them, but humans cannot destroy
emotions; they can only suppress them. The rule of psychology is that
repression leads to perversion, so instead of indulging in useless attempts to eliminate
emotions, humans should subject them to the guidance of Allah’s wahi, which
can lead intellect and emotions to work coherently for the peace and well-being
of all humanity.
