The Limit of Mind

Assalamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

The ability of mind is explained through two dimensions within Islamic thought.... The first one is through the Quran and the second is through the views of Muslim thinkers.

Quran

The mind although possess high intellectualism but it is still limited to the time and the space. Everyone should realize that they are bounded to this limitation. One would be a humble and a pious thinker when he realizes this since those who do not realize this would be arrogant and full of themselves. Knowing the position of mind which is weak and limited would attract one's awareness that not everything in existence could be assumed or be a subject of thought in human-mind.

Mind could only analyze, inquire, researching and understanding things related to physical realm. However, those related to metaphysical realm could not be reached with the mind of an ordinary being except through revelation or through the mediators among prophets and messengers of the God the Highest.

Among the verses which mentions that human mind is limited when it comes to the matters of the spirit which inhabits the frame of beings...

"They asked you concerning the Spirit (of inspiration). Say (Muhammad): The Spirit comes by command of my Lord: of knowledge it is only a little that is communicated to you!" (Surah al-Isra' 17:75).

In another context, human mind is so much limited that they could only create whatever is able through their mind and only with the permission of the God the Highest. No matter how smart or how intelligent the human, whether he is an individual or in a joined group of people but the space for human logical mind is still bounded to limitation as it is a subject to time and space.

The God the Highest challenged Arab scholars during the Age of Ignorance when the mocked the noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w on the truth of the revelation as compared to the ability of their limited mind...

"Say Muhammad: 'If the whole mankind and hidden creatures were to gather together to produce the like of this Quran, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they backed up each other with help and support'" (Surah al-Isra' 17:88).

Although with limitation in mind, man-kind is bestowed with the ability to analyze, to observe and to research things which could be reached with their mind and combined with their sensory tools. In this matter, the God the Highest through the Quran advises man-kind to analyze and to research physical matters around them so they would live a better life through their researches...

"Nor did We send before you as messengers any but men, whom we did inspire, living in human habitations. Do they not travel through the earth and see what was the end of those before them? But the home of the hereafter is best for those who do right. Will you not then understand?" (Surah Yusuf 12:109)

Muslim Scholars

Both Abū Ḥamīd al-Ghazali and Ibn Sinā believe that mind could only look up and comprehend physical realms that can be reached by their senses. So, the space of mind is actually quite limited since it could not dive deep into the facts which could not assumed and detected with senses.

This is argued through the evidence from the revelation which the God the Highest talks about His "Essence"...

"No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision: He is above all comprehension, yet is acquainted with all things" (Surah al-An'am 6:103).

As the conclusion for this topic, the Iḥyā' 'Ulūmuddin by al-Ghazali mentions that mind needs evidences which could be assumed with mind and from the sources such as the Quran, the Traditions, and Deductive Analogy to draw conclusions.

To blindly following or to imitate an idea without using one's mind is an ignorance while the usage of only mind without the guidance of the Revelation (Light) and Prophetic Traditions is a lie. The usage of mind should be combined with the transportation (guidance) since the sciences related to the mind is the food while the sciences related to revelation and supplementary are the medicines which heals the problem in ones life.  

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace and love, amin!

Logic Studies

Assalamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

This is actually a subject when I studied Sharia around 2005 just after I returned from the Holy Mecca. It is a philosophical branch of study. Logic actually has two meanings. The first one describes the use of valid reasoning in some activity. The second one refers to normative study of reasoning or a branch thereof. In the latter sense, it features most prominently in the subjects such as philosophy, mathematics and computer science. Basically I do not care about whatever people talk about science or technology. Because I know that they were all exist only in temporary "time" and "space". 

Logic was studied in several ancient civilizations such as India, Persia, Greece and China. In the West, logic was established as a formal discipline by Aristotle, who gave it a fundamental place in philosophy. The study of logic was part of classical trivium which also included grammar and rhetoric. In our medieval era, logic was extended further by al-Farabi who categorized it into two separate groups which were the idea and proof. Later on, Avicenna revived the study of logic and developed relationship between temporalis and the implication. In the East, logic was developed by Buddhists and Jains of ancient India. I am familiar with Buddhist thought since the region where I live right now was a Buddhist region. Buddhism concerns about psychology so you could see most of my posts dealing with psychology issues...

Beginner

Mind

Definitions of Mind

The Concept of Mind

The Uniqueness of Mind

Characteristics of Mind

The Role of Mind

Facts of Mind

The Limit of Mind

I am basically posting some basics of our logical studies here. We begin with mind and the faculties of intellect within human self. This would later be developed into 'Irfan (Gnosis). Our source for the studies of Gnosticism basically came from Abu Hamid al-Ghazali literary works and he was from the school of Shafi'ie jurisprudence and from the Book of Aphorisms by Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Abd al-Karim bin 'Ataullah Iskandari. Gnosticism is not to be studied by laymen and laymen are strongly discouraged from engaging themselves in this study. Study and practice the basic traditional creeds and pillars of the religion first!

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace and love, amin!