Human Intellect

2. The world of the things that come into being as the result of action, materializes through thinking.

The existent universe comprises:

• pure essences, such as the elements
• the things resulting from their influence
• the 3 things that come into being from the elements:

1. minerals
2. plants
3. animals

All these things are connected with the divine power.

It also comprises actions proceeding from living beings, that happen through their intentions, and are connected with the power that God has given them.

Some of their actions, such as human actions, are well arranged and orderly. Others are not, such as the actions of non-human living beings.

This is because thinking perceives the order that exists among the things that come into being either:

• by nature or
• by arbitrary arrangement.

When the mind intends to create something, it must understand:

• the reason or cause of that thing, or
• the conditions governing it

Reason, cause, or conditions are, in general, the principles of that particular thing, since it is secondary to them.

It is not possible to arrange for something that comes earlier to come later, or for something that comes later to come earlier.

Such a principle must have another principle to which its own existence is posterior.

This regression may:

• go on in an ascending order from principle to principle, or
• come to an end.

When man, in his thinking, has reached the last principle on 2 or more levels, and starts the action that will bring the (planned) thing into existence, he will start with the last principle that has been reached by his thinking.

Thus, that last principle will be the beginning of action.

He, then, will follow things up to the last element in the causal chain that had been the starting point of his thinking activity.

For instance, a man thinks of creating a roof to shelter him.

He will will first progress in his mind (from the roof) to the wall supporting the roof, and then to the foundation upon which the wall stands.

Here, his thinking will end.

He will then start to work on the foundation, then go on to the wall, and then (to) the roof where his action will end.

This is what is meant by the saying: “The beginning of action is the end of thinking. The beginning of thinking is the end of action.”

Thus, human action in the outside world materializes only through thinking about the order of things, since things are based upon each other.

After he has finished thinking, he starts doing things. His thinking starts with the thing that comes last in the causal chain and is done last.

His action starts with the first thing in the causal chain, which thinking reaches last. Once this order is taken into consideration, human actions proceed in a well-arranged manner.

On the other hand, the actions of living beings other than man are not well arranged. They lack the thinking that acquaints the agent with the order of things governing his actions.

Animals perceive only with the senses. Their perceptions are disconnected and lack a connecting link, since only thinking can constitute such (a connecting link).

The things that come into being that are of consequence in the world of existent things, are those that are orderly.

Those that are not orderly are secondary to them. The actions of animals, therefore, are subordinate to (orderly human actions).

Consequently, their services are forcibly utilized by man. Thus, human actions control the whole world of things that come into being and all it contains.

Everything is subservient to man and works for him. This is what is meant by the “appointing of a representative” mentioned in the Qur’an:

“I am appointing a representative on earth.”

The ability to think is the quality of man by which human beings are distinguished from other living beings.

The degree to which a human being is able to establish an orderly causal chain determines his degree of humanity. Some people are able to establish a causal nexus for two or three levels. Some are not able to go beyond that.

Others may reach five or six. Their humanity, consequently, is, higher.

For instance, some chess players are able to perceive 3-5 moves in advance, the order of which is arbitrary.

Others are unable to do that because their mind is not good enough for it.

This example is not quite to the point, because (the knowledge of) chess is a habit, whereas the knowledge of causal chains is something natural.

However, it is an example the student may use to gain an intellectual understanding of the basic facts mentioned here.