Human Emotions, Desires and Intellect: Why Reason Alone Can't Bring Peace
Ask a hundred people what they want most in life, and most will give you some version of the same answer: peace. Not luxury, not fame. Just a mind that isn't at war with itself, and a world that isn't at war with everyone else. So why is peace so hard to find? This article looks at that question through the relationship between human emotions, desires and intellect, and the laws that, in the Islamic view, God has set to guide humanity toward peace and security.
Why Does Every Human Being Want a Peaceful Life?
A human being wants to live a mentally satisfied, calm and peaceful life. Every person, group and party is searching for peace. Whoever you ask will say this.
Human Emotions, Desires and Intellect: Why Is the World in Chaos?
There is so much strife and disorder in the world today. The only reason is that every person and every group somehow wants the satisfaction of their emotions and the fulfillment of their desires.
And the skill of the intellect provides the means for the fulfillment of these emotions and desires. Now the war of different minds begins, in which every person tries to make a fool of the others and straighten his own way. That is on a small scale. On a large scale, the affairs of empires and kingdoms are decided in the same manner. If you're curious how this played out across history, I explored it in Human Civilization: From Tribes to Modern Politics.
The result is in front of you: man has become the prey of mankind, one person is the enemy of another, and one nation is thirsty for the blood of another nation.
Human Intellect vs Own Interest
Now the question arises as to whether man is free to make whatever decisions he wants on the basis of his intellect alone.
Can Human Intellect Alone Solve Human Problems?
No. In matters of nature, intellect can discover the truth. In human affairs, though, every mind protects its own interests, so intellect cannot be separated from emotions. Left to itself, it can serve good or harm alike, so it needs guidance from a source higher than human desires.
So the answer is no. The intellect alone is incapable of resolving the contradictions that are causing chaos in human life. When the intellect investigates cosmic matters, the question is only the revelation of the truth, so there the intellect does the right thing. But in human affairs, since the intellect of every individual is required to protect his own interests, the human intellect cannot be devoid of emotions. In the world of human beings, if the intellect is left free, then a purely devilish society is created in which every human being becomes the enemy of another human being.
Just as the sword cannot determine the purpose of its use, so the human intellect cannot determine the purpose of its use. For this, it is necessary for man to be guided from a place which is higher than human emotions.
This place is Allah Almighty, and this guidance is called Revelation (Wahi).
What Is Revelation (Wahi), and How Does It Guide Human Intellect?
Revelation (Wahi) is guidance sent by Allah to humanity. In this article's view, it works like sunlight for the eye: it lets the intellect see clearly. It is the law or rule according to which human beings should live, and it shows how interests can be protected without creating chaos.
Human Intellect in the Light of Revelation (Wahi)
Just as the human eye cannot see anything without sunlight, so the human intellect cannot reach certainty without the light of revelation. When the intellect works in the light of Revelation, the intellect knows how its interests can be protected without creating chaos in society.
Revelation means the law or rule according to which human beings should live. In this post, we will talk about the laws that God has ordained that guide man to the path of peace and security.
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What Are the Laws of God? The Three Aspects of God's Law
When we hear the word "law," our eyes go to the courts, because we have heard the word in the context of courts. But law is not limited to the courts. God's law encompasses the entire universe. God has laid down laws according to which this great chain of the universe is active.
According to the Qur'an, there are three aspects to the application of God's law, each of which has its own characteristics. In short, they are the Command of God that creates and determines everything, the Laws of Nature that keep the universe running, and the laws of the human world, where people are free to act but cannot change the consequences of their actions.
- Command of God
- The Laws of Nature
- The Human World
The Command of God
The first aspect is the Command of God to create the universe from non-existence and to determine its properties and effects. The only thing the Qur'an says about the functioning of this place is that God's command works in such a way that when He intends something and says that it is done, it is done (Qur'an 36:82). It is also clear that when an object is created from non-existence, it will be decided what it should be. What will be its features? What are its properties and effects?
It is also clear that when the existence of an object has come into being according to God's command, intention or will, then its properties will also be determined according to His will.
The Laws of Nature: What Is the Sunnah of Allah?
In the Qur'an, the Sunnah of Allah is God's unchanging way of running the universe, and the Qur'an says you will never find any change in it. Water, for example, behaves by the same law everywhere, and the same idea is applied to the consequences of actions in human life.
After creating the universe from non-existence, God set a standard for everything (Qur'an 25:2). These scales and estimates are what are called the Laws of Nature. For example, the standard for water was set to be liquid under normal conditions. When it is cooled, it turns to solid ice after reaching a certain level. Similarly, when it is heated, it evaporates, and when it is chemically analyzed, it breaks down into hydrogen and oxygen.
These laws for water are so infallible that they will not change in any way. No matter where a person experiences it, he will find no difference. Everything in the universe has been created to obey the law that the Creator of the universe has set for it. God has called these strong laws the Sunnah of Allah and has said about them that you will never find any change in the Sunnah of Allah (Qur'an 33:62). God has done this so that this great chain of the universe may continue to run with discipline and beauty.
The Human World: How Do Human Actions and Their Results Work?
The third aspect of God's laws relates to human life. Just as there are laws set by God for the external universe and the physical life of man himself, similar laws have been set by God for human civilization and social life.
In the external universe, this law of God is self-existent in all things. These things do not interfere with it, but man is given the power to live according to the laws of God if he wants to, and to refuse if he wants to.
Man Is Free to Do Whatever He Wants, but He Can't Change the Result
Man has authority, and he has the freedom to do whatever he wants, but he will have to suffer the consequences of his actions. That is, he is free in this matter to do whatever he pleases, but he does not have the power to change the consequences of his actions, because he is bound by the laws of God. According to these laws, every action and intention of a human being, even the thought that thunders in the heart, sets its own consequences. Whether a person is aware of it or not, no action or intention remains without leaving its mark on his being. The good result of a good deed and the bad result of a bad deed (Qur'an 99:7–8).
Physical Laws Affect the Human Body, but Moral Laws Affect the Human Personality
Just as the violation of physical laws affects the human body, so does the violation of moral laws affect the human personality. Just as eating poison destroys a person's physical life, so eating forbidden wealth destroys one's personality. Just as the hand is burned by the misuse of fire, so the abilities of the human personality are burned by the misuse of power. If this idea of moral consequences interests you, I wrote about it in a different way in The Essence of Human Life, Purpose, Challenges and The Path to a Peaceful Life.
The Result of Each Action Is Recorded Simultaneously
The results of human actions are not stored somewhere else to be found later. These are the necessary and natural consequences of these actions. For example, if you walk daily, it has a good effect on your health. This is a natural consequence of this process.
The result of each action is recorded simultaneously and according to the exact action. Man cannot escape this consequence by his own workmanship.
Why Man Is Deceived When Results Don't Appear Immediately
The consequences of violating the laws of nature are immediately felt. For example, by putting one's finger in the fire, the result is felt at once. But man does not immediately feel the consequences of violating God's established social laws, so man does not believe in them.
This is the place where man is deceived, and this is the place where faith is required, that is, the need to believe in the fact that there is no lawlessness and fraud in the universe. There is a rule and law for everything that does not change for anyone and in which no one is an exception. Here no one gets life as a gift, and no one dies because of revenge. Here life and death are decided by law and order. He who has to live, let him live by reason, and he who has to die, let him die according to the rules and the law.
And it is also clear that when the results of deeds are recorded in accordance with the rules and the law, there is no question of anyone being released by ransom or being released on recommendation.
Crime and Punishment Under the Physical Laws
Punishment for violating God's laws does not depend on whether or not the person who commits a crime is seen or arrested. God's law is that putting one's finger in the fire will burn and cause great pain. It will not happen that if someone does not see you pointing your finger at the fire, then you will escape the punishment of the crime. This punishment will be meted out to you in any case, whether you commit it on the top of a mountain or in solitude inside an underground cave.
Do Thoughts and Intentions Have Consequences?
Do Thoughts and Intentions Have Consequences?
Yes, according to the moral law described in this article. Physical harm needs a physical act, but moral harm can begin with intention. Every action, and even a secret thought, leaves its mark on a person's character, whether or not a court could ever punish it. In other words, the harm of violating human laws can come from intent.
As far as the laws of physics are concerned, they are harmed only when they are violated. Think a thousand times in your heart that when fire comes in front of you, you will jump into it. It will not burn your body at all. Your body will burn when you practically jump into the fire. As far as the human world is concerned, the harm of violating these laws also comes from intent.
For example, you are sitting next to a friend, and you are thinking that if your friend goes in, you will pick up his pen. You sit there thinking for a long time, but your friend doesn't get up and go inside. You end up exhausted and fail. You did not steal. No court in the world can prosecute you. But according to the moral law, your personality will be punished for this intention. Because this accountability will be before the God who is aware of the slippage of the heart and the betrayal of sight (Qur'an 40:19).
These constitutions and rules under which living is an honor for humanity cannot be found anywhere outside of God's revelation.
The Holy Qur'an: The Rule of Revelation for Humanity
The Holy Qur'an is, in the Muslim belief, the final, complete and clear rule of divine revelation. Every single word of it is held to be absolute truth and certainty, in which there is no room for doubt and speculation. It is a right that meets all the standards of reality and proves to be up to the test of knowledge and insight. There is no trace of superstition in it.
It is not for a particular nation or a particular group, but for the whole world equally, breaking all the self-made boundaries and restrictions of race, language, class, nationality and tribalism.
This is the Book of God, from Whose eyes no truth is hidden and from Whose knowledge nothing is beyond. Religion, politics, culture, civilization, society, economics: there is no part of human life that does not have principles of guidance.
Today, many people around the world are fed up with their own way of life. They are looking for a way of life from which human beings can live in peace and security. The fulfillment of human dignity, the glory of the present and the future, all kinds of well-being, salvation and happiness can be achieved only by the way of life which is expressed by the Holy Qur'an. And the practical figure of which is Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (PBUH).
There is a need to study the teachings of the Holy Qur'an with an empty mind and examine your prevailing beliefs and doctrines in the light of the Holy Qur'an. Those which are in accordance with the Qur'an should be retained, and those which are against it should be rejected and replaced by correct Qur'anic beliefs.
From Chaos to Peace and Security
Human beings want peace, but desires and emotions, driven by an intellect that serves them, keep pulling us into conflict. The message of this article is that intellect works best when it's guided by something higher, and that God's laws, from the laws of nature to the laws of human actions, are meant to lead us toward peace and security.
You can go further with What Is the True Purpose of Human Life? or compare this view with Materialistic Concept of Life and Human Being Evolution.
Which idea from this article made you think the most? Share it in the comments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't human intellect alone bring peace?
Because every mind works to protect its own interests, and intellect can't be separated from emotions. Without guidance from something higher, it can serve harm as easily as good. That's why this article argues it needs revelation.
What is Wahi (revelation) in Islam?
It's guidance sent by Allah to humanity through His messengers. In this article's view, it's the law or rule human beings should live by, and it lets the intellect protect interests without creating chaos.
What is the difference between physical laws and moral laws?
Breaking a physical law, like touching fire, hurts the body right away. Breaking a moral law affects the personality, and the result isn't always felt immediately, which is why people are deceived into ignoring it.
Do actions have consequences even if nobody sees them?
According to the view in this article, yes. Punishment doesn't depend on being seen or caught. Every action, and even every intention, leaves its mark on a person's being.
What is the Sunnah of Allah?
It's God's unchanging way of running the universe. The Qur'an says you will never find any change in it, and this article applies the same idea to the consequences of human actions.
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