Opinion

Make the most of your brain

March 23, 2018
Make the most of your brain

Saleh Al Dewani



Al-Watan Daily

ARAB culture has a long history of conveying certain events or traditions from generation to generation. Currently, people who prefer to believe in what has been conveyed to them instead of using their brains to analyze a story and accordingly establish its veracity, have created a wall around their brains that blocks them to introduce rationality into their lives.

“The brain is one of God’s greatest gifts to humans, a feature that has no parallel in the animal world. However, we only use a small percentage of our brains and we need some spiritual enlightenment for our full understanding. Therefore, using both our brain and what has been conveyed to us is needed so we don’t get confused by doubts, which hinder certainty and divine knowledge,” said Muhammed Imara in one of his recent articles, titled “The Percentage of the Brain”.

I consider this statement as a weak argument as it preferred what has been conveyed instead of relying on analysis when interpreting religious sayings because the facts state that using one’s brain defeats belief when conveying a message. Using brains and cognitive skills have helped humans throughout history to explain the unexplained so which one would you prefer now? Thinking minds or what has been conveyed?

People have a full understanding of what has been conveyed and the inspiration behind new ideas because of thinking; we need to use our brains to understand what is being conveyed. Moreover, there is a huge possibility that people who convey will contradict each other because they come from different backgrounds which will undoubtedly make them paint things in different hues.

Islamic culture has always used spiritual and emotional themes to reach people without engaging the brain, which I believe should be given the utmost importance. In order to understand what has been conveyed, it is impossible for us to reach an understanding through our spirits. Thus, the pressure of this concept has always affected Arab and later, Islamic culture.

To make my point, I will use two philosophers who come from different backgrounds: Aristotle and Averroes or Ibn Rushd. Aristotle thinks of minds as necessary and independent. He divided the mind into several stages:

Chaotic mind: Preparing your mind to be fully aware of its surroundings without acting.

Effective mind: It gained this name for being affective in the word of elements.

Active mind: It is the spoken soul.

Learned mind: Absolute mind.

Ibn Rushd classified the mind into three parts:

Mindful minds: The quickest minds that come up with strong arguments and conclusions that are to the point. These minds have the ability to engage their conclusions effectively and it is the source of their philosophy. Only talented and dedicated minds that are rare to find are able to reach this stage.

Logical Minds: The part of the mind that is only satisfied with argumentative evidences.

Minds that respond to emotional and written speeches: Commonly found in people who only respond to fantasies and sympathies. These people are not ready for logical order or evidence. They are a lot of these type of people inside Arab and Islamic communities.

The last part of Ibn Rushd’s classification shows the mentality of Arab and Islamic minds which we should admit is an unpleasant image of the mind.


March 23, 2018
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