The Origin of Intelligence

The Origin of Intelligence

There are many motives which drive people to seek education. For some it is a means of acquiring a livelihood, gaining status and respect. Others want more than this. They want education to lead to enlightenment and salvation. There are two approaches which can be taken. Firstly, the path of initiation into a religious order or group. People of this temperament place their trust in others and are content to be shown the way along the ‘straight path’ to reach their final goal. The alternative method is to acquire the skills and qualities which will enable you to discover the path of guidance for yourself. This approach allows you to evaluate beliefs and ideas, arrive at your own conclusions and avoid the pitfalls of blind faith.

Human beings possess all the tools they need to discover the truth for themselves. Their survival depends on the use of the faculties that God, the Prime Teacher, has bestowed on them. Out of His grace, God entrusted destitute and vulnerable humanity with the faculty of intellect. He placed in them the awareness of how to utilise it (for example, through the use of observation and experimentation). The capacity to learn from the experiences of the past, present and future is a powerful instrument in the intellectual tool kit of Man. In this way the survival of Man was guaranteed. How else could a weak and dependent creature maintain its dominance when surrounded by dangers?

It was the intellect which urged early Man to seek knowledge and understanding. It encouraged him to reflect on his experience and develop better ways of doing things. Above all it pushed him to go beyond the concerns of daily survival and discover his higher self: to pursue the path of self-realisation. In the animal kingdom we find that some species of animals are also able to learn from their experiences. This allows them to adjust their behaviour. What they cannot do is use this experience in a context not dictated by their animal instincts, that is, go beyond issues of eating, drinking and mating. For instance, after centuries of being dominated by Man has any species of animal been able to utilise their experience to free themselves from being exploited? Has it been possible for any animal to shake the burden of its human masters and create a world in which it is completely safe and secure? In contrast, human beings have attained supremacy over the Earth. This is due to the extraordinary and superior faculty of the intellect. It has enabled Man to be the unchallenged master of the Earth. No other creature has dared to question his authority.

If the intellect is the secret behind mankind’s power on Earth, then we must ask where did it come from? Was it an innate ability within Man? Was it bestowed on Man? The Quran informs us in the following verse that the faculty of the intellect and consciousness is a trust which was offered to the whole of creation, who shuddered at the responsibility it entails and therefore refused to accept it. Man on the other hand was foolish and accepted the burden:

We did indeed offer the trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains; but they refused to undertake it, being afraid thereof: but man undertook it; He was indeed unjust and foolish (33: 72)

This verse also shows that the intellect is not an inherent quality of Man and that it is false to assume that mankind has always had personal ownership rights over it. There is an allusion that Man has been given possession of this faculty in this world and in the next world he will not have free use of it. The key point is that the intellect is given as a trust to Man and this entails certain responsibilities. For instance, to utilise it only to satisfy your ego and animal self is an abuse of this trust. There is an expectation that Man will deploy his mind to understand his purpose in life and to discover his creator. If not, he must remember that what is given can also be taken away. There is a force from which the intellect originates. Who is the real owner? The answer: God.

Modern discoveries in the field of physical anthropology support the view that the intellect has not always been an inherent quality of mankind. Research shows that there is little difference between the characteristics of early human beings, including earlier species of primates, and other species of animal. Human Beings trace their biological ancestry to the species known as ‘Homo’. This species existed for millennia without showing any evidence of intellectual activity that set it apart from others. It was only about seven thousand years ago when farming was discovered, that mankind became distinguishable from animals. The intellect of Man from then on begins to emerge as a dominant factor in the world. As God reminds us in the Quran, mankind existed on the Earth for a very long time when they were not even worthy of being mentioned.

Has there not been over man a long period of time, when He was (Not even worth) mentioning? (70: 1)

The physical make up of mankind is subject to the general laws of biology through which God has created animal life. These are the laws (Sunnahs) of Allah in creation. Like everything else, human beings start from a single cell which then splits and becomes an organism consisting of two cells. The Quran informs us that God has created everything in pairs: male and female, positive and negative, electrons and protons, inner and outer. This duality is visible everywhere and is not specific to humans or animals. For instance plants have a male and female part that facilitates pollination.

Not only does Man share his physical constitution with animals he also has an affinity with minerals. The Quran tells us that Man was made from clay. This means that he consists of certain minerals. The evolution of life from simple to complex forms can be seen as a movement along the spectrum of minerals, plants and animals. Each one possesses a feature not possessed by the previous one. For instance, rocks are solid and do not have the quality of growth, while plants have the ability to grow but not the capacity to move like animals. There is always a duality between things which have one cell or two, then between those that are motionless and those that can move, then those who have the ability to speak and those that do not, then between those who have sight and audition and those who do not. So far, Man has no distinguishing feature. Most animals can move, produce sounds, and have hearing and sight. For thousands of years Man was identical to animals. There was nothing which made him different.

The story of life continued to unfold, millennia after millennia. Then, all of a sudden, something amazing occurs which will affect the course of life on Earth forever. A unique and extraordinary change is making itself felt. Out of the blue, Man gains intelligence. He begins to think. The suddenness of this event is beyond human explanation. Scientists are unable to provide an answer to the questions of when, why and how this unbelievable event occurred. Despite the advances in scientific knowledge, we are still unable to pinpoint the moment when the members of the genus Homo began to use the intellect. It is in religion alone that we find an answer to this question.

No one but God can give a satisfying answer relating to the origins of natural phenomena. For instance, why is a walnut a walnut and why is the almond the way it is? Evolutionary processes may partially explain the minor changes between generations of specific species. However, what they cannot account for is the sheer size and extent of the variety and diversity in the forms of life scattered across every corner of the world. There are around a billion species of creatures, and each one of them points towards some meaning and purpose in life. Granted that our knowledge of the diversity of life on Earth is limited, our understanding of the human being is even more rudimentary. Every so often, sciences such as biology, psychology, sociology and neurology shed a glimmer of light and take us one step closer to understanding ourselves. But this only increases our awareness of how little we know. Despite our discoveries, we are plunged into the realm of speculation, as our limited intellects are unable to comprehend the workings of the Absolute Intellect, God.

The acquisition of the intellect by the human species was a remarkable turning point in the history of the world. This ape-like creature, who until very recently was indistinguishable from other species of animals, now displayed self-consciousness, went on to lay the foundations of towns, cities, and mighty civilisations, to erect grand monuments and ‘wonders’ of the world, and to develop laws and systems for social existence. Having been the ultimate manifestation of brutality and barbarism, this bipedal creature began to display signs of humanity. There was no doubt that this special quality of ‘Homo Sapiens’ set them apart from every other species and creature on the planet, ensuring their status as rulers and vicegerents of the Earth. As well as this, the members of this species became susceptible to the clash of good and evil, right and wrong.

However, little did Man comprehend the price to be paid for this special quality, and the accountability that it entailed. To what end should this faculty which had not belonged to our species for half of our history and which had given us the privilege of leadership and authority on earth, be utilised? Was it to be used to further the ambitions of human greed and arrogance? Was it the case that this attribute of the intellect was our personal birth right, and the purpose behind its cultivation and refinement was to subjugate the physical world, its rocks and minerals, vegetation and forests, birds and fowl, and animals and livestock. After having satisfied our physical needs, was the higher purpose of the intellect to aid us in seizing power and authority, wealth and resources, even at the expense of death, destruction and disaster? Was this the ultimate function of the intellect, or was there some other purpose to it?

The real purpose of the intellect has been conveyed repeatedly throughout history, and with equal regularity it has been ignored and forgotten. The knowledge of this purpose was not the result of our rational investigations; rather its source was an external, supra-human intuition and inspiration. Throughout history we witness the long line of prophets, reformers, and saints who dedicated their lives to the teaching and instruction of humankind. They frequently reminded people of the message which had been forgotten. The crux of the message was that the intellect you have been given is not your personal possession, but you hold it in trust. Although the utilisation of this trust is lawful and permissible for you, its wrongful use will result in a prolonged period of suffering for you. On the other hand correct use of it will entitle you to a life of eternal happiness.

What did God want in return for bestowing the intellect on Man? One thing is certain: He did not want the wealth and pleasures which Man amasses for himself through the use of this gift. Of course it would have been fair to levy some form of tax on these things. But the bounty of God has no limits. The value of the intellect cannot be measured in currencies of gold and silver. Was the price of this blessing that Man exile himself from his home, family and friends, devoting himself exclusively to God? What God wants in return for the intellect is simple. He wants to test Man to see how well he utilises the intellect in his capacity as steward of God on Earth. This cannot be done without first recognising God. In short, God wants Man to sit an examination in the school of life. The following verse alludes to this:

He who created death and life, that He may try which of you is best in deed: and He is the Exalted In Might, Oft-Forgiving. (67:2)

Unlike most examinations, the question paper of this exam is slim and the answers required are straightforward. What is more, both the questions and the answers have been given to students. Their task is to confirm and corroborate the answer by finding supporting evidence and proofs. These may be from the universe around them or from within themselves, and this is where the intellect comes in. As if giving the right answer was not enough, God has also shown us what the wrong response looks like. There is really no reason why anyone should fail this test! The onus is on us to make the right choice. This element of choice is alluded to in the Quranic verse:

We showed Him the way: whether He be grateful or ungrateful (70:3)

In comparison to other students, the learners in the ‘Earth school’ have unparalleled advantages designed to ensure their success. The conditions of the examination hall are extremely favourable to them as there is no invigilator, every inch and corner of the hall is covered with signs and reminders; not to mention that at every step of the way they have been supported by tutors who have pointed them in the right direction; and there is also the constant and regular revision of the course books. Indeed, to overcome the problems of forgetfulness and lack of understanding, they have been provided with intellectual tools and learning support of every kind to ensure that they thoroughly understand the message. In all fairness, everything possible has been done and no effort spared in removing all conceivable barriers which could prevent humankind from fulfilling the purpose of their intellect, namely, the recognition and realization of God. From a human perspective, the acceptance of a supra-human reality and intelligence (God) is a concept which is easy to both comprehend and accept. In fact the desire for meaning and understanding of reality is woven into the psyche of Man.

Is it not a catastrophe that despite being blessed with the intellect and possessing knowledge; and despite the guidance of a teacher and the presence of clear signs and landmarks, Man is still characterised by ignorance of God and injustice towards himself and others? Why is it that in the struggle between the intellect and the reptilian Self represented by ignorance, the latter should be victorious? The outcome of this battle was nothing but loss and destruction. As a consequence, with the exception of a limited number of individuals, the majority of intellectuals and thinkers manipulated the meaning of the word ‘progress’ and confined it to the physical and material aspects of life. The intellect became a tool of corruption and discord: it ensured that deception and deceit, injustice and oppression, tyranny and dictatorship became the hallmark of humankind.

Mankind was in breach of trust: they had failed to fulfil the obligation of worship and reverence, a condition of possessing the faculty of reason. The human species has degraded itself to an unprecedented level. We have turned out to be no better than Shaytaan who claimed, on the basis of physical appearance and ‘racial’ difference, that ‘Adam’ was inferior. The prejudice, hatred and racism prevalent amongst the various groups and nations of mankind are reminiscent of the stance and outlook of Shaytaan.

The deceit and treachery of the human ego re-created on Earth the same levels of arrogance and defiance which were witnessed when Shaytaan rebelled against God concerning the creation of Adam. In fact the situation of the human is worse, since Shaytaan had never denied his servitude and the Majesty of God. Whereas Man prostrated himself at the ‘Temple of Ego’ and throughout the ages was not only persistent in his denial of God but insisted on proclaiming his own ‘Godhood.' One can only feel pity and sympathy for the human being, for he is plagued with this inflated view of himself. What hope of compassion is there for such a self centred egomaniac, other than the phrase 'God is the ‘Rabb’ (Originator, Sustainer and Supporter) of the cosmos, the All-Compassionate, the All-Merciful?'