| Topic title | Page number |
|---|---|
| The first research: Levels of Consciousness in Creatures from an Islamic Perspective | 5 |
| Research II: Manifestations of Cosmic Consciousness in the Faith Experience | 9 |
| Chapter Three: Experiences of the Conscious Universe by Contemporary Muslim Philosophers | 11 |
| Finding Four: The Concept of Cosmic Consciousness in Contemporary Western Philosophy | 26 |
| Research Paper V: A Critical Comparison between Western Theories and the Islamic Vision | 33 |
| Awareness of the Last Day: Quranic Scenes and Images | 21 |
| Fourth research: The Concept of a Conscious Universe in the Qur'anic Conceptualization | 26 |
| Fifth article: The Conscious Universe between the Qur'anic Conceptualization and Modern Science | 33 |
| Research VI: Experiments in the Study of Cosmic Consciousness: Between the West and Islam | 34 |
| Chapter Seven: Future Prospects: Toward a deep dialog between different visions of cosmic consciousness | 36 |
| Conclusion: Cosmic Consciousness as a point of convergence between science and faith | 37 |
When I was fourteen years old, I meditated for the first time on God's saying:
I paused for a long time, wondering: How do inanimate objects praise? Does a stone have a consciousness? Does a tree have a cognition?
These questions have haunted me for many years, and the more I read in the Islamic tradition and contemporary philosophy, the more I found myself confronted with an amazing world of ideas about what I now call "cosmic consciousness" - a concept that goes beyond limiting consciousness to humans or higher living beings, and extends to every atom in existence.
The Islamic vision presents a gradual conceptualization of consciousness in creatures, where the levels of consciousness and cognition vary among different creatures according to their nature and function in the system of creation.
When contemplating the legitimate texts, a hierarchy of consciousness in creatures can be deduced, as follows:
Man is an honored creature, created by God in the best form, and distinguished by his intellect, will, and ability to choose. Allah made him a caliph in the earth, taught him all the names, and gave him what is in the heavens and the earth.
Man has an evolved consciousness that enables him to know and believe in God, to know himself and the universe around him, and to realize truth, goodness, and beauty. But this consciousness varies among people, depending on their knowledge, faith, and purity of heart.
Animals have a kind of consciousness and realization that enables them to know their Creator and praise Him, and to know what benefits them and what harms them.
In the Sunnah, it is mentioned that animals have some kind of consciousness and realization, as in the story of the Prophet's camel that parked in the place where the Prophet's Mosque was built, the story of the camel that complained to the Prophet, the story of the wolf that spoke to the shepherd, and others.
Plants have a kind of consciousness and realization that enables them to know their Creator, praise Him, and know what benefits them and what harms them.
The Sunnah of the Prophet indicates that plants have some kind of consciousness and realization, as in the story of the stump bowing to the Prophet (peace be upon him), the story of the peace of the stone on the Prophet (peace be upon him), and others.
Inanimate objects have a kind of consciousness and realization that enables them to know their Creator, praise Him, and obey His command.
The Sunnah of the Prophet indicates that inanimate objects have some kind of consciousness and realization, as in the story of the delivery of the stone to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) before the mission, the story of Mount Uhud that shook with joy for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his companions), the story of the pulpit that bowed to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and others.
The Islamic vision provides an integrated conceptualization of the levels of consciousness in the human psyche, represented by three main levels:
This is the self that is inclined to lusts and pleasures, and pushes its owner into sins and misdeeds. God Almighty says in the words of the dear woman:
The owner of this self is at a low level of consciousness, obscured from the realities of existence, preoccupied with lusts and pleasures, and oblivious to the remembrance and worship of God.
This is the self that blames its owner for negligence and sins, and pushes him to repentance and repentance.
The owner of this soul is at an intermediate level of consciousness, oscillating between vigilance and obliviousness, between turning to God and turning away from Him, between obedience and disobedience.
This is the soul that is reassured by Allah, settled in obedience to Him, and satisfied with His decree and destiny.
The owner of this soul is in a high level of consciousness, awake in heart, present with God, occupied with His remembrance and worship, and sensing His greatness and majesty.
The Islamic vision provides an integrated conceptualization of man's internal components that shape his consciousness and perception, which are represented by four main components:
The mind is the instrument of thought, consideration and reasoning, and it is the basis of the mandate, by which man distinguishes between truth and falsehood, good and evil.
In the Islamic vision, reason is not just a biological function of the brain, but a moral power, deposited in man, that enables him to think, reflect and reason. This power is capable of growth and development through knowledge, reflection and contemplation, as well as atrophy and regression through ignorance, inattention and rejection.
In the Islamic vision, the heart is the center of spiritual awareness and perception, the place of faith and knowledge, through which man communicates with his Lord and receives guidance and inspiration from Him.
The heart is susceptible to guidance and misguidance, to light and darkness, to life and death. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) says: "In the body, there is one thing, if it is good, the whole body is good, and if it is bad, the whole body is bad, and that is the heart" (Agreed upon).
The soul is from the command of God, and it is from the unseen world, which is known only to God. Therefore, man's knowledge of it is limited to what is mentioned in the legal texts and what can be deduced from them.
One of the manifestations of cosmic consciousness in the faith experience is the phenomenon of inspiration and revelation, which is represented by the believer receiving knowledge and truths, not through the senses or rational reasoning, but through the heart and soul.
Inspiration in the Islamic view is what God sheds in the heart of the believer in terms of knowledge, knowledge and guidance, which is a kind of faithful discernment, which is realized by the strength of faith and the purity of the heart. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Fear the intuition of the believer, for he looks by the light of God" (narrated by al-Tirmidhi).
Revelation is the revelation of some unseen truths to the believing heart, as a result of its serenity and closeness to God. It is not a revelation, and its infallibility should not be believed, but it is subject to the legal scale, and what agrees with the Book and the Sunnah is accepted, and what contradicts them is rejected.
One of the manifestations of cosmic consciousness in the faith experience is the phenomenon of true vision, which is represented by the believer's vision during sleep of things that are true, realized in reality, or have a correct interpretation. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) says: "A true vision is one of the forty-six parts of prophecy" (agreed upon). And he says: "If the time draws near, a Muslim's vision will not lie, and the most truthful of them will be the most truthful of them" (agreed upon).
In the Islamic view, a true vision is what God shows the believer in his sleep, which has an interpretation in reality. It is a type of inspiration and part of prophecy, as it gives insight into unseen matters. It is explained in the light of cosmic consciousness that when the human soul is separated from the body during sleep, it connects to the cosmic consciousness and is privy to certain unseen realities that it cannot see in the waking state.
Sleep is a minor death, in which the soul is partially separated from the body, allowing it to communicate with the unseen world and gain access to some of its truths.
One of the manifestations of cosmic awareness in the faith experience is the phenomenon of karamat and paranormal, which is the violation of the usual laws of nature, with God's permission, at the hands of some saints and righteous people.
In the Islamic view, a karamah is a supernatural event that God shows at the hands of one of His saints, in order to honor and support him. It is not a miracle, because a miracle is reserved for the prophets and is accompanied by a claim of prophethood and a challenge to the opponents, while a dignity appears at the hands of a righteous guardian, without a claim of prophethood and without a challenge.
Some dignities are mentioned in the Holy Qur'an, including the dignity of Mary, peace be upon her, as Zacharias found sustenance with her:
Among them is the honor of the companions of the cave, who remained in their cave for three hundred years and increased nine years:
The Muslim's faith experience constitutes a vast field for the manifestation of esoteric knowledge, which goes beyond the senses to the ranks of the heart and soul, and appears in the forms of inspiration, vision, and dignity. These are not sources of legislation, but spiritual revelations that indicate the believer's interaction with the unseen, and the high level of his perception when his heart is purified and his certainty is strengthened. All of this is from the overflow of 'My strength is only in Allah'.
In this paper, I will attempt to review the concept of cosmic consciousness in contemporary Islamic philosophy, seeking to explore how contemporary Muslim thinkers offer interpretations and interpretations of the idea of a conscious swimming universe, based on my conviction that this concept opens wide horizons for understanding ourselves, the universe around us, and the relationship of all to the Great Creator.
The thinker and poet Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938) is one of the most prominent Muslim thinkers who offered a profound vision of cosmic consciousness in a contemporary context. In his book Renewing Religious Thought in Islam, Iqbal presents a philosophy that combines Islamic spirituality with contemporary thought.
Muhammad Iqbal developed an integrated philosophical theory of cosmic consciousness and spiritual existence in the universe through his revolutionary concept of Khudi, which translates as "self", "ego", or "self-consciousness". Iqbal argues that consciousness - or Khudi - is not limited to humans, but is "a universal, multi-dimensional reality, beginning with the simplest creature and ending with a perfect human being." (Muhammad Iqbal's concept of Khudi, Wikipedia).
This conceptualization makes the entire universe a conscious entity in varying degrees, as "there is an ascending gradation of ego in the universe that varies in degree among creatures." This concept goes beyond the materialistic view of the universe to present a spiritual vision where everything in the universe carries a degree of consciousness and spirituality.
Iqbal distinguishes between two types of consciousness in his philosophical universe: "The Supreme Ego, which represents the Creator, and the finite egos, which includes all creatures. This limited ego "emanates from the higher ego as light emanates from the sun," creating a cosmic web of interconnected consciousness.
Seyed Hussein Nasr (born 1933) is one of the most prominent contemporary thinkers who developed a comprehensive vision of cosmic consciousness and the urgent need to restore harmony between humans, nature, and the universe. Nasr based his environmental philosophy on the fundamental concept of "reacralization of nature" as a radical solution to the contemporary environmental crisis.
In Nasr's vision, the re-sanctification of nature requires a return to what he calls "sacred science" (Scientia Sacra). Sacred science "never separates nature from human intimacy, because nature is seen as sacred in it" (The Eco-Philosophy of Seyyed Hossein Nasr). This contrasts with modern science, which separates mind and spirit, while Nasr argues that true knowledge requires both.
Fazlur Rahman (1919-1988) is considered one of the most important contemporary interpreters of the Holy Quran. In his groundbreaking book, Major Themes of the Quran, he presented a deep philosophical vision about cosmic consciousness and conscious existence in the universe. In Fadlur Rahman's analysis of the Qur'anic view of the universe, he emphasizes that "all of nature is one coherent and stable structure, with no gaps, fractures, or imbalances. It operates according to its own laws which God has deposited in it, and is therefore independent; but it is not tyrannical, because in itself it has no justification for its existence and cannot explain itself."
The Moroccan philosopher Taha Abdel Rahman (b. 1944) is one of the most prominent contemporary thinkers who sought to establish an authentic Islamic philosophy that confronts the challenges of the age. He succeeded in developing an integrated intellectual project known as "credit philosophy" that offers a philosophical alternative to Western modernity from a contemporary Islamic perspective.
In Taha Abdel Rahman's thought, fiduciaryism constitutes a comprehensive ethical theory based on the concept of "honesty" as a basic principle governing man's relationship with God, the universe, and others. Taha Abdel Rahman develops a distinct concept of cosmic consciousness within the framework of his fiduciary theory, linking this consciousness to man's moral responsibility towards the universe.
In this conceptualization, cosmic consciousness goes beyond a mere cognitive perception of the universe to become a responsible consciousness that sees the universe as a partner in moral responsibility and a moral entity that praises God. This concept permeates Taha's entire philosophical project, as he believes that the universe is not just deaf matter, but an entity full of signs and signs that point to the Creator and call upon man to be aware of his cosmic responsibility.
The Syrian thinker and preacher Muhammad Rateb al-Nabulsi (b. 1938) offers a contemporary understanding of cosmic consciousness from a scientific and faith-based perspective. In his encyclopedia "Scientific Miracles in the Qur'an and Sunnah", Nabulsi connects modern scientific discoveries with the concept of cosmic praise.
Nabulsi's ideas about the "living, praising universe" are based on his deep understanding of the Qur'anic verse "The seven heavens, the earth, and everything in them praise Him, but you do not understand their praise." He believes that all components of the universe praise God in a way that we do not realize, making the universe a living, conscious entity that testifies to the oneness of its creator.
Alija Izetbegovic (1925-2003) is one of the most prominent contemporary Muslim thinkers who developed a distinct philosophical vision about the nature of human consciousness and its relationship with the universe, combining political experience with theoretical depth in the face of Western materialist and existentialist philosophical currents.
Begovic conceptualizes man as a dual-natured being, with a physical dimension that links him to nature and its physical and biological laws, and a spiritual dimension that elevates him to the realms of meaning and moral and aesthetic values. This duality is not a contradiction that needs to be resolved by eliminating one of its two sides, but rather a basic fact of human formation that requires balance and integration.
To be honest, I didn't expect to find myself in that place. A huge bookstore in the center of the city, with people moving around me like ants. I was looking for something... I don't know what exactly. And suddenly! I found David Chalmers' "The Conscious Mind" in front of me. Strange... How did it appear in front of me like that? I picked it up and started reading randomly. I took the book to a quiet corner and started flipping through it. I stopped at a page where Chalmers wrote his famous phrase "The Hard Problem of Consciousness": I stopped at one sentence that changed everything: "How and in what way do physical processes in the brain lead to subjective experiences?"
I read it once. Twice. Three times. This guy is asking a question I've been asking for years! But... Don't we Muslims have the answer for centuries?
The theory of universal consciousness is not entirely new. It has roots in ancient philosophies, from Thales and Plato in Greece to Spinoza and Leibniz in modern Europe. But it has seen a remarkable revival in recent decades, especially with the work of philosophers such as Thomas Nagel, David Chalmers and Galen Strawson.
Nagel argues that subjective experience (consciousness) is not just a byproduct of matter or the brain, but an essential and indispensable part of reality, and that any objectivist worldview must give consciousness a central place alongside known physical elements such as matter, energy, space, time, and numbers.
Integrated information theory posits that consciousness is the result of information integration in a complex system, and that the level of consciousness in this system can be measured by the amount of information integration in the system, expressed by the symbol Φ. The more integrated the information in the system, the higher the level of consciousness in the system.
The theory is based on several key concepts:
This theory proposes that quantum mechanical phenomena, such as quantum entanglement and quantum superposition, play an essential role in the functioning of the brain and the emergence of consciousness. Specifically, it posits that microtubules within neurons act as quantum computers, performing operations beyond the capabilities of conventional computing. The core idea of the theory is that consciousness is not the result of neurochemical reactions in the brain but may have a quantum basis.
A few years ago, I read an influential book called Mind in Life by philosopher Evan Thompson, in which he develops the concept of Embodied Cognition. Thompson argues that cognition is not a process that occurs only in the brain, but is embodied in the whole body and pervasive in the interaction between the organism and its environment. This idea is the basis of the theory of ecological consciousness, which holds that consciousness is not limited to individual organisms, but is a property of entire ecosystems, and that organisms share a kind of "collective consciousness" with their environment.
During my study of contemporary Western theories of cosmic consciousness and the Islamic view of it, I found several important points of convergence:
Despite the important points of convergence, there are fundamental differences between Western theories and the Islamic vision:
Despite the differences, I see promising potential for integration and dialog between Western theories and the Islamic vision:
I would like to share with you how I viewed consciousness earlier in my journey with the study of cosmic consciousness. I started my research journey influenced by the materialist view of consciousness, which sees it as a product of neural interactions in the brain. But as I delved deeper into the study, I encountered questions for which I could not find convincing answers in a purely materialistic framework.
How does consciousness arise from matter? Why do we feel pain, joy, and love? How does our individual consciousness relate to the larger universe? Why do I dream? How does my brain produce a whole world of images, sounds and feelings during sleep? Why do dreams seem so real when they happen? Why do I remember my childhood as "me"?
These questions led me to search for answers in different philosophies, including the aforementioned contemporary Western theories and the Islamic vision of cosmic consciousness. To my surprise, I found a depth and comprehensiveness in the Islamic vision that I did not find in Western theories.
As part of my research into cosmic consciousness, I engaged in various meditative experiences, combining practices from contemporary Western theories with Islamic insights:
I found the combination of the two to be a rich and profound experience. Open awareness meditation helps to refine attention and calm the mind, which prepares the soul for deep Qur'anic reflection, which adds a spiritual and moral dimension to the experience.
During my research visits, I visited a lab that specializes in studying "plant intelligence." I was skeptical at first about the idea that plants have "intelligence," but what I saw amazed me. Researchers presented meticulous scientific experiments showing that plants respond to stimuli, communicate with each other, remember past experiences, and learn from them. I saw plants distinguish between relatives and others, and respond to sound and music.
Once again, I found myself confronted with an amazing convergence between modern scientific discoveries and Qur'anic references, such as the saying: 'And the star and the trees prostrate themselves' [Al-Rahman: 6].
I believe that the future holds promising opportunities for convergence between contemporary Western theories and the Islamic vision of cosmic consciousness, especially with the increasing scientific interest in this topic and the openness of some Western researchers to the spiritual and philosophical dimensions of consciousness. This openness represents an opportunity for Muslim thinkers to present the Islamic vision of cosmic consciousness and participate in the global scientific and philosophical dialog on this topic.
I see several promising areas for future research on the topic of cosmic consciousness, from a perspective that combines science, philosophy, and the Islamic vision:
In conclusion, I believe that the concept of cosmic consciousness represents a unique meeting point between science and faith, and between contemporary Western philosophy and the Islamic vision.
Contemporary Western theories, such as the theory of universal consciousness, integrated information theory, quantum mind theory, and ecological consciousness theory, are discovering - willingly or unwillingly - what the Qur'an pointed out fourteen centuries ago: That the entire universe is alive, conscious and swimming.
The Islamic view of cosmic consciousness, based on the Qur'an and the Sunnah, adds a spiritual, ethical and teleological dimension to these theories, making them more integrated and comprehensive. While modern science has created theories that explain "how" cosmic consciousness works, the Islamic vision tells us "why" this consciousness exists, and what its purpose and meaning are.
I conclude with a verse that, in my view, summarizes the essence of cosmic consciousness as presented by the Islamic vision:
In this verse, we find the answer to the "what" of cosmic consciousness (the praise of everything in the heavens and the earth), the "why" it exists (for praise and worship), and the "to whom" it is directed (to Allah, the Holy King, the Almighty, the Dear and Wise).
God knows best and is the wisest.