DÖRDÜNCÜ FASIL · Dördüncü Madde
Fourth Article
It describes the five inner senses (havâss-ı hamse-i bâtıne) of the animal soul as they serve within the human body.
O esteemed one! Know that anatomists have said: Of the five inner senses residing in the three cavities of the brain, one is the common sense (hiss-i müşterek), one is imagination (hayal), one is reflective thought (mütefekkire), one is intuition (vâhime), and one is memory (hâfıza).
The Common Sense (hiss-i müşterek): It is the first servant. This name has been given to it for two reasons. The first reason is that it observes, as a single entity, the image of something perceived and understood by both eyes. For if there were a defect between one’s eye and their common sense, that person would be cross-eyed and see things double. The second reason is that the common sense resides in a middle ground, between external senses and inner senses; so that objects apprehended through external senses first reach the common sense, like rivers flowing into a sea, before reaching the inner senses. [139/a]
Thoughts arriving at the heart first pass through the brain, then through the senses, and reach the common sense, as if springs and streams flow into it, from which they then reach the external senses. Therefore, this faculty is called the common sense. The function of the common sense is known to be that of a translator. It is understood that other faculties are incapable of understanding it. As explained above, its location and center of operation is in the front portion of the first cavity of the brain’s three cavities.
The Imagination (hayal kuvveti): Its function and art consist of this: when something is perceived through external senses—for example, if one sees a person once—even if that person is not present later, the imagination can perceive them. Or, if someone views a city and then travels elsewhere, they can still perceive it as if seeing it with their eyes, even though they did not see it directly. This is because the work of imagination is to grasp meanings through envisioning. In truth, imagination is like a scribe whose task is to extract meaning from form. For meaning does not arise or reach someone unless a word is expressed; but a scribe can convey a meaning that is formless and silent to another. Similarly, imagination can show other faculties things that are not presently in form. Thus, the perception of meanings has become specific to the imagination faculty, for which other faculties are incapable. The location and center of operation of the imagination faculty is in the rear portion of the brain’s first cavity, behind and adjacent to the common sense.
The Reflective Thought (mütefekkire): If this faculty serves the speaking power inherent in humans and utilizes it to their benefit, then that faculty is called mütefekkire and müfekkire, mutasarrıfa, and zâkire. If the animal intuition (vâhime) faculty uses it, this faculty moves for its work; then it is called imagination (mütehayyile). The function of the reflective thought faculty is to see and read everything that has been written in the memory faculty, from external and internal senses. The difference between this third faculty and the first two is that one accepts and gathers what comes to them through sensory organs, while the other preserves what is gathered. But this third faculty, besides using the images within the second faculty, can also produce impossible things (muhâl) that are consistent with and inconsistent with those images. Therefore, the reflective thought faculty appears as an instrument to the intuition faculty. Such perception is specific to this reflective thought faculty for which other faculties are incapable. The location and center of operation of the reflective thought faculty is in the front portion of the brain’s middle cavity.
Intuition and Delusion (vâhime): Its function and art consist of showing the soul what it sees and does not see, truth and falsehood. It perceives meanings that exist and do not exist in the phenomenal world. This intuition faculty can imagine a hundred thousand suns. Yet, there is no more than one sun in the universe as we know it. Or, it can imagine a hundred thousand seas of quicksilver. Yet, even one cannot be found. Or, it can imagine millions of mountains and hills of gold and silver and other gems. Yet, not one of these exists in the world.
The intellect of animals other than humans (hayvân-ı gayrı nâtık) is only through this intuition faculty, by which a lamb recognizes its mother among thousands of sheep resembling it in a flock. Likewise, through this faculty, they sense the friendship of a shepherd and the hostility of a wolf. Thus, in animals, this intuition faculty occupies the place of intellect that is specific to humans. For just as friendship and animosity cannot be perceived by the senses but are understood by reason, so too does the lamb know it through the judgment given by the intuition faculty. Humans also follow some of the dictates of this faculty and act like animals. Because the imagination uses the intuition faculty and goes astray from truth, following many different paths contrary to the original nature of things. It invents countless false dreams that are considered empty, meaningless, and impossible by intelligent humans. And according to transmitted rulings (dîni hükümler), they are false and heretical. Therefore, the intuition faculty is called "the devil of the body." For all the faculties of the body move under the command of human reason. However, the intuition faculty does not obey it and does not submit to its command. Just as all the angels prostrated themselves before Adam (peace be upon him), Iblis did not prostrate himself.
The Most Noble Prophet (sallallâhu aleyhi vesellem) said: “Every child is born with Satan present alongside him in his mother’s womb.” This is an allusion to the intuition faculty. For the intuition faculty, like a false imagination, [139/b]
The body became a city, and the soul its sovereign.
The heart is the throne of heaven and the brain's dominion.
Imagination is the scribe, and memory the register;
The sciences of reason are depicted within that register.
Reason and the bestial soul are like a brigand,
Like a demon of illusion, love becomes an executioner.