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The Essence of Insigh
Before we clarify the true essence of insight, we must return to terms closely related to it, namely revelation and the heart (fu’ad). Let's start with revelation. As we mentioned in previous broadcasts and clarified in articles, revelation is a divine process of education and encoding.
Refer to the following articles:
Revelation consists of symbols that God casts upon humans, through which they learn God's signs and understand their symbolism and purpose. Revelation is a twofold process: first, the ability to comprehend the symbol, and second, the reassembly of this symbol into words.
The Heart as the Sense Aggregator:
The heart (fu’ad) is often mentioned in the Quran alongside the senses of hearing and sight. This is because sensory input from the external world is transferred to the heart, making the heart the aggregator of the senses. Evidence for this is found in the verse:
“And the heart of Moses' mother became empty. She was about to disclose him had We not strengthened her heart so that she would be of the believers. And she said to his sister, 'Follow him'; and she watched him from a distance while they perceived not." (Al-Qasas 28:10-11)
The verse explains that when Moses was no longer within the range of her senses (hearing and sight), his mother’s heart became empty. She was on the verge of revealing that he was her son, but God strengthened her heart with revelation (inspiration), reinforcing her faith. All of this occurred outside of her sensory perception, for if it had been within her senses, her heart would not have been empty.
Thus, insight is a process of receiving divine symbols, or divine revelation, contemplating and understanding them, and following them to reach faith. The reason for Moses’ mother receiving revelation was her faith in God and His promise to return her son, as stated in the verse:
“And We inspired to the mother of Moses, ‘Suckle him, but when you fear for him, cast him into the river and do not fear nor grieve. Indeed, We will return him to you and will make him one of the messengers.’” (Al-Qasas 28:7)
True Insight:
Insight is different from physical sight. The former is connected to the heart and faith, while the latter pertains to the eyes, senses, and material objects. This distinction shows the difference between true and false insight. True insight is beyond the realm of sensory perception, as it receives revelation, which consists of abstract symbols guiding us toward the source. The perfect understanding of the symbol lies in uniting its form with its meaning. Any understanding that leads to the unification of all symbols into a single faith in the divinity of the One is the pinnacle of insight. False insight, on the other hand, is concerned with form and material, not with meaning and abstraction.
False Insight in the Story of Moses and the Samaritan:
An example of false insight is the insight of the Samaritan. The verses explain this:
“He said, ‘I perceived what they did not perceive, so I took a handful [of dust] from the track of the messenger and threw it, and thus my soul enticed me to do it.’ [Moses] said, ‘Then go, for indeed, it is [decreed] for you in [this] life to say, “No contact.” And indeed, you have an appointment [in the Hereafter] you will not fail to keep. And look at your god to which you remained devoted. We will surely burn it and blow it into the sea with a blast.’” (Taha 20:96-97)
As we know, the story of Moses is filled with symbols and signs for reflection and contemplation, aiming to uncover the hidden secret. This secret is spiritual, not physical or material, and to access it, we must rid ourselves of material burdens. The Samaritan believed he understood Moses and took his trace as a path. However, in reality, he did not grasp the meaning but was captivated by form and matter. He wanted to materialize Moses’ trace into a calf that had a hollow sound, a form devoid of meaning and essence. The people of Moses followed him because, from the beginning, they struggled with understanding symbols and leaned toward forms and materialization. They had been fascinated by the idols they passed by and desired to take them as gods, and the Samaritan followed suit.
The Tendency to Materialize God and Falling into Atheism:
Even Moses, despite his great ability to comprehend symbols, fell into haste regarding the calf. He said:
“And when Moses arrived at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said, ‘My Lord, show me [Yourself] that I may look at You.’ [Allah] said, ‘You will not see Me, but look at the mountain; if it should remain in place, then you will see Me.’ But when his Lord appeared to the mountain, He rendered it level, and Moses fell unconscious. And when he awoke, he said, ‘Exalted are You! I have repented to You, and I am the first of the believers.’” (Al-A’raf 7:143)
Despite his faith, Moses wanted to see God, which is impossible unless the mountain remains in place. This symbolizes death (as mentioned in the article on the mountain and the bird, where the mountain represents the body). This vision can only occur when one departs from this physical, material world into the absolute, abstract realm, which happens upon death. God demonstrated this to Moses and guided him. Thus, one cannot see or speak to God without revelation, a symbol, or a veil, as this world cannot contain Him. This world is for pursuing symbols and remembering, not for revelation and clarification, which is why many fall into atheism.
The Difference Between Divine Revelation and Satanic Inspiration:
There is revelation and there is inspiration. Revelation, as we have explained, has a fixed origin, clear causes, and real branches and results. It consists of real, symbolized, known, and encoded ideas. An example of revelation is the verse:
“Have you not considered how Allah presents an example: A good word is like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed, and its branches [high] in the sky.” (Ibrahim 14:24)
Inspiration, on the other hand, consists of delusional ideas without any real origin or justified meaning. It is often caused by communication with jinn companions, believing them to be spirits. What is inspired to them is merely delusion, suggested by devilish companions seeking to manifest themselves. This is the root of the eternal dispute between Adam and Satan