Page 34 - Quick Grasp of Faith 1

32 QUICK GRASP OF FAITH - 1

an imaginary arm, an imaginary eye, and an imaginary brain.
If during our dream, we were asked, “Where do you see?” we
would answer “I see in my brain.” Yet, actually, there is not
any brain to talk about, but an imaginary head and an imagi-
nary brain. The seer of the images is not the imaginary brain
in the dream, but a “being” that is far “beyond” it.

28. Who or what is the perceiver?

So far, people have believed that what does the perceiv-
ing is the brain. When we analyse the brain, however, we see
that there is nothing in it but lipid and protein molecules,
which also exist in other living organisms. This means that
within the piece of meat we call the “brain,” there is nothing
there to observe images, to constitute consciousness, or to
create the being we call “myself.”
It is clear that the being that sees, hears, and feels is
supra-material in nature. This being is “alive” and it is neither
matter nor an image of matter. This being associates with the
perceptions in front of it by using the image of our body.
This being is the “soul.” In the Qur’an Allah states:
They will ask you about the Spirit. Say: ‘The Spirit is my
Lord’s concern. You have only been given a little knowl-
edge.’ (Surat al-Isra’: 85)

29. Since the material world we have
experience of is actually perceptions seen
by our soul, then what is the source of
these perceptions?

The reality that should be noted when answering this