ISLAMIC SCHOLARS' VIEWS OF THE "TRUTH
OF THE MATTER"

     The true nature of the material world, what we call "the universe," has been the subject of debate for centuries. Assuming matter to be the only absolute thing that exists, materialists denied the existence of God. Those who grasped that matter is an illusion, having no existence, on the other hand, understood the oneness and existence of God.

     In this site, this issue is widely discussed and the following fact is maintained: What we call matter is actually only a perception in our minds. This is a truth proven with scientific evidence. Because matter is only a perception, it is obvious that it is continuously created by God. God's creation is on the level of the senses and perceptions. He is the only absolute being. The universe is but a shadow existence, consisting of what is manifested by God.

     Explaining this fact in the light of the evidences places materialists, who idolize matter, into great panic and fear. The strong reactions to this idea from materialist circles clearly reveal this. These reactions are quite natural, because this fact is truly disappointing and crushing for those who believe in matter and thus deny the existence of God.

     However, it is amazing that in recent times some Muslims have also raised objections to this matter. Some people, as a result of misunderstandings or misconceptions, deny that matter is an illusion and even advocate that the very idea conflicts with Islam. Here, these misunderstandings will be answered and it will be explained that some great Islamic scholars in history have actually agreed that matter is an illusion.

     Explanations by Imam Rabbani

     What is really explained by saying, "Matter is an illusion" is that the only absolute being is God. Grasping this fact is very important in terms of having true faith in God. For this reason, many Islamic scholars in history have also drawn attention to this fact and stressed that all the material world was created on the level of senses and perceptions.

     The most important of those Islamic scholars who explained the true nature of matter was Imam Rabbani, who has been widely respected in the Islamic world for hundreds of years and is seen as "the greatest reformer of the 10th century according to the Muslim calendar." In his book Letters, Imam Rabbani provides a detailed commentary on this very subject. In one of his letters, Imam Rabbani says that God created the entire universe at the level of perception:

     … The Glorious God assigned an appearance from all appearances for names from all names in the sphere of non-existence with his Perfect Might. And He created it at the sphere of sensations and perceptions. At the time He willed and in the way He willed … The constancy of the world is not at the exterior level but at the level of sensations and perceptions … Even in the exterior level, there is nothing permanent and existing other than the being and attributes of Almighty God...1

      In another letter, Imam Rabbani once again stresses that all that exists is created only at the level of senses and perceptions:

I have used the following sentence above, "God's creation is at the level of senses and perceptions." This means "God's creation is at such a level that at that level, there is no permanency or existence of objects apart from senses and perceptions.2

      On close examination, Imam Rabbani is careful to emphasize that the world we see, in other words all that exists, has been created on the level of perception. All that exists outside this level of perception is the Existence of God. Actually, this concept of "outside" is a hypothetical one, because a perception has no body, and no volume. Imam Rabbani explains that things (in other words, matter) have no existence on the outside:

     Nothing but God exists on the outside… Perhaps all of Almighty God's creation finds constancy on the level of perception… In the same way that matter has no existence in the outside world, it appears on the outside in a colorless form… If it does have a fixed appearance, that is again only on the perceptual level. It only has permanency thanks to God's artistry on that one level. In short, it only has permanency and appearance on one level. It does not have existence on one plane and appearance on another… It contains no sign on the outside that might allow it to be seen there…3

     Explanations by Muhyiddin Ibn al-'Arabi

     The great Islamic scholar Muhyiddin Ibn al-'Arabi also believed that the only thing that has definitive existence is God, Who has created the whole universe only on the perceptual level. He is known as "The Greatest Master" (Shaykh al-Akbar) on account of the depth of his knowledge, and in his work The Essence of Wisdom (Fusûs al-Hikam), he reveals that the universe is but a shadow existence consisting of what is manifested by God:

     I say that you must know that apart from God, all that exists, or everything in the universe, stands in the same relation to God as a shadow to a man. That being the case, everything apart from God is but His shadow… There is no doubt that the shadow exists in perception. 4

     As I have explained to you, the world is a concept. It has no real existence. That is what illusion means. You have thought to yourselves that the world is something that intrinsically exists, that its existence depends on itself, and that it exists independent of God. However, that is not the case. Do you not see that the shadow derives from its owner, and since it is connected to him it is seemingly impossible separate it from its owner?… This being so, you must know that you are but a dream. All that you perceive, and all that which you say is "separate from the Lord" or "is not me" is also but a dream. All that exists does so within a dream. God is the only One to possess true existence in its very essence.5

     The Prophet Muhammad said that "people are asleep and wake up when they die." This is to say that the objects seen in the world when alive are similar to those seen when asleep while dreaming, meaning that they exist in the imagination.6

     The Perversion of Philosophers

     These explanations regarding the fact that the matter is illusion are misunderstood by some people and likened to the views of some ancient Greek philosophers or some other disbelieving philosophers. Indeed, there have been philosophers who said matter is illusion, yet these people went astray since they failed to grasp that this illusion was created by God. For instance, ancient Greek sophists said, "Matter is a perception we have created ourselves." This view is rationally and scientifically flawed, and departs from true religion. As stressed from the very beginning, the truth is that matter is a perception created by God

     It is a grave error to confuse this false view of those philosophers with the explanation given here by Islamic scholars that "matter is a perception created by God." In fact, Imam Rabbani mentions those philosophers who depart from the truth when discussing the subject of matter. He stresses that what he says is very different to their twisted views. He says the following in his Letters:

     When I refer to the world as "imaginary," I do not mean that it is made and shaped by the imagination … Of course, what it really means is that God has created the world on the perceptual level … An imaginary thing has no true appearance or body … This can be likened to a circle created by moving around a fixed point very rapidly. It also has an appearance, but not a body…

     On the other hand, philosophers who are comprise a group of lunatics actually talk about something else. What they mean is that the world is the work of imagination and it is shaped by the imagination. There is a great difference between the two.7

     Having a Grasp of the Truth of the Matter is Essential

     As we have seen, the fact that matter is only an illusion is a very important fact also stated by Islamic scholars. Yet throughout history, this issue has never been accessible to the masses; only a limited number of people knew about it. In this century, this fact has now become explicable, thanks to the evidence science has provided. The fact that the material world is one of perceptions is, for the first time in history, being clearly and comprehensibly explained. For this reason, everyone must seriously consider the matter. Muslims in particular must attach vital importance to it, because comprehending the true facts about matter is important for attaining true faith in God. Otherwise people will assume matter to be the absolute truth, which will help the development of materialist philosophies that deny God or perverted faiths.

     Materialists say, "Matter is all that exists, and there is no God". We, on the other hand, say, "The only absolute being is God; matter is only a perception created by Him." Since material things are perceptions, they have no power whatsoever. All power belongs to God, Who creates matter at every moment. That is the true meaning of "La Ilaha Illallah", the basis of Islam, which means "there is no deity other than God". There is no deity other than God. And in fact, there is nothing other than God. There is only God and His manifestations. Everything we see around are but His manifestations.

     Having a grasp of the true facts about matter is important because it will help people to comprehend this inner meaning. The fact that having a grasp of this fact is an attribute peculiar to people of profound faith and wisdom is stated in a verse:

     God bears witness that there is no deity but Him, as do the angels and the people of knowledge, upholding justice. There is no deity but Him, the Almighty, the All-Wise. (Koran, 3:18)

1- Imam Rabbani, Letters of Rabbani, Vol II, 470. Letter, p. 517-518
2- Imam Rabbani, Letters of Rabbani, Vol II, 357. Letter, p. 163
3- Imam Rabbani, Letters of Rabbani, Vol II, 470. Letter, p. 519
4- Muhyiddin Ibn al-'Arabi, Fusus al-Hikam, p. 117-18
5- Muhyiddin Ibn al-'Arabi, Fusus al-Hikam, p. 120-22
6- Muhyiddin Ibn al-'Arabi, Fusus al-Hikam, p. 220
7- Imam Rabbani, Letters of Rabbani, Vol II, 480. Letter, p. 543, 545

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