Day 3

"Philosophers since the Greeks have speculated about the 'ghost' in the machine, the 'little man inside the little man' and so on. Where is the I -- the entity that uses the brain? Who does the actual knowing? Or, as Saint Francis of Assisi once put it, 'What we are looking for is what is looking'". Karl Pribram10

The conversation occurs in Ahmed's house.

AHMED: Friends, maybe you're getting impatient but try to understand. If I didn't have good intentions would I come every day to every meeting to try to understand this subject? I want to learn the truth but as a person gets older, some things are a little more difficult.

MURAD: Don't say such a thing Ahmed. No one's getting impatient. Remember what we said yesterday - to understand something or not; to accept something or not is in your fate. And no one has the power to change this fate. So, because we know this, it's our responsibility to speak the truth, but you have the right to choose.

AISHA: Murad is right.

IBRAHIM: Murad, you've brought a book with you. What are we going to talk about today?

MURAD: This is the Qur'an. I quoted the examples I gave you before from the Qur'an by heart; this time I brought the Qur'an with me so that you could read for yourselves and see with your own eyes. Today, if you permit, let's talk about the difficult state of that person who lives without knowing the true nature of the material world, and about the reasons for his resistance to the truth.

AISHA: This will provide the answer to my questions at the same time.

IBRAHIM: I'm eager to hear what you're going to say.

MURAD: Now I'm going to read you a few verses from the Qur'an.As we talk about these verses, we'll review the whole subject we've covered for the past two days. If you have any reservations about anything we have talked about so far, now's the time to speak up.

IBRAHIM: I can't find anything to contradict what I've heard. I've learned about a reality that had been right in front of my eyes all along, and my whole worldview has become very different. As I think about this, I discover its ramifications for every aspect of life. Every moment of my life gained importance and meaning. I've begun to see everything as a miracle. But I also realize that I've got a lot more to learn.

AISHA: I already believed in God but there's a great difference between what I viewed as my faith and true faith in God.Seeing Him in every place, realizing His great being, power and His attributes. I only prayed when something happened to me or before an exam. In Ramadan, we fasted as a family, and sometimes when I thought about dying I'd be afraid.Now I understand that I must remember and think of God much more. Almost all the people in my circle live and think the way I used to. I want to learn about everything as quickly as possible and share it with my family and friends.

MURAD: Ahmed...

AHMED: I didn't want to bring this up, but now I will anyway.I have no more doubts but still, it's hard to apply what I learned to my daily life. I mean there's so many distractions that occupy and divert me in my daily life that I can't keep my mind on the subject.

MURAD: We'll deal with that a little later. But first, as I said earlier, there are countless verses in the Qur'an that address the fact that all power belongs to God, that He encompasses all things and that He's the only sovereign. I'll read some.First there's verse 255 of Surat al-Baqara:

God, there is no deity but Him, the Living, the Self-Sustaining. He is not subject to drowsiness or sleep. Everything in the heavens and the earth belongs to Him. Who can intercede with Him except by His permission?He knows what is before them and what is behind them but they cannot grasp any of His knowledge save what He wills. His Footstool encompasses the heavens and the earth and their preservation does not tire Him. He is the Most High, the Magnificent.

In this verse and other verses on this subject, the attributes of God are revealed and, as we considered yesterday, contrary to what people falsely believe, we see that God controls every occurrence at every moment, that He is everywhere at every time and that His being is absolute. On this subject we read in another verse, verse 115 of Surat al-Baqara, "Both East and West belong to God, so wherever you turn, the Face of God is there. God is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing."

'Clear insights have come to you from your Lord. Whoever sees clearly, does so to his own benefit. Whoever is blind, it is to his own detriment...' (Surat al-An'am: 104)

AISHA: I'm Muslim, but I never read the Qur'an.I had no idea this subject was so clearly stated in the Qur'an.

MURAD: In order to learn the truth, instead of reading the word of God in the Book He sent to guide humanity, people choose to go by what they hear from other people. This is a very flawed way to go about the search for knowledge and truth. Everyone is held accountable by the Qur'an and is responsible to read the Qu'ran, learn its verses and put them into practice. But I think you already understand the importance of this.

AHMED: I too, like Aisha, up to this point in my life, never once read the Qur'an despite ample opportunity.

MURAD: It's not too late to start now. There's no right age or time to learn the truth and turn from error. Though of course the sooner you start the better.

AHMED: You're right.

MURAD: God, Who created all things, has by means of the Qur'an and the apostles, clearly revealed what is true, beautiful and what is wrong and evil. Here, apart from the few verses I've read, the Qur'an contains advice to guide us in every aspect of our lives and to show us the right way. The greatest undertaking for human beings is to learn, understand and to try to apply the advice, commandments, prohibitions and the messages that come from our Creator. There's no excuse for not doing this. Otherwise, as it says in Surat an-Nur verse 39, "The actions of those who disbelieve are like a mirage in the desert. A thirsty man thinks it is water but when he reaches it, he finds it to be nothing at all, but he finds God there. He will pay him his account in full. God is swift at reckoning." Living an imaginary life without consciousness will likely lead to a sorry end.

If a person considers carefully what is being said here, he will discover for himself an amazing and extraordinary thing. That is, everything in the world is an illusion.

AHMED: Friends, I understand that it's pointless to hesitate any longer. In fact, I had predicted the outcome of our conversations during these three days.In what we've been talking about, I haven't been able to find a single error or point of contention. Finally I understand that my hesitation is self-deception. Yes, I must confess that I was afraid of the truth. Maybe you don't have too much to lose but I didn't want to lose in an instant what I have acquired over the years. This was nothing other than the illogical objection of one who feared that his property, children, family and job might be snatched from his hand in a single moment. But self-deception doesn't change the truth.

MURAD: Congratulations Ahmed. There aren't many people who react as you have. But I think there's one thing you misunderstand. You've lost nothing. On the contrary, you've gained a great deal because you understand that everything you have is a blessing from God. You understand that God is testing you in this world with these blessings and He's given them to you as a means by which you may attain paradise. Don't forget, someone who has learned that he merely experiences a copy of the world in his brain has nothing to lose. On the contrary, because he understands the true nature of reality, he's gained much. When a person grasps the fact that he relates to copy impressions and that everything is imprinted in him by God, and acts according to this knowledge, he values the things he owns according to their real worth. He doesn't forget that it's his Lord he has to make as his goal. Besides, since he knows everything is a blessing from God, he feels a much deeper pleasure in the things that have been given to him. He continually gives thanks for these blessings. At the same time, he knows everything is given to test him and that none of it belongs to him, and so he's not caught up in passion or ambition. So, since he lives a life according to the will of God, after death he'll begin to experience a much more wonderful life.

AHMED: I've never considered it from that view.

MURAD: In Surat al-An'am verse 70, we read this command of God: "Abandon those who have turned their religion into a game and a diversion and who have been deluded by the worldly life. Remind by it (the Qur'an) lest a person is delivered up to destruction for what he has earned with no protector or intercessor besides God. Were he to offer every kind of compensation, it would not be accepted from him. Such people are delivered up to destruction for what they have earned." It can be understood from this verse that those who are proud and conceited and take themselves to be gods, are stricken with a feeling of helplessness and weakness when they discover that they are merely a "shadow being" on image on a cinema screen. Those people whose minds are swayed by love of this world, are deeply disturbed when they realize everything they own is insubstantial.That the world, their children, their property, their wealth, their influential friends are all in the hands of God. In this situation, there are two choices - either they turn to God and their passion for the material world comes to an end, or the contrary, they try to forget the truth and embrace the world even more strongly. But, because they know they are deceiving themselves, they are always uncomfortable and lead an anxious, tense and tormented life.

AHMED: I'm choosing the right path, Murad. Of course, I understand that there's no use in running from the truth. And what you said has strengthened my resolve even more.

MURAD: You appear really to have chosen the right path. What is beautiful is what is true.

AISHA: Murad, as far as I know, there are many people who either don't understand that the impression they see is seen in the brain or feign ignorance of the fact. These people are respected writers, scientists, and professors. Particularly those who fully understand the technical aspects of the subject refuse to explore it or else they pretend that they don't know a thing about it. For example, are those who have expertise in the fields of medicine and biology not familiar with the subject?

MURAD: Actually, Ahmed answered this a while ago. Certainly, a number of people know about the subject in one way or another. If this subject were limited to the fact that we have direct experience only of copies in our minds, not of their originals, you can be sure that no one would have any difficulty accepting it. But everyone who concedes that he has no connection with an external world and that everything is an impression in the brain, realizes too that there's another step he must take whether he likes it not.He must then admit that God has created these impressions. A person who has founded his whole life on material things and desires, tends to pretend he knows nothing about the subject because even the mention of these realities will remind him of the existence of God, of the day of reckoning, of paradise and of hell. If that person is a consciously aware human being, he'll reorder his life according to the truth. However, when some people are exposed to the truth, they're overcome by panic.They become afraid and anxious and finally choose to deceive themselves. As Ahmed said, they think they can protect themselves from the truth by forgetting about it or closing their eyes to it. Surat ar-Rum comments on the state of those people who are incapable of grasping the truth:

They know an outward aspect of the life of this world but are heedless of the hereafter. (Surat ar-Rum: 7)

AHMED: I know from my own experience that people become slaves of their passions. I mean, you may be aware of some things, but it's a bit strange at first to consider that you have no ownership of those things you thought of as your property and that everything is under the control of God Who created you. Moreover, when you think of yourself as being a very influential, intelligent, successful businessman with a good social position, "your head is in the clouds"; and when you say to such a person, "Everything you experience is in your mind - your money, your factories, your workers, your secretaries, your property, your, house, your car - and you have no relation with the reality of any of it", you're assaulting his ambitions.

MURAD: Just as it is said in the verse: "To mankind the love of worldly appetites is painted in glowing colours: women and children, and heaped-up mounds of gold and silver, and horses with fine markings, and livestock and fertile farmland. All that is merely the enjoyment of the life of this world. The best homecoming is in the presence of God." (Surah Al 'Imran: 14)

AHMED: Yes, exactly as it says in that verse.

MURAD: When it talks about Satan in the Qur'an, it says that the first thing that seduced him and caused him to rebel was his love of matter and his ambition to be an absolute being. This same satanic passion wants to bind a person to the world with great ambition. To be a "shadow being " is a reality that the conceited and the proud could never accept. This is an indisputable fact and as you go through life, you come to see it clearly. But in spite of this, worldly ambition and the possibility of losing their material things prevents some people from adopting this obvious way of thinking. In the Qur'an, Satan's conceit and lust are given particular emphasis. Here, I read:

... They prostrated - except for Diabolis. He was not among those who prostrated. He (God) said, 'What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you to?' He (Diabolis) replied, 'I am better than him. You created me from fire and You created him from clay.' (Surat al-A'raf: 11-12)

AISHA: Murad, thank you so much for your patience in explaining this important truth to us. I thought a lot about our subject and I don't want any details left out. By God's Grace, today I have no more question marks in my mind.Everything is clear.

MURAD: Really, it's I who thank you for this opportunity. But don't be too hasty, Aisha.I still have a few things I want to say. If you like, let's watch television. A few more points relevant to the subject might come up.

IBRAHIM:Look, my favourite show is on. I was just thinking: What if someone went and told the truth to the host?That the viewers, this audience who admire him to the high heavens are all just in his mind. The applause, the countless reporters who run after him, his property and his family are also just impressions existing in his mind. That, in fact, at this moment he lives is in God's sight and that the intelligence that everyone praises in him is not his own; how would he react?

AISHA: He probably wouldn't be too pleased. Look, on this channel there's an open panel discussion on the economy. I don't know how you'd tell them that the whole economy money, banks, inflation, customers, is all an impression. If you went to them and said, "These things are in your mind. Leave these ambitions behind. Seek only God's approval and draw near to Him", they'd get angry like a child you took a toy away from.

MURAD: Yes, you're right, Aisha. The biggest mistake these people make is to forget the truth and to become attached to the world because of ambition. If people submit to God, put their trust in Him and stop running away from the truth, then they'll be happy, live in comfort and security. God always shows the right way to those who turn to Him. In times of difficulties, He provides the best solutions for them. I want to read a verse to you on this subject:

...Whoever fears God - He will give him a way out and provide for him from where he does not expect. Whoever puts his trust in God - He will be enough for him. God always achieves His aim... (Surat at-Talaq: 2-3)

AISHA: This is an important truth. If those people we see on television left their worldly ambitions and turned to God, they'd be rescued from the difficult situation they find themselves in.

MURAD: Yes, Aisha. Besides, as you said a bit earlier, if those people who act as if the things they can never have direct experience of really belonged to them realized the state they were in, they would be in a much worse situation. It's impossible to describe the regret and the humiliation felt by a person who finally comes to realize that he has spent his life running after a phantom. Look how the state of such a person is described in Surat al-Kahf:

Say: 'Shall I inform you of the greatest losers in their actions?Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life, while they thought that they suppose that they are doing good.' (Surat al-Kahf: 103-104)

AHMED: I now understand that I must review my whole life and submit to God.

AISHA: I'll never be the same either after what I have learned. As Murad said, I'm beginning a new life. I'll spend my life with these things in mind. Because there's no power other than God, I'll begin to learn about Him, to draw close to Him and act according to His will. Of course, to do this I'll buy a Qu'ran right away and learn what God's will is for me.

IBRAHIM: We all have the same idea. In these three days, my whole world and plans have all changed. Since I'm teaching at the university, I feel a particularly big responsibility. It's become an important matter of conscience for me to deepen what I've learned and to explain it to those who don't know about it.

MURAD: Friends, remember that in the past three days we've spoken about some very important truths. It may appear that it was I who was explaining these truths to you. But actually, I was also listening with you. No one has the ability to talk or to think on his own. We speak and think those things that God has fixed in our fate. In these conversations God has spoken and reminded us of His own power.In the light of this, we must all ask His help and pray, as the Prophet Solomon (Peace be upon him)said, ' Keep me acting rightly, pleasing You, and admit me, by Your mercy, among Your honorable servants.' (Surat an-Naml: 19)

CONCLUSION

It is of the utmost importance to understand correctly the secret beyond matter explained in this book. Mountains, plains, flowers, people, seas - briefly everything we see and everything that God informs us in the Qur'an that exists and that He created out of nothing is created and does indeed exist. However, people cannot see, feel or hear the real nature of these beings through their sense organs. What they see and feel are only their copies that appear in their brains. This is a scientific fact taught at all schools of medicine. The same applies to the book you are reading now; you can not see nor touch the real nature of it. The light coming from the original book is converted by some cells in your eyes into electrical signals, which are then conveyed to the sight center in the back of your brain. This is where the view of this book is created. In other words, you are not reading a book which is before your eyes through your eyes; in fact, this book is created in the sight center in the back of your brain. The book you are reading right now is a "copy of the book" within your brain. The original book is seen by God.

It should be remembered that the fact that matter is an illusion formed in our brains does not "reject" matter, but provides us information about the real nature of matter: that no person can have connection with its original. Moreover, the matter outside is seen not just by us, but by other beings too. The angels God delegated to be watchers witness this world as well:

And the two recording angels are recording, sitting on the right and on the left. He does not utter a single word, without a watcher by him, pen in hand! (Surah Qaf: 17-18)

Most importantly, God sees everything. He created this world with all its details and sees it in all its states. As He informs us in the Qur'an:

. Heed God and know that God sees what you do. (Surat al-Baqara: 233) Say: "God is a sufficient witness between me and you. He is certainly aware of and sees His servants." (Surat al-Isra': 96)

It must not be forgotten that God keeps the records of everything in the book called Lawh Mahfuz (Preserved Tablet). Even if we don't see all things, they are in the Lawh Mahfuz. God reveals that He keeps everything's record in the "Mother of the Book" called Lawh Mahfuz with the following verses:

It is in the Source Book with Us, high-exalted, full of wisdom. (Surat az-Zukhruf: 4) . We possess an all-preserving Book. (Surah Qaf: 4) Certainly there is no hidden thing in either heaven or Earth which is not in a Clear Book. (Surat an-Naml: 75)