We have already stated: Allah the Exalted has created the human race, by its essential nature, to think, and has given the human being the capacity to obtain knowledge through the power of his intellect. In this way, the human being is distinguished from all. There is no problem for us to explain the sources of this distinction with regards to the knowledge will study, in order to define exactly what knowledge is and to explain its relationship to logic. And so we say

1) The moment a human being is born, his soul is free from every thought and actual knowledge, except for his inherent capacity [for thought]. When he develops and awakens, he looks, hears, tastes, smells, and touches, and we see him sensing everything that is around him, effecting him in the relevant way. His soul responds to these things, and we see that his previously empty-soul becomes occupied with something entirely new, that which we call knowledge. It is a sensual knowledge, nothing different than the soul's five-fold sense-perception of things (the five senses being sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch). This is the first stage of knowledge, and the starting capital for all sciences possessed by the human race. All other animals share this capacity, at least those that possess some or all of these senses.

2) After this, the faculties of the child begin to develop, and his mind begins to work on the forms of sense-perceptions preserved in his mind. He begins to relate these images to each other: this thing longer than that thing, this light is brighter than that light, and so forth. Some of these images are synthesized along with other thoughts, in compositions that have no existence in the outside world. For example, he may synthesize various images about things which he has not seen, but has heard about, and so imagines a town which he has never seen, synthesized from already-known mental images of the towns he has actually witnessed. This knowledge is called imaginary knowledge [ilm khyāli], and it is achieved by human beings through the faculty of imagination [khayal]. But in this regard, man is still on the same level as some animals.

3) Then, the child's perceptions begin to widen, extending beyond sense-perceptions. He will grasp partial meanings that have no matter or measure such as love for ones parents, or enmity towards those that make him angry, or the fear of frightened people, the sadness of the bereaved, or the joy of the happy. This knowledge we can term estimative knowledge [ilm wahmi), something (like other animals) achieves through the faculty of estimation [waâm). It is through this power that the human being becomes distinguished from the animal, only has the power of estimation to grasp things, doing what it can with this faculty, with limited ability.

4) After this, man uniquely surpasses the animals by means of the faculty of intellect [agl] and thinking, for which there is no limit. He will carry on in this way, by the guidance of his five senses, the imagination, and the faculty of estimation. He will become able to distinguish between what is correct and what is incorrect, and to derive universal meanings from particulars, and to comprehend these meanings. He is able to compare them with each other, and arrive at new knowledge. He can infer and make judgments, and do whatever his reason and thinking wills. This is knowledge [ilm]. The knowledge, which is achieved by the human being via this faculty, is complete knowledge, and it is what makes a human being a human being. In order for a person to develop and perfect this faculty, sciences have been established and arts created, and through which the various classes of humanity become distinguished, and through which human beings differ from one and other. The knowledge of logic has been established in order to organize the functioning of this rational faculty, for fear that it might be influenced by the [lower] functions of imagination or estimation, and by deviating from its straight path.

Definition of Knowledge

You may ask: what is the means by which the human being obtains these perceptions? We have already helped clarify the answer to this question through what has been discussed concerning the perceptions of certain things. To clarify things further, we would ask you to look at whatever is right in front of you at the this moment, and then to close your eye and turn your soul towards that thing. You will find that it is as if you have not closed your eyes and continue to look at whatever is in front of you. The same is true, for example, if you listen to the ticking of your clock, and then cover up your ears and cast your soul's hearing towards that thing. You will sense something in your soul, as if you had not covered up your hearing. The same applies for every sense. If you test things like this and analyze them carefully, it will be easy for you to know that both perceptions and knowledge are nothing but the imprinting [ințiba] of images within your soul. You will also know and that there is no difference between any of your perceptions on any of their levels. It is just like the imprinting of an image in a mirror. For this reason, knowledge is defined as: "The presence of something's image in the intellect."