Most animals cannot recognize their reflection in a mirror. They can see the glass, they can see the image, but they don’t understand it, or rather cannot interpret what they’re seeing. It’s as if the image doesn’t reach their sense of self – assuming they have one. 

Most humans – except for those with rare neurological disorders – can see both the glass and recognize the image as our own. In fact, that’s the focus of all our attention to the exclusion of the glass itself. I would  argue that we are created in such a way to be more attentive to any image reflected in the mirror than the glass itself. It is one of our most defining and innate endowments to be able to perform second level thinking of this kind. 

Looking at the mirror to see only the glass is like looking in the creation to see only world, and not the reflection of the Creator’s attributes. This is the difference between a scientific method and a shuhudi method. First order and second order reflection. A scientific method principled on naturalism and materialism observes the world for the sake of the world, while the shuhudi method observes it for the sake of knowing its Owner. We can’t take the human propensity for asking innate questions out of our equation.

Scientism asks that we remove ourselves from the system to be able to observe “objectively” – as if we were gods above the world looking over our dominion to judge it, not intimately and irreversibly tied to it. Scientism looks for answers with no concern of meaning or purpose failing to see the most primordial needs of every human; needs which do not originate in this world, but are given to each and everyone of us. Without purpose and meaning we fall ill, depressed, neurotic, panicked, or worse. Scientism asks that we not care about the observer’s state or well-being. 

From the moment of a person’s creation, he is created in a state of need. Recognizing this perpetual state of need is fundamental to Iman, but wholly insignificant to scientism. A shuhudi method acknowledges the centrality of mankind and his need for not only knowing his purpose, but the need to fulfill it¹. That purpose is to recognize his Lord in His creation², just as the purpose of the mirror is to recognize what is reflected in it. The scientific method – while efficient in achieving its purpose – is rudimentary at best for mankind. Like animals looking at the mirror. Like pointing at the moon but they’re looking at your finger. The moon is likewise pointing to something other than itself, because it – like all of creation – is an ayah that points to something truly meaningful and  significant beyond itself. This is the second critical concept in the shuhudi method: that what is observed points to something of a second order. It points to the Rububiya or Lordship over that thing. Recognizing the ayat in the creation, we can fulfill our need of recognizing and knowing our Lord. 

The challenge of seeing ayat before the materiality of anything is the same for every human being. It is our fitra to see all things as miraculous signs reflecting the Face of Allah, and it is the role of prophets to help remind us how to do this. The last critical step of the shuhudi method is acknowledging we are created to desire eternal life and that the One who gave us this primordial need for eternal life certainly would not neglect it while fulfilling our secondary needs.

Surah al-Duha³ describes this shuhudi method very succinctly. Allah first calls our attention to the testimony of the morning light and the night as it becomes silently still. As if to acknowledge how this silence would fill mankind with fear of abandonment, Allah immediately explains this is not the case – your Lord has not forsaken you, nor is He showing contempt for you, His most beloved creation. In fact, the life to come is certainly made better for you than the first. And your Lord will certainly fulfill all your needs so that you’ll be pleased. 

Then Allah asks you to center your relationship with Him: didn’t He find you with nothing and gave you this world? And He found you directionless with no purpose and guided you to Him through ayat in the creation, and He found you in need and satisfied those needs. Understand that He created you to need Him so that you can know Him. Mankind’s state of need is perhaps the greatest gift, because it is our direct and unmediated path to recognizing His Attributes reflected in His creation. 

Allah then reminds: Do not oppress those in need, or you’ll obstruct their witnessing of His ayat.  And do not chastise the beggar, because his Lord created him in need so that he may recognize Him. And tell others about the Grace your Lord bestows on His creation⁴.

Following the guidance of this surah and applying its wisdom, I believe, prepares the mu’min for  witnessing and recognizing the face of His Lord in the creation.