Unconventional Duha Research Unitary

When I first encountered the concept of the neuroscience of intention, it struck me profoundly: SubḥānAllāh, how the beauty of Islam has always contained within it what modern neuroscience is only now discovering.

The study of the brain through techniques such as fMRI — even when examining the so-called “Buddha’s brain” — reveals dimensions of mindfulness and meditation that, in essence, have long existed within the spiritual practices of Islam.

For students like myself, the quest to explore the psyche — the inner self — through the lens of neuroscience is both fascinating and deeply meaningful. Yet, it must be understood that such exploration, when guided by tawḥīd (the Oneness of Allah), becomes not merely a scientific pursuit, but an act of witnessing (shuhūd) the signs of Allah within the human self:

“We shall show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that this is the Truth.”
Qur’an 41:53⁠

The Neuroaxis and the Islamic

Concept of Intention
According to The Practical Neuroscience of Buddha’s Brain (pp. 313–315), intention is supported by four main levels of the neuroaxis:

Brainstem
Diencephalon
Limbic System
Cortex

In essence, these structures represent the vertical hierarchy of the nervous system — from instinctive to reflective. The deeper (or lower) the level, the faster and more automatic the response; the higher the level, the more deliberate and contemplative the act.

In neuroscience, a well-aligned intention harmonizes across all four levels of the neuroaxis — from instinct to cognition — producing actions that are both conscious and coherent. The cortex, being the most evolutionarily recent, enables human beings to consider the future, to plan, and to align immediate desires with higher values.

The longer the view, the wiser the intention.
“Actions Are by Intentions” — The Prophetic Neuroaxis
Centuries before the language of neuroscience existed, the Prophet ﷺ articulated a principle that forms the moral and spiritual axis of human behavior:

“Surely, all actions are but driven by intentions, and verily every person shall have but that which he intended. Thus, he whose migration was for Allah and His Messenger, then his migration was for Allah and His Messenger. But he whose migration was for worldly benefit or to marry a woman, then his migration was for that for which he migrated.”
(Hadith 1, Imam al-Nawawi’s Arba‘īn)

This hadith, regarded by scholars as half of religion, is a profound insight into the neuroethical structure of the human being — how intention shapes not just moral value, but also neurocognitive function.
Imam Abu Dawud said that this hadith represents half of dīn, because dīn consists of two aspects: the apparent (الظاهر) and the hidden (الباطن).

Imam Ahmad and Imam al-Shāfi‘ī described it as one-third of ‘ilm (knowledge), because human effort manifests through the heart, tongue, and body.
‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn Mahdī even stated that this single hadith encompasses thirty doors of knowledge.Thus, what modern neuroscience calls the “alignment of the neuroaxis” — from brainstem to cortex — Islam articulated long ago as the alignment of the qalb (heart), ‘aql (intellect), and jārihah (limbs) in sincerity (ikhlāṣ) toward Allah.

References
Hanson, R., & Mendius, R. (2009). The Practical Neuroscience of Buddha’s Brain: Happiness, Love, and Wisdom. New Harbinger Publications.
Dr. Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri, Syarah Hadith 40 Imam al-Nawawi.
Mustafa Abdul Rahman, Hadith 40 dan Syarahnya.
An-Nawawi’s Hadith 1: All Actions Are by Intentions — Islamic Online University Blog⁠