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CHAPTER II: HOW THE SOUL COMES INTO EXISTENCE
What must be taken for granted is that the soul comes into
existence when the sperm enters the womb, that because of its physical
constitution the sperm is prepared to receive the soul, which will be its
director, and that it does not receive the soul merely because it is just a
soul. In like manner a mirror which is free from rust reflects the image of a
person standing close by. If the soul was one before the existence of bodies,
how did it get divided? The division of that which has no magnitude or quantity
is unintelligible. If, however, it is asserted that no division took place,
still it will be an absurd assertion, for evidently the soul of Zaid is other
than that of `Amr. If the two were one, the cognition of Zaid would be the
cognition of `Amr, because knowledge is one of the essential attributes of the
soul and the essential attributes enter into all the relations of the essence.
And if the souls form a plurality, what is the cause of plurality? This cause
cannot be found in matters or places or times or attributes, for there is
nothing in all these to necessitate a difference of quality among the souls. It
is unintelligible, rather self-contradictory, to speak of an attribute of which
the function is to distinguish something from its like. For by likeness is meant
that there is no distinction, and by distinction is meant that there is no
likeness. It is not proper to imagine that two black things in two different
places are like each other in all respects. For "this" is in one place and
"that" is in another place; hence the necessity for the distinction between the
two. Nor can two black things in the same place but at different times be
absolutely like each other. For "this" is separated from "that" in time. How,
therefore, can the two be equal in all respects ‘? When we say: "Two black
things are like each other," we mean they are alike only in respect of the
particular attribute of blackness. For instance, it can be said that blackness
in an inkpot containing black ink is like the blackness of a crow. We do not
mean that the inkpot and the crow are alike in an unqualified sense. For if that
were the meaning and if the identity of time and place had left no
dissimilarity, then the two black things would not be intelligible, and their
duality would be absolutely irrational. The difference in soul before the
existence of bodies is impossible, for the difference is of two kinds:
(I) Difference in kind and nature like water and fire,
whiteness and blackness, knowledge and ignorance.
(2) Difference in accidents which have no relation with
nature, like the difference in cold and hot water.
It is absurd to imagine that souls are different from one
another in respect of nature, because all human souls belong to the same
category and are the same in view of their nature or reality. Their mutual
difference in respect of accidents is also impossible, because when a nature is
attached to bodies or is attributed to them in any manner, it becomes different
as the result of contact with accidents, for there must be difference in the
parts of a body, but when a nature is not attached to bodies, it is impossible
to find difference in it. The problem requires a lengthy discussion for its
solution, but we cannot afford it at the cost of brevity.
The Condition of Human Souls and Difference
among Them after the Death of Bodies
Then the inquirers further asked us: What becomes of the
human soul after death? Do you think that there is plurality and difference
among human souls after the death of bodies, when no sign of individuality is
left after the dissolution of the physical form? We answered: This is not the
same case as that of souls before the death of body because in the opinion of
the true believers the departed souls differ in quality, in so far as each
acquires from its body a different proclivity. Before death its preoccupation
with the direction of matter, i.e. body, results in knowledge and ignorance,
cleanliness and dirt, good and bad habits. These physical qualities generate in
the soul those attributes which are called virtues or vices. That is why the
souls become different after death, and this is the reason why we believe in
plurality among human souls after death. As all separate intelligences are
within the Universal Intelligence, so all individual souls are embraced by the
Universal Soul. They are all same, because all are an offshoot of the same
Universal Soul, yet distinct in individuals. Departed souls require preparation
of a different kind. It is not improbable that the preparation required by
perfect souls, which have departed from bodies, should be different from the one
required by souls which have come into existence for the first time. Before the
creation of bodies, the question of plurality cannot arise, for there cannot be
an imaginable cause for difference among them. Continuing, they asked us to
explain the meaning of the tradition: "..." and according to an another version:
"..." [God made Adam like Himself, or God made Adam compassionate like Himself].
We explained:
The Meaning of Surat or Image
Surat (image or form) is a common noun. Some things are
sometimes expressed through metaphor or allegory so that its impression on the
heart of the listener may be deep. Its value is that it leaves a greater
impression on the heart. This kind of metaphor belongs to the principle of
expressing a certain meaning through a picture which contains the same meaning
or a similar meaning. The knowledge that in such cases there are inner meanings
which differ from the outward significations can be determined only either by
rational or legal evidence. The feeble-minded will regard the literal exoteric
meaning sensible and will not go beyond it, but the man who has an insight for
realities will comprehend the secret it contains. On the authority of this
tradition, a meaning other than the outward is intended. Surat or image
means here an intellectual and not a physical image. In it those attributes of
the human soul are mentioned which have been derived from the personality of God
and His attributes and actions. Man and God are highly dynamic personalities
distinct from each other and yet together. The human soul is a spiritual
substance which is not a body possessing form, nor a substance restricted and
limited. It is not space-filling and is neither connected to body nor
disconnected from it, neither inside body, nor outside it. These attributes also
belong to God. The essential attributes of the soul are that it is a pure
intelligence possessing life, knowledge, and peace and can hear, see and speak.
God has also the same attributes. The soul causes human bodies to function in
the following manner. Our giving a form to something in our soul is not
sufficient for the production of the form of that thing. Accordingly, together
with knowledge we need an act of will which appears as a new factor. This
originates from the faculty of desire. As a result of it, there comes into
operation the faculty which causes the movement of the muscles and the tendons
in the outer limbs. So with the movement of the muscles and the tendons the hand
or some other limb begins to move. With the movement of the hand arises the
movement of a pen or whatever external instrument there may be. With tke
movement of the pen arises the movement of the matter, e.g. the ink in this
case. And then comes into being the form of the written thing to which we had
given a form in our souls. And this is the reason why the mere existence of form
in our souls is neither power nor will. On the contrary, our power is with the
principle which moves the muscles. So the form moves another mover, i.e. the
principle of our power. Man's action is inconceivable without power and will.
And will is inconceivable without knowledge. The power of writing is in the hand
and the fingers, but the knowledge of it is not in the hand. Nor is the will in
the hand. When the digestive and other internal organs of the human bodies have
become fully developed, the heart attracts to itself the essence of the
vegetative spirit, and having further matured it forms the life; the essence of
this again is attracted to the brain, where, after being matured, it is
developed into the soul and the remainder dispersed through nerves into limbs,
where it becomes the source of sense and motion. In the wombs these developments
occupy several months, before body is actually born. The real self is connected
with the body through the spirit, which is a subtle vapor like substance
spreading all over the body. And those who have carefully considered the actions
of God, and looked into the wonderful ways of His creation, have arrived at the
conclusion that He created the vegetable and animal kingdoms out of the movement
of various parts of the heavens and stars, which are moved by angels. They are
also of opinion that man is an agent in this lower and lesser world of sense, as
He is omnipotent in the upper and greater world of intelligence. He has the
power to create anything He wills. Production and destruction are the effects of
His will. So when He wills, He produces, and when He wills, He destroys. The
most extraordinary cosmologies have been worked out, in which the various parts
of the heavens which are living beings composed of bodies and souls, are equated
to different parts of the human body. In its functions the human heart can be
likened to the throne of God, the brain to the soul of the highest sphere, the
senses to angels, who have but to obey God by nature, the muscles and limbs to
heavens, the power in fingers is as reliable and firm as a spirit inseparably
connected with bodies. The compounded ink which man uses for purposes of solving
sums in arithmetic, like addition, subtraction, multiplication, etc., is a
mixture of diverse elements. Man's treasure house of imagination is the
Lawh-i-Mahfuz or "The Preserved Tablet". The impression of the particulars
of the world upon the souls of the heavens is like the impression of the
memorables upon the faculty of memory, which is located inside the brain of man.
Man comprehends his own attributes and, by comparison and analogy with these, he
understands the attributes of God. Those who understand the attributes of God,
as they are mirrored in the human soul, would understand the meaning lying
hidden in the tradition: "..." [He who knows himself knows God]. It was also
revealed to our Prophet that he who does not know the spirit does not know
himself, and he who does not know himself does not know God. Explaining things
further, we continued: What we find in the sacred texts is only an allegory
proportioned to the limitations of common understanding, just as the verses and
traditions with an anthropomorphic import are allegories used to facilitate
understanding. If this devise were omitted, we would not be able to know God
through the knowledge of ourselves and it would be impossible for us to reach
our maximum development. The universe is the mirror of God and the heart of man
is the mirror of the universe. The human soul is the masterpiece of creation,
and the whole material world is placed under its control. If you then would know
God, you must look into your own heart. If man had not been Divinely authorized
to act as God's agent in this world, the existence of the world would have been
inconceivable, and man could never have learnt what God really is. Then they
asked us: If the souls are originated, as bodies are, how would you explain the
tradition:
"..."
[God created souls two thousand years before the creation of
bodies, and I am the first of the prophets in birth and last of them in my
prophethood. I was a prophet even when Adam was between water and mire.]
We said: The answer to your question is that this tradition
does not prove the eternity of the soul. On the contrary, rational proof has
actually compelled the intelligent to assent to the doctrine that the soul is
originated. There is not a single branch of knowledge in which new terms have
not been introduced for the sake of conveying meanings. Some of the sciences
have external as well as internal meanings, that some of the terms are obvious
and readily understood, while others are hidden and become evident through
research. We would, therefore, interpret this tradition in the following manner.
By soul God meant the souls of the angels, and by bodies, the bodies of the
throne of God, the highest sphere, the seven heavens, the stars, fire, air,
water and earth. You must know tliat man's body is a mere nothing when compared
with the body of the earth, and that the body of the earth is smaller than sun,
which is again smaller than heaven above it. All the seven heavens placed over
one another are greater than the ones placed under them, and these have no
comparison in greatness with the highest sphere, containing all the heavens and
the earth. The highest sphere is again smaller than God's Throne. If you can
think intellectually, you will be forced to the conclusion that by bodies as
mentioned in the tradition the bodies of human beings are not meant. Similarly,
by souls the tradition means the souls of angels and not those of the human
beings. If you had the knowledge of angels and souls, you would hold that they
are like a great fire that kindles all human souls, feeds and supplies the
spirit of humanity, as oil feeds and supplies the flame in a lamp. Each of the
angels has an individual soul distinct from the one possessed by another. On the
contrary, although the human soul is one by nature, it gets divided when it is
related to bodies, and after its separation from bodies, it returns to its
original character and is reunified. God refers to the souls of the angels in
the following verses of the Qur'an: "..." [Here the revealing angel speaks in
person: There is not one of us but hath his known position. Lo! we are they who
set the ranks. Lo! we, even we, are they who hymn His praise (xxxvii. 164-65)]
and the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "..." [Those who bow in worship do not
prostrate themselves and those who stand in worship do not bow, and there is
none whose rank is not specially reserved). Therefore, it follows from what we
have said that, according to the tradition, the words "soul" and "bodies" refer
to the souls and bodies of angels and heavenly spheres, and not to the souls and
bodies of the human beings. The interpretation of the tradition [...] is as
follows: Here the word khalq means existence in a state of spiritual abstraction
and not in the sense of creation in this world, since he had no formal existence
before he was born. This was possible, because God's will is ancient. In its
eternal nature it governs the creation of all human beings in a state of
spiritual abstraction in accordance with the eternal foreknowledge of God. This
type of existence is the Divine existence (Existence in Him) which is timeless
and which we have before our coming here. It is not the same type of existence
as is usually attributed to God's creatures. It is a type of existence which
only God knows and only He is aware of. Now God, in recognizing the Prophet's
existence, saw him in the beginning, when he was non-existent and unaware of his
future existence in this world. He caused, as it were, His desire to flow over
him, according to His will, till he was completely imbued with Divine qualities
and freed from the shackles of time. The life which Muhammad (peace be upon him)
lived in this world was without doubt the most perfect and penetrating. It was
the most significant, dominant and more adequately described as conquering,
victorious and truly overwhelming, as com- pared with the lives of other
Prophets who had passed away before him. God gave him precedence over all other
Prophets. That is why he is called the Seal of the Prophets and Lord of mankind.
Nothing can be created or invented in this world of sense, unless the act of
creation is preceded by an intention, i.e. an inner agitation. For instance, a
mason intends to construct a house. For the first time his vision embraces a
perspective of his proposed great house, which is laid originally on the plan of
his mind, at the back of which he has the number of walls and rooms, etc., and
the order in which bricks are to be placed to make the walls. Unless he plans
the house according to his prearranged outline, he cannot construct it.
Similarly, know that God creates man, so that he may attain nearness to Him.
This nearness is impossible without the assistance of the intermediaries nearer
to Him, i.e. the Prophets. Prophethood, therefore, is not an end in itself, but
a means to an end. God's claim to nearness is obligatory and binding upon all
creatures because He made it obligatory upon them through the words of His
Prophets, and not by reason alone. Prophethood becomes complete only when it has
crossed a number of stages. Adam introduced it and Muhammad (peace be upon him)
completed it as an Apostle of God. He was the one who had been made perfect by
Prophethood and the one who had completed God's mission. It is absurd to believe
that the door of Prophethood is still left open, for an addition to "completion"
is a loss rather than a gain. For instance, a hand has normally have fingers. It
would be defective if it had six fingers, for then it would not function
properly and would be decidedly as harmful as a hand with four fingers. Though
the sixth finger is something more than is required, yet in actual practice it
would contribute towards dislocation and confusion. The Prophet (peace be upon
him) hinted to the same truth when he said: "..." [Prophetliood can be likened
to a completely constructed house with a space left for a brick only and I am
that brick]. When you have understood why it is obligatory to believe that
Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the last of God's Prophets, know that he was
the first Prophet in view of his spiritual existence, and the last one in this
world of matter. The tradition "..." also bears the same meaning, which we have
already explained, for Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a Prophet even before
Adam was created. God created Adam with the sole purpose of choosing the best
among his sons who could and did gain promotion to the loftiest height where the
stations of the Prophets and saints lie. The revelation of Prophethood has
different stages, depending upon the degree of self-mortification and upon the
degree in which the inner self (al-batin) is clean and free of things
other than God, as well as upon the obtaining of guidance by means of the light
of faith (yaqin). Know that according to a Divine decree first the fate
of things is determined and then they are made, and the fate of all earthly
things lies inscribed in the Preserved Tablet. A mason also plans his building
in like manner and draws its proposed plan in a note-book. The treasure house of
things to which Divine power extends includes mysterious and wonderful things.
The most learned are sealed off from their knowledge and the comprehension of
the greatest doctors cannot attain it.
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