Fruit of Paradise - Soul and Science
Soul and Science
Tags: Soul, Science, Spiritual Science
The purpose of this article is to present, in the light of scientific observations, some of the realities and recognitions of soul and to analyse with the help of spiritual knowledge what the original and fundamental source of its power is. What is the relationship between soul and science (i.e. matter)? Is there any point of demarcation between them? If not, how are they related to each other? What are the signs of the physical world (afaq) and the spiritual world (anfus)? To what extent are scientific examples helpful in the recognition of soul? Are there any clear indications or wisdom-filled allusions regarding science in the Wise Qur'an? With the revelation of the Qur'an certain prophecies were made about great revolutions in the future. Which ones of them are indicative of a scientific revolution? Will all people really be able to see the descent of angels and souls? Such questions are discussed in this article.
By God's will, because certain useful arts and sciences are at the zenith of perfection in today's world and because there is today a sway towards scientific marvels and wonders it has become much easier than it was in the past, to explain things about the spirit and spirituality. It is an undeniable fact that the prophecy of the appearance of signs in the physical world and in the spiritual world, made approximately fourteen hundred years ago (41:43) can now be seen in the physical world in the marvels of modern science and that such scientific wonders have caused an external and material revolution. Yet according to that prophecy, when the spiritual wonders and marvels will become apparent, a spiritual revolution or resurrection will take place by which the conditions in this world will be radically changed.
Resurrection, whether it is individual or collective, and whether it is in this life or after physical death, has to come eventually, so it is wise for mu'mins to prepare themselves for it in accordance with Divine injunctions and to pay heed to the recognition of the self and to the recognition of God and to reflect on the signs, which are in three places. Firstly, one should have recourse to the Wise Qur'an in which there is great bliss for mu'mins, then comes the stage of reflecting upon the external or cosmic signs as mentioned in many verses and teachings of the Qur'an so that one is aware of the many signs of the Creator hidden in the creation and the way in which His attributes are mentioned. It is a universal fact that science is the product of the observation and study of creation. How can we then ignore its successful application and useful aspects when it is a part of the signs and bounties of God (41:53, 31:20)?
The third place of His signs is the spiritual world, by which is meant the spirit and spirituality. As you know, there are three worlds, the world of religion, the external world and the personal world, and each of them in its place is a complete book of God. It is because of this that there are His signs (ayat) in all of them. An ayat means a sign as well as a miracle. Thus what is quiescent and fixed in a place like the words and meanings in the Wise Qur'an, is moveable and scattered in the universe and is living and united in the personal world. One of the great miracles of the Wise Qur'an is that in its extensive aspects of exoteric (zahir) and esoteric (batin) meanings, it explains everything (16:89) and in order to actually see this reality one requires the light of guidance (5:15). There is a necessary explanation of everything in this wisdom-filled book of God if light is attained. Thus an extremely important thing like science and the scientific revolution is mentioned in many allusions and not only in various prophecies. For instance, in the command of God that one should reflect upon the universe, is hidden the bliss of both the worlds. For in following this command, there is the possibility of discovering the truth about both matter and soul. In other words, it is in the study of nature that the benefits of science on the one hand are obtained and on the other, the attainment of the recognition of soul.
In verse (8:60) the way in which the comprehensive command is given to prepare to protect and defend Islam, it is clear that through heavenly help whatever material power it is possible to obtain, first and foremost and to the greatest extent possible, should be with Muslims. It is obvious that such power can only be obtained through scientific inventions. It is not our purpose here to discuss to what extent we Muslims have progressed in science compared to others, or to what extent we have been left behind and what the causes for this might be. Our purpose is to draw attention to the fact that these marvellous instruments and their miracles which have appeared in front of us as a result of scientific thinking and practice, are useful not only from an external and material point of view, but that their greatest use is internal and spiritual. That is, there are so many analogies and similarities in them to the spirit and spirituality, that in their light a wise person can attain the knowledge of certainty about soul. For by the way in which God has considered them His signs, their main purpose is to obtain knowledge of the certainty of spirit and spirituality. Here, by signs are meant miracles, for as God says: "Soon We will show them Our signs in the external world and in their own souls until it becomes manifest to them that He is the Truth" (41:53). In this Divine teaching which is full of the wisdoms of matter and soul, is not only the prophecy of today's scientific progress and of glad tidings of tomorrow's spiritual revolution, but it is also alluded in this verse that scientific miracles will appear first and then will come the cycle of spiritual miracles so that by reflecting upon these miracles, people will attain the happiness of the recognition of self and that of God.
The soul is most definitely from the world of command (i.e. the Word "Be") and therefore in reality, it is unique. Yet, is it possible for a physical thing to be an example of soul due to its being at the apex of materiality, most subtle, fast and ever-reaching, a pattern of unity on the one hand and multiplicity on the other, which can present numerous manifestations of soul, which can appear and disappear, can leave the body and present its subtle form, in which every kind of voice and conversation is recorded, through which people can converse with each other at great distances, which can fly and let others fly in the heights, which makes movies of living things and turns their past into the present, which makes a world of audio-visual things, which preserves beautiful scenes of evergreen gardens and rosaria, which makes a tiny particle a sun and the sun a tiny particle, and which is a new world of knowledge and art and marvels of every kind, an example of which was unknown in the past? Yes, indeed science is such a thing in which, more than any other thing, there are superb examples of soul. It is therefore incumbent upon the wise to note that these examples are part of the miracles prophesied at the time of the revelation of the Qur'an, the supreme purpose of which is for the recognition of self, for in this lies the recognition of God.
In connection with "Soul and Science" certain fundamental questions such as these arise:
Are they in reality two different things? And if so, what is the line of demarcation between them? Is it possible that the thread of their existence is the same and that they are inseparable?
The answer is that although it would appear that soul and matter are two separate things, in reality they are in fact one thing which has two different forms. That one thing is existence and the two forms are the names given due to its rarefication and condensation or dissolution and frozenness. This clearly means that a stone or iron which is called a mineral or inorganic due to its frozen state becomes dissolved or rarefied into plants, then into animals and thence into human beings. It can also be dissolved directly into human beings, an example of which can be seen in certain health tonics containing iron. Some medicines too, both modern and ancient also contain iron or inorganic substances. This means that minerals are first dissolved into animal soul and then into human soul. Thus there is a kind of soul in every form of matter and it is awake and moveable, half awake, dormant, half-dead, dead, half-frozen, frozen etc., so the workshop of nature continues and the system of the universe and existents lasts intact.
In this connection the blessed verse full of key wisdoms is: "Say: Become stones or iron". (17:50). What wisdoms are hidden in this verse? Does this command relate to heaven or earth? Or to both? Because stones and iron are found in both. When God wished it and commanded through the tongue of His Prophet "Be!" then certainly, the particles of soul of those people became like stones or iron, for as it is mentioned in verse (2:65): "And indeed you know those among you who had violated the Sabbath, so We said to them: Be apes, despised." These people were some of the children of Israel who had disobeyed the command by catching fish on Saturday. God's command "Be like apes, despised" was spoken through Hazrat Dawud's tongue (5:78), according to which their souls became like those of apes. From these two examples it is also clear that the Guide of the time is the tongue of God.
It is said in verse (31:16): "(Luqman said) O my son, verily, though it be equal to a mustard seed in weight, and though it be in a rock, or in the heavens, or in the earth, Allah will bring it forth." This is an example of the existence or presence of the particles of soul in everything in the earth and the heavens and the gathering of all such particles in the personal resurrection.
This wide and vast universe has a magnificent soul, which has many names, such as Dais of God (2:255), Single Soul (6:98; 31:28), Paradise (3:133; 57:21), Guarded Tablet (85:22), Soul of the Qur'an (42:52), Heaven (sama') (6:6), Universal Soul, Soul of souls, Supreme Soul, All-inclusive soul, Cosmic Soul, etc. It is extremely important that we should have some conception of the shape of the Dais (kursi) for, due to its relationship with the universe and the exterior and interior of everything in it, its shape is round just like the universe itself. That is, the ocean of the Universal Soul, in which the external world is immersed, is round. Now we have to understand how the universe is immersed in the ocean of the soul. Is it similar to a stone immersed in water? No, not really. Although a stone can be immersed in water, water cannot penetrate the interior of the stone. The entire universe is immersed in the ocean of the soul in such a way that every particle is enveloped by the soul both externally and internally, just as a clay brick when dropped into water is covered by water both externally and internally. Another example is like a piece of iron which a blacksmith has heated to white-hot in a furnace. Is it not a fact that fire has penetrated every particle of this iron? And is not the iron immersed in the fire? It is clear from this that similarly, the soul encompasses the heaven and the earth in every direction and in every place and includes in it all things both great and small.
However, if the soul is conceived of as being without a body, then it is not appropriate to say that the ocean of the soul is round or in any other shape. For when the soul is abstract then the three dimensions of length, breadth, and width, cannot be applied to it. But where it is linked to the physical world, then it is correct to say that it is round like the external universe and this same ocean of the soul which is the ocean of mercy, is also Paradise. As it says in the Qur'an, the width of Paradise is equal to the width of the universe (3:133, 57:21).
Q. You have said that the shape of the Dais or the Universal Soul which is the ocean of mercy as well as Paradise, is round like this universe, but how can we be sure that the universe itself is round? Can you please provide a sound proof?
A. Proof 1: When God said that the width of Paradise is equal to the width of the heaven and the earth, i.e. the Universe (3:133, 57:21), He did not mention the length or the depth of Paradise, because both Paradise and this world are round. The length and depth of a round body are also considered to be the same as its width. It is because of this that God, the Knowing and the Wise, has only mentioned the width of Paradise and the Universe and has said nothing about its length or depth. Thus it is clear that the shape of the universe and the Universal Soul is round.
Proof 2: The shape of every planet and star in the universe was round when it came into existence and still is, for it was created under the circular movement of the round universe. The way in which they move is also circular because they are moved by the circular rotation of the universe (21:33; 36:40).
Proof 3: The fountainhead of the sun which is the centre of our planetary system is round in every respect. It is a tremendously stormy world of bright gases, where a great store of light comes into being due to the dissolving of ether by the pressure of the Universal Soul. Its shape is round because it is gripped in every direction by the round universe and the round Universal Soul.
Proof 4: The concept of the origin of the universe is round for that origin is the Hidden Pearl, from which the universe was created. And when God enfolds it in His hand it also becomes this same Pearl (39:67; 21:104).
These proofs make it clear that the universe or the Universal Body is completely round.
Just as water is found in several different forms, such as oceans, vapour, clouds, snow, rain, dew, ice, spring, well, subterranean canals, canals, streams, rivers, etc., similarly, angel or soul has many different conditions and ranks. For instance, it is an intellectual light, it is a Divine (rahmani) image, it is a most comprehensive word, it is a luminous voice, it is a light, it is a subtle human manifestation, it is a bolt of lightning (sa`iqah), it is thunder (ra`d), it is lightning (barq), it is a collection of particles, it is a kind of electricity, it is a world of knowledge, it is a Paradise, and the least realisation of its rays can be in the form of good success, good thoughts, and inventive and technical understanding, for as the Holy Qur'an says: "And inspired it of its evil and of its good." (91:8). Everyone knows that bad thoughts are from Satan, so we have to accept that good thoughts are through angel. From this we can conclude that whatever has been discovered and given to the people of the world by scientists is in reality from the Divine treasures, which God has sent down through angels and souls and that scientists have obtained it from them albeit unconsciously. The angels and souls related to all matters descend in the blessed night of power (shab-i qadr) which comes in every year in the month of Ramadan, but what is brought and what is given, nobody understands. This night is a symbol and an example (mithal) and its meaning and object (mamthul) is the "cyclical shab-i qadr" which is extremely great. If it is accepted that the blessed night has already come and that the angels and souls have also already come, then has God made it necessary that everyone should know about this event, while the ta'wil of the night is hiddenness (batin), concealment, and spirituality? And the angels were to come down in a veil of clouds (2:210, 25:25)? It is true however, that in this time of great spiritual revolution those matters related to the external world continue to appear and which in their physical form are known as scientific inventions.
Scientists will come to know, if not today then in future that scientific advances are a prelude to the spiritual revolution and that all these discoveries take place as part of a great heavenly programme until the secrets of the spirit and spirituality begin to appear. According to Divine teachings, the greatest change or revolution in the world will occur then. All science is based on the "subjugated soul" mentioned in verse (45:13): "And He has subjugated to you whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth, everything is from Him." By this is meant the subjugation of heavenly and earthly souls, which externally are in the form of scientific results and its fruits and internally in the form of a spiritual kingdom.
It is mentioned in verse (15:21): "And there is not a thing but its treasures are with Us, and We do not send it down but according to a known measure." It is necessary to reflect well on this blessed verse so that one may thereby receive more and more blessings of knowledge. Thus we should first consider why it says "With Us" instead of "With Me" in this verse? What secret lies in this? Secondly, one should ask why does one thing have several treasures? Why is there not only one treasure? Thirdly, when does a thing come down to this world? Does it come in every age and time or only at a particular time and age? Fourthly, what is meant by a known measure? Is it a mention of Divine knowledge or human knowledge or both?
In this connection I would like to say that one ta'wil of this wisdom-filled verse is in my book "Precious Treasure". Here, another ta'wil is presented that, in the Wise Qur'an when it is intended to mention God's oneness, the pronoun is necessarily in the singular, but when His act is mentioned then the pronoun is mostly in the plural. The reason for this is that as the command is specific to Him, the act is not so. Because He is the Absolute King, the great angels such as the Pen, the Tablet, Israfil, Mika'il, Jibril, the Light of Prophethood, and the Light of Imamat all work for Him under His command. Thus God not only attributes their work to Himself but also exalts their status by attributing them to Himself and says: "We did this work". The same meaning is in the above mentioned verse also. Thus God, in the use of the phrase "With Us" has attributed His living treasures to Himself and their closeness He has considered His own closeness. Otherwise, in space and non-space there is no point of demarcation which can be called closeness to God.
By "thing" mentioned in this verse is meant man, who needs three fundamental treasures namely, the intellectual, spiritual and physical treasures which are the Pen, the Tablet and the Perfect Man (Prophet or Imam). In other words, these treasures are called the world of intellect, the world of soul and the world of particles. By God's command, things come down to man all the time from these treasures. For example, the chain of birth of human beings continues. In this connection, first come the particles of body, then the soul, and finally the intellect. By the "known measure" of everything is meant both Divine and human knowledge.
In the light of the above mentioned Qur'anic law it becomes evident that the three components of present sciences, the intellect (knowledge), the soul, and matter were all initially in the treasures of God and then in accordance with God's knowledge (programme) and scientists' knowledge, they came to this world. Perhaps it is amazing for you to accept that matter which is free and widely scattered throughout the universe was encompassed and enfolded in a particular treasure of God? It is true that such amazement is possible and that such questions arise. But the more your knowledge of certainty about the world of particles increases, such amazement decreases, and the more you become aware of Qur'anic and spiritual wisdom, it will be clearer in front of you that subtle matter (the world of particles), the holy spirit and the perfect intellect, all three are together and united in the hand of God (21:104; 39:67). The hand of God according to the Qur'an is the Holy Prophet (48:10) and then by God's command, in their own respective times, each of his successors. Thus, such a perfect and complete person has a miraculous subtle body, which is called the world of particles. It has many Qur'anic names, some of which are: sirbal (pl. sarabil, shirt, 16:81), labus (garment, 21:80), sa`iqah (thunderbolt, 13:13), ra`d (thunder, 13:13), barq (lightning, 13:12), al-kawthar (108:1), jism-i basit (ever-spreading body, 2:147), basharan sawiyya (sound human being, 19:17), etc. In this miraculous body, due to its being an ibda`i body, there are not only all kinds of particles known to material science but also innumerable marvels and wonders of spiritual science. For instance, you may have heard that nowadays in certain countries where science has advanced, Flying Saucers sometimes appear, which have not yet been identified by the scientists. In fact, they are at the junction of materiality and spirituality and countless wisdoms are hidden in them. If you want, you can reflect and know a lot about them, because their appearance is a prelude to an extremely great spiritual revolution.
How a great and powerful soul can be a world of particles, how it can easily transform the subtle body into electrical energy, and what expectations of spiritual science of the future can be attached to it, one example of which can be the Flying Saucer or U.F.O., because by Divine will it is an example of the act of ibda` (instantaneous manifestation), i.e. the result of "Be (kun)". Therefore it, despite being one creature, is everything. You can say it is a miraculous shirt, or sa`iqah, ra`d and barq, or angel or advanced human being, or jinn, or astral body, or personal world, or the world of particles, or Perfect Man, or the miracle of Resurrection, or higher "I", or the throne of spirituality, or the kingdom of Sulayman.
Nasir al-Din Nasir Hunzai,
14th March, 1985.
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