In this section we will explain
the superiority of human beings over other creatures: all objects are similar
with respect to their constitution, i.e., they are all made of matter and
possess weight and volume. Human beings and animals are also equal to inanimate
objects in this respect. But objects are differentiated from each other
according to their specific attributes.
[Every object is made of atoms.
A speck of dust is a collection of millions of atoms. Certain small numbers of
atoms combine together to build molecules. There are two types of substances:
pure substances and mixtures. Substances which possess specific qualities are
called pure substances. For example, copper wire and rain water are pure
substances because they possess the same quality all the time, no matter where
they are on earth. Their boiling and melting temperatures are known and never
change. Objects that do not possess steady qualities are called mixtures. Milk,
wood, gasoline, sea water are mixtures. They may possess different qualities
depending on the state they are in. They do not possess constant boiling and
melting temperatures. For example, cow’s milk is different from sheep’s while
the water of the Black Sea is different from the water of the Mediterranean
Sea. The water of the Black Sea is less salty than the water of the
Mediterranean Sea.
Pure substances are also
categorized in two groups. They are called elements if they cannot be divided
further into other parts which have different characteristics. Gold, sulphur,
iodine, and oxygen are elements. We know of a hundred and five elements as of
today. Pure substances which can be split into constituent parts with different
characteristics are called composite substances. For example, sugar, rain water
and alcohol are composite substances. If sugar is exposed to fire, it will
decompose into carbon, water and some other constituents. Likewise, water can
be divided into hydrogen and oxygen gases when it is exposed to electrical
energy in a known manner. Today we know millions of composite objects.
Composite objects are combinations of atoms of two or more elements.
Each and every substance can be
in one of the following three forms: solid, liquid and gaseous forms. For example,
water is in its solid form when it is frozen; liquid form when it is water; and
gaseous form when it is vaporous. Gaseous form means it is like air and does
not have a certain volume or shape. Simple objects or elements are divided into
three groups:
1– Real minerals (also called
metals).
2– Non-minerals (also called
ametals).
3– Half minerals (semi-metals).
There are seventy-eight real
minerals. Seventy-seven of them are in solid form at room temperature, with the
exception of mercury, which is in liquid form at room temperature. Its boiling
temperature is 357.3 degree Celsius and it becomes solid at -39.4 degree
Celsius. When solid real minerals are beaten with a hammer, they take
sheet-metal form. They are not pulverized. When atoms of metals combine with
other atoms, they carry a positive electric charge. They cannot carry negative
electric charges. Therefore, two metals cannot combine with each other because
two metals which have positive charges do not attract each other. On the contrary,
they repel each other.
There are seventeen ametals. One
of them is in liquid form; five of them are in solid form and eleven of them
are in gaseous form. When solid ametals are beaten with a hammer in a mortar,
they will be pulverized instead of taking the form of a sheet. Pure charcoal is
an ametal and is called carbon in chemistry. When ametal atoms take the
composite form by combining with others, they can carry positive as well as
negative electricity. Therefore, a few ametal atoms can combine together to
form a molecule.
Composite objects are divided
into two groups. Those which possess carbon and hydrogen atoms simultaneously
in their constitution are called organic materials. They are flammable and come
into existence in living beings. Recently, some of these materials have been
synthesized in laboratories and plants. Fat, sugar, acetone, quinine are some
of the examples for organic substances. Objects which do not contain carbon and
hydrogen simultaneously (namely hydrocarbons) in their constitution are called
inorganic objects. They exist on the shell of the earth and in a dissolved form
in the sea. Salt used in cooking, water, limestone, silica and sand are of this
type.
All of these inanimate objects
are mixed and combined in a certain manner to form the basic building block of
living cells. Cells are living things. Animal cells differ from plant cells,
and human cells are similar to animal cells. Living cells combine to form
tissues while different kinds of tissues combine to form organs. Various organs
combine together to form systems. The chain of cells-tissues-organs-systems as
a whole combine together to form plants, animals, and human bodies.]
All the existing things in the material
domain are classified in
three
groups: Inanimate objects, plants, and animals. Among the animals, the human
race is the most precious and honored of all. Among the different species of
every class, there is an order of superiority. In other words, one of the
species is superior to others. The most superior species of a class bears
proximities to the lowest species of a higher class. In fact, most of their
attributes are identical. For example, a coral looks like a stone which is an
inanimate object but it multiplies and grows like living creatures. Date palms
and fly-catcher (dionaea muscicapa) act and sense like an animal. Some date
palms are male and others are female. Male trees bend over toward the females.
Unless some matter passes from the male date palm to the female, she cannot
produce her fruits. Even though all plants have reproductive organs and
fecundation takes place, it is more pronounced in date palms and bears
similarity to what is in animals. As a matter of fact, there is a white section
on the top of the date palm that functions like the heart of an animal. If this
white section is injured or is immersed in water for a while, the date palm
will wither up. It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf:
“Show deference to your paternal aunt, the date palm! For the first
date palm was created from the remnants of the clay used for (the creation of) Âdam ‘alaihis-salâm’.” This hadîth-i-sherîf may have been intended to imply the fact that the blessed tree is
the highest of all plants.
The lowest species of the animal race is the
sponge. It has a white color and lives in the sea. It moves consciously and
volitionally. There are thousands of primitive animals which live in water.
From each species a better and more developed species has been created. The
order of superiority among them is explained in biology books. Every species
has different feeding and self defense organs. For example, some of them have
arrows to defend themselves, others have teeth, claws, horns or wings. Some of
them depend on their speed and some others depend on cunning, e.g. the fox.
Every species is protected both individually and as a species. Numerous things
that bewilder human mind are given to them as abilities for survival. For
example, bees like expert engineers make octagonal honeycombs. If they were
making their honeycombs in cylindrical shape, there would be an extra space
between each honeycomb, which in turn would be a waste. There is no waste of
space in the shape of an octagonal prism. If it were in
the
shape of a rectangle, their volume and space would be smaller. People know
these facts by reading and learning. They cannot be known without learning. Who
teaches them to the bee? Allâhu ta’âlâ does, by
way of ilhâm
(inspiration), which is termed instinct today.
If we study animals on a basis
of superiority among them, we will arrive at the conclusion that the highest
classes of animals, and therefore the ones closest to mankind, are the horse,
the monkey, the elephant, and, of the birds, the parrot. There is many a human
with whose intellect that of a monkey or an elephant would not fail to compete.
Darwin, a geneticist, had classified the various families of animals with
respect to their superiorities to one another and noted that monkeys were the
most superior of all the families. No sooner had the pathological enemies of
Islam heard of this theoretical categorization than they began to spin the yarn
that Darwin wrote that animals evolved to higher classes over generations,
which culminated in “the earliest human species.” Some pig-headed, quasi-modern
fake scientists lost no time to exploit this freestanding trend in quenching
their chronic lust for misguiding Muslims’ children bydenying the fact that
Âdam ‘alaihis-salâm,’ (the earliest man and the first of prophets,) was created from clay. It
begs the question, for one thing, whether Darwin ever suggested in his book a
theory which could be construed as that animals gradually evolved to higher
classes. What he said was: “There is a gradual order of superiority among
classes of animals.” He wrote that the ones in the lower level of creation
became a food-stock for the higher ones. This fact had been observed and
understood previously by Islamic scholars and had been written in their books.
For example, Alî bin Amrullah ‘rahimahullâhu ta’âlâ’ had written in his book
the order of superiority among animals. He was born in 916 A.H., centuries
before Darwin, and died in 979 Hijrî [1570 A.D.]. It is apparent that Darwin
(1224 [1809 A.D] - 1299 [1882 A.D]) culled his ideas from the Islamic books he
had read.
Above the animals there exist
the lowest levels of human beings. People who live in deserts, jungles are of
this kind. The most superior human beings live in cities located between the
23-66 latitutes.
Furthermore, there are differences among
human beings with respect to material and moral standards, beyond and
above
the order of superiority in creation. Some people employed their efforts and
intelligence in the advancement of technology, thereby inventing new tools and
machinery. Others, in addition to technology, made progress in knowledge of
reason and logic as well as in science and technology. The highest people made
progress in science and technology as well as in morals and ethics. They
reached the highest grade human beings can attain. This grade is called “the
grade of closeness to Allâhu ta’âlâ.” People who
reach the highest grade strive to enlighten those who are in the lower levels
in order to raise them to higher levels. The highest of all these people are prophets ‘alaihim-us-salawât-u-wa-t-taslîmât.’ They
were honored by receiving messages and orders from Allâhu
ta’âlâ through the archangel named Jebrâîl ‘alaihis-salâm’ (Gabriel).
The messages and commandments which came through the archangel Gabriel are
called wahy
(revelation). Prophets guided human beings in
the way of progress and raised their level of humanity by conveying the
received revelations to them. This path of progress shown by prophets is called dîn (religion,
faith). The high grades which can be attained by human beings who make progress
in religion are higher than the grades conferred on angels.
There are four grades of prophethood. The first grade is that of
a nabî; the second grade is occupied by prophets called rasûl; and the third one has been
conferred on the group of prophets called Ulul’azm. Prophets named Âdam, Nûh (Noah), Ibrâhîm (Abraham), Mûsâ (Moses), Îsâ (Jesus), and Muhammad ‘alaihim-us-salâm’ occupy this grade. The fourth grade, and the
highest one, is the finality of prophethood (khâtam-ul-anbiyâ), and belongs only to Muhammad ‘alaihis-salâm’.
Glorifying him with the compliment, “Were it not for thee, (yea), were it not for thee, I wouldst have created none!” Allâhu ta’âlâ has made him a living testament
to the human superiority over angels.
Mankind dwells in a precisely medial
position amongst entire creation. People who adapt themselves to Islam become
blessed and attain grades higher than those of angels, while those who turn
away from Islam as a result of indulgence in the temptations of their nafs or
the misguidance of evil company, become relegated to levels lower than their
natural positions. For, as we have explained earlier in the text, the soul is
incorporeal,
whereas the body is a heap of substances whose properties are dissimilar to one
another. Man is an approximation of angels spiritually, and more of a beast
physically. A person who reinforces his spiritual features will surpass angels
in loftiness. For, he has resisted the corporeal inclinations of his body and
vanquished the lowly half of his own nature, managing to get the callous team
to contend for their lonely rival against all the odds in the tug-of-war, so to
speak. Angels, by contrast, have no corporeal features to force them down to
the dark confines of a physical body. Their goodness has been created as an
innate part of their angelic nature.
If a person squanders his choice
in favour of the body and nourishes his nafs, he will be demoted to levels
below that of beasts. Allâhu ta’âlâ declares as follows in the hundred and seventy-ninth âyat of Sûra
A’râf and in the forty-fourth âyat of Sûra Furqân: “... They are like
cattle – nay, (they are) more misguided: ...” In fact, animals do not have wisdom. Nor do they possess angelic
souls. It would not be sinful, therefore, for them to pursue their lusts. Since
men have been given a light called wisdom, it is quite loathsome for them to
follow their nafs and deviate from the right path.
Mixtures are the sons of Adam,
Made up from angelhood and animalhood.
One who follows his angel,
Becomes higher than his angel.
Those who become animal natured,
Become lower than all creatures!
Air, food, water, clothing,
shelter and mates, which animals need to survive, are all created so as to be
ready for them.
[Among these necessities, the most immediate
one is the air. They can’t survive more than a few minutes without it. They
will die right away. If air were something which could be found by searching,
they would not live long enough to find it. Something which is so urgently
needed is created by Allâhu ta’âlâ abundantly
everywhere so they could fill their lungs instinctively and naturally. Water is
not as immediate a necessity as air for their survival. Human beings and
animals can survive without it for a period long enough to search for it. Thus,
it becomes necessary for them to strive to find it. Since animals do not have
wisdom and do not cooperate with each
other,
they neither prepare food nor clothing for themselves, nor do they cook their
food. Consequently, they either eat grass or carcass. They keep warm by means
of their feathers, down and hair. Means of survival are created for them as
parts of their bodies. Therefore; they do not need one another.
Human beings have to think out
all those things and prepare them. Unless they sow harvest and make bread, they
cannot satisfy their hunger. Unless they spin thread, weave and tailor, they
cannot clothe themselves. Likewise, they have to develop their intelligence,
learn scientific knowledge and establish industries and utilize technology in order
to protect themselves. Man is the treasure of all the superior properties each
of which is possessed by a different species of animals. He must work hard and
use his mind and wisdom to tap these dormant superior properties he is endowed
with. The key which will open the door to hapiness as well as the one to
perdition has been handed to him. If he uses his mind and wisdom to find the
path leading to happiness and abides by this path, he will penetrate the lofty
and noble values innate in his nature, rise from one horizon to another, join
the world of angels, ultimately reaching his destination, i.e. love of Allâhu ta’âlâ. Otherwise, i.e. if he follows
the desires of his nafs, he will stay as he was created, in the lower levels of
animals. Heading for a destination quite the other way round, he will lapse
into a downward course, which will gradually lead him from one disaster to
another, and eventually find himself in the deepest pit of Hell.
Man has a double-sided creation.
He needs a guide to teach him how to recognize his innate capacity and strive
to strengthen this in order to rise high and make progress. Some children are
taught easily by advice, soft talk and gifts while others are taught by harsh
treatment and punishment. The guide has to be good enough to understand the
nature of the child and treat him accordingly, either by soft or harsh talk in
order to raise him properly. Unless there is a competent guide, the child
cannot gain knowledge and morals to make progress. The guide who provides knowledge
and morals will save the child from calamities and make him a happy person.]
Hear this, o you, deep in stupor;
Love is bright and sunny;
A heart without love is
Hard as rock and stony.
Lusts of the nafs have nothing
In common with heart’s loving;
Like food without salt,
Tasteless, unappetizing.
If it’s love, the heart will burn;
Yet the nafs in this concern:
Amidst wintry storms,
A dirty, lubricious churn.
Once a heart tastes this love,
With its Lord falls in love,
The body a cage, and itself a bird,
Fluttering with love.
Love is something quite holy;
To call lust so is, really,
On a head hairless and blind,
Like a crown of gold, shiny.