The Mysteries of the Human Soul

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THE MYSTERIES OF THE HUMAN SOUL
(AL-MADNUN BIHI `ALA GHAIR AHLIHI)

ABU HAMID AL-GHAZZALI,
1058-1111​

CHAPTER I

THE MEANING OF TASWIYAH

After taking God’s name and praising Him, al-Ghaza said: Some of the inquirers have asked us to cast a ray of light on the mysteries of the human soul. As we found their question based on sincere faith, and since we believed that they could be profited in a general way from the personal vision of the sufis, we acceded to their request and begged the Almighty Allah to enable us to be of real service to them, for all the human beings will eventually return to Him. He guides whom He pleaseth to His own light and rewards His believing servants for their acts of obedience in the spirit of generosity and encouragement. Asking us the meaning of the Qur’anic verse:

[And when I have fashioned him and breathed into him of My spirit, then fall down before him prostrate (xv. 29).]

They first wanted us to explain what taswiyah meant.

How and When is Matter fit to attract Soul?

We said: When the matter is fit enough to attract the soul, and consequently the latter enters the former, this entry is called taswiyah. That matter is the refined and specially prepared dust in respect of Adam and sperm in respect of his descendants, i.e. human beings, for purely dry objects like earth and stone cannot be kindled into flames, nor does a wet thing like water attract fire, which is composed of various component parts, but this does not mean that all compound things like mud are capable of attracting fire. It is essential that the earth be compounded several times in order to become suitable for catching fire. In like manner Allah the Almighty, prepares the earth in a special manner till it becomes fit for vegetation, and when man eats it, it is introduced into the stomach, the liver receives the cream and essence of it and transmits it to the heart; the heart in like manner extracts the essence of this in the shape of pure blood, which is further purified in the form of sperm, as a result of the sexual intercourse, and when the womb receives it, it is assisted by the blood cf menses. Then the compound becomes moderate enough to be heated by the womb, till, because of its purity and moderation, it is fit enough to attract and sustain the soul, like the candle which kindles a flame and sustains it. When God finds that the best of moulds in which man is created is ready to welcome the soul, He, in His infinite mercy and love, is pleased to send the soul to nourish the germ. Man’s life is the result of fertilization of a womb by a drop, which comes out of the marrow of a man’s body. Then this drop grows to be a lump, then a clot, then an infant, then a youth and then an old man. Wonderful are the ways of God in creation, and the love with which He guides His creatures’ destinies and gives them the means by which to strive for maturity by ordered steps and reach the end most fitted for their natures. God’s grace flows freely. His blessings are infinitely more than what the merits of man can ever deserve.

The Meaning of Nafkh

Then these inquirers asked us to explain the meaning of nafkh. We told them that it means the light of the instinctive spirit which, like oil, feeds and supplies the flame in a lamp. Nafkh has a definite form. The blower blows a breath into something. The wood capable of catching fire can easily attract the latter, when air is blown into the burning wood. Nafkh is the cause of burning, but it would be wrong to think that the blower in this case is God, though the result, i.e. burning, can be safely attributed to Him. Sometimes by cause we do mean the effect of it, though apparently the effect is not a cause. God says “...” [Allah is angry with them (al-Qur’an, xlviii. 6)] and also “...” [We took retribution from them (al-Qur’an, xv. 79)]. Wrath implies a change in the angry person, whose aim is to inflict punishment on those who have caused anger. Here by ghadab (retribution) we mean the result of anger and by retribution is meant the result of the retribution. Similarly, nafkh here means the result of breathing soul into man. Asked further: what is the cause of the light of the soul or the light in the candle of the sperm? -- we replied: This is an attribute in the subject as well as in the object. By the attribute in the subject we mean the generosity of God, Who is the source of all our lives in this world. There is none like unto Him. Exalted beyond measure is He Who has given life to all creation. For instance, the sun casts its light upon the objects most fitted for receiving the light. Such objects are colored ones. Air cannot receive light, as it has no color. By the attribute in the object we mean well-balanced and moderately-refined things. An object cannot be rejected from a mirror which is rusty, even though the object is placed before it. It is only when the mirror is not rusty that objects can be mirrored from it. In the same way when sperm is stable and moderate, God breathes soul into it, and there is no change in God Himself. It is wrong to believe that the human soul has no beginning. It is not eternal and it is created when the matter is fit to receive it. Suppose a man looks into a mirror. His face seems to be reflected into it, though actually the face is not in the mirror. It is still attached to the body of the person in question. One cannot make use of the rusty mirror, not because the face of the user is incapable of reflection, but because the mirror itself is unclean and does not accept things to be reflected into it. Then these inquisitors further asked us what Divine benevolence is. We explained that it cannot be compared to the container pouring clean water on our hands. The use of water consists in its elements, leaving the container and washing our hands.

Still coming...

 

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God’s Benevolence

God’s benevolence can be likened to the light of the sun falling on a wall. Some of the learned are sadly mistaken to believe that the rays of the sun, being detached from it, strike the wall and spread on it. The fact of the matter is that, due to the light of the sun, an image is formed on the wall, which is as bright as light itself. To illustrate this, suffice it to say that the face of a person is reflected into a mirror. Obviously the facial features of the person do not separate themselves from the person concerned, nor do they attach themselves to the mirror. As a matter of fact the reflection of the face, which resembles the latter in all respects, is in the mirror. In reality there is neither attachment, nor detachment. The image so produced is a matterless form which does not exist by itself. It is impossible for the mirror of the soul to reflect in the imagination anything which does not stand before it. Thus the whole sensible world, as it is thought and as it appears, is illusory. The soul is neither any particular state of matter as it is considered by some, nor is it attached to it. It passes or rides over it and leaves matter as defective and powerless as it was. Matter, when it is fit for life, is blessed with the light of life by one Universal God, the Gracious, the Merciful. This is called God’s generosity, which is no longer of the usually accepted order of His generosity, because God neither feels nor is He felt. He does not induce variations into His nature. No one knows the nature of His kindness to His creatures, since it is a Divine kindness which only God can know and do. Then the inquirers further said to us: Having explained the meaning of taswiyah and nafkh, please tell us something about the mysteries of the human soul. What is it - whether it penetrates our bodies like water filling the contents of a pot or is it like an accident (`arad) in an essence (jauhar) or is it a subsisting substance? If it is a substance, does it occupy space or is it formless and boundaries do not contain it? If it occupies space, please tell us where it dwells. Is it reasonable to assume that it lives in the heart or ventricle of the brain or some other limb? lf space does not contain it, how can an essence be without space?

The Reality of the Human Soul

Having arrived at the conclusion that no other problem arouses the inquirers’ interest so much, or sets their minds to thinking, as this universal problem concerning the nature of the human soul and its destiny, we answered: This question relates to the secrets of the human soul, and there seems little doubt that Absolute Truth is unattainable by the human mind. Moreover, the soul is a mystery unholy for men to know and the Prophet (may peace be upon him) has emphatically forbidden common folk and laymen to ask and discuss such questions as are beyond the reach of their understanding. The thing in itself is subtle and beyond the comprehension of most minds. Imagination fails to imagine its truth. Consequently its comprehension is restricted to the elite, who should not divulge it to those who are unable to grasp it, lest whenever their minds fail to comprehend it or to understand the concealed secrets of the spirit, it becomes a calamity to them. But if you are the seekers after truth with a major talent in creative thinking and an insight for realities, we would not hesitate to explain things in this regard. Know that the soul does not resemble other bodies either in limitation or in accepting division. It is not an accident, so as to necessitate attachment to body like blackness in a black thing, or knowledge in the mind of the learned. It is an essence and can produce consciousness or intelligence, which is the important factor and only the property of the living soul. It recognizes itself and its Creator and knows spiritual realities. An accident does not contain these attributes. It exists independent of the body and does not accept division.

The Proof of the Non-Divisibility of Soul

There is a reason why the divisibility of the soul should be rejected as contrary to rational necessity. Let us say: Is the soul of Zaid identical with that of `Amr or other than it? If it is identical, it would be a self-evident absurdity, for each one of the two is conscious of himself, knowing that he is not the same as any other. If the souls were the same, they would be equal in respect of cognitions. But if you say that the soul of Zaid is other than that of `Amr and that the duality is the result of the division necessitated by the relation of the two souls to bodies, we will say: The division of that which is one and which possesses no magnitude or quantity is evidently impossible. How can that which is one become two and then regain oneness? Such a thing is conceivable in the case of that which has magnitude or quantity. The presence of both knowledge and ignorance in the personality of an individual is an absolute impossibility, While they can exist separately in two different persons. An eye cannot be both green and black, while the eyes of two different persons can be green and black. This shows that the soul is an indivisible being. All the learned of all ages have agreed to lead the human mind to the belief that the human soul is a part of the universe which is indivisible - of course to call it a part is fallacious, since a part belongs to the whole, and here there is no whole. We can call it a part only in the sense in which we can suppose one to be a part of ten. When you have understood that soul is an indivisible thing, you should further know that either it occupies space or it is maiterless. It is absurd to think that it occupies space, for that would imply its divisibility. It is a mistake to think of a thing which occupies space, and yet does not allow divisibility. This is against the rules of logic and geometrical science. If the individual atom is between two other atoms, does one of its two sides come into contact with the same thing as the other does, or are the two things different? It is impossible that the two should be identical, for then the two sides at the atom would coincide. For if A touches B and B touches C, then A will be in touch with C. If, on the other hand, things in contact with the two sides of the atom are different, that only proves multiplicity and division. If we could place the soul between two opposite things, it would be evident that it would touch either one or the other. From one end it would attain knowledge and from the other ignorance. It means that it would know and would be ignorant at one and the same time which is ridiculously absurd. If we were to liken a spacious indivisible thing to the surface of a solid object, say, a circular table, we would be able to see only that part of the surface which stands before our eyes, while the inner hidden part of the surface is invisible. There is no such thing as is visible and invisible at one and the same time. Only the part of the earth exposed to the sun receives light, while the other part remains in darkness. Any spot we can specify on the earth is brightened by the sun in day time and becomes dark by night. If a thing has two ends, it is no longer an indivisible thing.

Still coming..

 

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The Attachment or Non-Attachment of Soul to Body

The inquisitors asked us: If the human soul is a spiritual substance, how is it related to body? Is it connected with or disconnected from it? We said: It exists in itself, is not impressed upon body, and is neither connected with nor disconnected from it. These properties are found in a body, and the soul is not a body. A stone is neither a learned sage nor an ignorant infidel, for it is an inanimate being, and to judge wisdom or ignorance in a being it is essential that we should experiment only with living beings. The question of possessing knowledge or lacking it does not arise in respect of things which have no life. Then we were asked: In which direction should one go to find soul? We answered: It is not limited by directions, nor fixed in a location. Accidents do not exist in it, because, being a spiritual substance, it is free from the imperfections found in body. Again, they asked us: Why was the Prophet (peace be upon him) forbidden to divulge the secret of lhe human soul? We said: Because it is beyond human knowledge. People are of two kinds: (1) those who are laymen and common folk and (2) those who are learned. Most of the common people have denied the existence of God, because of their ignorance; how could they be expected to believe in the existence of soul? That is why, some of the sects in Islam called Karaamiyyah and .Hanaabilah do not admit the reality of God and human soul, as it is laid down in religion. They believe that God has a body, for they hold that only those things exist which can be perceived. Since God does exist, it follows that He has a body. They are confused in their recognition, since the incorrect state appears to them like the correct one, while the height of complete proximity to God is concealed from them. Such belief is not held by anyone of any insight, but by those who are ignorant and, having acquired some knowledge in their youth, did not advance any further. Some of them made some progress and arrived at the conclusion that God is not a body possessing form, but they could not eliminate directions with reference to Him, and we know that directions do not surround Him, as they relate to bodies and He is not a body. Some of them rose still higher and believed that He is beyond space. Such people are called Ash`ariyyah and Mu’tazilah.

Asked why it is not advisable to divulge the secret of the human soul to those who have attained a degree of knowledge, we continued: Because they consider that the combination of the two, i.e. the attributes of God and human soul, is impossible. If you say that the combination is possible, they will publicly accuse you of the sin of polytheism (shirk) and say: Since you do not realize that there is a difference between soul’s attributes and those of God in nobleness and perfection, you are an atheist, for you claim things for your soul which exclusively belong to God. Such heresy results from theoretical inquiries which are the outcome of stupidity and stumbling. Then they asked us: Why do they consider that the combination of the Divine attributes with those belonging to others is impossible? We said: Because they believe that just as the owners of two different houses cannot reside in the same house, two things cannot exist in a spaceless space. Two black things are two only when they are in two different places or in the same place, but at different times, or blackness and motion in the same place and at the same time are two things, because of their different natures. If it were possible to speak of two black things in the same place and at the same time, it would be possible to say that each person is two persons. Then they asked further: You have simply confounded us by adding more difficulties to the ones we already have. We told them that they should know that in this particular respect men go to excess and exaggeration. Their fallacies arose from their failure to understand certain generalities. They thought things are different, in view of three aspects - firstly, in their relation to space like two bodies in two houses; secondly, in their relation to time, like two black things at two times; and, thirdly, in their relation to nature, like color, taste, smell, coolness and moisture, found in a body. Though they are related to space and time, yet they are different from one another in respect of their nature; therefore, taste is different from color in nature, not in space or time, and knowledge is different from will and inclination possessed by the same individual. The difference here does not lie in space or time, but is based on nature. Thus it would be clear that a place can contain accidents of various natures. Similarly, it is also possible that things of various natures may exist in the vast inner world of images.

Commenting upon our answer they remarked: In all your explanations you have tried to meet difficulties by raising other difficulties. You talk far above our heads and have left us in a whirl. It follows from what you say that soul can be compared to God, for you have proved the attributes of God to be belonging to soul. We said: You are sadly mistaken. How could the comparison be possible? We say man possesses life, knowledge and power, and he can see, hear and speak. These attributes also belong to God, but there is no comparison between God and man in these attributes, because they do not belong to God exclusively. His being free from the limitation of space, direction and time is also not one of His essential attributes. Most of our emphasis would, therefore, be on the attribute of His qayyumiyyat (i.e. His unparalleled existence, which is not shared by any other being). This means that His existence is noble existence and that the existence of all other beings is derived from and subordinate to His existence, like the relation of light to the sun or that of heat to fire. They asked again: You have explained the meaning of taswiyah and nafkh, but you have not told us why God has attributed soul to Himself and called it “...” (min ruhi), i.e. “My own soul”. If soul is derived from Him, all universal beings proceed from Him. He has also said: “...” [Lo! I am about to create a mortal out of mire (al-Qur’an, xxxviii. 71)]. Then he says: “...” [And when I have fashioned him and breathed into him of My spirit” (;il-Qur’an, xv. 29)]. If it means that soul is a part of God, and man’s body receives it as a gift from Him, like a beggar who receives alms from a generous person who says: “I have helped the poor man out of his financial difficulties,” then it will follow that the personality of God, like the money of the generous person, is divisible, though you have already refuted this argument. We said: If it were possible for the sun to say: “...” [I have blessed the earth with my light], of course it would be right on the part of the sun to say so. This would mean that the earth receives a part of the light from the sun, though the light itself is dimmer than its source. You know that soul does not stand in need of space or direction and that it knows all the beings - in all their species by a knowledge which is not particular but universal. As God also does know himself as the Principle of the emanation of all that emanates from Him, that is why God has attributed soul to Himself.



The World of Matter and the World of Creation

They inquired further: What is the meaning of “...” (al-Qur’an, xvii. 85) and what is meant by the world of matter and the world of creation? We said: Said Allah, the Exalted to His Prophet (peace be upon him): “They will ask you of the spirit, say: The spirit comes at the bidding of my Lord.” “...” means that the spirit is by command of my Lord. All things which can be measured or surveyed are included in the world of matter and by the world of creation we mean all things which depend on the decrees of God. His will is ancient. In its eternal nature it governs the origination of phenomena in their appointed times in accordance with the eternal foreknowledge of God. Here the world of creation does not mean the act of creating or inventing. Things which have no body or quantity are included in the decrees of God, resulting in the creation of the world of images and memories; the world of souls belonging to human beings, as well as angels, therefore, includes `Alam-i-Amr which means things which are removed from form and quantity and unlimited by directions and climes, in spite of their having existence. It is impossible to doubt the existence of this mental or psychical world, the extent of which cannot be conjured up by imagination. Then the inquisitors further asked: Perhaps you mean to say that soul is not originated. It is eternal. We answered: Some of the sages and learned have slipped into this error. Their ignorance has led them astray. You can call soul eternal only in the sense that having no quantity it is matterless form which is indivisible and which does not exist materially. You should know that soul is originated and that it is not eternal. Refrain from speculations on the decrees of God. If we were to relate all the arguments advanced by saints and sages and the counter-arguments which have been handed down to us by philosophers and scientists, we should have to devote innumerable pages to the problem. But we prefer brevity lest the discussion should lengthen out and our attention should be diverted from the main question to its side issues.
Still coming...