Roots of Man in the World
Roots of Man in the world
As soon as a male sperm enters the womb, a mineral spirit arrives to coagulate the blood. The botanical spirit helps it grow. After four months of pregnancy, the bio-spirit (animal spirit) enters the womb, which enables the embryo to move. These spirits are known as the terrestrial spirits. Soon after the baby is delivered, the human soul along with its subtleties is inserted in the baby. These are known as the celestial souls.
If the baby expires within the womb of the mother before the delivery takes place, a funeral ceremony is not necessary, as it was yet to become a human being. A funeral ceremony is a must in the event that the baby dies just moments after the delivery. Because by then, it would have become a human being owing to the arrival of the human soul in him, and the Self (Nafs), along with its auxiliaries had settled at the naval point. A man with a stronger mineral spirit likes to live in the mountains. Man’s fondness for trees and flowers is due to the botanical spirit in him. Due to the dominance of the bio-spirit, a fondness of animals and behaviour like that of animals develops. The Nafs (a Satanic Jinn) resembles a dog in appearance. With its dominance, man develops dog-like behaviour and affection for dogs. With the awakening of the faculty of the heart, a human becomes like an angel.
After death, the celestial souls return to the paradise. Celestial souls are assigned to one particular body; whereas, the terrestrial spirits including the Nafs are left behind in this world. The terrestrial spirits, after death, are transferred into another newly born human body; they continue to be reallocated to different human beings. The terrestrial spirits are exempt from the Day of Judgement and accountability. The cleansed spirits of the Nafs stay in the graves to continue to worship God, and also facilitate humanity with spiritual grace. As Prophet Mohammad, on the Night of Ascension, passed by the grave of Prophet Moses, he saw him engaged in worship in his grave. When Prophet Mohammad reached the celestial sphere, he saw Prophet Moses was present there too. The dominant Nafs of ‘sinners’ join the groups of Satans for their survival. They enter the bodies of human beings to harm them. Such subtleties of the Nafs are thus known as evil spirits.
According to the Bible, Jesus used to cast out evil spirits from those who were possessed. After death, the terrestrial spirits and the Nafs remain in this world, the human soul enters either in Il’liyeen or Sij’jeen and the Lata’if (the faculties of the human breast), provided they are enlightened, too go to Il’liyeen; otherwise Lata’if are wasted in the grave. Due to the Nafs, man became impure.
Bulleh Shah said, ‘The Self (Nafs) brought along with it impurities in me. Otherwise, I had not been impure originally.’
For acquisition of the Self-mortification, the celestial books were revealed and the Prophets and the Saints were sent. The Self was made subject to fear of hellfire, and was incited with the pleasure of the paradise. Efforts were made through austerities, worship, and lent, so as to tame it; the successful contenders became deserving claimants of the paradise. The elite, however, were able to purify the Self by virtue of mystical knowledge, thus becoming God’s Friends.