The Creation of Moving Creatures

In this post I would like to bring to your attention the beginning stages of the creation of moving creatures. To do so, I will present three acceptable traditions. Following these traditions, I will attempt to paint one coherent picture of the initial stages of the creation process. Furthermore, I will highlight many significant points and issues that are found in these traditions. By doing so, I hope to provoke thoughts and engage your minds into seeing the process of creation from a naturalized perspective, which may be more in harmony with the contemporary scientific outlook. 

After you read this post, if you feel that the view that I have presented in this post is not justified or I have not painted a coherent picture, please leave a comment and let me know how my view is not justified. 

As always, please read and double-check the translation.  As you know, many of the terms used in these traditions may be interpreted or translated in different ways. However, I have consulted different sources, and I believe that the translation that is present in this post is justified. If you disagree, please do not hesitate to leave a comment and let me know. 

Since I am planning to mention many points, and since these traditions are relatively long, I will not put the Farsi translations in this post. Nonetheless, if you are interested in the Farsi translation of these traditions, message me and I will post them in the comment section.

Now, here are the traditions.            

Arabic Text:

 (1أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الْأَشْعَرِيُّ وَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ أَبَانِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع قَالَ: 
لَوْ عَلِمَ النَّاسُ كَيْفَ ابْتِدَاءُ الْخَلْقِ مَا اخْتَلَفَ اثْنَانِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ الْخَلْقَ قَالَ كُنْ مَاءً عَذْباً أَخْلُقْ مِنْكَ جَنَّتِي وَ أَهْلَ طَاعَتِي وَ كُنْ مِلْحاً أُجَاجاً أَخْلُقْ مِنْكَ نَارِي وَ أَهْلَ مَعْصِيَتِي ثُمَّ أَمَرَهُمَا فَامْتَزَجَا فَمِنْ ذَلِكَ صَارَ يَلِدُ الْمُؤْمِنُ الْكَافِرَ وَ الْكَافِرُ الْمُؤْمِنَ ثُمَّ أَخَذَ طِيناً مِنْ أَدِيمِ الْأَرْضِ فَعَرَكَهُ عَرْكاً شَدِيداً فَإِذَا هُمْ كَالذَّرِّ يَدِبُّونَ فَقَالَ لِأَصْحَابِ الْيَمِينِ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ بِسَلَامٍ وَ قَالَ لِأَصْحَابِ الشِّمَالِ إِلَى النَّارِ وَ لَا أُبَالِي ثُمَّ أَمَرَ نَاراً فَأُسْعِرَتْ فَقَالَ لِأَصْحَابِ الشِّمَالِ ادْخُلُوهَا فَهَابُوهَا فَقَالَ لِأَصْحَابِ الْيَمِينِ ادْخُلُوهَا فَدَخَلُوهَا فَقَالَ‏ كُونِي بَرْداً وَ سَلاماً فَكَانَتْ بَرْداً وَ سَلَاماً فَقَالَ أَصْحَابُ الشِّمَالِ يَا رَبِّ أَقِلْنَا فَقَالَ قَدْ أَقَلْتُكُمْ فَادْخُلُوهَا فَذَهَبُوا فَهَابُوهَا فَثَمَّ ثَبَتَتِ الطَّاعَةُ وَ الْمَعْصِيَةُ- فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُ هَؤُلَاءِ أَنْ يَكُونُوا مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ وَ لَا هَؤُلَاءِ مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ.

2) عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أُذَيْنَةَ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ أَنَّ رَجُلًا سَأَلَ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ جَلَّ وَ عَزَّ- وَ إِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِنْ بَنِي آدَمَ مِنْ ظُهُورِهِمْ‏ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ‏ وَ أَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلى‏ أَنْفُسِهِمْ أَ لَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ‏ قالُوا بَلى‏ (7:172)  إِلَى آخِرِ الْآيَةِ فَقَالَ وَ أَبُوهُ يَسْمَعُ ع 
حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ قَبَضَ قَبْضَةً مِنْ تُرَابِ التُّرْبَةِ الَّتِي خَلَقَ مِنْهَا آدَمَ ع فَصَبَّ عَلَيْهَا الْمَاءَ الْعَذْبَ الْفُرَاتَ‏ ثُمَّ تَرَكَهَا أَرْبَعِينَ صَبَاحاً ثُمَّ صَبَّ عَلَيْهَا الْمَاءَ الْمَالِحَ الْأُجَاجَ فَتَرَكَهَا أَرْبَعِينَ صَبَاحاً فَلَمَّا اخْتَمَرَتِ الطِّينَةُ أَخَذَهَا فَعَرَكَهَا عَرْكاً شَدِيداً فَخَرَجُوا كَالذَّرِّ مِنْ يَمِينِهِ وَ شِمَالِهِ وَ أَمَرَهُمْ جَمِيعاً أَنْ يَقَعُوا فِي النَّارِ فَدَخَلَ أَصْحَابُ الْيَمِينِ فَصَارَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ بَرْداً وَ سَلَاماً وَ أَبَى أَصْحَابُ الشِّمَالِ أَنْ يَدْخُلُوهَا.

3) عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ عَنْ أَبَانِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ: 
إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَمَّا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ آدَمَ ع أَرْسَلَ الْمَاءَ عَلَى الطِّينِ ثُمَّ قَبَضَ قَبْضَةً فَعَرَكَهَا ثُمَّ فَرَّقَهَا فِرْقَتَيْنِ بِيَدِهِ ثُمَّ ذَرَأَهُمْ فَإِذَا هُمْ يَدِبُّونَ ثُمَّ رَفَعَ لَهُمْ نَاراً فَأَمَرَ أَهْلَ الشِّمَالِ أَنْ يَدْخُلُوهَا فَذَهَبُوا إِلَيْهَا فَهَابُوهَا فَلَمْ يَدْخُلُوهَا ثُمَّ أَمَرَ أَهْلَ الْيَمِينِ أَنْ يَدْخُلُوهَا فَذَهَبُوا فَدَخَلُوهَا فَأَمَرَ اللَّهُ جَلَّ وَ عَزَّ النَّارَ فَكَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ بَرْداً وَ سَلَاماً فَلَمَّا رَأَى ذَلِكَ أَهْلُ الشِّمَالِ قَالُوا رَبَّنَا أَقِلْنَا فَأَقَالَهُمْ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُمُ ادْخُلُوهَا فَذَهَبُوا فَقَامُوا عَلَيْهَا وَ لَمْ يَدْخُلُوهَا فَأَعَادَهُمْ طِيناً وَ خَلَقَ مِنْهَا آدَمَ ع وَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَلَنْ يَسْتَطِيعَ هَؤُلَاءِ أَنْ يَكُونُوا مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ وَ لَا هَؤُلَاءِ أَنْ يَكُونُوا مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ قَالَ فَيَرَوْنَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص أَوَّلُ مَنْ دَخَلَ تِلْكَ النَّارَ فَذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ جَلَّ وَ عَزَّ- قُلْ إِنْ كانَ لِلرَّحْمنِ وَلَدٌ فَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْعابِدِين‏  (43:81)

English Translation:

1) Authentic (Saheeh)

Narrated by Abu Ali Al-Sha’eri and Mohamed Ibn Yehya from Mohamed Ibn Ismail from Ali Ibn Al-Hakam from Aban Ibn Osman from Zurara from Abu Ja’afar (peace be upon him) who said:

If people knew how creation came about, no two men would disagree. Allah the Most Exalted, before creating creatures said, “[let there] be fresh water that I may create my paradise and the people of obedience, and [let there] be salt water that I may create from it hell and the people of transgression.”

He then commanded them to merge and this is why is born [from] the believer disbeliever and [from] the disbeliever believer. 

He then took mud from the surface of the Earth [Adeem Al-Arz] and kneaded it powerfully and behold, they became as moving particles. He commanded those on the right, “to paradise” safely, and those on the left “to hell and I do not mind/care.” He then commanded the fire to burst into flames. He said to those on the left, “enter into it.” So, they feared [and didn’t enter]. He then commanded those on the right, “enter into it,” so, they entered. So, He said, “be thou cool and safe,” so it was cool and safe. Those on the left said, “O Lord ! safeguard us.” He said, “I have safeguarded you, so enter it. “They went but [again] feared it [and again did not enter]. Hence, obedience and transgression were established. Therefore, those [on the left] are unable to [or cannot] be of those [on the right] nor can those [on the right] be of those [on the left].

2) Good (Hasan)

Narrated by Ali Ibn Ibrahim from his father from Ibn Abu Omair from Ibn Othaina from Zurara. 

A man asked Abi Ja’afar, peace be upon him, about Allah’s verse: “When your Lord brought forth from the Children of Adam from their loins, their seeds and made them bear witness as to themselves (saying): ‘Am I not your Lord?’ They said: ‘Yes! We bear witness...’” (7:172) until the end of the verse. 

He [The Imam] said, and his father was listening, “my father told me that Allah the Most Exalted took a handful of Earthly soil/dust, from which He created Adam. He poured upon it sweet palatable [al-Forat] water and left it for 40 bright periods. He then poured upon it salty bitter water and left it for 40 bright periods. When the mud became soaked He kneaded it powerfully. Thus, particles emerged from its right and left. He commanded them all to fall into the fire. Those on the right entered it and it was coolness and peace upon them, whereas those on the left refused to enter.”

3) Good (Hasan)

Narrated by Ali Ibn Ibrahim from his father from Ahmed Ibn Mohamed Ibn Abu Nasr from Aban Ibn Osman from Mohamed Ibn Ali Al-Halabi from Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) who said: 

“When Allah the Most exalted willed to create Adam (peace be upon him) He sent water upon the clay, took a handful and kneaded it, then separated it into two divisions with His hand, scattered them and they became moving. He raised a fire for them and commanded those on the left to enter it. They went towards it but feared it and did not enter it. Then He commanded those on the right to enter it and so they entered it. Allah the Most Exalted commanded the fire to be cool and safe for them. Upon seeing this, those on the left said, “Our Lord, spare/safeguard us.” [and] so He spared/safeguarded them and said to them “enter into it.” They approached it and [again they] did not enter. He returned them [all] to clay from which he created Adam.

Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) then said: “Those [on the one side] are unable to be the same as those [on the other side], nor could those [on the other side] be as those [on the opposite side].”

 

He [the Imam] said, “believe that the messenger of Allah was the first to enter the fire according to the verse by The Almighty: ‘Say (O Muhammad): If the Beneficent One hath a son, I would have been the first among the worshippers.’ (43:81)”

From the aforementioned traditions, it can be seen that the following thirteen steps, in order, were taken in creating moving creatures, including humans.

            First: Water (palatable and bitter) was created before the creatures. 

            Second: Dust or soil was taken/chosen from/on Earth.

            Third: Water was sent/poured upon the taken/chosen land.

            Fourth: Sweet, palatable water was poured on the clay, and left for 40 bright periods.

            Fifth: Salty, bitter water was poured on the clay, and left for 40 bright periods.

            Sixth: The soaked clay was kneaded, brewed or rubbed together harshly and powerfully.

            Seventh: Moving particles or creatures were scattered to the right and left of the rubbed soaked clay. 

            Eighth: Fire was created and lit.

            Ninth: The creatures or moving particles were commanded to enter the fire.

           Tenth: Those on the right obeyed, went into the fire, and the fire was cooled for them. Those on the left, feared and refused to go. Then those on the left, after seeing the safety of those on the right, asked to be spared or safeguarded. So, they were and were again commanded to enter the fire. However, they refused to enter the fire the second time around as well.

           Eleventh: Obedience (following the law [something positive]) and transgression (not following the law [something negative]) was established. 

            Twelfth: The moving particles or creatures were returned to clay. 

            Thirteenth: Finally, from that clay, Adam was created.

In the following section of this post, I would like to highlight many significant and fascinating points that could be seen in these traditions.

• Water was created prior to the creation of any creatures. In the Holy Quran God says:
• “Allah has created every moving creature from water...” (24:45)
• “... And We have made from water every living thing...” (21:30)
• “And it is He Who has created mankind from water...” (25:54)

• Based on the first tradition, God’s paradise or garden was created following the creation of water. In other words, He created sweet, palatable water first, and from that water He created His paradise or garden. Similarly, He created salty, bitter water first and from that water He created His hell.

o   Clearly, Paradise and Hell are physical and material places and not merely spiritual.

o   The word “Jannat” is interchangeably used to mean either “Garden” or “Paradise.” Naturally, water is required and is necessary for a garden to grow or created.

• Based on the first and second tradition, the dust or clay that was taken to be used was taken from the surface of Earth.  The usage of the phrases “أَدِيمِ الْأَرْضِ” and “تُرَابِ التُّرْبَةِ” when assessed together point to Earth. On the same note, in the third tradition, it is stated, “أَرْسَلَ الْمَاءَ عَلَى الطِّينِ” or “water was sent upon clay.” If we take all of these three phrases together, we could paint a natural picture. Water was sent to Earth to soak the soil prior to the creation of creatures. This water could have come in the form of rain.

• In addition to the sending of the Messengers, the term “أَرْسَلَ” has been used in the Quran to denote the sending of some other natural phenomena, such as “winds” (25:48), “birds” (105:3) and “a punishment from sky” (7:162).

• Following the actions of the moving particles on each side, obedience and disobedience was established. If we take these moving particles (“ذَّرِّ يَدِبُّونَ”) to be all living creatures and not just mankind, then we cannot speak of sinfulness and faithfulness in this context. Thus, obedience and disobedience need to be understood in a wider context. One general way to understand obedience and disobedience could be linked to natural laws; being in harmony with natural laws, or being out of harmony with natural laws.

• Another more general way to understand the notions of obedience and disobedience would be in terms of positive and negative charges or polarity. Considering the context, it is easy to notice that two opposite poles cannot become one another. Positive remains positive, negative remains negative. They are simply unable to be like one another.

o   The notion of positive and negative charges prevails in all of our scientific knowledge. Our universe functions based on the interaction of positive and negative charges; For example: ions, protons, electrons, and etc.

o   Our bodies, our brains, our world and our universe (based on what we now know) can only be understood through the interaction of positive and negative charges.

·     There are simply too many examples to name, but I am certain that those of you who study physical and natural sciences can easily think of many examples on your own, where positive and negative charges play major roles in physical laws and regularities.

o   If we do accept his position, regarding the positive and negative charges, then we can also realize why those particles “on the left” did not go to fire even the second time around, after they noticed how God safeguarded those “on the right.” They didn’t go towards the fire, they “feared it,” for the same reason that the two negative poles of two different magnets cannot be attracted to one another.  

·         If we take fire to be negatively charged, and if we take “those on the left” to be negatively charged, then, naturally, they cannot be attracted towards one another.

§  These traditions are directly in agreement with the following Quranic verse. “And HE it is Who has caused the two seas to flow, this palatable and sweet, and that salt and bitter; and between them HE has placed a barrier and an insurmountable partition” (25:53)

o   In this verse, it is clear that these two seas or types of water cannot become like one another. Neither the saltwater could overtake the freshwater nor could the freshwater overtake the saltwater. However, when freshwater meets saltwater, brackish water is formed, which is neither saltwater nor freshwater.

o   If we are all created from these two types of water, then perhaps by learning about the science behind these two types of waters, we can also learn something about our own inner nature. Initially, one may not readily notice the connection between the science of ocean physics and the science of human nature. However, upon further contemplation, similarities begin to appear in one’s mind, which could in turn help one to understand human nature better. The following is a short article, which briefly speaks about what happens when the two types of water meet.

Where the Rivers Meet the Sea

 

§  Another quite interesting link, which may help is the following: 

 

Earth’s Beginnings: The Origins of Life

• Another point to notice in these traditions is that when God commands the creatures to move towards the fire, the tradition does not specify that these moving creatures were human. The term “يَدِبُّونَ” denotes moving things, and not moving mankind. In verse (24:45) the term “دَابَّةٍ” is used for moving creatures, and verse 24:45 specifically speaks about different types of moving creatures and not just humans.

• On the same note, in verse (33:72) God offers “The Trust” or “الْأَمَانَةَ” to the heavens, Earth and the mountains, all of which are moving yet non-living creatures. It is said that they refused to accept the offer, thus, showing a decision being made. Therefore, the moving particles that are mentioned in these traditions do not necessarily need to be living creatures the way we understand living to be.

At this point, a few questions come to mind, which I would like to put on the table in order for us to have them in the back of our minds, as we continue to do our religious and scientific studies.

  

1) Can it be the case that Adam, along with other moving creatures, was created on Earth?

• If so, then could these traditions be used as supporting evidence to help us be at ease regarding the science of human evolution?  

2) Can it be the case that the paradise or the garden, in which Adam was created, is or was a place on Earth?

• When we read about the paradise in the hereafter, we learn that deception and evil cannot and do not exist there. However, in the paradise that Adam was created, the devil deceived him into disobeying God’s command.

• Where could the first garden (Jannah) on Earth be located?

• Perhaps somewhere in the Fertile Crescent? Right by the Euphrates (Al-Forat) River?

                        Fertile Crescent

 3) Can we say that Adam was evolved on Earth, following millions of years of evolution, near the river Euphrates and dwelled in a paradise [a garden] on Earth?

o   According to the Old Testament, the Garden of Eden is located on Earth very near Euphrates or within the Fertile Crescent.

                        Garden of Eden

4) Could it be that the saltwater used was from the Mediterranean Sea and the freshwater used was from Euphrates [Al-Forat]?  

o   Could the first creation have begun somewhere between the Mediterranean Sea and the Euphrates?

There are many more questions that could be asked, and this area of research is certainly open for exploration.

At this point, I best conclude this post.

If you have any comments or questions, please do let me know. Keep in mind that in this post I am not attempting to reject or ascertain any specific view. Rather I hope to have provoked some thoughts and curiosity in order to encourage us to see if we could re-examine our views and see whether we could naturalize some of them.

Source:

Al-Kafi, Volume 2, Pages 6-7, Tradition #1, #2, #3

Two Types of God's Will

This post is a theological post about the will of Allah.  Needless to say, this is a very complicated topic and perhaps beyond our ability to comprehend it. However, we have been given some hints and ideas, which I found quite interesting to keep in mind and to think about, when necessary.

There are three traditions in this post. In the first two traditions, the original word for «will» is the word الْإِرَادَةِ, whereas in the last tradition the word  الْمَشِيئَةَis used. In my opinion, it is crucial to realize that these two words have two different connotations, even though both of these words denote the will of Allah.

As I looked into what the scholars have said regarding this difference in connotation, I noticed that there are multiple possibilities. However, the simplest possibility, which in my opinion is also coherent and fits well with these three traditions is the following: الْمَشِيئَةَ applies to the general will of Allah, whereas الْإِرَادَةِ refers to the specific will of Allah regarding specific things.  In this context, the specific will of Allah follows or comes after the general will of Allah. For the specific will of Allah, specific things need to exist, things to be willed up. Without things to be willed upon, specific will would not have a purpose to exist. On the other hand, the general will of Allah, which precedes the specific will of Allah, is not linked to any thing and was created before all else.

These are some preliminary notes that I thought I should mention before the traditions. Following these traditions, I will add a few more points.

Arabic Text:

 (1مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى الْعَطَّارُ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى الْأَشْعَرِيِّ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ الْأَهْوَازِيِّ عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ حُمَيْدٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ قُلْتُ لَمْ يَزَلِ اللَّهُ مُرِيداً قَالَ 
إِنَّ الْمُرِيدَ لَا يَكُونُ إِلَّا لِمُرَادٍ مَعَهُ لَمْ يَزَلِ اللَّهُ عَالِماً قَادِراً ثُمَّ أَرَادَ

 (3أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ يَحْيَى قَالَ قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع أَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الْإِرَادَةِ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَ مِنَ الْخَلْقِ قَالَ فَقَالَ 
الْإِرَادَةُ مِنَ الْخَلْقِ الضَّمِيرُ وَ مَا يَبْدُو لَهُمْ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْفِعْلِ وَ أَمَّا مِنَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فَإِرَادَتُهُ إِحْدَاثُهُ لَا غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ لِأَنَّهُ لَا يُرَوِّي وَ لَا يَهُمُّ وَ لَا يَتَفَكَّرُ وَ هَذِهِ الصِّفَاتُ مَنْفِيَّةٌ عَنْهُ وَ هِيَ صِفَاتُ الْخَلْقِ فَإِرَادَةُ اللَّهِ الْفِعْلُ لَا غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ يَقُولُ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ بِلَا لَفْظٍ وَ لَا نُطْقٍ بِلِسَانٍ وَ لَا هِمَّةٍ وَ لَا تَفَكُّرٍ وَ لَا كَيْفَ لِذَلِكَ كَمَا أَنَّهُ لَا كَيْفَ لَهُ

 (4عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ أُذَيْنَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ 
خَلَقَ اللَّهُ الْمَشِيئَةَ بِنَفْسِهَا ثُمَّ خَلَقَ الْأَشْيَاءَ بِالْمَشِيئَةِ

Farsi Translation:

 (1عاصم گويد: بامام صادق (ع) عرضكردم: خدا هميشه مريد (با اراده) است؟ فرمود: 
مريد نميباشد مگر با بودن مراد (اراده شده) با او، خدا هميشه عالم و قادر است و سپس اراده كرده است.

 (3صفوان گويد: بحضرت ابو الحسن عليه السلام عرضكردم، اراده خدا و اراده مخلوق را برايم بيان كنيد، فرمود: 
اراده مخلوق ضمير و آهنگ درونى او است و آنچه پس از آن از او سر ميزند، و اما اراده خداى تعالى همان پديد آوردن اوست نه چيز ديگر، زيرا او نينديشد و آهنگ نكند و تفكر ننمايد، اين صفات در او نيست و صفات مخلوقست، پس اراده خدا همان فعل او است نه چيز ديگر، بهر چو خواهد موجود شود گويد «باش پس ميباشد» (موجود شو بلا فاصله موجود شود) بدون لفظ و سخن بزبان و آهنگ و تفكر، و اراده خدا چگونگى ندارد چنانچه او چگونگى ندارد.

 (4امام صادق (ع) فرمود: 
خدا خود مشيت را بى‏ واسطه آفريد و همه چيز را به مشيت آفريد.

English Translation:

1) Authentic/Saheeh

Muhammad ibn Yahya al-‘Attar has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa al-Ash‘ari from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id al-Ahwazi from an-Nadr ibn Suwayd from ‘Asim ibn Hamiyd who has said the following. "I asked abu ‘Abdallah (peace be upon him), ‘Has Allah always been willing [or with will]?’" He (peace be upon him) replied, "There is no Will without [anything] to be is willed upon. Allah is eternally All-knowing and All-powerful. Then He wills [Eradah]."

3) Authentic/Saheeh

Ahmad ibn Idrees has narrated from Mohammed ibn Abdul-Jabbar from Safwan ibn Yahya who has said: "I said to Abi Al–Hasan: Tell me about God's will and the will of creatures. He (peace be upon him) said: "Creatures’ will is in their inside [insticts] and the action that stems from it later. Hoever, the will of Allah, the Most High, is creation/invention/something-coming-to-be, and nothing else, because He does not tell nor deliberates nor cotemplates. These characteristics do not belong to Him and [instead] belong to creatures. God’s will is His action, and nothing else. He says to anything: Be and it becomes [or comes into existence]. This occurs without any articulation or utterance of the tongue, without any effort or thinking. His will has no conditions [or «how’s»] as His Self has no conditions [or «How’s»]."

4) Good/Hasan

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘Umayr from ‘Umar ibn ’Udhaynah from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following: "Allah created His Will [Mashiyat] by itself [or Himself]. Then, He created all things by His Will [Mashiyat]."

The following are some points that I noticed in the aforementioned traditions:

• Both wills of Allah, general and specific, are created by Allah.

• The general will [Mashiyat] of Allah precedes the creation of everything else.  This general will was/is required to create all things, which includes the specific will.

• According to these traditions, there seems to be a clear structure in place. In order for the specific will to exist, things to be willed upon must exist.  Similarly, in order for anything to exist, His general will needs to come into existence. This is confirmed by the usage of the term ثُمَّ or «then», which denotes steps or stages.

• With regard to the creatures, what is quite fascinating is that our Imam (as) has not made any distinctions amongst creatures when he speaks about their inside and will.  Now, I cannot understand how for example a rock could be comparable with living creatures, but at least in terms of living creatures, we can see that there are certainly some shared features.    

• The term الضَّمِيرُ could have multiple meanings. Considering that this term is shared for all creatures, we cannot think of a meaning that is specific to humans or only relevant to humans.

• In terms of humans, our actions stem from our ضَّمِير [inside or instincts or intuitions or …].  Therefore, clearly, there is a link between our inside, whatever that may be, and our actions.

• From a scientific perspective, our inside could mean our intuition, our perception of the world, our instincts, all of which are very subjective and relative, depending on our environment and circumstances.

• If our actions stem from our inside, then to commit good deeds, we need to be concerned about our inside. The question we need to ask ourselves is «how I can configure my inside in order to produce good actions on the outside?»

• Since our will includes both the inside [instinct or …] and the outside action that follows, then one without the other cannot be considered as our will.  In other words, if we commit an action without the inside motive or desire for it, then that action is not what we willed to do.  Similarly, if we have the desire or the motive to commit an action but do not actually do so, then we did not will to do so.

• In terms of God’s will, both specific and general, I cannot say anything, since according to our Imam (as), it is nothing like our will, and since that is that case we cannot even begin to make comparisons and should not make conjectures. Therefore, at this point, until I find other acceptable traditions that may shed more light on this issue, I won’t make any further comments on God’s will. 

• The view that I mentioned in this post is supported by another tradition that I had posted last year. According to that tradition, our Imam (as) states that God’s general will [الْمَشِيئَة] is the «First Rememberance» or الذِّكْرُ الْأَوَّلُ   and God’s specific will [الْإِرَادَة] is the «determination to do what He wants» or الْعَزِيمَةُ عَلَى مَا يَشَاءُ. Thus, this can be used as another evidence that God’s general will precedes God’s specific will, and that there is a clear structure in place.

These are some points that I noticed as I read and looked into this topic. I am certain that those who are much more knowledgeable than me in this topic have much more to say, or see much more than I perceived. If you would like to add any comments or any questions, please do so.

Lastly, please double-check the translations. If you feel there is room for improvement, please do let me know.

Source:

Al-Kafi, Volume 1, Page 109-110, Tradition #1, #3, #4

Particles in Adam's Backbone

In this post, I like to present a tradition that on the surface has a very clear point and message. However, what caught my eyes is the part that is not considered the main message of this tradition. 

First, I will post this Authentic tradition, then I will mention what I have in mind.

Arabic Text:

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنِ الْحسينِ بْنِ نُعَيْمٍ الصَّحَّافِ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَمِنْكُمْ كافِرٌ وَ مِنْكُمْ مُؤْمِنٌ (64:2) فَقَالَ عَرَفَ اللَّهُ إِيمَانَهُمْ بِوَلَايَتِنَا وَ كُفْرَهُمْ بِهَا يَوْمَ أَخَذَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمِيثَاقَ فِي صُلْبِ آدَمَ ع وَ هُمْ ذَرٌّ

Farsi Translation:

حسين بن نعيم صحاف گويد: از امام صادق (ع) پرسيدم از قول خدا عز و جل «برخى شما مؤمن باشيد و برخى كافر»(64:2)  فرمود: خدا ايمان آنها را به ولايت ما و كفر آنها را هم به محك ولايت ما شناخته است از روزى كه ميثاق از آنها بر گرفت و آنها ذره‏ اى بودند در پشت آدم (ع)

English Translation:

Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Mahbub from al-Husain ibn Nu‘aym al-Sahhaf who has said the following:

“Once I asked abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, about the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Gracious: ‘. . . certain persons of you have accepted the faith and others of you have not. . . .’(64:2) The Imam said, ‘God knows their faith and their disbelief through [their position on] our Wilayah [guardianship] since the day He took their covenants in the backbone/spinal cord/Rachis/loin of Adam (peace be upon him) and they were small particles.

Source:

Al-Kafi, Volume 1, Page 413, Tradition #4

The very clear message from this tradition is that the standard through which the people of faith and disbelievers are separated is the wilayah [guardianship] of the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them).  In other words, very bluntly put, based on this tradition, whoever that rejects or has rejected the Wilayah of the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them) cannot be considered faithful to God. The belief in Wilayah of our Imams is a necessary pre-condition for having faith. If one has rejected their wilayah then his or her deeds cannot help him or her when the deeds are accounted for. However, if one has not rejected their wilayah and is rather in search of the Truth, his or her good actions will bring him/her to accept the wilayah of our Imams.

Now, this was not the part that grabbed my attention, since the followers of Ahlul Bayt (as) are already quit aware of the significance of Wilayah. What captured my attention was the part regarding our existence in the body of Adam (as) prior to our physical birth.  

According to this tradition, which is in line with the Quran, every one of us gave our pledge to Allah before we were born in this world. The nature of our existence prior to our birth is a very complex topic. Many scholars have delved into this topic and have written much about it. However, as we know, the words and sayings of Ahlul Bayt (as) always override the words, conjectures and statements of any scholar.  

In the following segment I state what I think we could take from the latter part of this tradition.  Please, do not blindly take what I say to be correct.  What I am about to mention is solely based on my own research and comprehension of this tradition.

According to this tradition: 

·         We did exist prior to our births in this world.

·      We made a covenant with Allah prior to our birth in this world.  The nature of this covenant is not stated in this tradition. 

·         We made this pledge with Allah inside the صُلْبِ of Adam (as).  I looked to see if I can find an accurate definition or translation for this term. According to the medical dictionary the term “صُلْبِ” means backbone or rachis. I further looked into the definition of “rachis” and discovered that it means spinal column.  The medical definition of spinal column is the following: 

                                    Spinal column n.
                                     The series of articulated vertebrae, separated by intervertebral                                       disks and held together by muscles and tendons, that extends from                                        the cranium to the coccyx, encasing the spinal cord and forming                                         the supporting axis of the body. Also called backbone, rachis,                                          spine, vertebral column.

Since  صُلْبِ is regularly translated as loins, I looked and found that loins could be understood as the area between the lower rib cage and the hip bones; in other words, the lumbar segment of the spinal cord.  Subsequently, I looked to see if any studies have been done to link this segment of the body with male reproductive system and I found the following studies, which were published in 2008 and 2011.  

Ejaculation Elicited by Microstimulation of Lumbar Spinothalamic Neurons

& 

A Pivotal Role of Lumbar Spinothalamic Cells in the Regulation of Ejaculation via Intraspinal Connections

According to these studies, the neurons in this area are essentially responsible for ejaculation in males. This finding made me curious and I looked further into the link between spinal column and sexual functions in men. I found the following study from 2011. In it you can study and learn the complex relationship between the male brain, the male spinal cord and the male sexual functions. 

Brain–spinal cord neural circuits controlling male sexual function and behavior

According to this paper, “The lumbar spinal segments are of particular interest because they contain several neural circuits that, in association with neural circuits of the thoracic and sacral spinal cord, are important in eliciting male sexual responses (i.e., erection and ejaculation)” Furthermore, it states, “specific population of LSt [Lumbar Spinothalamic] neurons in the third and fourth lumbar segments of the spinal cord acts as a “spinal ejaculation generator” because toxins that selectively cause lesions in galanin-expressing neurons in this region completely eliminate ejaculation in rats while other aspects of male sexual behavior remain unaffected.” This study confirms that this segment of our spinal cord is essential and necessary for ejaculation in males.

There’s much much more that could be learned from reading this paper.  Our spinal cord or our backbone or our loin, as many of us can probably assume, is extremely important for our sexual functions.

·         According to this tradition, we were present as particles inside Adam.  This entails that we existed physically in one way or another inside Adam.  Perhaps, Adam as the first evolved human was the first being who had within him the complete human gene pool, which in turn is used by each and every one of us. In this sense, we all existed inside Adam, and the future generations exist within us.

This topic is, without a doubt, a complicated topic. We can only hope that in the near future through our scientific discoveries we will learn more about this topic and refine our views and understanding of it and in turn this tradition from our Imam (as).

In the end, if you disagree with my views in this post or if you would like to mention anything about this post, please leave a comment. Your feedback is always welcomed and appreciated.

I hope what I said in this post encourages some of us to look at our Imams' traditions from a natural and scientific perspective, as opposed to purely conceptual and non-natural perspectives. Even if you disagree with everything that I said in this post and consider it irrelevant, I can only hope that reading this post would motivate some of us to examine the traditions of our Imams from different dimensions and through multiple lenses.

The Age of Maturity

“... until when he attains his maturity and reaches forty years ...” (46:15) 

Why does God specify the age forty in this verse? Why does the mention of the age forty immediately follows the mention of maturity? Are the two related? Is the age forty, the age that maturity is attained? I do not know the answer, and I will not claim that the tradition that I am about to post will answer these questions.  However, the tradition that I will mention in this post, could certainly shed light on this verse and provides a vivid clue for us.  

Is there anything special about the age forty? 

Before stating the tradition, I would like to invite you to read the following two articles.  The first article is approximately one year old, and the second article is less than two weeks old.  In other words, we cannot by any means consider the information in these articles as outdated.  In fact, the opposite is the case.  These articles are in line with the latest scientific findings with regard to the brain development. 

Here are the articles:

Brain Only Fully 'Matures' in Middle Age, Claims Neuroscientist 

& 

The Advantages of the Middle-Aged Brain

Read these two articles carefully. Then read the following Authentic tradition.  Then read these two articles again. After doing so, you may feel one step closer to understanding the significance of the age forty and its connection to maturity. I can only assume that in the near future as neuroscience advances further, our understanding of the link between age and brain development will become more accurate.

Arabic Text:

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ دَاوُدَ عَنْ سَيْفٍ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ لَفِي فُسْحَةٍ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ مَا بَيْنَهُ وَ بَيْنَ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً فَإِذَا بَلَغَ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً أَوْحَى اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إِلَى مَلَكَيْهِ قَدْ عَمَّرْتُ عَبْدِي هَذَا عُمُراً فَغَلِّظَا وَ شَدِّدَا وَ تَحَفَّظَا وَ اكْتُبَا عَلَيْهِ قَلِيلَ عَمَلِهِ وَ كَثِيرَهُ وَ صَغِيرَهُ وَ كَبِيرَهُ

Farsi Translation:

ابو بصير گويد: امام صادق عليه السّلام فرمود: همانا بنده در آزادى و گسترشى است از كار خود تا بچهل سالگى، و چون بچهل سالگى رسيد خداى عز و جل به دو فرشته‏اى كه بر او موكل هستند وحى كند من ببنده خود اين عمر را دادم، از اين پس بر او سخت گيريد و كاملا مراقبش باشيد و هر كار كم و زياد و خرد و كلانش را بنويسيد.

English Translation:

Muhammad bin Yahya has narrated from Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Eissa from Ali bin Al-Hakam from Dawood from Sayf from Abi Basir who has said: Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) said:

The worshipper - to some extent - is free to do whatever he wants until he reaches the age of forty years old. Once he is forty years old, Allah the Almighty reveals to His angels that He allowed His worshipper to live for many years [forty years], So from now on you should write down [all of] his acts and works, perform that with much care and precision whether they [his works and acts] are few or much; small or great.

Source:

Al-Kafi, Volume 8, Page 108, Tradition #84