Which Human Issue Is Crucial in Identifying the Status of the Human Being in Civilization-Building?
Many powerful and weak civilizations existed throughout history and disappeared after a while, with no trace left of them. We discussed that the main reason for the weakness and destruction of civilizations is that they have been negligent of the most fundamental field of knowledge, which is humanology, and have put most of their concentration on other fields such as medicine, engineering, military sciences, astronomy, etc. While if a civilization is built for humans, it must prioritize humanology as the center of all its principles, beliefs, rules, and goals in order to accurately identify the status of the human being in civilization-building and edify human beings. Now the following questions arise here:
- If a civilization wants to properly identify the status of the human being in civilization-building and use it in its cultural foundation, what information must it have about the human being?
- Why do we say that if a civilization does not know the human properly, it has committed a great betrayal against him, whether intentionally or unintentionally?
- What impact does a correct knowledge of the human being have on the destiny of civilizations and humans themselves?
Human life consists of three stages: the stage before birth into the world, the worldly stage, and the stage of return and Wafat. Most civilizations limit humans to just the worldly stage due to ignorance and only train them for living in this world, while there are other human civilizations that only take into account living in the hereafter.
In this article, we will broadly examine the details of the structure of human existence. Human existence has two dimensions: physical and spiritual; the spiritual aspect of our existence is called the soul. It is interesting to know that this spiritual aspect or soul has five different levels or dimensions. A civilization that does not correctly know this important structure and the importance and status of each of these existential levels would focus only on a small part of the human body and soul. As a result, it may plan only for the animal dimension of existence or matters like education, reproduction, wealth, etc. Therefore, it would neglect the most essential part of human existence, which is the divine and spiritual dimension. This way, it deprives humans of love, happiness, and inner peace, which are the criteria for a successful life, both in this world and the hereafter.
The Necessity of Identifying the Different Stages of Human Life in Designing Civilizations
We stated that the human goes through various stages from birth to eternity. All these stages and events determine our destiny in our eternal life.
The human being goes through three stages of life, each of which is important and influential in its own right and has a significant impact on his destiny. All three stages are connected to each other. These stages are:
– The stage before birth into the world
– The worldly stage
– The stage after the world or the return to the origin of life.
We call the combination of these three stages the diagram of creation. It is essential to have a thorough understanding of these stages and an accurate grasp of this diagram. Civilizations are built for humans, so true human bliss should be taken into account. The most fundamental questions that every civilization must answer are: What is the origin of the human being? Where did humans come from and why did they come at all? How long do they reside here? Where will they return to? Why will they return? How long will they live there? How will their conditions and circumstances be in eternal life, and what factors do these circumstances depend on? The answers to these questions determine how each civilization functions with regard to humans and their needs and establishes the ultimate goals of that civilization.
A civilization that is not aware of the origin of humans cannot provide them with happiness and peace. If a civilization does not understand well the purpose of human creation and the limited nature of their life in this world, it places all its values and focus on the short-term life of humans in this world. As a result, a significant part of human life, which is the return path and the human position in eternal life, would be neglected. Such a civilization cannot organize its educational system and institutions in a way that gives the individuals the opportunity to experience a happy and peaceful life.
Civilization is the home to humans, and the personality of each individual is shaped within the civilization it belongs to. A civilization is like a mother’s embrace for humans, and the quality of human life in both this world and the hereafter is shaped by how this mother nurtures and nourishes her child. A civilization that is planned based on all three stages of human life can create a successful hereafter alongside a successful worldly life for humans. This civilization understands the interdependence of the three stages of human life and knows that concentration and planning solely on one stage is impossible; therefore, it does not compromise the eternal life of humans for their limited worldly life in an incompetent deal. The main basis of a human civilization is humans, and all the rules of this civilization revolve around the truth of human existence.
The Importance of Compatibility with the Origin and Resurrection of Humans
We noted that in order to correctly determine the status of the human being in civilization-building, we must be well aware of the three stages of his life. Now, we will briefly explain each of these stages and the importance of considering them in designing a civilization:
- The Stage Before the World
You may have heard many times that all humans were in the embrace of God before their birth, but we do not know the exact story. The truth is that as humans, we do not have the ability to recognize and connect with the Absolute Perfect Being or the Infinite Existence that created us. Therefore, in His first and most complete manifestation, God created a being which reflected all His names and attributes in the most comprehensive manner. This first creation and complete manifestation of God was a truth referred to as the soul, intellect, Lawh (tablet), the light of Muhammad and his Household, Qalam (pen), or the most perfect example (Mathal A’la). In fact, the most perfect example or the light of Muhammad and his Household is the Divine Breathed Spirit from which everything was created. Its only difference from God is that God is self-sufficient, while the most perfect example is the highest manifestation and reflection of God that does not exist on its own and is dependent on God.
As we mentioned earlier, the system of creation is a completely mathematical structure and is based on rules and measures. The origin of human existence is from a truth called the most perfect example, which was the first creation of God, and realms such as Jabarut, Malakut, and Nasut or the material world have been created based on this primary truth. This means that the world of Jabarut, which is a condensed form of the first creation of God, namely the most perfect example or light of the Prophet (PBUH), has been the foundation of the creation of the world of Malakut or the world of angels and pure beings. The world of Malakut, which is a condensed and descended form of the world of Jabarut, is itself the basis for the creation of the material world. The material world itself is based on and descended from the world of Malakut.
When we are conceived in this world, this truth passes through all the realms of existence and reaches our body to be breathed into it and give it life. This Divine Spirit is entrusted to our body until our return and birth into the hereafter. Our soul moves from the most perfect example on its journey to this world, then passes through Jabarut, and after passing through the realm of Malakut, it reaches the material world. In fact, we have the most beautiful and highest position at the first stage, but we reach the lowest stage of our life in this world, and the soul must be nurtured in its worldly life in order to return safely to its origin.
Therefore, the idea that we have existed in the Alam adh-Dharr with the same form and gender, and have made a covenant with God is not correct. We did not have any gender before birth into this world, and we were all one unified soul. Our covenant was an existential one that our fitrah made with God.
Knowing this fact and the impact it has on how civilizations evaluate humans reveal the importance of having a precise knowledge about one’s true self. A civilization that is not aware of such a crucial truth considers the root of humans as a worthless sperm and treats their well-being no better than that of pets.
- The Stage of the World
The issue of the status of the human being in civilization-building is closely related to understanding the status of humans in the world. The stage of the world, which is the second stage of the diagram of creation, is the descending journey of the human from the realm of Malakut to the material world. In this stage, humans enter the lowest and most inferior stage of life, which is the world.[1] Just like the stage before the world, the stage of the world is temporary and finite, but it has a special and fascinating effect which other stages lack; it makes the stage of the world unique and decisive. If we are eager to discover this effect, we need to think about our place of growth and formation after conception, namely the mother’s womb. The difference between the womb and other organs is that this organ has such an extraordinary constructive power that it transforms a single cell into a complete being over nine months.
The stage of the world also has a capability similar to that of the mother’s womb, and the difference is that the womb of the world is related to our soul, not our body. The fetus in the mother’s womb is confined to his dark space and limited nutrients, unaware of the beautiful and vast world awaiting him outside the womb. During the nine months of pregnancy, the fetus gets nourishment from the mother’s womb and shapes his organs. As long as he is in the womb, he is unaware of the importance of the task he is performing and does not know that any neglect of duties in the womb can result in a defective and disabled body for his life in the world. Just as our mother’s womb prepares us for life in this world, the world itself serves as a womb which shapes every aspect of our existence in the hereafter.
Now, if civilizations do not link the status of the human being in civilization-building to this important issue and consider the human as a mortal being and limit their plans and goals to this world, they have committed a heinous crime and betrayal against humans. It is as if these civilizations provide the conditions for enjoying a short-term feast for people, but do not give them any support to prepare for their eternal life in their original home, not providing sufficient supplies and tools for their eternal stage. A civilization that fails to ground itself in these intellectual principles simply entertains and pleases humans in the world, while the stage of the world is designed to prepare humans and help them acquire skills and power for the next stage.
- The Stage After the World
We noted that after the world, we will return to the same place we were originally, but our return path is different from our path of coming to this world. We were the same pure soul separated from God when we came to the world, but the form, quality, and manner of our return entirely depend on our way of life in the world and our preparation for return.
When we came to the world, we were in a state of pure bliss, but it is not clear if we can be at the peak of bliss on the return path. We have been tainted with impurities in the world and taken on a different personality; therefore, according to the personality we have developed in the world, we will enter the hereafter and be born into what we have acquired. For example, someone who has been able to acquire kindness and mercy in the world will face God with His face of kindness and mercy. Someone who has become a tyrannical, cruel, and oppressive person in the world and does not accept anyone’s apology will face God with God’s attribute of Jabbar (All-Compeller) when he returns to God.
In fact, depending on the type of life we have in the world and our level of preparation for the hereafter, we will have various types of births into the hereafter. Our birth into the hereafter depends on how well we are compatible with the living conditions of the realm we are about to enter. Just as this world is vaster and more complicated, and has more resources than the mother’s womb, the realm of the hereafter is infinitely larger than this world and has its own complexities, vastness, and special resources.
Just as a fetus prepares himself for entry into the world with constant organ formation in the mother’s womb, we also prepare ourselves for entry into the eternal and infinite realm of the hereafter through continuous tool-making in the womb of this world. Depending on how well we are compatible with the living conditions of the hereafter, we will have six types of births: healthy, robustly healthy, weak, sick, defective, or deformed. However, only a healthy or robustly healthy birth can give us inner peace and happiness, and make it possible for us to use the infinite resources of the hereafter. In a healthy birth, we will take everything we need in the hereafter with us, and in a robustly healthy birth, we will enter the new realm with even more power and strength, just like a newborn who is completely healthy and also has a special beauty or talent that sets him apart from others.
However, in a weak birth, we cannot immediately adapt ourselves to the living conditions of the place we will enter, and we need time to strengthen ourselves and join healthy individuals. In a sick birth, depending on the number, type, and intensity of our diseases, we must endure suffering and the pain of treatment. The conditions of the defective birth are much more difficult because there will be a defect or defects in relation to the living conditions of the hereafter whose resulting suffering, hardship, and torment are eternal, considering the characteristics of the hereafter. In a deformed birth, we have something extra with us, and we must endure the resulting hardship and suffering forever.
Where Are Our Heaven and Hell?
We often think that Heaven and Hell are waiting for us in the hereafter. However, this idea is wrong, as there are not one Heaven and one Hell. In reality, there is only one Heaven, which will turn into Hell for us if we cannot align ourselves with its living conditions in this world, just like a newborn who has not developed proper hands, feet, and eyes in the womb and cannot use the facilities of the world properly.
Imagine you are offered some fresh water and delicious food, but you do not have the mouth or digestive system to eat and digest them. Or imagine the scent of jasmine and narcissus filling the air, but you do not have the sense of smell to perceive and enjoy it. Hell means not having the ability and capability to align ourselves with the system of Heaven. How is this inability come about? If during our worldly life, we do not make the necessary tools to use the blessings of Heaven, we will fall into hardship, suffering, and Hell.
The tools, provisions, and resources for enjoying Heaven must be acquired through the right lifestyle and correct beliefs and principles during our time in the womb of the world; otherwise, we will have to be patient and make great efforts for years at the stages of the Resurrection, just to be able to make up for what we lack. It is just like a sick newborn who has to endure the pain of treatment based on the intensity, type, and number of his illnesses. And indeed, the disability and illness of some newborns are so profound that they are incurable, and they must live with their deficiency and disability for the rest of their lives. While if we live in a truly human civilization, we will define ourselves as eternal beings and prepare ourselves for an everlasting life.
[1]. “then We reverted him to the lowest of the low.” (Quran, 95:5)
