What Is the Role of Choice and Free Will in the Course of Human Development in the World?
In the course of human development and based on the circular diagram of creation, we have all moved from a starting point and descended a path to reach the world. After the world, we will follow back the same path and return to the starting point. The main difference between our movement on these two paths is that all of us were full of light and purity at the starting point. We were at the peak of bliss, order, and balance, and we held the greatest value at that time.[1] However, we will not be in the same state when we return to where we have come from. One reason for this difference is the power of free will that God has given us. During our time in this world and through the choices we make, we determine under what conditions and status we will return to the starting point.
Although God has shown us the right path and the wrong paths through sending prophets and guides and has provided clear proof for everyone, ultimately, it is we who choose our path of our own free will. The noteworthy point is that the fate of a culpable ignorant person is different from that of an inculpable ignorant. A person who is negligent in knowing the path to true bliss is different from someone who has no information about it and is deprived of that knowledge. Surely, God treats these two groups differently.
In examining the course of human development, there are different stages, one of which is our worldly life. The world has many characteristics, one of the most important of which is its womb-like structure. The world has a constructive capability like the mother’s womb; depending on our preparation in this womb-like environment, different types of birth into the subsequent realms occur. In order to successfully tread the path ahead of us, we must know the best type of birth and strive to achieve it.
The Womb-Like Structure and Constructive Capability of the World
The course of human development from the pre-eternal stage and the starting point of creation to reaching the eternal point consists of several stages. These stages include: before the world, the world (the time between birth and wafat), the world of the grave or Malakut (the time between life in Barzakh and the Day of Judgment), resurrection, and the eternal life.
One of the characteristics of the world is its womb-like structure. According to the Law of Proportion and the similarity between the world and the mother’s womb, we pass through our worldly life stage in a womb-like environment, just like our fetal stage. When a fetus leaves the mother’s womb, he enters a new world which is much larger, more advanced, and more beautiful than the previous realm. We have the same condition in the womb of the world. That is, we do not die, and through wafat, we will enter a realm infinitely larger, more beautiful, perfect, attractive, and advanced than the world i.e., the realm of Malakut or Barzakh. The proportion of Malakut to the world is like that of the world to the mother’s womb. According to the course of human development, to enter the larger realm of Malakut, we must prepare tools and equipment for life in Barzakh within our limited worldly life and make our souls ready to transfer there.
The course of human development is such that a fetus has the opportunity to prepare himself to enter the world and live in it during his life in the mother’s womb. The type of birth of a fetus depends on his preparation in the mother’s womb. The level of our preparation and effort in the womb of the world also determines our type of birth into the realm of Barzakh.
Sometimes a fetus in the mother’s womb stops developing organs according to the living conditions of the world and develops organs that are neither useful in the mother’s womb nor in the world. For example, he develops additional heads, fingers, or hands. Even when the development of the fetus into a well-formed human being is stopped, his growth continues in an unnecessary and even destructive way. Similarly, we are constantly in the process of becoming, growing, and taking shape, and based on our efforts in the womb of the world, our human and non-material existence is being created. Depending on how compatible the process of our organ development and efforts is with the living conditions of the realm of the hereafter, we take either a human and heavenly shape or an animal and hellish shape.
If a fetus neglects the constructive capability of the mother’s womb and does not develop his organs according to the conditions of the world, he will face problems when entering the world. These problems are either unsolvable or will take a significant amount of time and money to be treated. We must pay attention to this fact and be aware of it in the womb of the world so that we can make the most of its constructive capability and acquire everything we need for the hereafter right here in this world.
Types of Birth in the Course of Human Development
In the course of human development, based on the type and level of the activity and preparation of the fetus in the mother’s womb, there are six types of birth into this world. There are also six types of birth when we leave the world and enter the realm of Malakut and Barzakh. These include: healthy, robustly healthy, weak, sick, defective, and deformed.
The fetus in the mother’s womb and we in the womb of the world are constantly growing. If this growth is compatible with the living conditions of the world and the realm of Malakut, we will have a healthy or robustly healthy birth. Otherwise, we will have a weak, sick, defective, or deformed birth. In the course of human development, only healthy and robustly healthy births are desirable, and other types of birth trouble us; depending on the type, severity, and number of diseases, we must suffer the pain of treatment.
In the movement of the fetus towards the world, only those fetuses who have started acquiring the necessary equipment for life in the world from the beginning of their lives in the mother’s womb will be born healthy and robustly healthy. They must constantly transform the nutrients they receive from the mother into billions of cells in various forms compatible with the structure of the world and develop the necessary organs for worldly life. In a robustly healthy birth, the fetus enters the world with more power than other fetuses and surpasses them, like the newborns who have special beauty, physical strength, or genius.
In the course of human development, fetuses with weak or sick birth must be delayed and suffer the pain of treatment depending on the level of weakness and the type, severity, and number of diseases. For instance, a fetus may have jaundice or some of his body organs like lungs may not have fully developed. In such cases, he must stay in an incubator for several days or months to get closer to the ideal condition. If the disease and weakness are more severe, the treatment will undoubtedly take more time.
In a defective birth, the fetus has defects because he has not brought some of the necessary tools for life in the world like hands, feet, or eyes. These defects cannot be corrected in the world. Therefore, a defective fetus always suffers from his defects. In some cases, a fetus may have extra organs like additional fingers, two heads, four legs, or multiple hands. These additional organs trouble him, and it is not always possible to fix them.
In a deformed birth, the fetus faces difficulties due to defects in body organs essential for life in the world. For example, a person with paralyzed legs has more difficulty walking in comparison with a person with healthy legs.
The Relationship between the Type of Birth and the Truth of Heaven and Hell
An important point about the world and the realm of the hereafter is that, upon our departure from the womb-like world, the level and type of our preparation for the living conditions of the higher realm we are about to enter shape our Heaven and Hell. We must note that Heaven and Hell are not separate entities. Rather, there is only one main structure and space which is Heaven, and our entry and birth into Hell results from our incompatibility with the living structure of the hereafter, and this turns the realm of the hereafter into Hell for us. Consider a newborn who has not developed necessary organs for breathing for life in this world, and as a result, as soon as he enters this world, he will suffer with every breath he takes. Hell is also a consequence of incompatibility with Heaven.
The environment of the world for a newborn with healthy eyes, ears, and respiratory system is the same as for a blind and deaf newborn with a defective respiratory system. However, a sick newborn cannot use it due to his lack of harmony with this environment. The world will be hellish and unbearable for such a baby. The same is true regarding the realm of the hereafter. This realm has two sides, one of which is Heaven and mercy, and the other is Hell and punishment.[2]
In the course of human development, the lowest type of healthy birth for us is to be in harmony with Heaven and have nothing contrary to or incompatible with it. When a fetus has fewer or extra organs in the mother’s womb, he does not face any problems in the mother’s womb, but he will suffer in this world because this world does not have the capability to grow an organ that he has not brought with himself, and removing extra organs also causes pain. False beliefs and thoughts are like these organs, and they can challenge us in our transfer to the higher realm. Our decisions, relationships, thoughts, and behaviors in this world must be managed in a way that prepares our souls for life in Barzakh and its specific conditions. This is the least we can do for our souls to prepare it for birth into the hereafter. This birth has no specific time and can occur at any moment.
Existential Questions in the Course of Human Development
We are beings with multiple stages of creation. Therefore, in order to plan for our lives, we must see the whole course of human development. This issue is so important that Imam Ali (PBUH) said: “God’s mercy be upon someone who knows where they have come from, where they are, and where they will go.”[3]
When we are invited somewhere in our daily lives, the first thing we ask is “where.” In fact, by asking this question, we hope to know more about the characteristics of the destination. The answer to this question determines the quality of our preparation. For example, if we are invited to a leisure trip in the heart of the forest, our preparation will be different from that of a research expedition in the middle of the desert.
The course of human development is designed in a way that after this world, we will be born into the realms of Barzakh and resurrection. Sound reason and logic dictate that we should prepare ourselves for this journey. When entering each of these realms, we must answer questions that are neither written nor oral. These types of questions, called existential questions, are similar to the questions that the world asks the fetus and are promptly addressed there. We cannot ignore or refuse to answer these questions because our inward self and our lifestyle answer them.
Consider a fetus in the mother’s womb who has not developed eyes and is blind. This defect causes no pain or suffering to the fetus while he is in the mother’s womb, but when he enters the world of light and sound waves, he becomes aware of his defect and the resulting damages. His being blind indicates that he has not taken the course of human development properly within the mother’s womb, which is the place for action and construction; as a result, he is now suffering from birth defects.
The world is a place where the fetus is judged. As soon as he is born, all parts of his body are judged and his defects are immediately identified and converted into pain and suffering. This world also has a womb-like nature. In fact, as our second womb, this world is the world of construction and action, where there is no pain or judgement. However, through birth into the realms of Barzakh and the hereafter, there will be questions and answers. These questions are about the prerequisites that lead to the acquisition of a sound heart. Whatever we develop during the fetal phase, whether in the mother’s womb or in the womb of the world, must be compatible with the characteristics of the place into which we are going to be born, not with those of our current environment.
The Condition for a Healthy Birth According to the Quran (Sound Heart)
If we pay attention to the movements of the fetus in the mother’s womb, we can see that he is constantly thinking about the world and all his actions are directed towards having a healthy birth into the world. In fact, all the developments in the mother’s womb are a prerequisite for the formation of a healthy body.
We are also moving towards a world with its own unique tools and rules of life, and to enter it, we must have these tools, just like a newborn who has hands, feet, body, and senses such as vision and hearing after the end of his fetal phase.
Since a healthy birth into the realms of Barzakh and resurrection is a necessity, we should know that nothing in this world is as important as purifying our soul. Therefore, all our actions must be done in a way that ensures the health of our soul. In our journey towards the realms of Barzakh and resurrection, all stages of life such as marriage, having children, and human relationships are both an opportunity for and a threat to our soul! If we can maintain our spiritual relationships, happiness, and inner peace during these stages under any circumstances without falling into sadness, fear, worry, and anxiety, it means we have turned threats into opportunities and succeeded in purifying our soul.
In the course of human development, when we are born into the realms of Barzakh and resurrection, things like wealth, knowledge, status, academic degrees, spouse, and children that we strive to have throughout our lives will not be with us and will not benefit us. According to God’s words, the only useful asset and wealth that lead to a healthy birth into the hereafter is a sound heart.[4] A sound heart is a heart that can make us compatible with the living conditions of the hereafter. If we consider ourselves human beings, we must know that in the course of human development, acquiring a sound heart is the most essential need for life in this world and in the hereafter. Therefore, all our decisions, relationships, behaviors, and thoughts in the womb of the world must be a prerequisite for acquiring a sound heart. Our heart is our only asset and the essence of our existence. It is the same existence that is born into the hereafter after the death of the body and must prepare itself to live in the different conditions of the hereafter. In fact, we can consider the term “sound heart” upon birth into the hereafter equivalent to the term “healthy body” upon birth into this world. A healthy body is the only asset of a newborn. Similarly, in the course of human development towards the hereafter, a sound heart is our most precious asset and the only thing we have.
Imam Sadiq (PBUH) describes a sound heart as one that has no beloved other than God when meeting Him.[5] According to the Quran, God, the Household of Prophet Muhammad (PBUT), and Jihad (struggling in the way of God) are the main beloveds of such a heart.[6] Any other beloved must be used as a tool for acquiring a sound heart.
Organizing the Beloveds: Our Most Important Duty to Have a Healthy Birth
In the course of human development, the most important tool for having a human inward self and a healthy birth into the hereafter is to have a sound heart. To do this, we must definitely prioritize God, the Household of Prophet Muhammad (PBUT), and Jihad above all other beloveds. Otherwise, we are considered fasiq (out of balance) and not a human being any more. We defined fisq before and stated that a fasiq is an abnormal human who chooses fleeting pleasures over eternal pleasures and benefits and does not feel any need or love for higher pleasures within himself. Allah, the Household of Prophet Muhammad (PBUT), and Jihad are essentially the roadmap to reach our Infinite Beloved.
We stated that the fetus has the opportunity to align himself with the world and be born healthy into it while he is in the mother’s womb. The world, like the mother’s womb, is a place where we must prepare for a healthy birth into a much vaster and more magnificent realm. One of the principles and duties on this path is to carefully organize and prioritize our concerns and beloveds in our plans, decisions, relationships, thoughts, and behaviors. In the course of human development, the most important duty set for our worldly stage is self-improvement and preparation for eternity. All other tasks are conventional matters and a prerequisite that bring us closer to this ultimate goal.
Neglecting self-improvement and organizing our love hierarchy wastes our life and youth- which we can use to assure our eternity and the hereafter- on lower perfections instead of human perfections. As a result of this neglect, an unhealthy birth with a non-human shape into the realms of the hereafter and Barzakh occurs, just like a fetus in the mother’s womb that neglects the duty of developing his organs for a healthy birth, and he is ultimately born into the world with deformed hands, legs, or head or is sick or defective.
In this article, we examined one of the stages in the course of human development, i.e. worldly life and the similarities between the world and the mother’s womb. First, we pointed out the role of choice and free will in taking this developmental course. Furthermore, we highlighted that the world, like the mother’s womb, has a womb-like structure with a high constructive capability. Every tool and equipment needed for birth into the realms of Barzakh and the hereafter must be acquired in this world. We also introduced the six types of birth from the mother’s womb and the womb of the world into the higher realms and explained some of their characteristics.
Following this discussion, we explored existential questions that are not asked in written or oral forms at the time of birth into any realm. Rather, the quality of our life and efforts in the womb in which we reside determines the quality of our answers to these questions.
We stated that among various types of births, only a (robustly) healthy birth is desirable. According to the Quran, a healthy birth happens when we have a sound heart in which God is at the top of our beloveds. Accordingly, our most important duty in this world is to arrange our beloveds and love hierarchy in a way that ultimately leads to the acquisition of a sound heart.
[1]. “We have indeed created man in the best of molds.” (Quran, 95:4)
[2]. “On the inside of it there will be mercy, and on the outside of it there will be torment.” (Quran, 57:13)
[3]. Al-Wafi, vol. 1, p. 116
[4]. “Only those who come before Allah with a pure heart [will be saved].” (Quran: 26:89)
[5]. “A sound heart that meets its Lord having nothing other than Him in it.” (al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 16, no. 5)
[6]. Quran, 9:24
