Word 9: If someone thinks that there is a creature superior than a human in the whole universe, which one is that?
Word 9: If someone thinks that there is a creature superior than a human in the whole universe, which one is that?
In the introductory discussion of self-knowledge, we explained that a human being (Nafs) occurs from matters. “We created the human from an essence of clay: (12) then We made him, a drop, in a secure receptacle (the womb). (13) Then We created of the drop, a clot (of congealed blood) and We created the clot into bitesize tissue, then We created the bitesize tissue into bones, then We clothed the bones with flesh, and then produced it another creation. Blessed is Allah, the Best of creators! (14)” (Al-Mu’minun 12-14).
After a human’s Nafs occurs, the human soul gradually evolves so that it can understand the truth through thinking. We have already explained that every knowledge that we understand is imparted to us by the active intellect (Aghl Fa’al) or angel Gabriel. We proved that the teacher, the audio or video tapes, books and even our thinking are tools that help us to communicate with the active intellect (Aghl Fa’al) or angel Gabriel and receive knowledge from Him.
At the beginning of human life, the power of our soul to understand the facts is low, that is, to explain a certain knowledge, many explanations are given so that we understand it. Gradually, our soul becomes strong and can easily receive knowledge. The evolution of the human soul continues until man acquires the position of conjecture (Hads), meaning, without a teacher and material intermediaries, man can receive certain knowledge within the world (for example, he guesses that someone is entering the room in a moment), if the human soul became stronger. It reaches the status of inspiration (Ilham) and then it reaches the status of revelation (Wahy). Of course, each of the above status has degrees. The man reaches a point where he can unite with the active intellect (Aqhl Fa’al) or Gabriel, who imparts knowledge to the human beings, meaning, he reaches a position where all knowledges are present for him. Because the active intellect or Gabriel imparts knowledge to all beings, when the human soul is united with Gabriel, it is united with all the knowledge and truths of the universe.
The important point is that the human soul has no limit, meaning, it does not reach a level that says it is the highest level here. Therefore, man can be in a higher position than Gabriel. We have in the hadiths that the Holy Prophet (S) reached a point where Gabriel said, “I cannot come higher than this”.
Every evolutionary movement that we see in beings is, by God’s permission, under the management of a truth called active intellect (Aghl Fa’al) or angel Gabriel (A). If a human being rises to a higher position than Gabriel, all the worlds, creatures, and angel Gabriel (A), by the permission of God, will be under the management of that person. In other words, the universe will become a perfect human body. As the survival of the body is to our Nafs, the whole universe will be body of perfect human, that is one of the reasons in the narrations we have that the earth is never empty of God’s reason (Hojjat).
Imam Sadiq (A) said, “Allah has 12,000 worlds and each of those worlds is bigger than the heavens and the earth and I am the reason (Hojjat) over all these worlds”. Meaning, he is present in all these worlds. In the introductory lessons of self-knowledge, we have stated the rule of unity of perceived and perceiver, which means that man unites with what he perceives. Also, man has the ability to pass to world of intellect and to be united with it and be superior to the rational world.
Going back to our main question, is there a creature superior to a human in all the worlds? We do not have a creature superior to a perfect human being. Humans are not animals that walks on two legs, man is the one who is united with the truths of the universe. Bayazid Bastami said that if the heavens and the earth become a million times larger and are in the corner of the mystic’s heart, the mystic will not feel it. Meaning, the heart of the perfect human being is so big that he/she wouldn’t even feel that. Ibn Al-Arabi said, “In this regard that Bayazid announced his position, the heart of the perfect man is even higher than this”. Amir Al-Mu’minin said, “My appearance is that of the Imam and the successor of the Prophet, but my heart is a hidden jewel that is incomprehensible”.
I had a divine intuition, one of Imams said, “Even Amir Al-Mu’minin (A), our grandfather, could not describe himself”. Allameh Hassanzadeh said, “What we wrote, what we said, and what they wrote and said about us is a drop in the ocean of knowledge that I have been given”. I dreamed that Allameh Hassanzadeh stood next to a big water dam and was explaining about the non-stop position of the soul that man does not reach a status where he says that I no longer have capacity to receive knowledge. Allameh Hassanzadeh said that 24 years ago, 24,000 glasses of water were poured into me, and they are still pouring, but my existence has not been filled yet. The interpretation of water in a dream is knowledge.
God Almighty in a narration said, “I do not fit in the heavens and the Earth, but I will be placed in the heart of a believing servant”. This shows the greatness of the heart of a perfect human being. So, man is not this small body but a big world is in him.
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (S) in his ascension saw camels in the caravan, which were full of books and the beginning and end of which were not known. Prophet Muhammad asked, “What are these? When did they start moving?” Angel Gabriel said, “These are the books in which the virtues of Ali Ibn Abi Talib were written and as far as I remember, this caravan was on the move.”
Amir Al-Mu’minin Ali (A) said, “I swear to God, God does not have a verse greater than me, and I am the same great news said in the Quran”. (Surah An-Naba’)
A person who does not know himself sells himself at a cheap price, for example, he sells himself for the money or high rank position. With this explanation, is there a creature greater than human? No.
All praise is to God to the extent that He deserves it.