Two Worlds and the Creation of Mankind
Allah, with immense power, created the universe primarily from two realms: the realm of bodies and the realm of souls. To understand the purpose of human existence, one must first comprehend their own nature—the duality between body and soul. Humans are not merely beings of flesh and bone; their true essence is the heart, which originates from the spiritual realm and possesses the capacity to know Allah and love His beauty. Whoever does not recognize the superiority and value of the heart’s essence will waste this immense potential in worldly pursuits, falling into a great deception. For this essence’s true nourishment and delight are in the afterlife; joy without sorrow, eternal existence, and certainly forgiveness, are attained only by beholding Allah’s beauty.
The Balance of Human Soul and Animal Soul
Within a person’s inner world, there exists both an “animal soul” and a “human soul.” The animal soul is given to serve the human soul and carry it towards its goal—like a mount. Spiritual guides explain this with the analogy of a lamp: the human soul can be thought of as a light emitting radiance; the animal soul as the lamp in which that light shines. While the animal soul provides the body’s material needs and vitality, the human soul desires eternal life and Allah’s pleasure. If this mount—the animal soul—revolts or its temperament becomes corrupted, the heart and body will perish. Therefore, humankind’s greatest duty is to keep their nafs (animal soul) under the control of reason and faith, directing it towards its true goal.
The Transience of the Mount, the Eternity of the Soul
This worldly life is a temporary stopover where the soul prepares for the afterlife. The realm of bodies has been created as a lodging place for the realm of souls to obtain provisions for the hereafter. When the hour of death arrives, the body (the mount) turns to dust, but the human soul remains eternal. The loss of a mount and tool does not necessitate the non-existence of the true being—the soul. The soulless spirit either returns to its origin illuminated by the lights it gained in this world or, if enslaved by worldly desires, remains in darkness with great disappointment. A wise believer who knows this truth invests not in the transient mount but in the precious essence of the soul that will live eternally.