BİRİNCİ FEN · ÜÇÜNCÜ BÂB · ONUNCU FASIL · İkinci Madde
Second Article
It describes the natural essences (mahiyyah) of the bodily limbs.
O beloved! Know that anatomists have said: The Most High Allah, who creates and gives form to all things, has created every entity in the world in a suitable and harmonious manner, appropriately placed, beautiful, and balanced. He has given each animal its best and most fitting temperament, and to each limb its appropriate condition. He has bestowed upon the human body the proper and moderate qualities of all limbs throughout the universe, giving to each member its most worthy, best, and most suitable temperament. The body of man is created with some members very hot, others very cold, some very moist, and others very dry in nature.
The hottest entity within the body is the spirit (ruh), which is a subtle vapor. Following it is the heart, from which the spirit emanates. After the heart comes the blood, which is adjacent to the heart and possesses great heat. Next is the liver, an organ like coagulated blood, from which blood originates. After the liver comes the purified essence (safi madde). Then comes muscle (kas), which is flesh mixed with nerves. Following that is the spleen, within which there is also blood. After the spleen are the kidneys, whose blood is scant. Next come the arteries, which are vessels close to the spirit’s blood. Following the arteries are the veins, which are vessels of the absolute blood. Then comes the palmar skin.
The coldest entity in the body is phlegm. Following phlegm are the hairs; after the hairs, the bones. After the bones comes marrow [561]. Next come the ligaments (ribat), also known as bands. Then come the tendons, then the membrane (ghisha), and then the nerves. Following the nerves comes putrid marrow, then the brain. After the brain comes flesh, then fat and skin. The most moist member of the body is phlegm. Following it is blood. After blood comes fat, then internal fat. Then comes the brain, after which comes putrid marrow. Next are the fatty tissues in women’s breasts. Following that are the lungs, the place of respiration. Then comes the liver. After the liver come the spleen and kidneys. Finally comes the skin.
The driest member of the body is hair, formed from smoky vapor. Following it are the bones, which are the most solid of the limbs. After the bones comes cartilage. Next come the ligaments, tendons, and membrane. Then come the vessels and arteries. Following these are the motor nerves. After that comes the heart. Following the heart come the sensory nerves (asab-i cesed) and the skin.