What Is Life? (1/4)

In our attempt to know the meaning of life we have to bear in mind that Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, has not restricted life to mankind and jinn alone, but life extends to every spot in this universe. We deem life as being only sense and motion. Actually, life means that everything performs its role in this universe.

We judge that man is living because he moves, walks, and talks. We also judge that animals are living because they move and feel. Furthermore, we say that plants are living because they breathe. As for the rest of the universe, we believe that it is lifeless, which is untrue, but how can that be?

The concept of life in this universe entirely differs from our own. In fact, the species of the universe are classified into four: inanimate beings, plants, animals and mankind. Every species among the aforementioned serves the other and does not surpass its special characteristics.

For instance, inanimate beings serve plants, animals and mankind. Its last distinguishing characteristic is growth, which we perceive in the coral reeves within seas. They grow in spite of the fact that growth is not among the distinctive characteristics of inanimate beings. But every species among the species of the universe has higher classes that cease and end where begin the distinctive characteristics of the species succeeding it. Inanimate beings stop in their development at the characteristics of growth, which are the first to distinguish plants.

Naturally, plants start with growth and stop at sensation, but there is a plant that senses like the mimosa; the coy lady as countrymen calls it. It is a flower when you approach with your finger folds its leaves.

As for animals, they start with sense till the more advanced classes among them verge on the basics of reason, instinctively formed in them. Thus, we find that some of the advanced breeds of monkeys are able to mimic man, but with neither understanding nor by heredity.

Man can train animals on performing some games that involve some sort of primitive thinking. But animals do not inherit such skills. Meaning, the monkey that learned to jump over the hurdles would not give birth to a monkey that could do the same without training. It ascertains that all the acts that the trained animals perform are individually acquired skills.

Afterwards comes man, the master of the universe, whom Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, has distinguished by the power of reason in order for him to mediate on the Universe of Allah, to comprehend the Signs of Allah, and to pursue His Course, all praise and glory be to Him.

We consider inanimate beings as having neither life nor motion, and we do not heed the fact that their duty in life dictates so. On contemplating the Qur’anic Statement of The Almighty inscribed in His Noble Book, which falsehood cannot come to it from before it or behind it, that says (what means):

“Everything will perish save His Face.” (Surah Al-Qasas, 28: 88)

We will realize for sure that all that is called a thing in this universe will perish on the Day the Trumpet will be blown. Since Allah, praise be to Him, has said (everything) will perish then everything has life in it, because perishing, as we have already said, is the opposite of life or its antithesis. Recite the noble Qur’anic verse in which Allah, all glory be to Him, says (what means):

“So that those who were to be destroyed (for their rejecting the Faith) might be destroyed after a clear evidence, and those who were to live (i.e. believers) might live after a clear evidence.” (Surah Al-Anfal, 8: 42)

This noble Qur’anic verse shows us that destruction opposes life. When Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, says (part of the Qur’anic verse that means): “Everything will perish.” (Surah Al-Qasas, 28: 88), it means that ‘everything’ that have lived would be destroyed, save (what is done for the sake of) the Honorable Face of Allah, all praise be to Him.

We approach life based on its being sense and motion only, because we are measuring it compared to ourselves, but life has to be measured based on the role that everything plays in this universe. Inanimate beings have a (form of) life that suits them, whereas plants have a (form of) life that suits them and animals have a (form of) life that suits them. So, there subsists a truth that bears neither ambiguity nor controversy, that those things celebrate the Glory of Allah, The Almighty, as verified by the noble Qur’anic verse in which Allah, glory be to Him, says (what means):

“There is not a moving (living) creature on earth, nor a bird that flies with its two wings, but are communities like you. We have neglected nothing in the Book, then unto their Lord they (all) shall be gathered.” (Surah Al-An‘aam, 6: 38)

And the noble Qur’anic verse in which Allah, all glory be to Him, says (what means):

“And there is not a thing but glorifies His Praise. But you understand not their glorification.” (Surah Al-Isra’, 17: 44)

Let us start with inanimate beings. They have a (form of) life that suits their task, even if we do not understand it. We see inanimate beings before us still, motionless, but is it their reality?

While in school, they used to teach us how to magnetize iron, meaning, to make it magnetic. We used to bring a tube containing some iron filings, and then we used to bring a magnet and pass it over them unidirectionally. Consequently, we find that the iron filings have changed their movement and were regulated in one row, thus becoming magnetized. This process, in which the iron particles have moved, occurs in every iron bar over which we pass a magnet in one direction. This simple process, which we have noticed in (the iron filings), is the same that occurs when passing a magnet over an iron bar, even if we fail to notice it because of the iron bulk and its cohesiveness.

(Continued)