ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Perfect Man Part 2: The Nature of Man We know that there are different perspectives on the nature of man, two of which are contradictory to each other: the mentality of the spiritualists and that of the materialists. According to the spiritualists’ mentality, man in reality is composed of body and spirit. The spirit is eternal, and does not perish with death of the body, and we may analyze the Islamic sources that confirm this perspective.

According to materialists’ mentality, a man comprises only as a functioning machine called the “body”, which is annihilated with death, and its dismemberment means the dissolution of his personality eternally. In spite of this great difference in perspectives, there is commonality between both groups of thought. The common grounds are that there are certain non-material elements which may be called intellectual, and which give a man his sense of self value, and personality.

If he is deprived of intellect, he will relegate to the level of animals. Sa’di, the poet, has expressed this idea in the following poem: "Man's body is ennobled by his soul, And this fine garment is not a sign of humanity If man were known by his eyes, nose, mouth and ears, What difference would there be between a picture on the wall and humanity?" There is a saying: "How easy it is to become a scholar and how difficult to be a human being." It requires so many qualities that depend on one's personality and worth.

Deviations which take place in an individual, or, society are of two kinds: Anti-values: stand against values, such as tyranny against justice, suppression against freedom, atheism and lack of discipline against devotion and worship, and foolishness and stupidity against wisdom and intelligence. Most deviations do not belong to this group, because such anti-values are soon defeated.

Another group of deviations takes the form of a cancerous growth of one value (not vices) which obliterates all other values through over expression. For example, asceticism is a value and requisite for humanity, but a person, or, society may turn to it to the extent of over doing it and ignoring every other value. Human values may be said to come under one heading, as expressed by Gnostics and modern theologians, and that is a feeling of pain, something which animals lack.

Pain is a source of discomfort, but at the same time it gives an awareness to find the cause, and consequential remedy.