# The Human Soul and its Immortality

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> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Alí-Akbar Furútan, The Human Soul and its Immortality, New Delhi: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1970, bahai-library.com.
> ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
> 
> "The immortality of the spirit is the
> fundamental basis of Divine Religions.”
> —'ABDU'L-BAHA
> 
> THE HUMAN SOUL
> AND
> 
> ITS IMMORTALITY
> 
> W
> ll”
> By Ali Akbar Furutan
> Translated into English from the
> original Persian.
> © BA!-lA'l PUBLISHING TRUST
> P. O. Box ‘I9
> New Delhi-‘I
> CHAPTER l
> 
> Divisions and Definition of the Spirit
> 
> The Sages and thinkers of old, have
> often divided the Spirit, or the living
> soul‘, into three categories.
> 1. The Vegetable Spirit. 2. The Animal
> Spirit. 3. The Human Spirit. But even
> then, some ancient philosophers believ-
> ed that the mineral also possessed life.
> For instance, Plotinusi has regarded
> the Soul to be the cause of life and
> movement, and that all moving objects
> are animated by a Spirit. In this way it
> is concluded that having an intrinsic
> movement, the mineral is also posses-
> sed of a Spirit.
> in past ages, men of insight and learn-
> ing gradually became aware, and were’
> assured, that the mineral also had a
> Spirit. For instance Fechner“ has con-
> sidered that all creation that has move-
> ment, has a Spirit; while Jean Marie
> Guysu‘ ascribes life to the mineral,
> but with the qualification that its life is
> feeble.
> 
> (1) in this connection the “Spirit or the living
> Soul" denotes the animating force which is
> _ the origin and the cause of all actions.
> (2) Plotinus the celebrated Greek philosopher.
> (Died-270 A.D.)
> (3) German philosopher. (1810-1887)
> (4) French philosopher. (1854-1888)
> 
> in His Tablet to Professor Forel, Abdu'l-
> Baha states :               l
> “...The spirit . however possesseth
> various grades and stations. As to the
> existence of spirit in the mineral; it is
> indubitable that minerals are endowed
> with a spirit and life according to the
> requirements of that stage. This un-
> known secret, too, hath become known
> unto the materialists who now maintain
> that all beings are endowed with life,
> even as He saith in the Quran, “All
> things are living". In the vegetable
> world, too, there is the power oi growth,
> and that power of growth is the spirit.
> in the animal world there is the sense of
> feeling, but in the human world there is
> an all-embracing power..."
> Elucidating the degrees of Spirit, Abdu'l-
> Baha in “Some Answered Questions"
> makes the following definitions :
> "The vegetable spirit: This is a power
> which results from the combination of
> elements and the mingling of substances
> by the decree of the Supreme God, and
> from the influence, the effect, and con-
> nection of other existences. To use an-
> other figure, electricity results from the
> combination of elements, and when
> these substances and elements are
> seperated from each other, the power of
> growth also ceases to exist.
> "The animal spirit:...also results from the
> mingling and combination of elements,
> but this combination is more complete,
> and through the decree of the Almighty
> Lord a periectmingling is obtained, and
> the animal spirit, in other words, the
> power of the senses, is produced...Aiter
> the dissociation and decomposition of
> the combined elements, this spirit also
> i
> 
> will naturally disappear...
> “The human spirit: may be likened to
> the bounty ' of the sun shining
> on crystai...Nevertheless, if the crystal
> breaks, the bounty of the sun con-
> tinues; and if the crystal is destroyed
> or ceases to exist, no harm will happen
> to the bounty of the sun which is ever-
> lasting. This spirit has the power of
> discovery; it encompasses all things.
> All these wonderful signs, these scie-
> ntific discoveries, great enterprises and
> important historical events...are due to
> it. From the realm of the invisible and
> hidden, through spiritual power, it
> brought them to the plane of the
> visible."
> 
> I
> CHAPTER ll
> 
> Proofs of the existence          of the
> Human Soul.
> 
> First Proof
> “...The theologians say...Though man
> has powers and outer senses in common
> with the animal, yet an extraordinary
> power exists in him of which the animal
> is bereft. The sciences, arts, inventions,
> trades, and discoveries of realities, are
> the results of this spiritual power. This
> is a power which encompasses all
> things, comprehends their realities, dis-
> covers all the hidden       mysteries of
> beings, and through this knowledge con-
> trols them: it even perceives things
> which do not exist outwardly ; that is to
> say, intellectual realities which are not
> sensible, and which have no outward
> existence, because they are invisible; so
> it comprehends the mind, the spirit, the
> qualities, the characters, the love and
> sorrow of man, which are intellectual
> realities. Moreover, these existing
> sciences, arts, laws, and endless inven-
> tions of man at one time were invisible,
> mysterious, and hidden secrets;lt is
> only the all-encompassing human power
> which has discovered and brought them
> out from the plane of the invisible to the
> plane of the visible...lf there were not in
> man a power different from any of those
> of the animals, the latter would be
> superior to man in inventions and the
> -
> 
> lr
> ,.
> ls
> 
> i
> comprehension of realities. Therefore...           l
> man hasa gift which the animal does
> not possess.“                                          l
> 
> I
> ll
> Second Proof                                           :2
> l
> I
> 
> “..-Man from known things proves un-
> known things, and discovers unknown
> truths. For example, man sees the curve
> of the hoiizon, and from this he infers
> the roundness of the earth...This is im-
> possible for the animal to perceive. In
> the same way, it cannot understand that
> the sun is the centre and that the earth
> revolves around it. The animal is the
> captive of the senses and bound by
> them; all that is beyond the senses, the
> things that they do not control, the
> animal can never understand ; although
> in the outer senses it is greater than
> man. HENCE IT IS PROVED AND
> VERIFIED THATIN MAN THERE IS A
> POWER OF DISCOVERY BY WHICH HE
> IS DISTINGUISHED FROM THE ANI-
> MALS AND_THlS IS THE SPIRIT OF
> MAN..."'
> 
> Third Proof
> “...AlI things are subdued by the hand
> of man; he can resist nature while all
> other creatures are captives of nature,
> none can depart from her requirements.
> Man alone can resist nature. Nature
> attracts bodies to the centre of the earth;
> man through mechanical means goes
> far from it, and soars in the air. Nature
> prevents man from crossing the seas,
> man builds a ship, and he travels and
> voyages across the great ocean...AlI
> this is contrary to nature...What then,
> is the power in this small body of man
> (5) "Some Answered Questions"
> (6) “Some Answered Questions"
> which encompasses all this ? What is
> this ruling power by which he subdues
> all things ?...""
> Fourth Proof
> "...Man hath the powers of will and
> understanding, but nature hath them
> not. Nature is constrained, man is free.
> Nature is bereft of understanding, man
> understandeth. Nature is unaware of
> past events, but man is aware of them.
> Nature forecasteth not the future; man
> by his discerning power seeth that which
> is to come. Nature hath no conscious-
> ness of itself, man knoweth about all
> things.
> "Should any one suppose that man is but
> apart of the world of nature, and he
> being endowed with these periections,
> these being but manifestations _of the
> world of nature, and thus nature is the
> originator of these pertections and is not
> deprived therefrom, to him we make reply
> and say: the part dependeth upon the
> whole; the part cannot possess perfec-
> tions whereof the whole is deprived---"‘
> Fifth Proof
> Man often consults with himself; he
> counsels and withholds himself from
> entry into selfish desires, anger and
> rage. It is obvious that this counsellor
> is distinct from limbs and organs of the
> body.
> That comprehending, wise and intelligent
> entity, which acts as an excellent adviser
> and a skilful director, guiding the person
> and protecting the body from physical
> dangers and spiritual pitfalls, is the
> Rational Soul ;the reality of man, which
> (7) “Some Answered Questions"
> (8) ‘Tablet to Dr. Forel" by 'Abdu'l-Baha
> i
> 
> is totally different from, and completely
> independent of, alllimbs and organs of
> the body.
> 
> Sixth Proof
> In dreams, sometimes, a person may
> discover solutions to difficult problems,
> which seemed beyond his capacity to
> visualise in wakefulness. And yet when
> asleep, the body is fully resting and all
> the powers and senses are inoperative
> and idle.
> The discovery, in one's dreams, of some
> abstruse mysteries, would have been im-
> possible if it were not for the existence
> of a spiritual reality other than the body.
> 
> Seventh Proof
> In his book, “The Miracle of the Spirit",
> Dr. KarlSchleich,° an eminent German
> surgeon, refutes with ample proofs and
> testimonies, the arguments of some
> materialistic scientists who regard the
> brain as the focal point and even the
> cause of such things as love, emotions,
> thoughts and will. Whereas, a surgeon
> removes some of the brain and disposes
> of a great quantity of this grey substance,
> yetthe personality, the identity and the
> reality of the patient remain unaltered.
> This notable surgeon has testified that
> frequently he had removed some part of
> the brain, and the patient had remained
> in perfect health.
> 
> Eighth Proof
> The shape of an object is dependent on
> the obj-ect itself. No object can take on
> a different shape unless the original one
> is first removed. For example. an article
> (9) Bom 1859 A.D.
> cannot remain both a triangle and a
> square at the same time. One has to
> alter the contour of atriangle in order to
> create a square. This is a characteristic
> of matter. The human spirit becomes
> more enriched in capacity and per-
> ceptivity when it becomes a carrier for
> additional learning. It is capable of
> acquiring difierent forms at the same
> time, For instance, in the store of human
> knowledge all geometrical shapes ‘exist
> simultaneously; at every moment one
> can refer to them and yet the soul re-
> mains unalterd and unaffected. There-
> fore we conclude that the soul is not a
> physical object and is independent of
> the body.
> 
> Ninth Proof
> Some people perform all kinds of work
> while asleep with their eyes closed. For
> example they write, or walk down the
> stairs and along narrow pathways with-
> out the slightest deviation or faltering.
> This condition is technically known as
> “somnambulism". Therefore there must
> be a spiritual force within man, which
> manifests such marvellous phenomena.
> it is the spiritual force that causes man
> to see without eyes; to hear without
> ears ; to solve difficult problems when
> his faculties are inoperative ; to walk in
> twisting and unsafe pathways ; to con-
> trol without any physical contact the
> influence of the outside environment ; to
> suppress the sensitivity of the nervous
> system and to produce various physical
> and chemical changes in the body.
> 
> We cannot find any explanation for this
> extraordinary behaviour. Scientists have
> clearly acknowledged their failure to
> discover the cause of all this.
> 
> J1.
> _
> 
> Scientists with materialistic persuasion
> have described hypnotism as follows:
> “Hypnotism is an act of inducement,
> which affects the hypontised person
> through the ‘hypnotiser. it results in a
> hypnotic sleep, whereby the hypnotised
> carries out the instructions of the
> hypnotiser, without the former using his
> own brain or will power.‘:
> 
> How can such affairs take place without
> the existence of a spiritual non-material
> force ?
> Man must possess an intangible reality
> which we regard as the spirit or soul ;
> and it is this reality which manifests
> such amazing and fascinating pheno-
> mena.
> 
> In concluding this chapter, the readers
> are asked to note the following. points :
> 
> In this material world, every lower being
> is unable to understand the creatures of
> a -higher grade. For example, the mineral
> kingdom cannot comprehend the vege-
> table    kingdom; the vegetable is
> unaware of the animal world; and the
> animal cannot fathom the station of man.
> It is the same. within human society,
> where men of a lower calibre cannot
> comprehend the knowledge and virtues
> of greater souls.
> Now, if through our limitations-both
> physical and spiritua|—we fail to under-
> stand the worlds of God, the reality of
> man and all the spiritual values, we
> should not then try to introduce into our
> minds a negative attitude.
> On the contrary, through concentration
> of effort ; through perseverance; through
> prayer and meditation ; and through con-
> 
> tempiation on the words of the Mani-
> festations of God, we should endeavour
> to discover and understand spiritual
> realities. indeed many people through
> perseverance and abstinence from
> selfish desires,‘ have attained to very
> great heights of spirituality and have set
> an example in the field of virtue and
> nobility.
> CHAPTER Ill
> 
> Proofs of the Immortality of the
> Human Soul.               f
> 
> First Proof
> “...No sign can come from a non-exist-
> ing thing ; that is to say, it is impossible
> that from absolute non-existence signs
> should appear, for the signs are the con-
> sequence of an existence, and the con-
> sequence depends upon the existence
> of the principle. So, from a non-existing
> sun no light can radiate, from a non-
> existing sea no waves appear, from a
> non-existing cloud no rain falls ; a non-
> existing tree yields no fruit; a non-
> existing man neither manifests nor pro-
> duces anything. Therefore as long as
> signs of existence appear, they are a
> proof that the possessor of the sign is
> existent.     f
> Consider that to-day the Kingdom of
> Christ existszfrom a non-existing king
> how could such a great kingdom be
> manifested ?..."1°
> 
> Second Proof
> “...The power and the comprehension
> of the human spirit are of two kinds :
> 
> “.--One way is through instruments and
> organs : thus with this eye it sees, with
> 
> (10) "Some Answered Questions"
> l
> 
> l
> l
> 
> this ear it hears, with this tongue it
> talks    The other manifestation of the
> powers and actions of the spirit is without
> instruments and organs. For example, in
> the state of sleep without eyes it sees,
> l    without an ear it hears, without a tongue
> it speaks, without feet it runs...How
> often it happens that it sees a dream in
> the world of sleep, and its significance
> becomes apparent a year afterwards in
> corresponding events. In the same way,
> how many times it happens that a ques-
> tion which one cannot solve in the world
> of wakefulness, is solved in the world of
> dreams...The spirit of man is not in the
> body, because it is freed and sanctified
> from entrance and exit, which are bodily
> conditions. The connection of.the spirit
> with the body is like that of the sun
> with the mirror...Therefore...the spirit is
> different from the body, and that its dur-
> ation is independent of that of the
> body..."“
> Third Proof                         »
> “...The body becomes weak, or heavy,
> or sick, or it finds health ; it becomes
> tired or rested...briefly, the body may
> have all the imperfections. Nevertheless,
> the spirit in its original state, in its own
> spiritual perception, will be eternal and
> perpetual ; it neither finds any imperfec-
> tion nor will it become crippled...""
> For example, many famous scholars have
> had prolonged spells of illness during
> which they suffered agonising pains
> for long periods; and yet during mo-
> ments of relief, they have continued
> their studies and demonstrated the
> genius and power of their minds. Now,
> 
> (11) "Some Answered Questions"
> (12) "Some Answered Questions"
> 
> if the spirit and the body were to be one
> and the same thing ; or the spirit a pro-
> perty of matter, then man's spiritual
> powers, like a lamp whose light grows
> dim as the oil runs out, should diminish
> along with bodily weakness and infirmity.
> Fourth Proof
> The body is subject to the laws of
> nature. The spirit is not. The physical
> and chemical laws do not control the
> rational soul. The love for beauty, the
> social sentiments, human affection,
> friendship, and intelligence, all these and
> other manifestations of the soul are not
> under the control of the laws of nature.
> Therefore the spirit is different from the
> body, and the immortality of the soul
> does not depend upon it.
> Fifth Proof
> The working of the human body is sub-
> ject to the principle of metabolism ; i.e.
> the specific chemical conversion of
> substances within the body. When the
> body is completely resting the ratio bet-
> ween oxygen inhaled, and carbon dioxide
> exhaled, constitutes the          standard
> measure of metabolism. Against this
> standard one can assess different
> degrees of metabolism.
> 
> For example, metabolism increases when
> through the expansion and contraction
> of muscles, the body performs some
> physical work.
> The exception to this however, as attes-
> ted by great scientists, among them Dr.
> Alexis Carrel, is the act of meditation
> which is regarded as one, of the three
> manifestations of the human spirit.
> The gist of Dr. Carrel's conclusions is
> as follows : strangely, mental work does
> 
> not increase metaboIism...It is surprising
> that mental energy used during medit-
> ation—meditation which brings about
> such profound changes on the surface
> of the earth, or causes the discovery of
> new worlds in this limitless space—is so
> insignificant that one cannot         even
> I       measure it.
> l
> l
> 
> The most profound mental activity does
> not raise the measure of metabolism, as
> would, the contraction of a muscle when
> lifting a book from the table. The mental
> exertions of Newton, the inspired works
> of Beethoven, the deep thoughts and pro-
> l
> [.
> fl
> found studies of Pasteur, did not increase
> the degree of metabolism, as the exer-
> l   tions of a few microscopic creatures, or
> a slight increase in the activity of the
> thyroid glands.
> 
> Sixth Proof                       .
> According to the law of nature the
> nervous system feels pain. When pain
> becomes intolerable man's endurance
> comes to an end, and often under such
> circumstances he will collapse and faint.
> But there have been, and will be, men
> who through the power of faith, can so
> master their nervous system as to over-
> come pain. These men willingly endure
> all forms of calamity and affliction with
> joy and gratitude. in the path of their
> beliefs they welcome death and, with
> feelings of ecstasy and rapture, rush to
> the scene of martyrdom. The history of
> religions is replete with such moving
> accounts.
> The study of Nabil's narrative and other
> documents depicting the lives of the
> martyrs in the Baha'i Faith will provide
> ample testimony on this point.
> 
> -A
> ll
> 
> Seventh Proof
> The spirit or the rational soul, is original,
> independent and self-subsisting. It is
> free from any form of composition or
> combination. Therefore it cannot be
> destroyed or obliterated; nor can change
> overtake it. Immortality is an inherent
> quality of the soul.
> 
> Eighth Proof
> The cause of death is that as a result of
> constant work, the body gradually
> degenerates and is worn out. When
> weakness and infirmity overtake it, the
> body looses its resistance, and the
> limbs and organs fail to respond in their
> natural functions. At this point death,
> which can be described as “inactivity of
> all faculties", takes place and the body
> disintegrates. The spirit does not follow
> this pattern. Hard work and passage of
> time do not weaken it. On the contrary,
> the more strenuous the exertions the
> more will it grow in strength and vitality.
> In this way death cannot be considered
> for the soul. When the body is
> weak and frail the spirit does not with-
> draw from activity. How many a master-
> piece, whether in arts, literature, or
> science has come into the world through
> tne genius of some man who was pass-
> ing through the rigours of old age, and
> yet till the end, continued to enrich
> posterity with his brilliant mind.
> We, therefore, conclude that since the
> spirit is not affected by weariness and
> old age, it is immortal.
> 
> Ninth Proof                   _
> In one sense, death can be described as
> “change in the state of an object". In
> other words, when the original form is
> 1.6
> 
> dissociated from a created being, and
> the body decomposed and disintegrated,
> thendeath takes place.
> But as the human soul can assume all
> forms at the same time, and all geometri-
> cal patterns exist in the mind simulta-
> neously, there can be no transformation
> from one form into another. In other
> words death cannot overtake the soul.
> 
> Tenth Proof
> In another sense, death is realised when
> man's limbs and orans become inoper-
> ative, and the power of the senses, both
> physical and intellectual, cease to exist.
> So the eyes cannot see ; the ears cannot
> hear ; the legs cannot move ; and the
> lamp of intellect and intelligence is
> extinguished. Under these circumstances
> if the soul is still able to function with-
> out physical limbs and organs, then we
> can be assured that it is not affected by
> death, and cannot be disintegrated or
> decomposed.
> 
> The mightiest proof and the most
> eloquent testimony for this is the con-
> dition of sleep.
> 
> When sleeping the body is at complete
> rest and according to scientific discove-
> ries, during sleep the following changes
> take place :                       ‘
> a) Heartbeat is reduced and respiration
> is slowed down.
> 
> b) Metabolism, i.e. conversion of chemi-
> cal substances, is considerably
> reduced.
> 
> c) The body's response to environmental
> stimulation is lost, and the Central
> l
> 
> Nervous System (except the Auto-
> nomic Nervous System) is insensi-
> tive.
> dl Mental activity is ceased.
> Not withstanding all this, in the world of
> dreams man walks without the use of
> feet; sees without eyes; hears without
> ears; solves difficult problems which
> are beyond him in wakefulness ; and dis-
> covers future events exactly as they take
> place in reality.
> 
> it is interesting to note that Mendelief,
> the notable scientist, discovered his
> famous "periodic classification of the
> atomic weight of elements" in a dream.
> 
> Eleventh Proof
> According to materialists, man, like
> animal, is composed of elements; and
> after decomposition his life comes to an
> end for ever. If this is true, then what is
> the wisdom of creation and what is the
> purpose of so much suffering and hard-
> ship ? In this case is not an animal in a        v
> I
> 
> much more enviable position than man ?
> Our intellect and conscience cannot
> accept this theory. Instead it confirms
> that the Worlds of God, after this one,
> are innumerable, and that the human
> spirit is everlasting and indestructible.
> in this way creation reaches its ultimate
> purpose and bears its fruits in the
> Worlds of God.
> l
> l
> Twelfth Proof
> Assuming that the human spirit is not
> immortal and the life-after a more fraud,
> and there is no punishment or reward in
> the next life, then it seems that creation
> as a whole is founded on injustice.
> l
> r
> l
> l
> 
> The word justice becomes meaningless
> when people neither reap reward nor
> receive punishment for their deeds.
> Does it not seem inconceivable that the
> Creator who has fashioned this universe
> with marvellous regularity and order, has
> in the end, established such a feeble
> foundation for His Creation that there is
> no distinction between good and evil or
> just and unjust?
> Thirteenth Proof
> If we suppose that the soul is not im-
> mortal, and man's life is only limited to
> this physical domain, then let us see for
> what reason the Messengers of God and
> His Manifestations, who are regarded
> by their supporters as well as their
> i               enemies, as the wisest and the most
> discerning among all people, allow them-
> selves, in spite of their power and fore-
> sight, to be persecuted by their adver-
> saries? They sacrifice their lives and
> l
> l
> their families and possessions with
> l
> forbearance and meekness.
> The same applies to men of God and
> His Chosen Ones, who with much long-
> ing enthusiasm enter the arena of
> l            sacrifice, discarding their rank, their
> honour and their possessions, and leav-
> l        ing the world and all its pleasures to
> those who are attached to them.
> If we assume that all this is done to
> obtain fame, it seems strange that they
> did not compromise in their attitude, and
> did not employ adulatory and flattering
> methods in their dealing with man.
> indeed, their detachment from this world
> is ample testimony to men of insight that
> there must be spiritual worlds beyond
> this mortal life and that the soul of man
> E
> -is above destruction and death.
> 
> L._._
> CHAPTER IV
> 
> Miscellaneous matters relating to the
> human soul
> 
> “. . . Though in infancy the signs of
> the mind and spirit appear in man,
> they do not reach the degree of per-
> fection; they are imperfect. Only
> when man attains maturity do the
> mind and the spirit appear and be-
> come evident in utmost perfection. . .
> . . . In the womb of the world, mind
> and spirit also existed in the embr-
> yo, but they were concealed; after-
> wards they appeared. So it is that in
> the seed the tree exists, but it is hid-
> den and concealed; when it develops
> and grows, the complete tree
> appears . . . "1’
> 
> “. . . The spirit, which . . . embraces
> all beings, and as far as human abi-
> lity permits discovers the realities of
> things and becomes cognizant of
> their peculiarities and effects, and of
> the qualities and properties of beings.
> But the human spirit, unless
> assisted by the spirit of faith,
> does not become acquainted with
> the divine secrets and the hea-
> venly realities. lt is likea mirror
> which, although clear, polished, and
> brilliant, is still in need of light. Until
> a ray of the sun reflects upon it, it
> (I3) “Some Answered Questions"
> 
> cannot discover        the     heavenly
> secrets . . .""
> c) “. . . The mind is the power of the
> human spirit. Spirit is the lamp; mind
> is the light which shines from the
> lamp. Spirit is the tree and the mind
> is the fruit. Mind is the perfection of
> the spirit, and is its essential quality,
> as the sun's rays are the essential
> necessity of the sun . . ."“
> d) “. . . As the spirit continues to exist
> after death, it necessarily progresses
> or declines; and in the other world,
> to cease to progress is the same as
> to decline; but it never leaves its
> own condition, in which it continues
> to develop. For example, the reality
> of the spirit of Peter, however far it
> may progress, will not reach the
> condition of the Reality of Christ; it
> progresses only in its own environ-
> ment. . . . However far the disci-
> ples might progress, they could never
> become Christ. It is true that coal
> could become a diamond, but both
> are in the mineral condition and their
> component elements are the same"“
> e) ". . . The human spirit, does not des-
> cend into the body; . . . for descent
> and entrance are characteristics of
> bodies . . . The spirit is connected
> with the body, as this light is with
> this mirror . . . the human spirit, has
> neither entered this body nor existed
> through it . . ."“
> f) “The progress of man's spirit in the
> divine world, after the severance of
> (14) “Some Answered Questions"
> (15) “Some Answered Questions"
> (16) “Some Answered Questions"
> (17) “Some Answered Questions”
> 
> its connection with the body of dust,
> is through the bounty and grace of
> the Lord alone, or through the inter-
> cession and the sincere prayers of
> other human souls, or through the
> charities and important good works
> which are performed in its name."1°
> 
> g) “. . . Children who die before attain-
> ing the age of discretion, or before
> the appointed time of birth: "these
> infants are under the shadow of the
> favour of God; and as they have not
> committed any sin, and are not soiled
> with the impurities of the world of
> nature, they are the centres of the
> manifestations of bounty, and Eye of
> Compassion will be turned upon
> them.""
> 
> Conclusion
> 
> In conclusion the following utterances
> of the Bab and Baha'u'llah are quoted.
> May Their exalted Words difiuse their
> musk-laden fragrance on this article.
> A) “To those who are endowed with
> pure hearts, all the worlds are rea-
> lised under the shadow of this world
> and are manifested therein."’°
> 
> B) "Although all the worlds of God, hath
> been and wilt ever be, revolving
> around this world; yet, in every world
> for each soul, a particular condition
> hath been decreed and established
> . . . The meaning of paradise in this
> life hath been to attain to His good
> pleasure and to enter into His Cause.
> (18) “Some Answered Questions"
> (19) Kita'b-i-Baya'n, Chapter 8, 2nd Va'hid
> (20) “Some Answered Questions"
> 
> After their ascension from this earth-
> ly life, the believers shall enter into
> Paradises of incomparable glory, and
> bounties of immeasurable greatness
> will be vouchsafed unto them. These
> Paradises are the deeds they have
> performed in this wor|d.“'1
> ) “He Who is the Day Star of the
> Heaven of Understanding beareth me
> witness: that whatever hath been re-
> vealed by the Pen of the Most High
> for those who have ascended to the
> Kingdom     of Abha, hath caused
> those holy souls, at that moment, to
> be endowed with power and might,
> and to be invested with greater
> measure of glory and bounty, of as-
> cendency and wellbeing."”
> 
> D) “And now concerning thy question
> whether human souls continue to be
> conscious one of another after their
> separation from the body        The
> people of Baha, who are the inmates
> of the Ark of God, are, one and all,
> well aware of one another's state
> and condition, and are united in the
> bonds of intimacy and fellowship.
> Such a state, however, must depend
> upon their faith and their conduct.
> They that are of the same grade and
> station are fully aware of one ano-
> l
> ther's capacity, character, accomp-
> lishments and merits. They that are
> l
> 1r           of a lower grade, however, are inca-
> l
> pable of comprehending adequately
> the station, or of estimating the
> merits, of those that rank above them.
> Each shall receive his share from thy
> Lord.. .. it is clear and evident
> that all men shall, after their physi-
> (21) Tablets of Baha'u'llah
> (22) Tablets of Baha'u'llah
> 
> I
> j
> 
> cal death, estimate the worth of their
> deeds, and realize all that their hands
> have wrought.l swear by the Day
> Star that shineth above the horizon
> of Divine power! They that are the
> followers of the one true God shall,
> the moment they depart out of this
> life, experience such joy and glad-
> ness as would be impossible to des-
> cribe, while they that live in error
> shall be seized with such fear and
> trembling, and shall be filled with
> such consternation, as nothing can
> exceed. Well is it with him that hath
> quaffed the choice and incorruptible
> wine of faith through the gracious
> favour and the manifold bounties of
> Him Who is the Lord of all Faiths.”*"
> 
> l23) Gleanings From the Writings of Baha'u'liah
> Printed at Skylark Printers. New Delhi,
> 
> Inuit
>
> — *The Human Soul and its Immortality (Used by permission of the curator)*