know, such as the knowledge of God,, angels, of higher creation, and of goodness. In this way they also taught them the quantity of the acts which would be necessary to make the souls excel in virtue. This is especially the case with our religion, Islam, for when compared with other religions, it is found that it is absolutely the best religion. Hence it -was the last of diyine dispensations.
Now divine revelation has informed us in all the religions that the soul will live, and all the argument of the learned people have established the same. The souls are freed from physical desires after death. If they be pure, their purity is doubled by this freedom from desires. If they be evil this separation increases their depravity, for they are troubled by the evil which they have already earned, and their regret increases about the opportunities which they lost before their separation from the body, for this purification is not possible without it. It is to this that following verse refers:- A soul would say, "Alas, for that *» *» have been negligent in my duties towards God: Verily I have been one of the scornera'\I38 All the religions agree about this condition of man, and call it his last goodness or misery. This being so, there could not be found in the visible world anything which may be given as an illustration, so there is a difference in its description in the revelations given to different prophets. We mean to say, that there is a difference in illustrating the condition of the good and bad soul on that occasion. There are some which have not given any illustrations of that happiness or misery which the good and bad souls will have there. They have only said that the conditions there would be only spiritual#and pleasures angelic. Others have given instances from the visible world; that is, they have given instances from the visible world; that is, they have given the examples of the pleasures here for the pleasures of the next world, after deducting the trouble borne-in acquiring them, and in the same way, they have illustrated the misery there, 138 Quran, XXXIX; 57 by the example of misery here, after deducting the pleasure which we derive from it. Either the people of these religions received from God revelation* which those did not receive who mad* the next world purely spiritual, or they saw, that, illustrations from things visible are beet understood by the common people and that they are best led so or checked from an action through them. So they said that God will put back the good souls in their respective bodies, and the best possible ease - in paradise. The bad souls will also return to their bodies, where they will be in the;vorst possible mirsery, which they call hell-fire This is true of our religion, Islam, inv illustrating the conditions of the nexft world. There are many verses of the Quran which contain arguments as to the possiblities of the conditions of that world, which can be understood and verified by all. For our reasoik cannot apprehend these things more thai* the possibility of knowing which is common <to all, and which is of the kind of analogy of the existence of the like from the being -of the like, that is of its coming into being. It is an analogy of the coming into being of the small from the existence of the big iand the great. For instance, God says, a'And He propoundeth unto us a comparison and forgetteth His Creation."^ In these verses the argument used is the analogy of the return of the beginning, when both are equal. In the following verse the argument of those is refuted.vho differentiate between the real and return of the same thing. He says, "He giveth you •fire out of a green tree1^5'. The doubt is that the birth was from heat and moisture, while the return will be from cold and dryness. So this doubt is met by the fact that God can create the contrary from the contrary, as He can create the like from the like. The analogy is drawn from the e*ist-<ence of the little from the great. For example, God says, "la not He who has created the Heavens and the earth able to 139 Quran, XXXVI, 78 140 Quran, XXXVI: 80.
create new creatures like unto them! yea?, certainly; for He is the wise Creator".1^ These verses have two arguments for proving the resurrection and at the same time refuting the arguments of those denying it. Were we to quote the verses which give this proof our discourse would be lengthened. But all of them are of the kind we have mentioned.
So, as we have already said, all the religions are agreed that there is a blessing or misery for the human soul after death, but differ in illustrating the conditions of that moment and in explaining it to the common people. It seems that the illustration in our religion is the most perfect) of all for the understanding of the people, and at the same time most inciting of them all to gain for their souls the advantages of that day. And it is the many with whom lies the primary purpose of religion. The spiritual illustration would be least inciting to the common people for desiring the things of hereafter. So they would have 141 Quran, XXXXVI; 81.
little liking for it, while they would fear the physical illustration. So it seems that the physical illustration would be most exciting to them, than the spiritual, while the latter would appeal only to the controversialists among the scholastic theologians, who are always very few in number-Hence we find that the Muslims have been divded into three parties about the meaning of the conditions of the Day of Judgment, One party says that that existence would be just like our present one, as regards pleasures and enjoyments, that is, they think that both are of the same genius, but differ in perpetuity and termination: the one is for ever and the others come to an end. The other party thinks that the two existences are different But this is again subdivided into two parties. The one thinks that that existence with our present faculties Is spiritual, but has been described as physical. For this there are many religious arguments which it would be useless to repeat here. The other party says that that existence is physical only; but they at the same time joo AVEKROES joo AVEKROES believe, that the body will be different from «our present body. This is only transient, that ■will be enternal. For this also there are religious arguments. It seems that even Abdullah B. Abbas held this view. For it is related of him that he said, "There is nought in this world of the hereafter, but names/'' It seems that this view is better suited to the learned men because its possibility is based upon principles, in which there h sio disagreement according to all men: the one being that the soul is immortal, and -the second is that the return of the souls into other bodies does not look so impossible as the return of the bodies themselves* Jfc is so because the material of the bodies here is found following and passing from one body to another, i. e; one and the same matter is found in many people and in many different times. The example of bodies cannot be found, for their matter is the same. For instance a man dies and his body becomes dissolved into earth. The earth ultimately.becomes dissolved into vegetable, which is eaten by quite a REGILION AND PHILOSOPHY 301 different man from whom another man comes into being. If we suppose them to be different bodies, then our aforesaidview cannot be true.
The truth about thil question is that man should follow th*t which he himself has thought out bub anyhow it should not be the view which may deny the fundamental principle altogether. For this would be denying its existence. Such a belief leads to infidelity, on account of a distinct knowledge of this condition being given to* man, both by religion and by human reason^ which is all based upon the eternal nature of the soul. If it be said whether there is any argument or information in the Law about this eternal nature of the soul, we would say that it is found in the Quran itself God says, " God taketh unto him* self the souls of men at the time of their death; and those which die not He also taketh in their sleep."1'*2 In this verse sleep and death have been placed upon the same level, on account of the change in its instru- 142 Quran, XXXIX; 43.
merit, and in sleep on account of a change in itself. For had it not been so it would not have corup to its former condition after awakening. By this means we know that this cession does not effect its essence, but was only attached to it on account of change in its instrument. So it does not follow that with a cessation of the work of the instrument, the soul also ceases to exist. Death is only a cessation of work, so it is clear that its condition should be like that of sleep. As someone has said that if an old man were to get the eyes of the young, he would begin to see like him.
This is all that we thought of in an exposition of the beliefs of our religion, Islam. What remains for us is to look into things of religion in which interpretation is allowed and not allowed. And if allowed, then who are the people to take advantage of it \ With this thing we would Snish our discourse.
The things found in the Law can be divided into five kinds. But in the first place, there are only two kinds of things: indivi- Bible and the divisible. The second one is divided into four kinds. The firstkind which is mentioned in the Quran, is quite olear in its meanings. The second is that in which the thing mentioned is not the thing meant but is only an example of it. This is again divided into four kinds. First, the meanings which it mentions are only illustrations such that they can only be known by the far-fetched and compound analogies, which cannot be understood, but after a long time and much labour. None can accept them but perfect and excellent natures; and it cannot be known that the illustration given is not the real thing; except by this far-fetched way. The second is just the opposite of the former: they can be understood easily, and it can be known that the example is just what is meant here. Thirdly, it can be easily known that it is merely an illustration, but what it is the example of is difficult to comprehend. The fourth kind is quite opposite to the former. The thing of which it is an example, is easily under* stoodj while it is difficult to know that \% is an example at all. The interpretation of the first kind is wrong without doubt. The kind in which both the things arer farfetched: its interpretation particularly lies with those who are well-grounded i» knowledge; and an exposition of it is not fit for any but the learned. The interpretation of its opposite - that which can be understood on both the sides- is just what is wanted, and an exposition of it is nece* ssary. The case of the third kind is like the case of the above. For in it illustration has not been mentioned because of the difficulty for the common people to understand it: it only incites the people to action. Such is the case with the tradition of the prophet; " The black stone i$ God's action on Earth, " etc. etc. That* which can be easily known that is an example, but difficult to know of which it is example, should not be interpreted but for the sake of particular persons and learned men. Those who understand that it is only an illustration, but are not?
learned enough to know the thing which it illustrates, should be told either that it is allegorical and can be understood by the well-established learned men; or the illustration should be changed in a way which might be near to their understanding. This would be the best plan to dispell doubts from their minds.
The law about this should be that which has been laid down by Abu Hamid ( Al Ghazzali) in his book, Al Tafriga bainal Islam ival Zindiga, It should be understood that one thing has five existences which he calls by the name of essential ( Zati ); sensual ( Hissi ); rational ( Agli ); imaginative ( Khayali ) and doubtful ( Shilbhi ). So at the time of doubt it should be considered which of these five kinds would better satisfy the man who has doubts. If it be that which he has called essential than an illustration would best satisfy their minds. In it is also included the following traditions of the Prophet, u Whatever the earlier prophets saw I have seen it from my place here, even heaven and hell/' " Between my cistern of water and the pulpit, there is a garden of paradise;" and '• The earth will eat up the whole of a man except the extremitv of the tail." All these, it can easily be known are but illustrations, but what is the thing which they illustrate, it is difficult to comprehend. So it is necessary in this case to give an instance to the people which they may easily understand. This kind of illustration, when used on such an occassion is allowable; but when used irrelevently it is wrong. Abu Hamid has not decided about the occasion when both the sides of the question - the illustration and the illustrated - be both far-fetched and difficult to understand. In 1 his case there would apparently be a doubt, but a doubt without any foundation. Whafe should be done is to prove that the doubt has no basis, but no interpretation should be made, as we have shown in many places in our present book against the Mutakallimun, Asharites and the Mutazalites.
The fourth kind of occasion is qu te opposite to the former. In this it is very difficult to understand that it is an example, but when once understood, you can easily comprehend the thing illustrated. In the interpretation of this also, there is a consideration: about those people who know that if it is an example, it illustrates such and such a thing; but they doubt whether it is an illustration at all. If they are not learned people, the best thing to do with them is not to make any interpretation, but only to prove the fallacy of the views which they hold about its being an illustration at all. It is also possible that an interpretation may make them still distant from the truth, on account of the nature of the illustration and the illustrated. For these two kinds of occasions if an interpretation is given, they give rise -to strange beliefs, far from the law which when disclosed are denied by the common people. Such has been the case with the Sufis, and those learned man who have followed them. When this work of interpretation was done b}' people who 3o8 AVERROES could not distinguish between these occasions, and made no distinction between the people for whom the interpretation is to be made, there arose differences of opinion, at last forming into sects, which ended in accusing one another with unbelief. All this is pure ignorance of the purpose of the Law.
From what we have already said the amount of mischief done by interperetation must have become clear to you. We always try to acquire our purpose by knowing what should be interpreted, and what not, and when interpreted, how it should be done; and whether all the difficult portions of the Law and Traditions are to be explained or not. These are all included in the four kinds which have already been enumerated.
The purpose of our writing this book is now completed. We took it up because we thought that it was the most important of all purposes - connected with God and the Law -P- -P- VJ1 > H- < H- 0> H- ^ ►1 O (D 0) < & ^ M ^ O O CO 0> O CO ^ THE INSTITUTE OF MEDIAEVAL STUL'.o 10 ELMSLEY PLACE TORONTO 6, CANADA.
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