A Letter to a Dear One — Page 15
Muhammad Zafrulla Khan 15 last year’s Jalsa Sal ā na. You should read this speech attentively when it is published, in addition to the speech which Hud ū r [ © a ñ rat Khal ī fatul- Mas ī h II] delivered at the 1937 Jalsa Sal ā na and which has been published under the title of Inqil ā b-i-Haq ī q ī [The Real Revolution]. The reference to dust in the birth of man is symbolic in that human nature has been made like that of soft clay. It is affected by outside influences and can be molded to any specification. Just as clay can be easily imprinted on, human nature too is receptive. This establishes that there is infinite strength and capability for progress and development in the human nature. The origin of the birth of human was with dust and water, but having gone through its early stages when he came closer to the era of acquiring the form of an accomplished animal, his birth came about with sperm. Thus the foundation for spouse, family, nation and civilization was laid. The Birth of the Human Soul Thus far I have briefly outlined the physical human birth. There is another human birth far greater and superior than this and that is the birth of the soul. Just like human qualities were put in the original dust and water, which was to progress to the human form rather than any other animal or thing, similarly the elementary dust and water had also been given the ability, qualities and attributes to create human spirit. Just as many centuries were set for the completion of the physical human form, similarly when the time of the birth of the human soul was remote and distant, it was indeed present in the original dust and water just as the fragrance and perfume of the rose is very much present in the soil from which it grows. The initial aspect of the birth of the soul, like the initial aspect of the birth of matter, is Diviner Order. There is a specific time set for its manifestation. When an unborn baby reaches a certain stage of development in the womb, its soul is created as if like a perfume. It is thus given a new creation. This compound of physical life appears as a separate entity and this process is commonly called ‘birth. ’