How Long Will the Hidden Imam Live?

part 7

A Little Known Theory about the Cause of Death

At the end of this discussion, it is not a bad idea to keep in mind that there is no doubt that death is associated with the separation of the soul from the body. However, there is another subject worth pursuing, namely, whether infirmity in the body causes the soul to depart and therefore the body is responsible for bringing about death. Or is it the soul which is the main reason for death? Is it the soul that at the time of death is unable to scrutinize the body, which then makes it vulnerable to weakness, aging, and various types of disease?

The majority of scientists and physicians accept the first thesis by maintaining that when the organic energy of the body ends, the entire physical system falls apart. The organs and their ability to perform their function become weak; the main parts become worn out, giving up on the techniques of survival. Since the soul becomes tired and worn out in managing and maintaining the body, it becomes helpless and inevitably leaves the body, causing it to die:

The soul made the intention of leaving.

I told it do not leave.

It said: "What can I do? The house is falling apart! "

Contrary to this there is an opinion held by the great philosopher Mulla Sadra. In his book Asfar he maintained that the management and protection of the body is upon the soul. It is the soul that manages the body in the way it wishes. As long as it needs the body it strives to maintain and protect it. But when it attains more independence and no longer depends upon the body to fulfill its needs, the soul becomes less interested in its body and pays little attention to it. As a result, the body experiences infirmity and has worn out. By the time the soul has completely withdrawn from governing the body, death has set in.

Let me make it clear in conclusion that I am not in the process of proving or disproving this theory. I am simply introducing it as an unknown theory for the friends at this gathering. I do concede that the subject is unfamiliar and original. We should not be hasty in treating it superficially or in rejecting it because it does not make sense to us. One can judge its merit with certainty only when one is fully informed about the reality of the soul, its impact on and complex relationship with the body. To be sure, this is not an easy task, because it needs to analyze a series of philosophical and psychological matters and to undertake numerous, lengthy and complex biological experiments to understand the soul- body relationship. So far, human knowledge has not reached sufficiently far as to allow one to deduce a valid opinion. Psychology as a science of the mind is still in its early stages of understanding the function of the human soul. Certainly, if human knowledge had paid attention to the human body and soul, our world would have been a totally different place today.

Dr. Alexis Carl, in his book entitled: "The Human, a being unknown," writes: "We do not know about anything about our own existential constitution, except in a limited and imperfect way. If Galileo, Newton, and others like them, had spent their intellectual energy studying the human body and mind, our world view would have been very different than what it is today."

Conclusion

Mr. Hoshyar: Several points can be surmised from what has been discussed so far:

(1) Human life has no limit in the sense that any traversing beyond it would be regarded as impossible. No scientist has ever said that a certain number of years marks the maximum to which human life can reach and that when one arrives to that point then death is inescapable. On the contrary, all the scientists, from west and east, ancient and contemporary, have explained clearly that there is no limit to human life, that the future human can conquer death, or can hold it back for a long time and acquire a long life span. It is this very scientific possibility and the hope for success that has driven the researchers to continue to investigate and experiment, and until now their achievements in this regard have had considerable success.

These experiments have demonstrated that, like other infirmities, death is caused by natural factors and reasons which, if they are identified and if their influence is brought under control, can delay death and allow human beings to live longer and free from its fear.

Just as scientific investigation has been able to discover many reasons and factors that cause illnesses and have been able to control their consequences for human well being, it is reasonable to presume that science will continue to succeed in identifying the causes of death and to prevent their effects in shortening life span.

(2) Among the living species of plants, animals, and humans there are some which are observed to possess particular distinction in living longer than others of the same species. The existence of such exceptional entities points to the fact that there is no specific limit to their age which cannot be exceeded. While it is true that most humans die before reaching the age of one hundred, our familiarity with that quantity does not constitute a proof that life beyond a hundred is impossible. For there are many individuals who have lived longer than a hundred years. The existence of persons with 150, 180, and 250 years of age is a clear proof that there is absolutely no limit to human age. What does it matter if a human lives for two hundred or two thousand years? Both these figures are ordinarily unfamiliar and unknown.

(3) Old age is not a non-preventive defect. Rather, it is a kind of disease that can be cured. Just as medical science has so far discovered reasons and factors that cause different ailments and has provided remedies for their cure and prevention, it is reasonable to expect that it will also find the causes for aging and will provide the means to contain these. A group of scientists are diligently working to discover the miracle drug for preserving youth. So far these academic endeavors have produced relatively successful results, on the basis of which it is conceivable to expect that in the near future the research will lead to a preventive remedy to overcome aging and to provide a cure for this infirmity. In this case, human beings will be able to preserve their youthful age for a long time.

I am sure you will agree that based on the findings of the researchers and the affirmation of the scientists studying the phenomenon of aging and longevity, it is conceivable to expect that a person who enjoys a perfect genetic constitution and an impeccable organic structure would live a long life. This is even more plausible when it is known that all the physical parts and organs of that person are free from any infirmity or deficiency, and that he follows all the good habits of a healthy life and avoids anything that causes harm or disturbs his existential equilibrium.

It is for this reason that one should not regard the extended age of the Imam of the Age (peace be upon him) as an unresolvable problem that defies nature. To the contrary, science and wisdom regard longevity through the preservation of youthful energy and vitality, as an absolutely possible occurrence. If the existence of a particular person was necessary for the universe and if it became imperative that this person should have a long life span, God the Almighty is capable of controlling the system of creation and the series of causation in such a way as to allow this perfect individual to benefit from sciences and other sources of knowledge to further Divine goals for humanity.

Dr. Fahimi: What you have said simply proves the possibility of the existence of such a distinguished person. But how do we know that such a person does exist in reality?

Mr. Hoshyar: We have already demonstrated, both rationally and revelationally, that the existence of an Imam is necessary for the survival of humanity. Moreover, on the basis of numerous authentic traditions, the number of the Imams does not exceed twelve. In addition, we also proved that the son of Imam Hasan 'Askari, the twelfth Imam, is the promised Mahdi, who was born of a mother and who lives an invisible life in occultation. There are numerous hadith-reports to that effect. Now, in support of what we have said about the subject of long life and the confirmation provided by the experts in religious sciences, it is possible to prove such unusual and unknown long life spans.

Source: imamalmahdi.com

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