What Does “His Spirit Is a Copy of the Divine Realm, and His Form a Copy of the Realms of Dominion and the Unseen” Mean in Reference to the Prophet (PBUH)?

The division of the universe into the realms of Lahut, Jabarut, Malakut and Nasut is a matter of speculative taste. Religious texts offer no specific account of these levels. The existential realities of Muhammad and the Household of Muhammad (AS) are marked by particular intricacies, mysteries and hidden dimensions that are difficult to analyse. (إِنَّ حَدِيثَنَا صَعْبٌ مُسْتَصْعَب‏)

The hadiths cited below reflect some of the wonders of these revered figures’ existence.

عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَلَقَنَا مِنْ عِلِّيِّينَ وَ خَلَقَ أَرْوَاحَنَا مِنْ فَوْقِ ذَلِكَ وَ خَلَقَ أَرْوَاحَ شِيعَتِنَا مِنْ عِلِّيِّينَ وَ خَلَقَ أَجْسَادَهُمْ مِنْ دُونِ ذَلِكَ فَمِنْ أَجْلِ ذَلِكَ الْقَرَابَةُ بَيْنَنَا وَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَ قُلُوبُهُمْ تَحِنُّ إِلَيْنَا.
*Al-Kafi* (Islamic edition), vol. 1, p. 389

Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: “Truly, God created us from the highest realm, and created our spirits above it. He created the spirits of our Shi‘a from that highest realm, and their bodies from below it. That is why we are kin and close to one another, and their hearts yearn for us.”

عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَلَقَنَا مِنْ نُورِ عَظَمَتِهِ ثُمَّ صَوَّرَ خَلْقَنَا مِنْ طِينَةٍ مَخْزُونَةٍ مَكْنُونَةٍ مِنْ تَحْتِ الْعَرْشِ فَأَسْكَنَ ذَلِكَ النُّورَ فِيهِ فَكُنَّا نَحْنُ خَلْقاً وَ بَشَراً نُورَانِيِّينَ لَمْ يَجْعَلْ لِأَحَدٍ فِي مِثْلِ الَّذِي خَلَقَنَا مِنْهُ نَصِيباً وَ خَلَقَ أَرْوَاحَ شِيعَتِنَا مِنْ طِينَتِنَا وَ أَبْدَانَهُمْ مِنْ طِينَةٍ مَخْزُونَةٍ مَكْنُونَةٍ أَسْفَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ الطِّينَةِ وَ لَمْ يَجْعَلِ اللَّهُ لِأَحَدٍ فِي مِثْلِ الَّذِي خَلَقَهُمْ مِنْهُ نَصِيباً إِلَّا لِلْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَ لِذَلِكَ صِرْنَا نَحْنُ وَ هُمُ النَّاسَ وَ صَارَ سَائِرُ النَّاسِ هَمَجاً- لِلنَّارِ وَ إِلَى النَّارِ.
*Al-Kafi* (Islamic edition), vol. 1, p. 389

Muhammad ibn Marwan said: I heard Imam al-Sadiq (AS) say:

“Truly, God created us from the light of His majesty. Then He formed our creation from clay, stored and hidden beneath the Throne, and placed that light within this form. Thus we became creatures radiant and resplendent in human guise, and no one shares in our creation. He created the spirits of our Shi‘a from our clay, and their bodies from clay stored and hidden at a level below the clay from which He created their spirits. None shares in this creation, which is particular to them, except the prophets. Thus we and they became human beings, while other people became beasts, driven by fire and heading towards Hell.”

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع إِنَّ لِلَّهِ نَهَراً دُونَ عَرْشِهِ وَ دُونَ النَّهَرِ الَّذِي دُونَ عَرْشِهِ نُورٌ نَوَّرَهُ وَ إِنَّ فِي حَافَتَيِ النَّهَرِ رُوحَيْنِ مَخْلُوقَيْنِ- رُوحُ الْقُدُسِ وَ رُوحٌ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ وَ إِنَّ لِلَّهِ عَشْرَ طِينَاتٍ خَمْسَةً مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ وَ خَمْسَةً مِنَ الْأَرْضِ فَفَسَّرَ الْجِنَانَ وَ فَسَّرَ الْأَرْضَ ثُمَّ قَالَ مَا مِنْ نَبِيٍّ وَ لَا مَلَكٍ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ جَبَلَهُ إِلَّا نَفَخَ فِيهِ مِنْ إِحْدَى الرُّوحَيْنِ وَ جَعَلَ النَّبِيَّ ص مِنْ إِحْدَى الطِّينَتَيْنِ قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ الْأَوَّلِ ع مَا الْجَبْلُ فَقَالَ الْخَلْقُ غَيْرَنَا أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ خَلَقَنَا مِنَ الْعَشْرِ طِينَاتٍ وَ نَفَخَ فِينَا مِنَ الرُّوحَيْنِ جَمِيعاً فَأَطْيِبْ بِهَا طِيباً وَ رَوَى غَيْرُهُ عَنْ أَبِي الصَّامِتِ قَالَ طِينُ الْجِنَانِ جَنَّةُ عَدْنٍ وَ جَنَّةُ الْمَأْوَى وَ جَنَّةُ النَّعِيمِ وَ الْفِرْدَوْسُ وَ الْخُلْدُ وَ طِينُ الْأَرْضِ مَكَّةُ وَ الْمَدِينَةُ وَ الْكُوفَةُ وَ بَيْتُ الْمَقْدِسِ وَ الْحَائِرُ.
*Al-Kafi* (Islamic edition), vol. 1, p. 389

‘Ali ibn Ra’ab traced the hadith back to ‘Ali (AS), who said: “God has a river beneath His Throne, and beneath that river is a radiant light. On the two banks of the river He created two spirits: one the Holy Spirit, the other the Spirit from His command. Truly, God has ten kinds of clay: five from Paradise and five from the earth.” He described two kinds, one heavenly and one earthly, then said: “God has formed no prophet or angel (or Imam, according to another version) without breathing into him one of these two spirits; and He formed the Prophet from one of these two kinds of clay.”