CHAPTER 15 The True Nature of Death You should know that every form, whether mineral, plant, animal or human has a substratum (matiyya)' different from the substra- tum of the others, and each has a basic perfection, different from the perfection of the others, even though there may be an apparent resemblance. The elements,” when they are divided into little pieces and mix together in varying greater and lesser proportions, form binary mixtures (composed of two elements) such as vapor, dust, smoke, mud, plowed land, charcoal, flame, and sparks; and tertiary com- binations such as yeasted mud and water moss; and quaternary com- pounds similar to what we have mentioned. These things have properties composed of the properties of their constituents, and there are no new properties in them other than that. They are called “things existing in the atmosphere.” ‘Then, the mineral (form) comes and supervenes upon that mix- ture, making it a substratum for itself. It makes it take on its spe- cific properties, and it preserves the mixture (of this matter). ‘Then comes the vegetal form; and it takes the body preserved from the mixture as a substratum, and it makes it into a faculty for transforming the parts of the elements and the things existing in the atmosphere into its own composition in order to bring its ex- pected perfection into actuality. Then comes the animal form, and takes the airy spirit which carries the faculties of nutrition and growth as a substratum, and it effects the control of its limbs through perception and volition in ' Matiyya literally means “riding animal” which refers to the material to which the form attaches in this life. ? Fire, air, earth and water. > According to this theory, two types of composite things may exist, chemical (kimiyya) mixtures or those constituted of a blend of elements (mizaji) in which the Properties of the original elements remain and no new ones are produced, i.e., salt plus water produces salty water. Based on note in Urdu translation by M. Haqgéni, p. 68.