and what is blameworthy. As the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:

“Allah created Adam from a handful taken from the whole earth, so his descendants reflected that handful: among them are the wicked and the good, and those in between; the easygoing and the harsh, and those in between; and the black and the white, and those in between.”

Since this is so, his being a microcosm of the world and resembling it does not entail any prohibition against invoking disfigurement upon any part of him or against striking any part of him.

Ninth: It is well known that the spirits of Adam’s descendants are nobler than their bodies. Yet these spirits, which they call rational souls, are divided into the praiseworthy and the blameworthy. Thus, the angel says to the believing soul:

“Come out, O good soul that dwelt in a good body. Come out, well-pleased and well-pleasing.”

When it comes out, every angel in heaven, every angel on earth, and every angel between heaven and earth invokes blessings upon it. To the disbelieving soul, he says:

“Come out, O wicked soul that dwelt in a wicked body. Come out, displeased and subject to displeasure