Chapter 1: The Human BeingAnd
The World View Of Islam
The human being has a strange story in Islamic thought. In fact, human beings in Islam are not exclusively pictured as straight statured animals who have flat nails, who walk on two feet, who speak. Rather, according to the Qur’an, they are much deeper and more mysterious than what such words may define.
Human beings are repeatedly praised as well as reproached in the Qur’an. They are considered more supreme than the heavens and the earth and the angels and, at the same time, meaner than devils and beasts of burden. They are regarded as creatures who can conquer the world, who can acquire the mastery of the angels; yet so weak as to descend to the lowest of the low.
It is human beings, therefore, who must make up their minds and determine their ultimate lot. We open our discussion of the Qur’an's praises of the huma n being under the followingtitle:-
The Positive AspectsOf
The Human Being
1. Human beings are the successors of God on the earth:
وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةًۖ
قَالُوا أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَنْ يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَۖ
قَالَ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
When thy Lord said to the angels. Verily I am about to place one in My stead on earth, they said, will thou place there one who will do ill therein and shed blood, God said, Verily, I know what you know not. (2:30).
وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَكُمْ خَلَائِفَ الْأَرْضِ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَكُمْ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ دَرَجَاتٍ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ فِي مَا آتَاكُمْ
And it is HeW'ho
hath made you the successors of Himself on the earth that He may prove you by His gifts. (6:165).
2. The intellectual capacity of human beings is the greatest one that a creature may enjoy.
وَعَلَّمَ آدَمَ الْأَسْمَاءَ كُلَّهَا ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمْ عَلَى الْمَلَائِكَةِ فَقَالَ أَنْبِئُونِي بِأَسْمَاءِ هَٰؤُلَاءِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ
And He taught Adam the names of all things, and then set them before the angels, and said, tell me the names of these, if you are endowed with wisdom. (2:31).
قَالُوا سُبْحَانَكَ لَا عِلْمَ لَنَا إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ
They said, praise be to Thee! We have no knowledge but that Thou hast given us to know. Thou! Thou are the Knowing, the Wise. (2:32).
قَالَ يَا آدَمُ أَنْبِئْهُمْ بِأَسْمَائِهِمْۖ
فَلَمَّا أَنْبَأَهُمْ بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُلْ لَكُمْ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ غَيْبَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَأَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُونَ وَمَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْتُمُونَ
He said, O Adam, inform them of their names. And when he had informed them of their names. He said, did I not say to you that I know that ye bring to light, and what ye hide? (2:33).
3. The primordial nature of human beings is familiar with God. In other words, they are aware of God deep in their conscience. Thus, all doubts and denials of God arise because of human beings' deviation from their true nature.
وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِنْ بَنِي آدَمَ مِنْ ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَىٰ أَنْفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْۖ
قَالُوا بَلَىٰۛ
شَهِدْنَاۛ
أَنْ تَقُولُوا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هَٰذَا غَافِلِينَ
And when thy Lord brought forth their descendants from the loins of the sons of Adam and took them to witness against themselves, Am I not, said He your Lord? They said, yes, we witness it. (7:172).
فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفًاۚ
فِطْرَتَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَاۚ
لَا تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ اللَّهِ
Set thy face then towards the right faith: (establish) God’s handiwork according to the pattern on which He has made mankind. (30:30).
4. Human beings possess in their nature a set of divine, heavenly elements which are other than material constituents exist that exist in animals, plants and inanimate objects. They are an amalgam of physics and metaphysics, matter and sense (i.e.
sense and non-sense), body and soul.
الَّذِي أَحْسَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ وَبَدَأَ خَلْقَ الْإِنْسَانِ مِنْ طِينٍ
Who hath madeevery thing
which He hath created most good; and began the creation of man withclay; (32:7).
ثُمَّ جَعَلَ نَسْلَهُ مِنْ سُلَالَةٍ مِنْ مَاءٍ مَهِينٍ
Then ordained his progeny from germs of life, from worry later. (32:8).
ثُمَّ سَوَّاهُ وَنَفَخَ فِيهِ مِنْ رُوحِهِۖ
وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَۚ
قَلِيلًا مَا تَشْكُرُونَ
Then shaped him, and breathed from His Spirit into him. (32:9).
5. The creation of human beings has been reckoned exactly. It has not been a coincidence. The human being is, in effect, a chosen creature.
ثُمَّ اجْتَبَاهُ رَبُّهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ وَهَدَىٰ
Afterwards his Lord chose him for himself and turned towards him, and guided him. (20:122).
إِنَّا خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ أَمْشَاجٍ نَبْتَلِيهِ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ سَمِيعًا بَصِيرًا
We have created man from the union of the sexes that we might prove him; and hearing, seeing, (76:2).
إِنَّا هَدَيْنَاهُ السَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شَاكِرًا وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا
Have we made him: In a right way have He guided him, be he thankful orungrateful.
(76:3).
6. Human beings are free and independent. They keep trust with God. They are endowed with mission. They are filled with responsibility. They are asked to flourish on the earth by means of their initiative and labor, and to freely choose either prosperity or adversity.
إِنَّا عَرَضْنَا الْأَمَانَةَ عَلَى السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَالْجِبَالِ فَأَبَيْنَ أَنْ يَحْمِلْنَهَا وَأَشْفَقْنَ مِنْهَا وَحَمَلَهَا الْإِنْسَانُۖ
إِنَّهُ كَانَ ظَلُومًا جَهُولًا
Verily, we proposed to the Heavens and to the Earth and to the Mountains to receive the responsibility, but they refused the burden, and they feared to receive it. Man undertook to bear it; verily, hell'as
unjust, senseless. (33:72).
إِنَّا خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ أَمْشَاجٍ نَبْتَلِيهِ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ سَمِيعًا بَصِيرًا
We have created man from the union of the sexes that We might prove him; and hearing, seeing, (76:2).
إِنَّا هَدَيْنَاهُ السَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شَاكِرًا وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا
Have We made him: In a right way have you guidedhirn
, be he thankful orungrateful.
(76:3).
(He either steps in the right path and approaches prosperity, or turns thankless and deviates from reality.)
7. Human beings are endowed with innate greatness and dignity. In fact, God has conferred upon them supremacy over many other creatures. They would recognize their real self only when they sense such nobleness and dignity, and regard themselves above the pettiness of humilities, servitudes and sensualities.
وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِي آدَمَ وَحَمَلْنَاهُمْ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ وَرَزَقْنَاهُمْ مِنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَفَضَّلْنَاهُمْ عَلَىٰ كَثِيرٍ مِمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا تَفْضِيلًا
And now have We honored the children of Adam: by land and by sea have We carried them, and with endowments beyond many of our creatures have we endowed them. (17:70).
8. Human beings enjoy a moral conscience. They can discern good and evil through natural inspiration.
فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَاهَا
By a Soul and Him who balanced it, (91:8).
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا
And breathed into it its wickedness and its piety. (91:9).
9. The heart of human beings is not quieted except by a remembrance of God. Their desires are unlimited; yet they become bored with what they get the most. On the contrary, they become more eager as they are elevated towards joining the Divine Eternal Being.
الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُمْ بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ
Those who believe, and whose hearts rest securely on the thought of God for without doubt in the remembrance of God do hearts rest. (13:28).
يَا أَيُّهَا الْإِنْسَانُ إِنَّكَ كَادِحٌ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ كَدْحًا فَمُلَاقِيهِ
Then verily, O man, who desires to reach thy Lord, shalt thou meet Him. (84:6).
10. All earthy blessings have been created for the sake of human beings. They are, thus, entitled to make use of them in legitimate manner.
هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ لَكُمْ مَا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا
He it is who created for you all that is on Earth. (2:29).
وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمْ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا مِنْهُ
And He has subjected to you all that is in the Heavens and all that is on the Earth. (45:13).
11. God created human
beings in order that they would worship Him alone and be obedient to Him as their major responsibility.
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ
I have notcreated .Jinn
and men, but thatthev
should worship Me. (51:56).
12. Human beings do not appreciate themselves except in the worship of God and with the thought of Him. Should they forget their God, they would forget themselves. In that situation, they would not know who they are or what the purpose of their existence is or what to do.
وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ نَسُوا اللَّهَ فَأَنْسَاهُمْ أَنْفُسَهُمْ
And be not like those who forget God, and whom He hath therefore caused to forget their proper selves. (59:19).
13. Many a hidden reality would stand open to them, as soon as the body passes away and the veil of the soul of human beings is removed.
فَكَشَفْنَا عَنْكَ غِطَاءَكَ فَبَصَرُكَ الْيَوْمَ حَدِيدٌ
But we have taken off thy veil from thee, and thy sight is becoming sharp this day. (50:22).
14. Human beings are not exclusively concerned with material motivations. In other words, material needs are not the only stimuli for them; rather they make
efforts in their life for much higher aims and aspirations. In some cases, they may seek no goal except the satisfaction of their God.
ارْجِعِي إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَرْضِيَّةً
Oh, thou soul which art at rest,Return
to thy Lord, pleased, and pleasing Him. (89:28).
وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَمَسَاكِنَ طَيِّبَةً فِي جَنَّاتِ عَدْنٍۚ
وَرِضْوَانٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُۚ
ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ
To the faithful, both men and women, Godpromiseth
gardens neath which the river flows, in which they shall abide, and goodly mansions in the gardens of Eden. But best of all will be God’s good pleasure in them. This will be the great bliss. (9:72).
The conclusion is drawn, therefore, that the Qur’an reveals a picture of the human being as a chosen creature of God, as His own Caliph on the earth and as a being half-heavenly and half-earthy, in whom has been implanted a God-knowing nature, freedom, trust worthiness, a sense of responsibility towards himself or herself as well as the world and the favor of hegemony over nature, heaven and the earth.
Human beings are empowered with inclination towards good and evil. Their existence begins with weakness and disability and moves in the direction of strength, but it does not reach the state of tranquility except on the threshold of God and with a thought of Him.
Their capacities are limitless, both in their ability to learn, and the application of their knowledge. They enjoy an instinctive greatness and dignity. Their motivations and stimuli are, in most cases, non-materialistic. Finally, they are quite free to use the bounties and blessings conferred upon them, but at the same time, they must carry out their duty towards God.
The Negative AspectsOf
The Human Being
Human beings are greatlybla
med in the Qur’an as well. They are revealed to be extremely tyrannical and ignorant. The Holy Qur’an defines them with the followingmalignities:-
وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا
Verily, he was unjust, senseless! (33:72).
إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَكَفُورٌ
Of a truth man is all ungrateful. (22:66).
أَنْ رَآهُ اسْتَغْنَىٰ
Nay, verily, man is insolent, when heseeth
himself possessed of riches. (96:7).
وَكَانَ الْإِنْسَانُ عَجُولًا
For man is hasty. (17:11).
وَإِذَا مَسَّ الْإِنْسَانَ الضُّرُّ دَعَانَا لِجَنْبِهِ أَوْ قَاعِدًا أَوْ قَائِمًا فَلَمَّا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُ ضُرَّهُ مَرَّ كَأَنْ لَمْ يَدْعُنَا إِلَىٰ ضُرٍّ مَسَّهُ
When troubletoucheth
a man, hecrieth
to Us, on his side, or sitting, or standing; and when We withdraw his trouble from him, hepasseth
on as though he had not called on Us against the trouble which touched him. (10:12).
وَكَانَ الْإِنْسَانُ قَتُورًا
For man is niggardly. (17:100).
وَكَانَ الْإِنْسَانُ أَكْثَرَ شَيْءٍ جَدَلًا
At most things is man acaviller
. (18:54).
إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا
Man
truly is by creation greedy: (When evilbefalleth
him, impatient but when goodbefalleth
to his lot, tenacious) (70:19).
Good And Evil
How are human beings depicted in the Qur’an? Are they good? Are they evil? Arc they either very good or very evil?
Are human beings shown as double- natured creatures; semi-light and semi-dark? How is it that the Qur’an praises them to the highest point and, at the same time, reduces them to the lowest point?
Whether or not human beings are double- natured creatures, half to be praised and half to be blamed is not of concern to us. In the logic of the Qur’an human beings enjoy all potential perfections, and they should direct themselves to bring these inclinations to the stage of action.
It is they, therefore, who have to develop themselves. The original condition for the attainment of such human perfection is faith. Faith is the basic step towards piety, correct deeds and endeavours in the way of God. It is faith through which knowledge is converted into a useful mechanism as opposed to a harmful tool for the passions.
It is apparent, therefore, that God's viceregent on the earth, whom the angels praise and for whom there is everything and all perfection, is the human being plus faith, not minus it. The human being minus faith is a tragic, imperfect being. Such a creature appears to be avaricious, murderous, greedy and parsimonious. Such a person is faithless and, thus, meaner than the beasts of burden.
Specific verses of the Qur’an clearly differentiate between the praised and the blamed human being. It is written in these verses that faithless human being (i.e.
the disbeliever in God) is not a real human being.
It is further declared that should the human being join the True Unity, believe in it and set his or her heart at rest upon a thought of it, he would then attain all perfections. On the contrary, should he be heedless of God, he would resemble a tree which has become separated from its root. Two simple verses of the Qur’an illustrate this reality.
وَالْعَصْرِ
I swear by the Time! (103:1).
إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ
Verily, man is in loss, (103:2).
إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ
Save those who believe and do the things which are right, and enjoin truth and enjoin steadfastness on each other. (103:3).
وَلَقَدْ ذَرَأْنَا لِجَهَنَّمَ كَثِيرًا مِنَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنْسِ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ لَا يَفْقَهُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ أَعْيُنٌ لَا يُبْصِرُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ آذَانٌ لَا يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا أُولَٰئِكَ كَالْأَنْعَامِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْغَافِلُونَ
Many, moreover, of the Jinn and men have We created for Hell. Hearts have they with which they understand not and eyes have they with which they see not, and ear have they with which they hearken not. They are like the brutes. Yea the go more astray: these are the heedless. (7:179).