Host: What is the Islamic view point on human nature? Jamal Badawi: A human being is regarded by Islam as the trustee of God. In the Quran in (2:30) “Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: “I will create a vicegerent on earth.” They said: “Wilt Thou place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood?- whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy holy (name)?” He said: “I know what ye know not.” Here the term khalifah, the trustee of God, was very specifically mentioned as the essence of the human being. In a very similar citation in (6:165) it says “it is He Who hath made you (His) agents, inheritors of the earth.” This does not mean that God needs our help but rather it shows the dignity that God has endowed on mankind. The essence of the khilafah starts with the notion that the human being is regarded as the crown of creation as shown in the Quran and even Angels were commanded to bow down in respect to man kind. The Quran also says in (17:70) “We have honored the children of Adam.” The secret for the honoring of mankind is that only the human being has to integrate and harmonize the various components of his existence by utilizing his physical body, intellect and soul. We find that the Quran describes the human as having been created from clay, the material part, in chapter two it talks about God teaching mankind his intellect, and in (15:29) it talks about having the spirit of God within him and that God breathed into mankind of His spirit. The reason why human beings are dignified is that they have free choice, and the potential for good and evil. In (90:10) the Quran states clearly that God has “shown him the two highways” of truth and falsehood. In (76:3) it says “We showed him the Way: whether he be grateful or ungrateful (rests on his will).” In (18:29) God gives the human being the choice when it says “"The truth is from your Lord": Let him who will believe, and let him who will, reject (it)” and each will deal with the consequences of their actions. The fourth point of why a human is the trustee is the notion of responsibility. Responsibility goes side by side with freedom of choice. First of all, in the Quran in (75:36) it says “Does man think that he will be left uncontrolled, (without purpose)?” Thus if there is responsibility and purpose on earth, it follows that one will be questioned about this responsibly. Another verse in the Quran in () says “Did ye then think that We had created you in jest, and that ye would not be brought back to Us (for account)?” As a response to some of the people who used to talk in pride about their ancestors (when people talked about their relation to Abraham and other Israelite prophets) the Quran says in (2:141) “That was a people that hath passed away. They shall reap the fruit of what they did, and ye of what ye do!” In the time of the Prophet (PBUH) some of the Israelite used to boast that if they were going to go to the fire will only touch them for a few days in (2:80) “And they say: “The Fire shall not touch us but for a few numbered days:” Say: “Have ye taken a promise from Allah, for He never breaks His promise? or is it that ye say of Allah what ye do not know?” Addressing the Muslims themselves in order to avoid the attitude of spiritual arrogance the Quran says in (4:123) “Not your desires, nor those of the People of the Book (can prevail): whoever works evil, will be requited accordingly. Nor will he find, besides Allah, any protector or helper.” It is essential when we talk about the trusteeship of mankind on earth that we realize that it is a big job and we will be held responsible for our deeds.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Jul 2013 05:14:55 +0000
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