The exploration of humanity in the Qur'anic perspective undoubtedly prompts a close examination of the term "human," which appears dozens of times in various parts of the verses of the Glorious Qur'an. In fact, a complete chapter is dedicated to the name "Human" as a significant indication of the centrality of the human concept in the Qur'an's discourse on this unique and complex being. This underscores how revelation interacts with human nature and provides divine guidance to humanity in light of its human qualities, aiming to maximize the benefits derived from its strengths while overcoming shortcomings and weaknesses. After all, the Creator is the most knowledgeable about this human being and the most capable of guiding him toward his well-being and happiness.
Dignity and Responsibility
The first manifestation of humanity in the Qur'an appears indirectly when verse 30 refers to God’s honoring of humans by informing the angels: "Indeed, I am making upon the earth a successive authority" (Al-Baqarah: 30). In this verse, the Qur'an announces that humans are successors on Earth, honored with the responsibility and distinction of populating the universe and worshiping God. This reflects the divine will that sees in this human being the capability and potential for such an honor, despite the doubts of the angels. This establishes the Qur'anic view of humans as dignified and simultaneously entrusted with a mission, possessing the qualities necessary to fulfill this trust, as well as the factors that might hinder it, as indicated by the Qur'anic guidance: "And by the soul and He who proportioned it. And inspired it with discernment of its wickedness and its righteousness" (Ash-Shams).
Humans and Their Deficiencies
Despite the honor that elevates humans to a position of mastery over the universe, the term "human" appears over seventy times in the Qur'an, and most often in the context of reminding us of human shortcomings and censuring ingrained negative attributes. Humans are described as weak: "And mankind was created weak" (An-Nisa: 28). They are unable to adequately express gratitude for divine blessings: "And if you should count the favors of Allah, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, mankind is ever, to his Lord, disobedient" (Ibrahim: 34). Additionally, humans hasten to despair of God's mercy: "And if We give mankind a taste of mercy, then withdraw it, indeed, he is despairing and ungrateful" (Hud: 9).
Regarding the Qur'anic focus on negative human qualities, Al-Aqqad states that these shortcomings emphasize that humans, as accountable beings, are open to both deficiency and perfection at the same time. However, they uniquely possess shortcomings not attributed to other creatures; for both good and evil cannot be ascribed to a creature that is not responsible. This accountable creature is described, unlike other beings, by disbelief, injustice, tyranny, loss, wickedness, and ingratitude, because, unlike others, it is capable of faith, justice, virtue, and righteousness. This capability indicates readiness for elevation to the best of conduct and also a capacity for degradation to the lowest of the low.
Sources of Deficiency
Building upon this Qur'anic vision, the Qur'anic guidance aims to constantly remind believers of the sources of human weakness, warning them against falling into their traps. By tracing the Qur'anic discourse on these attributes, it focuses on the following:
- "Weakness":
This term serves to remind humans of their need for divine guidance and submission to His revealed laws to achieve individual and collective perfection and happiness in this world and the hereafter. This is an important divine indication of human weakness compared to divine mercy and forgiveness that overlooks human fallibility due to its inherent weaknesses.
- "Disbelief and Despair":
These are interrelated phenomena where one leads to the other; disbelief is viewed as despairing of God's mercy, rejecting His blessings and favors upon His servants.
"Injustice,” as both an individual and societal phenomenon, leads to the individual's transgression of his own rights through sins and wrongdoings as well as infringing upon the rights of others.
- "Haste":
The Qur'anic perspective addresses the tendency of humans to rush in seeking results and achieving goals repeatedly. This reinforces the idea of certainty and reassurance in the hearts of believers, reminding them of their imperfect human nature that drives many towards despair due to impatience. It is a constant reminder of the Day of Judgment, which the Qur'an often references in most of its contexts to implement divine justice, while many people may be tempted to persist in wrongdoing due to the delay of punishment: "But a long time has passed over them, and their hearts have hardened" (Al-Hadid: 16).
Features of the Qur'anic Perspective on Humanity
On the other hand, the Qur'an presents a human perspective that relies on several key features, aiming to establish these characteristics and employ them in guiding humanity through reminding them of their nature and shortcomings. These Qur'anic features related to humanity revolve around three main principles:
- Emphasis on Human Shortcomings:
The Qur'anic concept of humanity starts from a fundamental principle: ("Indeed, mankind is in loss, Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience") (Al-Asr). This principle seeks to emphasize that human shortcomings are inescapable except through following divine guidance, implementing His commands, and refraining from His prohibitions. The Creator, exalted be He, has established His law to correspond with human shortcomings and to correct them in the best way possible. Thus, there is no escape from loss if a person chooses another path.
-Reminder of Human Creation:
In line with the previously mentioned principle, emphasizing human shortcomings requires a recurring reminder of the story of human creation, formation, and shaping by a direct divine decree to contemplate and reflect on human creation: ("Let man look at what he was created from") (Al-Tariq: 5). The Qur'anic responses in various places affirm the origin of human creation; He is created from clay, in another context from dry, baked clay, in another position from a drop of fluid, and in yet another from clay resembling pottery, among other verses that seek to establish the divine ability over humanity and inform about the nature of his creation and the deficiencies and weaknesses that accompany it.
- Establishing the Principle of Just Reward:
The Qur'anic perspective, in tracking human deficiencies, pays attention to establishing the principle of divine justice that acknowledges this weakness, overlooks its lapses, and establishes the principle of reward and punishment. In this regard, the Qur'an states ("And that man will not have except what he strives for. And that his effort is going to be seen. Then he will be recompensed for it with the fullest recompense.") (Al-Najm). Despite the repeated condemnation of human shortcomings in the Qur'an, it has, in contrast, affirmed that these deficiencies do not prevent believers and doers of good from receiving just rewards for their good actions. Thus, this human deficiency in the Qur'anic perspective is not a stigma on human nature; rather, it emphasizes that this imperfect being, by virtue of what God has endowed him with, is capable of rising to the highest ranks of faith and spirituality, and he is deserving of a great reward for that.
Finally, the Qur'anic perspective has focused on reminding humans of their deficiencies and faults as much as it has emphasized divine justice and the divine ability in creating this human being. In addition to linking that human nature to the honor of humanity as a unique being in the universe, despite its nature filled with weakness and corruption, it is, according to the Qur'anic perspective, capable of carrying the divine responsibility of populating the earth and worshipping God. This status has made him a vicegerent on earth and raised his rank above other creatures. If he is able to transcend his nature by following the Qur'anic guidance, he will be capable of fulfilling the trust that he carries and thus elevate through divine guidance to the ranks of the angels, while he may fall to the lowest depths if he succumbs to his deficient human nature.
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