Man and his dignity as viewed by Islam

Registrarse Español

Man and his dignity as viewed by Islam

7818 2 Compartir 0

From the Qur'anic point of view, man benefits from special favours; this, to such an extent that even the angels bow down to him. The Qur'an tells us:

And We have certainly honored the children of Adam and carried them on the land and sea and provided for them of the good things and preferred them over much of what We have created, with [definite] preference. (Sura Bani Isra'il, 70)

Taking full note of the fact that the foundation of man's life is the safeguarding of his spiritual dignity, it follows naturally that any action which detracts from human dignity and all the other God-given qualities is forbidden in Islam. To be more specific, every kind of tyrannical authority-both in respect of those exercising it and those subjected to It- is strictly prohibited. As Imam 'Ali says:

'Do not be the slave of others, for truly, God created you free.' 1

He also said:

'God has granted unto the believer every right, except that of self-degradation.' 2

Taking full note of the fact that the foundation of man's life is the safeguarding of his spiritual dignity, it follows naturally that any action which detracts from human dignity and all the other God-given qualities is forbidden in Islam. To be more specific, every kind of tyrannical authority-both in respect of those exercising it and those subjected to It- is strictly prohibited.

The intellectual life of man

From the viewpoint of Islam, the intellectual life of man is accorded a special dignity; for the superiority of man-the basis of his pre-eminence among all creatures-consists in his capacity to reflect and to think, using the full scope of his intelligence. In this connection, many verses of the Qur'an call upon man to exercise his faculties of intellectual reflection, so much so that the cultivation of thought, and reflection upon the phenomena of creation are given as the distinguishing features of the wise. As the Qur'an says, in one of the many places where the importance of reflection and contemplation upon God's signs and marvels of creation is stressed:

Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding. Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], "Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire. (Sura AI 'Im ran, III: 190-191)

One concomitant of this perspective is the prohibition in the Qur'an against the thoughtless imitation or blind following of one's predecessors.

1. Nahj'al-balagha, Letter no. 38.
2. Hurral-'.Amili, Wasa'il al-Shi'a (Beirut, 1403/ 1982), vol. 11, ch.12, P· 424.

Publicación Relacionada

Is the Qur’ān not Sufficient?

Is the Qur’ān not Sufficient?

The Qur'ān is the fundamental basis for every kind of Islamic concept. The credi...

The Reward of Guiding and Teaching Others in the Words of Lady Fatima (as)

The Reward of Guiding and Teaching Others in the W...

When the scholars of our Shiite (followers) are gathered (on the Day of Resurrec...

Contentment; The Secret of True Happiness

Contentment; The Secret of True Happiness

As we all pass through life looking at people and materialistic things around us...

Miracles of the prophet Muhammad (s)

Miracles of the prophet Muhammad (s)

The miracles of the Holy Prophet cannot be limited to the fact that the Qur'an w...

Sermon 99 of Nahj al-Balagha: About abstinence of the world and vicissitudes of time

Sermon 99 of Nahj al-Balagha: About abstinence of ...

We praise Allah for what has happened and seek His succour in our affairs for wh...

Ways of Knowing God

Ways of Knowing God

From time immemorial, man has found different ways of knowing God. Human beings ...

Dimensions of Man's existence

Dimensions of Man's existence

A human being is an entity compounded of spirit and matter. After death, the bod...

General Prophethood and the reasons for its necessity

General Prophethood and the reasons for its necess...

God, the All-Wise, has chosen certain exalted persons to guide mankind, entrusti...

ComentArabicios

Por favor, compArabicta sus comentArabicios con nosotros.

0 ComentArabicios