Man His Creation His Purposes and His Functions

Man; His Creation, His Purposes and His Functions 1

• Man in Islam is a multidimensional creature; stands between the material and spiritual worlds and partakes the nature of both. • God has originated him from clay, so the animal world is reflected. Due to this bodily dimension, man needs resources of the material world for his personal growth and social fulfillments. 2

• Spiritually, God breathed His own spirit in to him so that from one side the spiritual world is reflected in him, the part that constitutes the relationship to his Lord. 3

• The Qur`an addresses mankind in two crucial dimensions. First, man is addressed in his ultimate nature: his essential characteristics and behaviors; as such man takes several integral features and attributes, such as Insan (human being), Bashar (man kind), Bani Adam (children of Adam) 4

• The second crucial dimension is man as a moral creature. In this regard the Qur`an employs terms such as Khilafah (vicegerency), Taqwa (piety), Iman (belief / faith), Islam (total submission to God), and their opposite terms such as Fujur (immorality), Kufur (disbelief), Nifaq (hypocrisy). 5

Creation (of man) versus Evolution • Man is God’s creature just like other created beings. He has been created in the best conceivable pattern. • God fashioned Adam out of baked clay, which, when organized into a human being, produces an extract, sulalah (reproductive semen). When injected into the womb, this semen undergoes a creative process, as has been described in the Qur’an. 6

" " ﺍ ﺍﺍ ﺍ ﻳ ﺍ ﻱ ﺍ ﻳ ﺍ ﺍﻟ ﺍ ﺍ ﺍﺍ ﺍ ﺍ ﺍﻟ ﺍﺍﻳ “And certainly We created man of an extract of clay; Then We placed him as (a drop of) sperm in a place of rest, firmly fixed; Then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; then of that clot We made a (foetus) lump; then we made out of that lump bones and clothed the bones with flesh; then we developed out of it another creature. So blessed be Allah, the best to create!” (Qur’an 23: 12 -14. ) 7

Evolution �The way in which living things change and develop over millions of years, or a gradual process of change and development: �Charles Darwin(1809– 1882), renowned naturalist and thinker is associated with theory of evolution by natural selection. �Darwin's theory of evolution: Darwin's theory of evolution maintained that all living beings emerged as a result of chance and thus denied Creation. 8

• There are more than a million species living on the earth. How did these creatures with entirely distinct features and perfect designs come into being? Anyone who uses his reason would understand that life is the work of a perfect and supreme creation. • The idea that life is the product of an uncontrolled, purposeless process of coincidence is a 19 th century myth. Looking at the matter from the primitive level of the science of the period, evolutionists assumed that life was very "simple". 9

• Different branches of science like biochemistry, genetics, and paleontology have demonstrated that the claims that life originated as a result of "coincidences" is deceptive. 10

• Man is God’s creature just like other created beings. But these creatures have been made subservient to him. The Status of Man 11

It is Allah Who hath created the heavens and the earth and sendeth down rain from the skies, and with it bringeth out fruits wherewith to feed you; it is He Who hath made the ships subject to you, that they may sail through the sea by His command; and the rivers (also) hath He made subject to you. And He hath made subject to you the sun and the moon, both diligently pursuing their courses; and the night and the day hath he (also) made subject to you. And He giveth you of all that ye ask for. But if ye count the favours of Allah, never will ye be able to number them. Verily, man is given up to injustice and ingratitude 12

• Indeed, man has been raised far above most other creatures: “ " ﺍ ﻱ ﺍ ﺍﻟ ﺍ ﺍ ﻯ ﻳ ﺍ ﻳﺍ We have honoured the sons of Adam; provided them with transport on land sea; given them for sustenance things good and pure; and conferred on them special favours, above a great part of our creation. (Qur’an 17: 70). 13

The Purpose of Creation ‘Ibādah Khilāfah Amānah 14

" " ﺍﻱ ﻻ ﺍﻷ ﺍ ﻱ ﺍ آﺍ ﻳ ﺍﺍ ﻭ ﻳ • It is He Who has made you (His) agents, inheritors of the earth: He has raised you in ranks, some above others: that He may try you in the gifts He has given you: for your Lord is quick in punishment: yet He is indeed Oftforgiving, Most Merciful. (Al-Anam, 6: 165) 15