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Mohd Abbas Abdul Razak, PhD
The Concept of Humanity in Islam
Among the countless creations of Allah, man holds a special and elevated position in the hierarchy of existence. Standing at the highest pedestal in the order of creation, he has been endowed with numerous distinctive qualities. Allah, the Almighty, has granted him the power of speech, intelligence, and creativity.
Though small in physical size, man’s creativity enables him to construct towering skyscrapers and harness the forces of nature, like the wind and the waves of the ocean, to generate energy for his survival. Moreover, man has been given the freedom to choose between good and evil, a responsibility that further highlights his unique status among creation.
As the honoured creation of Allah, man has been appointed as Khalīfatullāh fil-Ardh (Vicegerent of Allah on Earth). Adam (AS), the Father of Humanity, was taught directly by Allah. It is believed that the special knowledge imparted to Adam (AS) has been inherited by all his descendants. The following verses of Surah al-Baqarah explain how Allah elevated the position of Adam (AS):
“When your Lord said to the angels, ‘I am placing a vicegerent on Earth,” they asked, “Will You place in it one who will cause corruption and shed blood, while we glorify and praise You?” Allah replied, “I know what you do not know.” Then He taught Adam the names of all things and presented them to the angels, saying, “Tell Me the names of these, if you are truthful.” They responded, “Glory be to You! We have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, You are the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.” Allah said, “O Adam, inform them of their names.” When Adam did so, Allah said, “Did I not tell you that I know the unseen of the heavens and the earth, and I know what you reveal and what you conceal?” And when We said to the angels, “Prostrate before Adam,” they all prostrated—except Iblis. He refused, acted arrogantly, and became one of the disbelievers” (Surah al-Baqarah (2: 30-34).
With the power of knowledge, man is capable of exploring the skies and beyond—even setting foot on the moon. Through sophisticated technology, he can dive deep into the oceans and uncover the hidden treasures beneath. Yet, despite his ability to explore distant planets, stars, and the depths of the ocean, man is still far from discovering the depths of what lies within his self.A similar idea has been articulated by a wise man by saying, “We’ve mastered the universe around us, but not the universe within us.” Another poetic expression puts it this way: “We’ve travelled to the moon, but not crossed the road to meet our neighbours.” Although man is born gregarious by nature, modern man has become increasingly individualistic, self-centered, and reserved from the rest of humanity.
According to the Qur’an and Prophetic Hadith, man is born in the primordial nature (Fitrah)—born sinless and in a state of purity. Man also possesses certain godly attributes in a lesser degree. Ideally and philosophically speaking, with such attributes, man is meant to be kind, caring, loving, and compassionate toward nature, animals, and fellow human beings. Alongside these good qualities, Allah has also sent the evil Satan and placed within man some evil desires as a test. Overcoming these evil inclinations elevates man many levels higher in the sight of Allah. One can read in the following verses:
“And [by] the soul and He who proportioned it,
And inspired it [with discernment of] its wickedness and its righteousness,
He has succeeded who purifies it,
And he has failed who corrupts it” Surah Ash-Shams (91:7-10).
My quote on the two tendencies of the human heart is:”
“The ongoing tussle between the good and evil within me says that God exists.”
Sliding from the ideal position given by God, man falls and wallows in the filth of racism and other evil behaviour. By giving way to his evil and animal nature, man creates all sorts of atrocities on earth that change the noble intention for which this world was created. Due to man’s evil motives, wars break out in many parts of the world. Ethnic cleansing, foreign occupation, conspiracy, embezzlement, corruption, and all other crimes happen as a result of human greed.
In Islam, all mankind is equal in the sight of God; there is no superiority based on race or language. Arabs and non-Arabs are equal, and there is no difference between black, white, and brown. What makes one greater than another in the sight of God is the intensity of one’s piety, obedience, and fear of God. To educate humanity to live in peace and harmony and to avoid racism, the Holy Qur’an states:
“O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted” Surah Al-Hujuraat (49:13).
The Diversity of Languages
A language is a medium through which we communicate and express our emotions. Every language in the world has its own beauty and grammatical rules. The fact that we may not understand a certain language does not give us the right to look down on those who speak it. God Almighty, who created mankind in different shades of colour, is the One who inspired them to speak in different tongues. The reference to this can be found in Surah Al-Rum (30:22):
“And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the diversity of your languages and your colours. Indeed, those are signs for those of knowledge.”
Therefore, instead of looking down on others because of their colour, race, language, or culture, let us appreciate the beauty found in our differences and learn to coexist. Simply put, if we don’t train our eyes to see beauty, we will never see the beauty in the people and things around us.
The Current State of Affairs
The world we live in today is deeply divided and fragmented by race, religion, language, politics, and region. In the relentless pursuit of power and economic prosperity, countries wage war against one another. In these conflicts, countless poor civilians, especially women and children, who have nothing to do with the war, are killed. Beyond the tragic loss of life, the infrastructure of entire nations, built over decades, is destroyed in a matter of seconds.
The United Nations, established after World War II, is no longer able to fulfill the purpose for which it was created. It operates under the influence of a superpower that uses its veto power to block any resolution passed by the Security Council. Under such conditions, the UN is powerless to prevent genocide and wars initiated by powerful nations.
Simply put, the UN has failed in its noble mission of maintaining global peace. Human greed continues to fuel political upheaval across many parts of the world. There has not been a single day when the world has been allowed to experience true peace, harmony, and security.
Like the Colours of the Rainbow
The Almighty God, who created all of us, has also provided enough sustenance for everyone. Therefore, as faithful servants of God, we should strive to live as responsible human beings and citizens of the world. As civilized individuals, we must respect and accept one another in the spirit and philosophy of universal fraternity. All lives are equally valuable, and every person has the right to live life to the fullest.
On the subject of unity and togetherness in humanity, I would like to share a quote of mine, which goes as follows:
“What makes the rainbow beautiful and interesting are its different shades of colour. What makes humanity fascinating is the diversity of our race, colour, language, culture, and more. So, why fight and kill one another?”
(The views expressed are those of Dr. Mohd Abbas Abdul Razak from the Department of Fundamental and Interdisciplinary Studies, AHAS KIRKHS, IIUM, and do not necessarily represent the views of Potret Online.)
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