Al-Isra: (70) And We have certainly honored the Children of Adam...

Know that the purpose of this verse is to mention another magnificent and lofty blessing from Allah Most High upon humankind: the things by which humanity is favored over others. Allah Most High mentioned four categories in this verse:

Category 1: His saying, {And We have certainly honored the Children of Adam}

Know that man is a substance composed of the soul (Nafs) and the body. The human soul is the noblest of souls existing in the lower world, and its body is the noblest of forms existing in the lower world.

The virtue of this nobility in the human soul is established by noting that the human soul possesses three primary powers: nutrition, growth, and reproduction. The animal soul possesses two powers: sensation (whether external or internal) and voluntary motion. These five powers—nutrition, growth, reproduction, sensation, and motion—are present in the human soul.

Furthermore, the human soul is distinguished by another power: the rational power (al-Qūwah al-‘Āqilah), which perceives the realities of things as they truly are. It is in this power that the light of the knowledge of Allah Most High manifests, and the radiance of His majesty shines. This power comprehends the secrets of both the world of creation (Khalq) and the world of command (Amr), and it encompasses the divisions of Allah's creatures—spirits and bodies—as they are. This power is derived from the fertilization of the sacred essences and the divine, unattached spirits. Therefore, this power has no comparison in nobility and virtue to the vegetative and animal powers.

Given this, it becomes clear that the human soul is the noblest of souls existing in this world. If you wish to know the virtues of the rational power and the deficiencies of the bodily powers, reflect upon what we have written in this book concerning the exegesis of His saying: {Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth} (An-Nur: 35). We mentioned twenty ways there to clarify that the rational power is greater and higher than the bodily power, so there is no need to repeat it here.

As for clarifying that the human body is the noblest of bodies in this world, commentators have mentioned the following points regarding the honor bestowed upon the Children of Adam:

1. Eating with the Mouth/Hands: It is narrated from Maymun ibn Mihran, from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), regarding {And We have certainly honored the Children of Adam}, that he said: "Everything eats with its mouth, except the son of Adam, who eats with his hands." It is also related that Al-Rashid summoned food and asked for spoons, while Abu Yusuf was present. Al-Rashid said to him: "It is mentioned in the exegesis from your grandfather regarding His saying {And We have certainly honored the Children of Adam} that He made for them fingers with which they eat." So, Abu Yusuf put down the spoons and ate with his fingers.

2. Speech and Distinction: Al-Dahhak said: [The honor is] through speech and discernment. The verification of speech is that whoever knows something either cannot convey to others that he knows it, or he is able to convey that knowledge.
   • The first case: This is the state of all animals except humans. When pain or pleasure occurs internally to them, they are incapable of conveying those states to others in a complete and sufficient manner.
   • The second case: This is humanity. Man is capable of conveying to others everything he has known, understood, and encompassed. Being capable of this type of conveyance is what is meant by being articulate (nāṭiq). By this explanation, it is clear that a mute person is included in this description, because even if he cannot convey what is in his heart through the tongue, he can do so through gesture, writing, and other means. A parrot is not included, because although it can convey a few things, it lacks the ability to convey all states perfectly and completely.

3. Upright Stature: ‘Ata said: [The honor is] through upright stature. Know that this statement is incomplete because trees are taller than the stature of man. Rather, a condition should be stipulated: upright stature combined with the completion of the rational powers, and the sensory and motor powers.

4. Beautiful Form: Bayan said: [The honor is] through beautiful form. The evidence for this is His saying: {And He formed you and perfected your forms} (Ghafir: 64). When Allah Most High mentioned the creation of man, He said: {So blessed is Allah, the best of creators}. He also said: {The baptism of Allah, and who is better than Allah in baptism?} (Al-Baqarah: 138). If you wish, contemplate a single organ of man, the eye: He created the pupil black, then surrounded that blackness with the white of the eye, then surrounded that whiteness with the blackness of the eyelashes, then surrounded that blackness with the whiteness of the eyelids, then created above the whiteness of the eyelid the blackness of the eyebrows, then above that blackness the whiteness of the forehead, then above the whiteness of the forehead the blackness of the hair. Let this single example be a model for you in this chapter.

5. Writing: Some said that a mark of honor for Adam's progeny is that Allah gave them writing. The verification in this matter is that the knowledge a person can deduce on his own is limited. However, if a person deduces knowledge and deposits it in a book, and a second person comes and utilizes that book, adding to it things from himself, and they continue to succeed one another, with each later person adding many discussions to the knowledge of the predecessors, then knowledge multiplies, virtues and gnoses strengthen, and rational inquiries and religious objectives reach their utmost limits and most perfect ends. This matter is only achievable through the means of writing and calligraphy. Because of this perfect virtue, Allah Most High said: {Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous, Who taught by the pen, Taught man that which he did not know} (Al-‘Alaq: 3-5).

6. Subjugation of the World: The bodies of this world are either simple elements or compounds. The simple elements are earth, water, air, and fire. Man benefits from all four of these.
   • The Earth is like a nurturing mother to us: {From it We created you, and into it We shall return you, and from it We shall bring you forth once again} (Taha: 55). Allah named it for us as a resting place, a cradle, and a bedding.
   • As for Water, our benefit from it in drinking, agriculture, and cultivation is evident. Moreover, He subjected the sea for us to eat fresh meat from it, and extract from it ornaments we wear, and you see the ships cleaving through it.
   • As for Air, it is the material of our life, and without the blowing of winds, putrefaction would overcome this inhabited world.
   • As for Fire, it is used for cooking and ripening food and drink, and it serves the function of the sun and moon on dark nights, and it wards off the harm of cold, as the poet said:

     "And whoever desires fruit in winter, Then the fire of winter is his fruit."

As for the compounds, they are either celestial effects or minerals and plants. Man is the one who dominates these categories, benefits from them, and has all their divisions subjugated to him. This entire world serves as an inhabited village, and all its benefits and interests are directed toward man, who is like the served master and the obeyed king, while all other animals are like slaves in relation to him. All of this indicates that he is specially favored by Allah with great honor and distinction. And Allah knows best.

7. Combination of Rational and Appetitive Powers: Created beings are divided into four categories: those possessing the discerning rational power but lacking the natural appetitive power—these are the Angels; those who are the opposite—these are the beasts; those devoid of both powers—these are plants and inanimate objects; and those possessing both types—this is man. There is no doubt that man, by gathering the pure, sacred rational power and the bestial, wrathful, and predatory appetitive powers, is superior to beasts and predators. Likewise, he is undoubtedly superior to bodies devoid of both powers, such as plants, minerals, and inanimate objects. If this is established, it appears that Allah Most High favored man over most categories of creation.

A discussion remains here: Are the Prophets superior, or the Angels? Meaning, is the simple essence described only by the pure, sacred rational power superior, or is humankind, which gathers both powers, superior? This is another discussion.

8. Eternity and Contingency: A being is either eternal and everlasting—that is Allah Most High—or it is not eternal but not everlasting—this is the world of this life with all that it contains: minerals, plants, and animals. This is the lowest category. Or, it is eternal but not everlasting—this is impossible, because whatever is established as having precedence (eternity) cannot cease to exist. Or, it is not eternal but is everlasting—this is man and the angels. There is no doubt that this category is nobler than the second category (the transient world). This implies that man is superior to most of Allah's creation.

9. Connection to the Upper World: The upper world is nobler than the lower world. The spirit of man is of the same kind as the upper spirits and sacred essences. Thus, among the beings of the lower world, nothing has acquired anything from the upper world except man, so it must be that man is the noblest being of the lower world.

10. Closeness to Allah: The noblest of beings is Allah Most High. Since this is the case, every being whose proximity to Allah Most High is more complete must be the noblest. The closest beings in this world to Allah are humans because their hearts are illuminated by the knowledge of Allah, their tongues are honored by the remembrance of Allah, and their limbs and organs are honored by obedience to Allah. Therefore, it must be affirmed that the noblest being of this lower world is man. Since it is established that man is a being contingent upon itself (mumkin li-dhātih), and a contingent being only exists through the creation of the Necessary Being (wājib li-dhātih), it follows that everything man has attained of high ranks and noble attributes is only through the grace and bounty of Allah Most High. For this reason, He said: {And We have certainly honored the Children of Adam}.

A completion of his honor from Allah Most High is that when He first created Adam, He described Himself as the Most Generous, saying: {Read in the Name of your Lord Who created, Who created man from a clinging substance. Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous, Who taught by the pen, Taught man that which he did not know} (Al-‘Alaq: 1-5). He described Himself with honor when nurturing man, saying: {And We have certainly honored the Children of Adam}. He described Himself as Generous in the final state of man, saying: {O man, what has deluded you concerning your Lord, the Most Generous?} (Al-Infitar: 6). This indicates that there is no end to Allah's generosity, favor, and benevolence toward man. And Allah knows best.

11. Creation by Hand: Some said this honor means that Allah created Adam with His Hand, while He created others by the command Kun (Be) and it was. Whoever is created by the Hand of Allah has more complete and perfect care, and is more honored and perfect. Since we are from his offspring, the Children of Adam must be more honored and perfect. And Allah knows best.

Category 2: His saying, {And We carried them on the land and sea}

Ibn Abbas said: On land, upon horses, mules, donkeys, and camels; and at sea, upon ships. This is also a confirmation of the honor mentioned previously, because Allah subjugated these beasts for him to ride, carry loads, wage war, fight, and defend himself. Likewise, Allah's subjugation of the waters, ships, and other things for him to ride, transport, and earn a living from are things specific to the son of Adam. All of this indicates that man in this world is like the followed master and the obeyed king, and everything else is his subjects and followers.

Category 3: His saying, {And We provided for them from the good things}

This is because food is either animal-based or plant-based. Man feeds on the finest and noblest kinds of both categories, after complete purification, perfect cooking, and full ripening—things that are only achieved by humans.

Category 4: His saying, {And We preferred them over many of those whom We have created, with [definite] preference}

Here there are two discussions:

First Discussion: He said at the beginning of the verse: {And We have certainly honored the Children of Adam}, and at the end: {And We preferred them}. There must be a distinction between this honor (takrīm) and preference (tafḍīl), otherwise repetition would result. The closest explanation is that Allah Most High favored man over other animals with inherent, natural, essential matters such as intellect, speech, writing, beautiful form, and tall stature. Then, through this intellect and understanding, He enabled man to acquire true beliefs and virtuous morals. The first is the honor (takrīm), and the second is the preference (tafḍīl).

Second Discussion: Allah Most High did not say: "And We preferred them over all," but rather: {And We preferred them over many of those whom We have created, with [definite] preference}. This indicates that among Allah's creation there exists something over which man is not preferred. All who affirm this point say that this is the Angels. This necessitates affirming that man is not superior to the Angels; rather, the Angel is superior to man. This view is the doctrine of Ibn Abbas and the choice of Al-Zajjaj, as narrated by Al-Wahidi in Al-Basit.

Know that this statement contains two sub-discussions:

1. Are the Prophets (peace be upon them) superior, or the Angels? This issue was discussed exhaustively in Surah Al-Baqarah in the exegesis of His saying: {And when We said to the angels, "Prostrate to Adam"} (Al-Baqarah: 34).
2. Which are superior: the common Angels or the common believers? Some have argued for the superiority of believers over the Angels. They supported this with what is narrated from Zayd ibn Aslam, who said: The Angels said, "Our Lord, You gave the Children of Adam the world to eat and enjoy therein, and You did not give us that. So grant us that in the Hereafter." He replied: "By My Might and Majesty, I will not place the offspring whom I created with My Hand in the same rank as one to whom I said, 'Be,' and it was." Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The believer is more honored before Allah than the Angels who are with Him." Al-Wahidi narrated this in Al-Basit.

As for those who hold that the Angels are superior to humans absolutely, they rely on this verse. This is essentially relying on the Dalīl al-Khitāb (argument from the contrary implication), because the establishment of the proof is to say: specifying "many" implies the opposite is true for the remainder. This is relying on the Dalīl al-Khitāb. And Allah knows best.

7 < { The Day We shall call every people with their Imam; and whoever is given his record in his right hand, those will read their record, and they will not be wronged, not even a straw's measure. * And whoever was blind in this [world], then he is blind in the Hereafter and further astray from the way.} > 7

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(The translation ends here as the excerpt concludes with the start of the next verse.)