In the verses about the creation of Hadhrat Adam ( ‘a )...
In the verses about the creation of Hadhrat Adam ( ‘a ), the creation of man has been explained in such a manner that his weakness and possibility of going astray is clearly indicated: ﴿وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلاَئِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً قَالُواْ أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاء وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ قَالَ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ﴾ “When your Lord said to the angels, ‘Indeed I am going to set a viceroy on the earth,’ they said, ‘Will you set in it someone who will cause corruption in it, and shed blood, while we celebrate Your praise and proclaim Your sanctity?’ He said, ‘Indeed I know what you do not know’.”[^1] When the angels recount the social corruption and bloodshed of human beings, God does not deny it.
Instead, He highlights the wisdom beyond the creation of man which is unknown to the angels. Similarly, in some other verses God mentions some moral weaknesses of man, as in the following verses: ﴿إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا ٭ إِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ جَزُوعًا ٭ وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ الْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا﴾ “Indeed man has been created covetous: anxious when an ill befalls him and grudging when good comes his way.”[^2] ﴿إِنَّ الإِنسَانَ لَظَلُومٌ كَفَّارٌ﴾ “Indeed man is most unfair and ungrateful!”[^3] It is interesting to note that in the latter verse God describes man as “ zalum ” which is the superlative degree [Sighah al-Mubalighah] and means “most unfair”.
This description indicates that inequity, insolence and ungratefulness in human beings is such that it cannot be neglected, and human societies will always be replete with injustice and ingratitude. The notion is unacceptable that through education, training, enlightenment, admonition and counsel, people can build a society whose members are all well-mannered and refined and no one violates laws and moral values, and where there would be no need anymore for government and the police force.
The Qur’an also opposes this notion and indicates that in human societies with different motives there will always be violation. Of course, social scientists are discovering and identifying the factors behind individuals’ violation and commission of crime, and have identified some as ignorance, illiteracy, genetic and environmental factors.
This is not our concern at present as we only intend to state that violation of law and commission of crime and sin always existed, and will be the same in future.