ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Imam Khomeini, Ethics and Politics Man as the Arena of Conflict between Good and Evil Once we accept the previous principle, we can then deduce that the human being has a dual personality; this is part of the well-established Islamic anthropology. According to the Qur’an, God Almighty created man out of odorous black mud, which had been transformed into dry clay, and then He breathed His Spirit upon it; thus, emerged man.

In other words, man is a muddy creature, which has the Spirit of God. The Glorious Qur’an describes the creation of man, thus: “And (remember) when thy Lord said unto the angels: Lo! I am creating a mortal out of potter’s clay of black mud altered. So, when I have made him and have breathed unto him of My spirit, do ye fall down, prostrating yourselves unto him. ” [94] This fact is repeated in the different verses of the Qur’an.

The reality must be emphasized that the human being has a twofold personality: heavenly and earthly. This creature has its origin in the earth and his hands are extended toward heaven. While glancing at this transitory world, his eyes are fixed on that everlasting world. This creature is the connecting link between animal and angel. It is this point that distinguishes him from the two, and raises the question—is he superior to the two, equal to, or inferior to them?

One of the companions of Imām as-Sādiq ( ‘a ) asked him as to who is superior, man or angel. The infallible Imām ( ‘a ) replied that the Commander of the Faithful Imām ‘Alī ( ‘a ) had the following answer to the same query: God created the angels from reason without carnal desire and He created human beings from the combination of these two.

Therefore, whoever uses his reason above his desire is superior to the angels and whoever uses his desire above his reason is inferior to the four-footed ones.[95] While pointing to this hadīth Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhī [ar-Rūmī], a great gnostic and expounder of the subtleties of human existence, recites thus: ﺩﺮﺤﺩﻳﺚ ﺁﻤﺩ ﻜﻪﻳﺯﺩﺍﻦ ﻤﺠﻳﺩ ﺧﻟﻕﻋﺎﻟﻡ ﺮﺍ ﺴﻪﮔﻮﻧﻪ ﺁﻓﺮﻳﺪ ﻳﮏ ﮔُﺮُﻩﺮﺍ ﺟﻤﻠﻪ ﻋﻗﻞﻮ ﻋﻠﻡ ﻮﺧﻮﺩ ﺁﻦﻓﺮﺷﻪ ﺍﺴﺖ، ﺍﻮ ﻧﺩﺍﻧﺩ ﺟﺰﺴﺟﻮﺩ ﻧﻴﺴﺖ ﺍﻧﺩﺮﻋﻧﺼﺮﺵ ﺣﺮﺹ ﻮﻫﻮﺍ ﻧﻮﺮ ﻣﻃﻠﻕ، ﺰﻧﺩﻩ ﺍﺰ ﻋﺷﻕﺨﺩﺍ ﻴﮏ ﮔﺮﻮﻩﺩﻳﮕﺮ ﺍﺰﺩﺍﻧﺵ ﺗﻬﻰ ﻫﻣﭼﻮ ﺤﻴﻮﺍﻥﺍﺰ ﻋﻠﻒ ﺩﺮﻓﺮﺒﻬﻰ ﺍﻮ ﻧﺒﻴﻧﺩﺟﺰ ﻜﻪ ﺍﺻﻃﺒﻝﻮ ﻋﻠﻒ ﺍﺰ ﺸﻗﺎﻮﺖﻏﺎﻓﻞﺍﺴﺖﻮﺍﺯﺸﺮﻒ ﺍﻴﻥﺴﻮﻢ ﻫﺴﺖﺁﺪﻤﻴﺯﺍﺪ ﻮﺒﺸﺮ ﻧﻴﻢ ﺍﻮﺯﺍﻓﺮﺸﺘﻪ ﻮﻧﻴﻤﺶ ﺧﺮ It is related in the hadīth that the Majestic God Created the creatures of the world (in) three kinds.