One class (He made) entirely reason and knowledge and munificence...

One class (He made) entirely reason and knowledge and munificence; That is the angel: he knoweth naught but prostration in worship. In his original nature is no concupiscence and sensuality: He is absolute light, (he is) living through (his) love of God. Another class is devoid of knowledge, Like the animals (which lives) in fatness from (eating) fodder. It sees nothing but stable and fodder: It is heedless of (future) misery and glory (felicity).

The third (class) is Adam’s descendant and Man: Half of him is of the angel and half of him is ass. [96] This is the state of human existence. His worldly aspect directs him to the world while his celestial side spurs him to quest and growth. ﺠﺎﻦﮔﺷﺎﻴﺪ ﺴﻮﻯﺒﺎﻻ، ﺒﺎﻟﻬﺎ ﺪﺮﺯﺪﻩ ﺘﻦ ﺪﺮﺯﻤﻴﻦﭽﻧﮕﺎﻟﻬﺎ The spirit unfolds its wings (to) fly) upwards; The body has stuck its claws in the earth. [97] Of course, it is stated in the Prophetic narrations that God created man out of His own mold.

ﺧﻠﻕ ﻤﺎﺒﺮ ﺻﻮﺮﺖ ﺧﻮﺪﻜﺮﺪ ﺣﻕ ﻮﺻﻒ ﻤﺎ ﺍﺯﻮﺻﻒ ﺍﻮ ﮔﻴﺮﺪﺴﺒﻕ God created us in His image: Our qualities are instructed by [98] (are modeled upon) His qualities. [99] But this is only one side of the coin. It does not mean that man, as such, is superior to the angels and the representative of God. Rather, it points to the fact that man can, and should, make apparent and nurture his divine aspect, and make himself his Lord’s worthy viceroy.

As such, man has a dual personality and each part of him drives him to its pertinent direction. As a result, an inner conflict arises in man, dichotomizing his being. There is a story about Majnūn, which illustrates well this state of humanity. One day Majnūn decided to pay a visit to Laylā who used to live with her tribe in a distant place. So, he went after a she-camel that he possessed and mounted it. The she-camel had just given birth to an offspring and so was not willing to leave the place.

However, it had no choice but to take Majnūn. But whenever Majnūn used to fall asleep due to fatigue, the halter that was in his hand naturally used to slacken and the she-camel, realizing that its master had fallen asleep, would swiftly change its direction and head hurriedly toward its foal. After a short while, Majnūn would wake up and realize that the she-camel had changed course. So, he would correct his course and, gripping the halter tightly, lead the camel toward Laylā.

But after some time, Majnūn would lapse into sleep once again and the camel, with its young mind, would change its direction, so on and so forth.