Session Eleven, The First Stage: Examining the Existence or Non-Existence of Inherent Dignity in the Human Being

Session Eleven

The First Stage: Examining the Existence or Non-Existence of Inherent Dignity in the Human Being — The Foundations of Inherent Human Dignity — The First Category: 1. Intellect — Evidence — The Second, Third, and Fourth Pieces of Evidence

October 26, 2024

Summary of the Previous Session

One piece of evidence indicating that God the Almighty has granted a dignity to the human being that is unique to him and of which other creatures are deprived is verse 70 of Surah al-Isra, the manner of invoking which we have explained. The sum of it is that the intellect, in the sense of the faculty of understanding, perception, memory, knowledge, eloquence, speech, and the like, is actualized in the human being. The human being qua human being enjoys this divine blessing and this dignity granted by the Creator, and it remains with the human being until the end, barring accidental or secondary impediments. This faculty exists in all human beings, whether disbeliever or Muslim, and this very faculty can serve as the foundation for acquiring other dignities. This is that faculty which, if not polluted by illusions and whims, possesses the capacity to elevate the human being to high degrees and transcendence.

There are other pieces of evidence, but since this subject has been less frequently approached from this perspective, I shall present these pieces of evidence; though they may not be as strong in their implication as the aforementioned verse, they nonetheless point to the same conclusion.

The Second Piece of Evidence: “Verily, We created the human being in the finest state…”

“Verily, We created the human being in the finest state, then We reduced him to the lowest of the low, except those who believe and do righteous deeds, for theirs is a reward unfailing” (لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ فِي أَحْسَنِ تَقْوِيمٍ * ثُمَّ رَدَدْنَاهُ أَسْفَلَ سَافِلِينَ * إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ فَلَهُمْ أَجْرٌ غَيْرُ مَمْنُونٍ). God, Blessed and Exalted is He, states: We created the human being in the best conditions, then We returned him to the lowest degrees, except those who believe and perform righteous deeds, for whom there is an abundant reward.

This verse indicates that the human being enjoys a unique bounty called the intellect, in that “finest state” (aḥsan taqwīm) means the best spiritual and physical conditions to attain lofty stations. To be sure, we shall note that commentators hold different views regarding “the finest state” (aḥsan taqwīm); yet what is invoked here is that God states: We created the human being in the finest state. The emphatic particle lām, qad, and the attribution of the human being’s creation to God, Blessed and Exalted is He, in the best of molds, signify the unique nature of this bounty for the human being.

Views Concerning “The Finest State” (Aḥsan Taqwīm)

What is meant by the “best mold” or “finest state”? Why do we say that the finest state means the human being has been endowed with a collection of blessings, the most important of which is the intellect? There are different views regarding aḥsan taqwīm; at least three perspectives or interpretations have been mentioned. I shall refer briefly to these views, and then very concisely explain the basis for choosing the aforementioned view.

The First View

One view is that aḥsan taqwīm refers to an upright posture; meaning We created the human being in the best way: capable, powerful, and upright. Accordingly, “the lowest of the low” (asfal sāfilīn) in this verse refers to old age, weakness, decrepitude, and incapacity. That is, We created the human being in the best physical conditions and upright, and then We guided him toward bodily weakness.

Question:

Professor: There are numerous implausibilities (mubʿidāt) within this verse itself and outside of it.

The Second View

According to this view, which Mullā Ṣadrā presents in his exegesis, aḥsan taqwīm means the highest contingent degree of existence, which is above material existence—namely, an immaterial existence that is perhaps the First Creation or the First Intellect, and that is the existential reality of the Holy Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his family). Thereafter, We guided him to the lowest degree of existence, which is a material and physical existence. That is, God first created the human being in the loftiest degree of the realms of existence, and then brought him down from that lofty degree to the lowest degree, which is this lower world and the material world. Human beings remain in this degree unless they possess faith and perform righteous deeds. Consequently, if human beings possess faith and perform righteous deeds, they soar once again, and naturally their levels of soaring and transcendence depend on the measure of their deeds and faith. Someone like the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) soars so high that he reunites with that reality; whereas another remains in this material world and never ascends. This is that arc of descent (qaws al-nuzūl) and arc of ascent (qaws al-ṣuʿūd) to which reference is made in certain writings.

Question:

Professor: It has nothing to do with the Resurrection… rather, it depends on the degree of their abstraction (tajrīd) from matter; those who go beyond attention to matter and this world and pay attention to unseen truths distance themselves from “the lowest of the low” (asfal sāfilīn).

The Third View

The third aspect, which the late ʿAllāmah mentioned, is what I indicated at the outset: that the human being was created in the best conditions, both physically and spiritually. That is, a being completely prepared and ready for transcendence and growth; a human being who has been granted things, the most important of which is the intellect, through which he can soar and actualize these capacities. However, by his own wrong choice, the human being moves toward decline; meaning that, as it were, the species of the human being moves toward “the lowest of the low” (asfal sāfilīn). This is like: “Lo! the human being is in a state of loss, save those who believe and do righteous deeds” (إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ * إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ). It is as though the species of the human being does not utilize these capacities and this opportunity, except those who believe and perform righteous deeds.

Other interpretations have also been mentioned for aḥsan taqwīm, but the most significant views are these three that we have presented.

Evidence Supporting the Third View

That which supports the third view and can reinforce it is a tradition from Imam al-Hādī (peace be upon him) recorded in Tuḥaf al-ʿUqūl: “Indeed, the Mighty and Sublime informed of His preferring the children of Adam over the rest of His creation—of the beasts, predators, marine creatures, birds, and every moving thing perceived by the senses of the children of Adam—by the distinction of the intellect and speech; and that is His saying: ‘Verily, We created the human being in the finest state'” (فَقَدْ أَخْبَرَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَنْ تَفْضِيلِهِ بَنِي آدَمَ عَلَى سَائِرِ خَلْقِهِ مِنَ الْبَهَائِمِ وَالسِّبَاعِ وَدَوَابِّ الْبَحْرِ وَالطَّيْرِ وَكُلِّ ذِي حَرَكَةٍ تُدْرِكُهُ حَوَاسُّ بَنِي آدَمَ بِتَمْيِيزِ الْعَقْلِ وَالنُّطْقِ وَذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسانَ فِي أَحْسَنِ تَقْوِيمٍ).

Imam al-Hādī (peace be upon him) states: God the Mighty and Sublime informed of the human being’s superiority over His other creatures—of the beasts, predators, marine creatures, birds, and every moving thing, every moving thing that the human being’s senses perceive by the distinction of the intellect and his speech; this is precisely what God stated: “Verily, We created the human being in the finest state” (لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسانَ فِي أَحْسَنِ تَقْوِيمٍ). What is meant by creating the human being in the finest state? It means We granted him intellect, the faculty of distinction, and the faculty of speech, by which he can perceive all creatures in this world, and this very thing is the cause of the human being’s superiority. Here, the discussion is not about tafḍīl and takrīm; the bounty God has granted to the human being is the intellect. This tradition interprets or applies aḥsan taqwīm in a manner more compatible with the third view. Of course, the second view is not incorrect and is also an interpretation; nevertheless, what is more aligned with the apparent sense of this verse, and perhaps supported by traditional evidence, is this third interpretation. According to this aspect, this is an excellent piece of evidence that the human being, by means of the intellect, acquires an inherent dignity; it is a unique bounty of the human being.

Question:

Professor: I shall discuss “We reduced him” (raddadnāhu) at the end of this section or at the end of the evidence. Let me just briefly state that on other occasions as well, God, Blessed and Exalted is He, refers to these matters. In the words of the late ʿAllāmah, He presents favor mixed with admonition, which is both a bestowment of favor and an admonition. We shall discuss this there; if we mention this aspect, the attribution of “the lowest of the low” (asfal sāfilīn) to God must be justified. We do not wish to delve deeply into the details of this verse; what is presently intended here is that God has spoken here of favor (iḥsān) with emphasis. Previously it was ennoblement (takrīm), and here it is favor (iḥsān). The meaning of favor is clear—namely, that this is a goodness, kindness, and privilege We have granted to the human being by creating him in the finest state, and this finest state, according to the most correct view, is the very essence of intellect, thought, and contemplation in the human being, by which he can reach lofty degrees. One of the most important matters that brings about the existential elevation and existential expansion of the human being is cognition (maʿrifah); action and its consequences are all subordinate to cognition; the deeper the cognition, the more meaningful the deeds naturally become. Yet, is cognition acquired except through the faculty of intellect and contemplation?

Some friends suggested that this detail might not be necessary, but in my view, it is necessary; because in various writings, whether books or articles, I observe that these matters have not been properly clarified, and because the necessary reflection has not taken place, it has become the source of controversy, debate, and dispute. Some argue that we have no such thing at all. For the roots of this discussion to be clearly illuminated and to acquire the necessary depth, this detail is indispensable.

The Third Piece of Evidence: “So We made him hearing and seeing”

Verses 1 to 3 of Surah al-Insan state: “Has there come upon the human being a period of time when he was not a thing mentioned? Verily, We created the human being from a drop of mixed fluid, to try him; so We made him hearing and seeing” (هَلْ أَتَى عَلَى الْإِنْسَانِ حِينٌ مِنَ الدَّهْرِ لَمْ يَكُنْ شَيْئًا مَذْكُورًا * إِنَّا خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ أَمْشَاجٍ نَبْتَلِيهِ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ سَمِيعًا بَصِيرًا). The meaning of the verse is clear: Has a time passed upon the human being when he was nothing, nothing worthy of consideration or mention? We created the human being from a drop of fluid mixed and compounded of various substances and elements, and We brought him from one state to another and from one form to another—from a drop of fluid to a clinging clot (ʿalaqah), from a clinging clot to a lump of flesh (muḍghah), from a lump of flesh to bones, and then to a complete infant. Then, We made him hearing and seeing.

There is no debate that the human being underwent these stages within his mother’s womb and was existentially developed into a complete infant. However, concerning His saying: “so We made him hearing and seeing” (فَجَعَلْنَاهُ سَمِيعًا بَصِيرًا), what was the purpose of making him hearing and seeing? What does it mean? Does He merely want to say that We granted him ears and eyes? Does He wish to refer only to these two organs? Or does He refer to them because the eyes and ears are the doors of cognition for the human being—the entryways of knowledge and information into the human mind?

Thereafter, in some verses, it is stated that in order to guide the human being to the ultimate purpose of his creation and existence, We made him hearing and seeing; We granted him this so that he might contemplate the divine signs, and thereby understand the guidance of the prophets, the sending of messengers, and the revelation of scriptures. In reality, hearing and seeing are divine instruments and gifts for perceiving the universe, contemplating the divine signs, and receiving divine guidance through the prophets and heavenly scriptures. There is no debate that the ultimate purpose of the human being is to reach that stage, and that he must contemplate the signs and be influenced by the teachings and guidance of the prophets. This is a dignity he can acquire. This is because, following this, He refers to will and choice, which we shall discuss later: “Verily, We guided him to the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful” (إِنَّا هَدَيْنَاهُ السَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شَاكِرًا وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا). He states that We showed the way, and now he either chooses this way or that way. However, the origin of making him hearing and seeing, and Our making him hearing and seeing, points to that very faculty of intellect; otherwise, animals also possess eyes and ears, yet He does not say of them “hearing and seeing.” Here, the designation “hearing and seeing” is unique to the human being; it is an exclusive bounty for the human being. Yes, the creation of hearing and seeing is purposeful; animals fundamentally lack the capacity to contemplate the signs through their hearing and seeing or to attain an ultimate purpose; there is no ultimate purpose for the animal’s existence, whereas there is for the human being. Thus, this also, in a sense, refers to this divine bounty.

The Fourth Piece of Evidence: “He created the human being, taught him eloquence”

Verses 1 to 4 of Surah al-Raḥmān state: “The All-Merciful, taught the Qur’an, created the human being, taught him eloquence” (الرَّهْمَنُ * عَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ * خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ * عَلَّمَهُ الْبَيَانَ). Here, it refers to the creation of the human being. All the verses we are mentioning discuss the creation of the human being, with no reference whatsoever to the believer or the righteous. The discussion concerns the creation of the human being, and in all of them, there is a reminder and recollection of God’s bounty; God is mentioning this bounty for the human being, and all of these verses clearly indicate that this bounty is not for non-humans.

Concerning “eloquence/speech” (bayān) in this verse, five views exist:

1. The view of scholars such as the late Ṭabrisī, Ālūsī, ʿAllāmah, and Ṭabarī is that it means speech and utterance; “taught him eloquence” (ʿallamahu al-bayān) means We taught him speech and utterance.

2. Some, who are fewer in number, say that God taught the human being the explanation of matters—meaning his ability to explain various matters. This is found in works like Tafsīr al-Qummī and the exegesis of Muqātil ibn Sulaymān. Of course, this can also be considered a branch of the first view, because speech and utterance are specific and are given a more limited scope here; hence, it is more specific than the first view.

3. Some commentators among the Shi’ah and the Sunnis, who are not few, say that God, Blessed and Exalted is He, taught the human being the names of things and creatures.

4. Some believe that God taught the human being the Qur’an, identifying eloquence/explanation (bayān) with the Qur’an. The late Ṭabrisī relates this as a possibility.

5. Eloquence/speech (bayān) means the power of intellection and distinction, in a manner that distinguishes the human being from all other creatures. Shaykh al-Ṭūsī, Ibn ʿArabī, and al-Bayḍāwī hold this view.

I do not wish to evaluate or judge these views one by one at present; I wish to argue that in this verse where God, Blessed and Exalted is He, presents the discussion of the human being’s creation, the first thing He mentions following it is the teaching of the human being—in the sense that He granted the human being a perceptive and communicative faculty (aʿṭā al-insāna quwwatan mudrikatan mufhimah). Even if we do not accept this view and say it means speech and utterance, the explanation of certain matters, the names of things and creatures, or even the Holy Qur’an—whichever it may be—these are considered a unique bounty in a specific sense, yet they all trace back to the faculty of intellect present in the human being that distinguishes him from all other creatures. That is, were it not for the faculty of intellect, the explanation and clarification of matters would not be possible; were it not for the faculty of intellect, speech would not be possible and utterance would not be within one’s power; and were it not for this, the names of things and creatures would not be understood. I would even argue that, assuming we accept any of these views, it still appears that the unique and exclusive bounty of the human being that God recalls is this very faculty of intellect.

To be sure, there is no mention of favor (iḥsān) here; in the first and second pieces of evidence, the words ennoblement (takrīm) and favor (iḥsān) are explicitly mentioned. There, it is completely clear that this is a bounty God has granted to the human being, and a unique bounty indeed. Here, however, there is no mention of favor; yet, despite the word iḥsān not being mentioned here, God is practically expressing His favor to the human being. It does not contain the word ḥusn or iḥsān, yet in reality, it is favor; just as sometimes one says, “I showed favor to you and did this,” and at other times says, “I did this for you”—this in reality refers to that very divine favor and ennoblement.

The Fifth Piece of Evidence: “He taught the human being what he knew not”

Verses 1 to 7 of Surah al-ʿAlaq state: “Read in the name of your Lord Who created, created the human being from a clinging clot. Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous, Who taught by the pen, taught the human being what he knew not. Nay, but the human being transgresses because he sees himself self-sufficient” (اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ * خَلَقَ الْإِنسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ * اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الْأَكْرَمُ * الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ * عَلَّمَ الْإِنْسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ * كَلَّا إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَيَطْغَى * أَنْ رَآهُ اسْتَغْنَى).

“Taught by the pen” means He taught the human being. Although some commentators have taken the omitted object of “taught” (ʿallama) here to be Adam, Enoch (Idrīs), or the prophets who could write—stating that the first person who was able to hold the pen was Enoch, or that it refers to all the prophets who had the ability to write, or applying it to Adam—according to the apparent sense of the verse, what is meant here is the human being, because the discussion concerns the creation of the human being. Wherever He refers to this bounty, it follows creation; He states that We created the human being, “Who taught by the pen, taught the human being what he knew not” (الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ * عَلَّمَ الْإِنْسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ). Here, it clearly and obviously refers to the human species.

Yet even if we take the pen in its literal sense—meaning the ability to write and compose—this is necessarily concomitant with the intellect and the faculty of consciousness and distinguishing good from evil. Concerning “taught the human being what he knew not” (عَلَّمَ الْإِنْسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ), there is a difference of opinion among commentators as to what “what he knew not” (mā lam yaʿlam) is; yet whichever it may be, it means He taught the human being what he did not know, and whatever “what he knew not” may be, it traces back to the faculty of intellect.

Discussion of the Next Session

These four pieces of evidence refer to the creation of the human being and the unique bounty granted to him—whether accompanied by the words ḥusn, ikrām, and takrīm, or without mentioning these terms—yet in reality, this is the favor, grace, and unique bounty granted by God to the human being. The human being possesses this faculty. Thereafter, He states: “Nay, but the human being transgresses because he sees himself self-sufficient” (كَلَّا إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَيَطْغَى * أَنْ رَآهُ اسْتَغْنَى), or in another verse says: “then We reduced him to the lowest of the low” (ثُمَّ رَدَدْنَاهُ أَسْفَلَ سَافِلِينَ). In all these instances, there is an admonition; does this mean that this faculty is then divested from the human being, and he no longer possesses it? If it is divested or remains merely potential, why then do you argue that this is an inherent dignity? Although we have briefly answered this question previously, I shall address it in the next session, as it is a key and important discussion.