Human Status and Responsibility

Human Status and Responsibility

• Human beings are considered the best of creation, entrusted to govern the world according to Allah's direction and command.
• Humans are mentioned in the Quran with three terms: insan, basyar, and Bani Adam (Children of Adam).

The Role of Human as Caliph

• A human's role as caliph means to represent Allah on earth.
• To carry out the task of a caliph, people must acquire knowledge, including the knowledge of revelation and prophethood, as well as the natural world.
• The Quran confirms that humans are willing to bear the heavy trust of responsibility, despite knowing the shortcomings and obstacles that will be faced.

The Role of Human as Servant of God

• The role of human as a servant of God means to be obedient, dutiful, and subject to God's regulation.
• The main duty of human is to address devotion to Allah alone.
• Worship encompasses all aspects of human life, including eating, drinking, seeking livelihood, and relationships between nations.

Indicators of Worship

• Do not assume what is in hand as a personal possession.
• All activities revolve around God's command and avoid what He prohibits.
• Worship and devotion should only be for God, who created humans and the world.

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Worship

• Intrinsic worship refers to direct ritual worship, such as prayer, fasting, and pilgrimage.
• Extrinsic worship refers to indirect worship, carrying out all activities in accordance with Shari'a, both vertically to Allah and horizontally to fellow humans and other creatures.

The Purpose of Life

• The purpose of life is to please God.
• Any consideration or thoughts regarding the purpose of life should be in Allah's favor.
• The criteria for acts that are pleasing to God are based on their compatibility with Allah's law.

Human Honor and Nobility

• Taqwa is the basis of human honor.
• Human beings are honored both in quantity and quality, as described in Surah al-Isra, verse 70.
• The Quran declares that the most noble of humans in the sight of Allah is the most righteous.

Human Beings in Nature

• Allah created humans with a pure nature that has faith in the oneness of God since birth.
• Humans are free to choose between doing good or evil, with the influence of external surroundings and environment.
• Morality and ethics are essential to human life, and every act will be judged based on its value and sin.

Morality and Ethics

• Morality and ethics are inherent in human character.
• The moral standard is universal and has been known to be true all the time.
• Good and bad are not made-up, but are a reality that is well-known and understood by everyone.
• The Quran is in line with the terminology of al-ma'ruf to explain something good and commendable, and al-munkar for something blameworthy.

Comparison with Western Philosophy

• Western philosophers, such as Thomas Hobbes and Immanuel Kant, have different moral philosophies that are based on human desire, rational thinking, and moral law.
• These philosophies are categorized as hedonism, epicureanism, and deontological ethics.
• Western societies tend to separate religious teachings from their personal lives and social life.

Akhlak and Ethics

• Akhlak is an Arabic term that refers to character, habit, value, or dignity.

• Ethics and moral are interchangeable terms in English.

• Akhlak focuses on the spiritual aspect, whereas ethics and moral focus on the external aspect of human behavior.

• Islam outlines the effort of pleasing God as the definitive purpose for every act, with the Quran and Tradition as the sources of Islamic values.### The Importance of Noble Character

• The Prophet Muhammad SAW emphasized the importance of noble character, stating "Verily I am sent solely to perfect noble character" (Riwayat al-Baihaqi).

• Allah SWT praised the Prophet's noble character in the Quran, saying "And verily, you are on an exalted (standard of) character" (Al-Qalam, 68:4).

Moral Codes

• Believe in Allah without concealing it, and worship or devote oneself solely to God.
• Always repent to God and seek His pleasure in all circumstances.
• Execute the obligatory and fardhu, and perform circumcision, which God loves.

Moral Values towards Others

• Morals with the Messenger of Allah: believing in the Prophet's message and practicing good sunnah.
• Morals with parents: doing good to them, including deeds, words, and behaviors.
• Moral with neighbors: not disturbing them, throwing trash, or hurting them with abusive words.
• Moral with children: practicing aqiqah, giving good names, avoiding harmful things, and providing good moral education.
• Moral with relatives: upholding justice and kindness towards them, as commanded by Allah (al-Nahl, 16:90).

Moral Values towards Creatures

• Angels: honoring them by covering aurat, even when alone.
• Jin: not passing out stool in the hole where bone is thrown, as it is a jin's food.
• Livestock: not overloading animals beyond capacity, and slaughtering them in the best possible way.
• Non-poultry animals: not hurting or abusing them, such as injuring them with stones for no reason.

Upholding Moral Values

• Upholding moral values is essential in all aspects of life, and is preferred to be driven by faith in Allah and the hereafter, rather than just law enforcement.

Accountability to God

• Believing that one's behavior is always seen by God, and that they cannot conceal themselves from Him.
• Recognizing that God knows all intentions and ideals, and that one will face judgment in the afterlife.

Human Merit and Purpose

• Humans are positioned and potentially high compared to other creatures, with a merit to carry out their function as the servant of God and His caliph on earth.
• Human events differ from the occurrence of other creatures, and humans are not incarnations or evolutionary results from other creatures.
• God has provided complete resources to empower humans to perform their ultimate purpose, including knowledge, guidance, and revelation.