Abstract
SUPERIORITY OF HUMAN BEING IN THE CONTEXT OF ISRA 17/70 AYAH
Allah the almighty mentions about the superiority of human in many ayahs of Holy Quran. These ayahs tell why human being was created, shaped in the best form as well as being the most honorable of all the created. Allah wills as follows in the ayah constituting the main theme of our presentation; “We have honored the sons of Adam; provided them with transport on land and sea; given them for sustenance things good and pure; and conferred on them special favors, above a great part of our creation (Isra 17/70).” In this ayah, Allah summarizes the favors and honors given to the human being, and emphasizes his unique place in the universe. The scholiasts explain the glory of human being and his superiority over other creations; corporal beauty he was favored by Allah, his making use of his hands, eyes, ears and other organs proficiently, his literacy ability, his ability to discover cause and effect relation in events and thus to make plans for future, having the concepts of good-bad, beautiful-ugly; briefly his material and nonmaterial virtues. However the superiority of human being has been under discussion since the very start of introduction of Islam. The superiority has been first discussed between the human being and the rest of the creation then diverted to a discussion between the human beings themselves. The sects have displayed different denominational approaches. A discussion in that way did not exit at the beginning but then due to certain political, it even had large coverage in Islamic doctrines.
This presentation deals with superiority of human being according to the shi’a and sunni doctrinal sects, and some sufistic schools as well as its explanation in Quran context.
Keywords
Ayah, Hadith, Human Being, Creation, Superiority, the Most Honorable of Living Creatures.
