Why does Allah give man so much importance to man though man is like a sand grain in the universe? Prophets, books, Paradise, Hell, etc. exist for us.
When we consider the whole universe with stars, planets, space, etc., man is smaller than a sand grain. Why is the Sublime Creator, who created all of them, interested in man so much? Prophets, books, Paradise, hell, etc. exist for us.
Submitted by on Wed, 07/03/2018 - 17:12
Dear Brother / Sister,
Allah Almighty, who is the maker of the universe and the beings in it, created this universe for very important purposes. The Quran states the following:
"Not for (idle) sport did We create the heavens and the earth and all that is between." (al-Anbiya, 21/16)
"Not without purpose did We create heaven and earth and all between..." (Sad, 38/27)
All beings glorify and sanctify the Sublime Creator with the languages peculiar to them. They fulfill the duty given to them with great pleasure and enthusiasm. For instance, the sun moves in the orbit designed for it without delaying even for a second. Rivers flow into seas with enthusiasm. The animals put under man’s order serve him obediently.
Human beings and jinn have a different place among those beings, who fulfill divine orders. They are held responsible as the following verse states:
"I have only created Jinn and men, that they may serve Me." (adh-Dhariyat, 51/56)
However, they are free to do it or not. This different position of humans and jinn originate from the will given to them. They can choose belief or unbelief, good or bad, nice and ugly, obedience and disobedience with that will.
The phrase “mithal al-musaghghar” is used for man in Nur Collection; that is, the minimized sample of the universe. The minimization is used in such a wonderful form in the realm that this wonderful realm retains its current state but small realms that represent it are filtered from it. The hand of power that filters the tree and compresses it in the fruit places so many realms in man.
Man summarizes a book that he reads. This summary is a small sample of the book. However, if you say, “Write that book again with the help of the summary”, he will not be able to do it. However, is a seed like that? When you put it in the ground, it can give you the whole tree again.
The verse related to the trust (amanah) is as follows:
“We did indeed offer (present) the Trust to the Heavens and the Earth and the Mountains; but they refused to undertake it, being afraid thereof: but man undertook it;- He was indeed unjust and foolish.” (al-Ahzab, 33/72)
Amanah lexically means being reliable, something entrusted to a person to keep (to protect). The opposite of being reliable is being treacherous. That is, not to protect the entrusted thing and to use it as one’ soul wishes, not as the person who entrusted it.
Terminologically amanah is defined in a few different ways. The most common of them are as follows:
“All of the religious obligations”, “fards”, “orders of Islam”, “every boon entrusted to man”, “mind”, “ability to be a vicegerent on earth.”
A light from the sun of the Quran:
“On no soul doth Allah Place a burden greater than it can bear.” (al-Baqara, 2/286)
One of those souls is the eye; it was not given the duty of hearing. Another one is the ear; it was not given the duty of understanding. The spirit of the sheep was not given the duty of meditating; mountains and stones were not given the duty of giving light. Every being was given a duty based on the ability given to it. The human spirit has important differences from the other beings. He was left free to fulfill the duty given to him. The reason why he is unjust and foolish is the fact that he uses this partial free will in a wrong way and puts it under the command of his soul.
The Trust is given to a being that has will. You cannot say, “I have entrusted the money to the safe” for the money that you put in the safe. It means lifeless beings cannot be entrusted things. Angels are not much different from them. They are given duties based on orders, not based on offers.
In the verse related to the Trust, it is stated that the Trust was “presented” (aradna) to the earth and the mountains, not “offered” (iqtarahna). If they had been offered, they could not have refused it. A king presents a duty to a solider that has been summoned to his presence. For instance, he asks the soldier, “Can you work as a scribe?” The solider apologizes to the king and says, “Unfortunately, I cannot read and write; if I could, I would definitely fulfill your order.” This offer is not like “Bring me some water.” Any soldier can bring water but not all soldiers can work as a scribe.
In the verse related to the Trust, Allah Almighty presented a duty to the sky, earth and mountains. He presented a Trust to them. We cannot know the nature of this presenting but we cannot regard their refusing to undertake this duty as disobedience. The duty presented to them is not something that they can fulfill with their ability, nature and power. However, the state of man’s nature, the organs and talents given to him are suitable for that duty. As a matter of fact, he undertook the Trust that the skies refused.
What is this duty? Badiuzzaman Said Nursi indicates in the Eleventh Truth of the Hashr Booklet that this Trust is “man’s talent” and explains this duty given to that talent as follows: “To measure and know, with his slight and petty measures and crafts, the all encompassing attributes, the universal workings, and the infinite manifestations of the Creator.”
Let us explain it with his own example:
“Just as I make this house and know how to make it, and I see it and own it and administer it, so the mighty palace of the universe has a Maker. Its Maker knows it, sees it, makes it, administers it. And so on...”
Thus, the skies, earth and mountains could not undertake the duty of knowing Allah’s endless attributes and deeds by making the comparison above and similar ones since they did not have the ability to do it.
Reporters do not follow an ordinary citizen. However, they follow the people of high ranks like the prime minister like a shadow, observe what they do and record anything they say. Similarly, everything that man, who is the vicegerent on earth, does and says is recorded by angels.
Questions on Islam
- Would you like to explain the verse 72 of Chapter Al-Ahzab?
- How should we understand the verse “We did indeed offer the Trust to the Heavens and the Earth and the Mountains...”?
- In the verse 72 of Chapter Al-Ahzab, Allah says; We did indeed offer the Trust (Amanah) to the Heavens and the Earth and the Mountains: but they refused to undertake it, being afraid thereof: but man undertook it― he was indeed unjust and foo
- What is the meaning of the trust mentioned in verses of 72 of the chapter of al-Ahzab?
- What is the Trust expressed in Quran that has been assumed to man?
- Why did Allah create the universe?
- It is stated in hadiths that amanah (honesty/trust) settled in the roots of men's hearts. What is this amanah? What is the reason why amanah is taken away from hearts?
- Why did Allah give the trust to man, who is cruel and ignorant, though He says “Allah doth command you to render back your Trusts to those to whom they are due”?
- What is the meaning of the hadith women are entrusted to you by Allah?
- Did the Prophet Adam or all mankind undertake the trust?