Man’s Position on This Earth

To ascertain man's position on earth, I do not want to go into the controversy created by the protagonists of “evolutionary” and “creation” theories. In fact, they do not oppose each other. They are compatible.

According to scientists' explanation, life on earth developed through evolutionary process millions of years before the appearance of man on earth. In the beginning, the earth was as extremely hot as other planets were. Earth gradually became cooler and cooler. When the upper layer of earth completely cooled down, life began sprouting out of water and mud. Plants, birds and other animals came into existence. Creatures somewhat resembling human beings in form also came into being in this process. Their fossils are now being dug out here and there. Scientists supporting the evolution theory are guessing the age of man from these excavations. They are making constant effort to prove these fossils as the ancestors of present day man whereas man is unique in his creation. He differs from other mammals, the apes and the chimpanzee in many respects. Man distinguishes himself from animals in his power of reasoning, planning and expression. The anatomy of the brain, eyes and ears, the ability of accumulating knowledge, the art of writing, and the force of moral and spiritual values are special to man. Over and above all, he has a free will to do what he likes. He behaves and acts according to his discretion, not according to instincts.

These characteristics are found in no other species. These qualities of the heart and the mind were there in the first man as they are now in today's man. In fact man is a separate, independent, special and a unique entity among all the other creatures of this cosmos. His behavior, his temperament, his lust for power and greed, his desire to possess, his weaknesses and strengths all are the same as they were in the first man. He is thus special specie different from all other creations on earth.

Man, as a whole, is the “missing link” in the theory of evolution. The human being represents the finest handicraft of the Creator.

When the earth, through evolutionary process, became fit for human habitation, when the earth could provide what was needed for the sustenance and survival of man, when all the needs and requirements of man till eternity were made available on earth, the Creator, in His infinite mercy, placed man with his companion on this earth in the form of Adam and Eve, with all the qualities of heart and mind, weaknesses and shortcomings, strong physical urges, intellectual and structural superiority which are unique to human beings as we see today.

To substantiate the aforesaid view, human being has no source of knowledge except that of revelations from the Creator Himself.

Man's experimental knowledge about his origin is mostly guesswork, just guessing and making wild shots in the dark. The theories about the origin and evolution of man keep changing with each newfound fossil. We have, therefore, no choice but refer to Divine Scriptures, especially the last and the final one. All that it contains is eternal truth. Its every word is compatible with what science has contributed so far to the knowledge of mankind. For what science could not discover so far understanding the nature of this cosmos, the position of man and his inter-relationship with others, etc., man should turn to the last Scripture. What the scientist has come to discover now was already revealed 1400 years ago, and that stands confirmed by the available scientific standard.

For a comparative study of what is described or revealed in the last Scripture and what has so far been discovered through scientific process can be better understood by reading these books, viz. “The Bible, The Qur'an and Science” and “What is the Origin of Man” by Dr. Maurice Bucaille.

Both the books are eloquent proof that what is revealed has now been confirmed by scientific discoveries. One who goes through these books will see for himself or herself that the last Scripture stands today as a flawless scientific truth.

It confirms that the supreme authority that created this universe and placed man on earth as his or her temporary and transitional abode, and who revealed the Book through His last messenger is one and the same.

In the Scripture, God has laid down the process of the creation of man, the stages through which man passes, the objective of his creation, his shortcomings and weaknesses, his needs and requirements and his position on this earth. I will now quote some of its Verses in support of what I have discussed above.

“Verily We created man from a product of wet earth. Then placed him as a drop (of seed) in a safe lodging. Then fashioned We the drop a clot, then fashioned We the clot into a little lump, then fashioned We the little lump with bones then wrapped the bones with flesh, and then produced it as final creation. So blessed be Allah, the Best of Creators!” (The Qur'an, Surah Al-Mu’minun, 23: 12-14)

“O Mankind, if you are in doubt concerning the resurrection, then Lo: We have created you from dust, then from a drop of seed, then from a clot, then from a little lump of flesh shapely and shapeless, that We make it clear for you...” (The Qur'an, Surah Al-Hajj, 22: 5)

“(God is He) Who made all things good which He created and He began the creation of man from clay; then He made his seed from a drought of despised fluid. Then He fashioned him and breathed into him of His spirit; and gave him (the power of) hearing, and sight and heart.” (The Qur'an, Surah As-Sajdah, 32: 7-9)

“And He it is Who has created man from water.” (The Qur'an, Surah Al-Furqan, 25: 54)

“God has created every animal of water. Of them is (a kind) that goes upon four legs. God creates what He wills. Lo, God is able to do all things.” (The its belly and (a kind) that goes upon two legs and (a kind) that goes upon Qur'an, Surah An-Nur, 24: 45)

These verses tell us that the first human species was created out of wet clay (a mixture of water and dust) by the Supreme Creator in the most perfect shape and form. God then created the earth, the sky and the entire universe for mankind.

He made the earth habitable for man through gradual evolutionary process.

He endowed man with knowledge of everything in order to make him excel as His supreme creature. When all that was needed for the procreation of man and woman was arranged and put into this earth, the first couple descended from heaven to earth as His vicegerent, His representative on earth with clear command to follow Him.

“And when thy Lord said unto the angels: Lo! I am about to place a viceroy on my earth, they said: will thou place therein one who will do harm therein and will shed blood, while we hymn Thy praise and sanctify Thee? He said: surely I know that which ye know not.

*And He taught Adam the names of all the filings, then showed these to the angels saying: Inform me of the names of these, if ye are truthful.

They (angels) said: Be glorified! We have no knowledge saving that which Thou have taught us. Lo! Thou, only Thou, are Knower, the Wise.”

(The Qur'an, Surah Al-Baqarah, 2: 30-32)

“See ye not how God has made serviceable unto you whatsoever is in the skies and whatsoever is in the earth and has loaded you with His favors both within and without. Yet of mankind is he who disputes concerning God, without knowledge or guidance or a Scripture giving light.” (The Qur'an, Surah Luqman, 31:20)

“He it is Who created for you all that is in the earth.” (The Qur'an, Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:29)

Thus, the first man and woman who came to this earth as His vicegerents were in full knowledge of their position and assignment that was entrusted to them by their Creator. This position of man on earth has the following connotations.

i. Through vicegerency the Creator gave a political position to every man and woman on earth. It automatically carries some authority to live, act and behave as an autonomous being with responsibility to the Creator. As vicegerent, every human being is accountable to the Creator for all his or her actions and deeds on earth.

ii. As vicegerent of the Creator, every man and woman was given a clear-cut assignment that they would remain loyal to Him and consciously try their utmost throughout their lifetime to establish God's authority on earth.

iii. As vicegerent man was given some discretionary power on earth. This special power can be termed as the “FREE-WILL” of man or woman. This is the inherent right of a human being on earth to live the way he or she chooses. Without this discretionary power, or power of Choice, man's life on earth would have been fatalistic, like inanimate objects. There would then have been no question of accountability to the Creator.

iv. This very power of choice, or of discretion, brings us to the fact that man has been put to a test on this earth. Man by his own choice has to select what is good or what is bad. By using the freewill, he/she will have to find out when and in which way one can find the consent and the pleasure of his Creator. After death, he or she has to meet Him eventually, when all will be accountable for their actions and deeds.

v. This concept of vicegerency, the concept of free choice and accountability in the life after death, in fact, is a process of selection. The Creator wants to ascertain the people who by their free choice remain loyal and faithful to Him while living on earth and pass their life in seeking His pleasure. Similarly, He wants to ascertain the people who violate the mandate of vicegerency, create disorder and shed blood on earth as feared by angels when God declared that He wanted to create a vicegerent on the earth, as mentioned earlier. Thus, the Creator wants to populate His heaven - the future world for mankind - with the first category of people and discard the second category as fuel for the hellfire.

One can deny this status of man on earth by exercising his or her free will. In that case, he or she has to ascertain and tell the world the objective behind the creation of man. If this special position of man is denied, everything then becomes meaningless. When everything in this cosmos has its objective, purpose and utility, why then alone the man - the supreme creation of God - should have no objectivity?

“Lo! In the creation of the heavens and the earth and (in) difference of night and day are token of His sovereignty for men of understanding, who remember God standing, sitting reclining, and consider the creation of the heaven and the earth (and say): Our Lord! Thou created not (all) this in vain. Glory to Thee! Preserve us from the doom of Fire.” (The Qur'an, Surah Al-‘Imran, 3:190-191)

“We created not the heaven and the earth and all that is between them in play…” (The Qur'an, Surah Al-Anbiya’, 21: 16)

The foregoing discussion establishes man's position on earth. He or she is the vicegerent of the Creator.

This is a very responsible status and carries a lot of obligations along with the power of freewill. Man is living on the earth under the constant vigilance of the Creator. He cannot escape from this position.

For his or her entire life, he or she is to lead a life loveable to Him, or reap evil consequences here and in the Hereafter by denying His authority. This free choice is open to every man or woman.

This position of man on earth is the fait accompli.