Al-Insan (The Humans)
Chapter 76: Verse 2
The Gifts
"Verily We created Man from a drop of mingled sperm, in order to try him: so We gave him (the gifts), of Hearing and Sight."
We are not like the trees and animals that the object of our creation be fulfilled on the earth itself, and we should die and perish here after we have played our appointed role over a period of time according to the law of nature. This world is neither a place of punishment for us, as the monks think, nor a place of rewards as the believers of the law of transmigration think, nor a place of entertainment and enjoyment, as the materialists think, nor a battlefield, as the followers of Darwin and Marx think, but in fact it is a place of test and trial for us. That which we regard as our age, is in fact the time given to us for the test. Whatever powers and capabilities we have been given in the world, the things that have been placed under our control and authority, the various positions and capacities in which we function, and the relationships that we enjoy with others, all these are the countless papers of the test and this test continues till the last breath of our lives.
The result is not to be announced in this world but in the Hereafter when all our answer-books will be assessed, decision will be given whether we have come out successful or failed. And our success or failure wholly depends on what we thought of ourselves while we functioned here and how we answered the papers that were given to us here.
The word sami (hearing) and basir (seeing) in the original actually imply being "sensible and intelligent". These words of the Arabic language are never used with respect to the animal although it also hears-and sees. Thus, hearing and seeing here do not imply only the powers of hearing and seeing which have been given to the animals too, but those means through which we obtain knowledge and then draw conclusions from it. Besides, since hearing and seeing are among the most important means of knowledge for us, only these two have been mentioned briefly; otherwise it actually implies giving us all those senses of the body by which we gather information.
Then the senses given to man are quite different in their nature from those given to animals, for at the back of every sense he has a thinking brain, which collects information gained through the senses; arranges it, draws conclusions from it, forms opinions, and then takes some decisions which become the basis of his attitude and conduct in life. Hence, after saying, "We created man in order to try him," to say, "therefore, We made him capable of hearing and seeing" actually contains the meaning that Allah gave us the faculties of knowledge and reason to enable us to take the test. Obviously, if this were not the meaning and the meaning of making man hearing and seeing just implied the one who could hear and see, then a blind and deaf person would stand exempted from the test, whereas unless a person is utterly devoid of knowledge and reason, there can be no question of his being exempted from the test.
Source:
"Towards Understanding The Quran" - Sayyid Abul Ala Mawdudi
Chapter 76: Verse 2
The Gifts
"Verily We created Man from a drop of mingled sperm, in order to try him: so We gave him (the gifts), of Hearing and Sight."
We are not like the trees and animals that the object of our creation be fulfilled on the earth itself, and we should die and perish here after we have played our appointed role over a period of time according to the law of nature. This world is neither a place of punishment for us, as the monks think, nor a place of rewards as the believers of the law of transmigration think, nor a place of entertainment and enjoyment, as the materialists think, nor a battlefield, as the followers of Darwin and Marx think, but in fact it is a place of test and trial for us. That which we regard as our age, is in fact the time given to us for the test. Whatever powers and capabilities we have been given in the world, the things that have been placed under our control and authority, the various positions and capacities in which we function, and the relationships that we enjoy with others, all these are the countless papers of the test and this test continues till the last breath of our lives.
The result is not to be announced in this world but in the Hereafter when all our answer-books will be assessed, decision will be given whether we have come out successful or failed. And our success or failure wholly depends on what we thought of ourselves while we functioned here and how we answered the papers that were given to us here.
The word sami (hearing) and basir (seeing) in the original actually imply being "sensible and intelligent". These words of the Arabic language are never used with respect to the animal although it also hears-and sees. Thus, hearing and seeing here do not imply only the powers of hearing and seeing which have been given to the animals too, but those means through which we obtain knowledge and then draw conclusions from it. Besides, since hearing and seeing are among the most important means of knowledge for us, only these two have been mentioned briefly; otherwise it actually implies giving us all those senses of the body by which we gather information.
Then the senses given to man are quite different in their nature from those given to animals, for at the back of every sense he has a thinking brain, which collects information gained through the senses; arranges it, draws conclusions from it, forms opinions, and then takes some decisions which become the basis of his attitude and conduct in life. Hence, after saying, "We created man in order to try him," to say, "therefore, We made him capable of hearing and seeing" actually contains the meaning that Allah gave us the faculties of knowledge and reason to enable us to take the test. Obviously, if this were not the meaning and the meaning of making man hearing and seeing just implied the one who could hear and see, then a blind and deaf person would stand exempted from the test, whereas unless a person is utterly devoid of knowledge and reason, there can be no question of his being exempted from the test.
Source:
"Towards Understanding The Quran" - Sayyid Abul Ala Mawdudi
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