Mankind

Humans (Homo sapiens, meaning "thinking man") or modern humans are the most common and widespread species of primate, and the last surviving species of the genus Homo. They are great apes characterized by their hairlessness, bipedalism, and high intelligence. Humans have large brains, enabling more advanced cognitive skills that enable them to thrive and adapt in varied environments, develop highly complex tools, and form complex social structures and civilizations.

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God (Allah) . Mankind . Tribulation

Are the afflictions we face from God or because of our own actions and those of other humans?

Zoheir Ali Esmail, Shaykh Zoheir Ali Esmail has a Bsc in Accounting and Finance from the LSE in London, and an MA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University. He studied Arabic at Damascus University and holds a PhD... Answered 5 years ago

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. The answer is all three although the believer is never in a situation that is not good for them. Sometimes afflictions are a recompense for our sins which we face in this world rather than the next. At other times we face difficulties because of the actions of others, but in these kinds of tests if we are faultless then our patience is rewarded. And at times we face tests from God in order to raise us to levels that we cannot achieve with our own actions. To understand the philosophy of trial according to our scriptural sources please see these short podcasts:

https://anchor.fm/zoheir-ali-esmail/episodes/Episode-75-51-261-263-Ordeals-part-1-of-3-eb0tbj

https://anchor.fm/zoheir-ali-esmail/episodes/Episode-76-51-264-268-Ordeals-part-2-of-3-eb29it

https://anchor.fm/zoheir-ali-esmail/episodes/Episode-77-51-269-276-Ordeals-part-3-of-3-eb3rb7

May you always be successful

93771

Mankind . Imamah . Ghayba (Occultation)

If the Imams are necessary in order for the religion not to be corrupted, then why would the twelfth Imam go into occultation? Doesn't that inevitably lead mankind astray?

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 5 years ago

The existence of the Infallible Imam is necessary, but it is not necessary for every one to meet him, especially when certain circumstances of danger require him to be away from eyes of the enemies.

Prophets like Prophet Musa (AS) and Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) and Imams like Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (AS) other Imams during jail periods, were in occultation during times of crisis.That did not mean that they were not existing during such periods of occultation. They always had their own ways to guide people even during being away from the public life.

Imam Al-Mahdi (AS) is also in touch with the Ummah through sincere believers who are entitled to meet him and receive his guidance. Imam Al-Mahdi (AS) is in occultation but he is never absent. His guidance to the Ummah is the guarantee of saving Muslim Ummah from going astray.

Wassalam.

91564

Human . Evolution . Mankind . Prophet Adam

What is Islam's view on human evolution and the different species of humans that is said to have existed, Does it contradict Islam's belief in Adam (as) as the first human?

The claim of Darwin in evolution is not correct. Many scientists refuted his claim and written books proving his claim to be not authentic and not scientifically established.

Allah (SWT) mentioned in Quran how first human being (Adam) was created from clay and granted spirit from Allah then immediately existed in this life.

There is no question of evolution of man from other animals.

The Prophetic Hadeeth says: Allah has created Adam on the existing shape of human beings.

Wassalam.

73293

Earth . Mankind . Planets . Qiyama

I believe it says in the Quran that on the Day of Judgement everything on Earth will be eradicated including all of mankind. What would happen to any human beings who are present on other planets, such as Mars, or on the International Space Station?

Abbas Di Palma, Shaykh Abbas Di Palma holds a BA and an MA degree in Islamic Studies, and certifications from the Language Institute of Damascus University. He has also studied traditional Islamic sciences in... Answer updated 5 years ago

as salam alaikum

Yawm al-Qiyamah is not limited to planet earth and its effects as described in the Qur'an will be manifest in the whole universe and everything in it.

With prayers for your success.

76743

Planets . Earth . Hereafter . Mankind

Why did Allah create so many other galaxies and planets if Earth and the world of the hereafter are all that is of relevance to mankind?

Allah (SWT) Has the All and Absolute Knowledge and Wisdom, while we have very little knowledge if we have any. He knows the wisdom of creating whatever He created from the nucleus and atom to the galaxies. No doubt , there is a great wisdom which is known to Him, but not to us as our knowledge is very limited. We are in this universe like a small kid who sees huge library with thousands of books and wonders why these books were written.

Wassalam.

71203

Mankind . Salah (Prayers)

If humans reached another planet other than Earth, how and when will the prayers be conducted since the day and night timings will be different?

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. Some have opined that the obligation would be to pray in the direction of Earth, according to the timings on the celestial body the person was on. However, such questions and answers are purely hypothetical at this stage and it would be upon the jurists at the time to answer these questions according to valid legal frameworks in their context if the need ever arose.

May you always be successful

67347

Animals . Mankind . Atheism

It is said that humans share about 98% of their DNA with chimpanzees. If this is true, does it not imply that we are hardly different from animals and just an advanced breed of monkeys? How can religion justify considering humans special in any way?

Amina Inloes, Amina Inloes is originally from the US and has a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter on Shi'a hadith. She is the program leader for the MA Islamic Studies program at the... Answer updated 5 years ago

The Islamic tradition does not say that human beings are fully different from animals. Like animals, human beings eat, drink, move around, sleep, mate, fight, grow up, and have social communities. Allah says of animals: "There is not an animal (that lives) on the earth, nor a being that flies on its wings, but (forms part of) communities like you. Nothing have we omitted from the Book, and they (all) shall be gathered to their Lord in the end." Animals have their own ways of praising Allah just as human beings have their own ways.

However, what makes human beings special or different is not their similarities with animals but rather their differences, especially the human soul. Allah speaks of breathing some aspect of the divine spirit into the human being. As a result, the human being has free will, a strong intellect and capacity for abstraction, can develop or devolve spiritually to very high or low levels, can rise higher than the angels, and can manifest a variety of the names of Allah. It is the human being that took on the risk/responsibility for these things, as mentioned in the Qur'an, whereas animals did not. Therefore there is a difference between the human being and other animals, even though there are also some similarities.

Otherwise one could also say that human beings are similar to piles of dirt, because all the elements that make up the human being come from the earth, and yet it is this quality of life and soul that make a human being different from a pile of elements.

How much this relates to DNA is an open question, but it is my own understanding that at least some of what distinguishes the human soul is not material in origin and does not come from DNA.

Animals . Mankind . Atheism

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. If we assume the facts of the question as true, the question presupposes that volume equals importance. If the 2% difference gives rise to very distinct and important differences then monkeys and humans are not the same, as is clear from the difference in the way monkeys and humans live in this world. Another assumption is that all that is involved in being human is contained in DNA, and not just a human's physical aspects, which is something that is not established.

May you always be successful

62561

Mankind . Ethics

Is it generally impermissible for us to judge other humans? If so, are there any circumstances when it is allowed?

Rebecca Masterton, Dr Rebecca Masterton graduated with a BA in Japanese Language and Literature; an MA in Comparative East Asian and African Literature and a PhD in Islamic literature of West Africa. She has been... Answered 6 years ago

It depends on what you mean by 'judge'. If it were impermissible to judge others, there would be no judiciary, and no criminals would be brought to court and justice would not be done for victims of crimes. There is a fine line between being bigoted or prejudiced, and using what insight Allah (swt) has blessed you with to assess people. There are many ahadith about the necessity for choosing your spouse carefully or choosing your friends carefully. This requires a judgement of someone's personality. If we did not judge at all, then people could have criminals for friends and non-believers for spouses. Children would be raised with no moral compass and would be allowed to do whatever they wanted because the parents would feel they were judging them if they tried to establish boundaries for them. When seeking knowledge, a person would not 'judge' between good teachers and bad teachers, and would simply go to anybody to try to study. If by 'judge' you mean 'condemn someone without evidence', then that is not permissible; or even if someone is a criminal, maybe we should not look down on them and think we are superior to them, because we don't know what their circumstances were in life that led them to commit crimes. Nevertheless, they must still pay for their crimes. However, some people are deliberately malicious and have evil intentions towards others. If others forgive their evil actions and evil intentions because they think they are 'judging' them, then this allows corruption to prevail.

Mankind . Ethics

Is it generally impermissible for us to judge other humans? If so, are there any circumstances when it is allowed?

We do not know about others but very little. We don't know their intentions and what they think. Our judgement is based on incomplete knowledge, that is why it is inaccurate.

We judge what we see obviously with out doubt, whether good or bad. We can't judge people according to what we hear about them.

Wassalam.

61881

Mankind . Universe . God (Allah)

Is it correct to say that mankind and the universe are perfect creations of God and that they could not have been in a better form or function? If so, can we also say that exploring and understanding the universe is like reading the mind of God?

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. The scriptural sources are clear in the fact that God cannot be known in His entirety with the faculties that humans possess. This is because a being limited to time and space cannot expect to understand a Being who is unlimited in every way. The system of creation is perfect in the sense that there is no imperfection in the way it functions and that indicates towards the Attributes of God, but those Attributes are only comprehended to the extent of our ability. The further one is able to explore the creation the better they will comprehend the Attributes from that perspective. The level of that investigation depends also on the epistemological tools that they are using. There is no way to fully understand the mind of God, especially through a process of induction from His creation.

May you always be successful

61422

Consent . Mankind . God (Allah)

How can we believe that Allah took our consent before our creation if no one remembers it? How can we respond to the challenge that there was no need for the creation of mankind and putting them in a trial?

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. God didn't take the concent of His creation before creating it. Perhaps you are referring to His pact with humans when they responded positively to Him being their Lord? If that is the case then this is one of the specifics found in the Quran and once the Quran has been established as being the book of guidance from God then there is no need to prove each and every specific. Further, this issue can be interpreted as the natural disposition of the human to seek God. If the atheist is not willing to accept that they have that disposition, that doesn't matter as this position is a theological one and so there is no need to convince an atheist as long as the issue is consistent within the theological framework.

As for the second question, God created mankind out of His Mercy and that included the creation of vicegerents on the earth. The necessity of trial is due to the nature of reward which is given for praiseworthy action. There is no praiseworthy action if it hasn't really taken place or if it is forced. Therefore a human has to be free to act and this is the meaning of trial.

May you always be successful