الإنسان

MAN

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2– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Nothing is better than a thousand of its like, except for man.’
[Ibid. no. 34615]

3- Imam al-Sadiq (AS), when `Abdullah b. Sinan asked him, ‘Is man better or the angels?’, replied, ‘The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said, ‘Allah, the Exalted, gave the angels intellect without desire, He gave the beasts desire without intellect, and He gave both to the sons of Adam. So a man whose intellect prevails over his desire is better than the angels whilst a man whose desire prevails over his intellect is worse that the beasts.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 60, p. 299, no. 5]

4- Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘You were ordered to fear Allah and you were created for obedience and good deeds.’
[Sharhe Nahj al-Balagha li Ibn Abi al-Hadid, v. 3, no. 108]

5- Imam al-Husayn (AS) said, ‘O People! Allah, exalted be His remembrance, has only created people so that they might know Him; and when they know Him they worship Him; and when they worship Him they become needless of worshipping others by His worship.’ A man asked him, ‘O son of the Prophet! May my parents be your ransom, what is meant by knowing Allah?’ He replied, ‘It is that the people of each era must know their ImÁm, to whom obedience is mandatory.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 23, p. 83, no. 22]

6- Imam al-Sadiq (AS), when an atheist asked him, ‘For what purpose did He create humanity if He had no need for them and neither was he compelled to create them, and nor would it be proper for Him to create us in vain?’, replied, ‘He created them to reveal
[to them] His wisdom, to execute His knowledge, and to carry out His plan.’
[Ibid. v. 10, p. 167, no. 2]

7- Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, regarding the verse, but they continue to differ, except those on whom your Lord has mercy —and that is why He created them”, ‘He created them so that they may perform that which will render them deserving of the mercy of Allah, so that He may confer his mercy upon them.’
[Nur al-Thaqalayn, v. 2, p. 404, no. 250]

8- Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Pitiable is the son of Adam! His death is hidden
[from him], his illnesses are invisible, and his actions are recorded. A mosquito causes him pain, a gasp can kill him, and a little sweat makes him stink.’
[Sharhe Nahj al-Balagha li Ibn Abi al-Hadid, v. 20, p. 62]

9- Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Man
[‘s worth] is measured according to his two little organs – his heart and his tongue – so that when he fights, he should do so with a firm heart, and when he speaks, he should do so with eloquence.’
[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 2089]