Contrary to the measure of value assigned by society and despite our limitations and flaws, all humans are valuable in the eyes of Allah, standing as the “apex of God’s creation” (
ashraf al-makhlūqāt).
Implicit in the Qur’anic narrative is the idea that humans have been blessed and honored by Allah above all creation and granted an innate and superior value that makes them valuable in the eyes of Allah simply because they are human, regardless of what they achieve. This concept of human dignity (
karama al-insān) appears throughout the Qur’an when Allah exalts
al-insān (mankind)
or banī Ādam (descendants of Adam)
, and is exemplified when Allah says, “Indeed, We have dignified the children of Adam, carried them on land and sea, granted them good and lawful provisions, and privileged them far above many of Our creatures.”
From this verse, the verbs
karramnā (we have dignified or conferred special favors upon) and
faḍḍalnā (we privileged or preferred) show the high regard that Allah holds for humanity.
We have been afforded special provisions, with agriculture and livestock at our disposal: “He is the One Who sends down rain from the sky, from which you drink and by which plants grow for your cattle to graze. With it He produces for you [various] crops, olives, palm trees, grapevines, and every type of fruit. Surely, in this is a sign for those who reflect,”
and “And He is the One Who has subjected the sea, so from it you may eat tender seafood and extract ornaments to wear. And you see the ships plowing their way through it, so you may seek His bounty and give thanks [to Him].”
Allah has created all humans “in the best shape” (Qur’an 95:4) and made us stewards on the earth (Qur’an 2:30 and 38:26). This concept of universal human dignity is also further amplified throughout the
sīrah. For example, it was narrated that “a funeral procession passed in front of the Prophet ﷺ, and he stood up. When he was told that it was the coffin of a Jew, he said, ‘Is it not a human soul?’”
Allah gifted humanity honor and value as human beings and due to our collective descent from Prophet Adam (as). We have been honored by Allah, placed in high esteem above all other creation, and have a noble potential for moral excellence. We have blameworthy attributes, a propensity to err, and we routinely underperform, but, just like the unconditional love a parent has for their child, we are valuable not because of what we achieve, but simply because we exist as humans. At its core, human value is not dependent upon our ability to make scientific discoveries, run FTSE 100 companies, or win gold medals. Our value comes from Allah because we are human, giving everyone the right to be treated with dignity and respect without condition.