The argument is now about the nobility and grandeur of Man who is the masterpiece of creation. Here Man's eminence has been illustrated through three important gifts that God has bestowed on him. These are as follows:ِ
1ِ We have enabled him to transport himself from place to place on land and sea, (and also on air).
2ِ We have sustained them with good, clean food and drink.
3ِ We have excelled Man spiritually and physically over many kinds of our creatures.
Mount and means of transport, are among the most important gifts of God, because, almost all the blessings and bounties are obtained by movement.
Each group of the creatures have their dominion, on a certain part of the sea, land, or air. It is only Man who has supreme authority over the whole Globe; if we may ignore him recently invading the space and other planets!
Commentators have various ideas and understandings, as to how has Allah honoured man over the other creatures!?
Some of them point at Man's wisdom and thought as the pivot of his eminence. Some other believe that Man's faculty of reasoning, speech, decision, and etc. are the principles, that have established his authority and governorship over the other creature. But we are of opinion that all these, and many more are caused Man to become the vicegerent of God upon the earth. In other word; Allah has honoured man over almost all His creatures by endowing him with a Holy Spirit blown in him, and also with intelligence, thought, and various spiritual and physical faculties. God has enabled man to transport himself from here to there, by land, sea, and air, with a wonderful speed which has ever increased. This is why, Man has to recognize his own great position among other creatures, and prepare himself for his real and eternal life which is yet to come!
Some commentators, in explaining the last phrase of the verse NO.70, which says:ِ
``We have excelled Man over MANY of our creatures have understood that the angels are superior to Man.''
But we are of opinion that the word MANY in this case means All, the creatures including the angels; because in Arabic literature, as well as in Qurän, we find so many examples, and instances in which the word, ``MANY'' has been used to mean ``ALL''.
On the other hand if the angels were superior to Man, Allah would not command them to prostrate themselves before Adam.
HAZRAT IMAM ALI (AS) has said:ِ
``God has created three kinds of creatures, namely the angels, man, and, animal.
Angels are of mere wisdom, and void of passion and anger. Animals have passion and anger, but they have no wisdom. Man has both faculties; Wisdom as well as passion and anger. When a Man's wisdom overcomes his passion, he is higher than the angels.
When Man's passion overcomes his wisdom, he is lower than the animals.
Therefore if Man puts to work his wisdom, and brings into effect his faculties, he will excel all the creatures including the angels
The last verse in the above group, (NO.72) implies that those who are blind in this world, shall be blind in the life to come, too,:ِ
``He who is blind here in this world, shall be blind in the world to come too, and more astray from the way!''
Those who cannot see the beautiful face of truth in this world, and are not willing to find a way to salvation; in the life to come, which is the real life, will not receive the necessary light to see the Grace and Mercy of God; because they have always moved farther and farther from the path of truth.
If the creation of the skies and earth, and differences of night and day, and the regular movement of the sun and the moon; and the amazing order of the solar system, do not lead some one behind the curtain and veil of the nature, to see the mysterious All-mighty All-knowing hand of He who controls everything; in the world to come he shall be more astray than that.
The Arabic, ``FATIL'' that we have translated here to, ``DATE-THREAD'' is a thin small skin in the cleft of date-stone which does not worth a mention for having no value.
