According to our sublime religion, Islam, human beings are ashraf al-makhluqat, the most precious, the most dignified, and the most endowed in terms of capabilities among all beings. Allah the Almighty created humans in the best form, endowed them with the ability to distinguish between truth and falsehood, good and evil, right and wrong, and beauty and ugliness. In this context, He has also entrusted them with certain responsibilities. Furthermore, as a manifestation of His mercy, He has sent messengers of mercy and guiding principles for life, thereby illuminating the path and horizon of humanity and enabling them to find the right course in accordance with the purpose of their creation.
The most significant trait that distinguishes human beings from other creatures and elevates them to a unique and honored position is their possession of reason and will. Reason and will are fundamental to the comprehension and fulfillment of existential responsibilities. In particular, reason plays a decisive role in shaping a person’s words, attitudes, and behaviors. For this reason, Allah the Almighty emphasizes the proper use of reason in many verses of the Qur’an. He strongly condemns those who fail to use their intellect as required, as well as those who blindly follow others, for reason is regarded as an essential prerequisite for being held accountable under the rulings of religion. Allah’s call for people to use their intellect, His praise for those who heed this call, and His reproach of those who turn away are, in essence, divine reminders that speak not merely to the ontological existence of reason but to its functional role and practical application.
On the other hand, Allah the Almighty emphasizes that human beings possess free will in His statement: “We already showed them the Way, whether they (choose to) be grateful or ungrateful.” (Insan, 76:3). Without a doubt, the fact that humans are morally responsible beings is directly tied to their possession of will— that is, their potential to choose. Accordingly, Allah the Almighty has assigned certain duties and responsibilities to humans on account of this potential, and He has commanded them to exhibit behaviors in accordance with the purpose of their creation. With the verse, “Indeed, We offered the trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they (all) declined to bear it, being fearful of it. But humanity assumed it…” (Ahzab, 33:72), Allah the Almighty draws attention to the fact that human beings were created for a noble purpose. Thus, having been created in the best form for this exalted purpose and entrusted with a divine responsibility, what is expected of humans is to use their reason in pursuit of truth and to shape their will through choices that align with divine pleasure. In doing so, they must refrain from any attitude or behavior that would disrupt the order of the universe and instead strive for the establishment of goodness and beauty upon the earth. Undoubtedly, this is only possible by embracing the guidance of revelation.
Human beings can fulfill the purpose of their creation only when they use their reason and free will under the guidance of revelation. In doing so, they will channel their innate abilities in accordance with the purpose of their existence and find the opportunity to live in harmony with their Creator, themselves, and with society. The primary aim of revelation, which offers humanity a system and order of life, is to enable human beings to live a life aligned with the purpose for which they were created. It seeks to ensure that they establish positive relationships with their Lord, themselves, with their surroundings, and the entire created world— relationships grounded in justice, mercy, fairness, and a consciousness of trust. Both individual and societal peace and security can only be sustained through such a framework.
In this regard, what gives meaning and value to humanity’s journey on earth is not merely the existence of reason and will, but rather revelation, which grants vision to these two faculties and provides direction. It is clear that when humans exalt their intellect yet turn away from the guidance of revelation, they may fall into the error of using their will arbitrarily. This, in turn, leads to inextricable problems on both individual and societal levels, plunging humanity into crises of faith, meaning, morality, and civilization. When humans detach themselves from the depth that divine truths bring to thought and the direction they provide to the will, they face great material and spiritual destruction and calamity. Indeed, history is replete with examples of chaos and crisis faced by those who sanctified reason, regarded the will as an unrestricted domain of freedom, and considered themselves independent of the guidance of revelation. At the root of the humanitarian and moral crises experienced across the world today lies this very same error.
In the modern age, the fundamental cause of the oppression and violence that hangs over the entire world like a nightmare is the deprivation of the earth from the guidance of revelation. As a result, modern people, estranged from justice, mercy, virtue, and noble character, have used their reason and will as tools of corruption. Today, our world is, regrettably, a place where injustice and inequality are widespread, where conflicts of interest have reached their peak, and where problems such as poverty and discrimination increasingly dominate life. Many lands of the oppressed have been condemned to atrocities, massacres, and genocides rarely witnessed in the course of history.
In truth, those who use their reason solely for worldly gain and surrender their will to desires and passions drag both themselves and all of humanity toward disaster. The moral decay, insatiability, and widespread unrest manifesting in nearly every sphere toss the entire world about like a ship having lost its course. At this point, heeding Allah the Almighty’s call to enlighten reason with revelation and to discipline the will through servitude has become an existential necessity for humanity. In an age where massive crises of meaning, morality, and values engulf the entire human race, the only true path to salvation lies in striving, under the guidance of revelation, which gives life its meaning and worth, to build a world in which everyone can live freely and with dignity.
