Originally Posted by shakeel ghori

Q:5-- “Islam enjoys an exalted place in the religions of the world”. Elaborate



For presenting the real status of Islam, it is but essential to compare Islam with other religions. In the present day world one thing is gaining a lot of popularity, which is homogeneity of religions. According to this concept every religion is true if it leads one towards God. This concept holds that form of worship does not make difference if one has in his mind the notion of one Master whom he worships. It regards every religion as the God's religion to mankind. It regards Islam as a true religion but it does not consider Islam alone as to be so. Rather this concept contends that other religions are also equally upright. It is, therefore, essential to know Islam's own point of view in connection of this concept. A true knowledge of Islam cannot be had unless Islam's on decision is known regarding religious homogeneity. It becomes all the most essential when some people contend that the Holy Quran to some extent endorses this concept. they say that it is explained in Holy Quran that every prophet were sent by Allah and all followers of them are rightful people. Not only this but they claim that Allah declares that religion of each prophet was Islam in spirit. In this sense, according to them, it makes no difference whatever religion is followed. it is not an ordinary matter to deal with. we have to go into detail of this topic so that we may clear Islam's position in respect to other religions.

First of all, we need to understand the prophethood of Muhammad s.a.w. If Islam regards the prophethood of Mohammad s.a.w as similar to others then the matter will be in favor of homogeneity of religions . If it endorses that the prophethood of Mohammad s.a.w is different and unique then it is natural to deal it in another way. Prophethood of Mohammad s.a.w in the light of Quran and Traditions is pre-eminent and having some distinctions:

@ Universal
1, first distinction of the Prophethood of Mohammd s.a.w is that it is universal. All the previous messengers were sent to the particular community, group or area, but Mohammad s.a.w was sent as a prophet of Allah to the whole mankind. None of his predecessors had this distintiction. This fact is borne out by the Holy Quran and traditions of Holy prophet s.a.w.

Say o prophet: o mankind! I am the prophet of Allah to all mankind. ( AL-Quran)

Every prophet who preceded me was especially sent to his own people, but I have been sent as a prophet of Allah to the whole mankind (Bukhari)

From above explanation in the light of Quran and Tradition it is amply clear that Holy prophet is a prophet for whole mankind. His prophethood is universal in nature. All other prophets who preceded him were enjoined by Allah to guide their own people only(a particular community). They did not have this distiction of gaiding the entire mankind. Holy prophet s.a.w says:

"Every prophet who precede me was sent especially to his own people but I have been sent as a prophet for all mankind (Bukhari and Muslim)

@ Enternal
2, second distinction of the prophethood of Mohammad saw is its eternity. It is eternal in the same way as it is universal. The message which Holy Prophet s.a.w has brought will be valid till the doomsday. The chain of 'wahy' and prophethood have come to an end. No prophet will come now till the eternity. This is a distinctive character of the prophethood of Holy Prophet s.a.w. only. No other prophet who preceded him had this distinction. The teachings which he has given us would be complied upon till the day of resurrection and no other prophet will come. Allah says in the Quran that:
We have sent you as a messenger and last of the prophets(AL Quran )

The same statement of Quran has been further elaborated by Holy Prophet himself:

With me, the edifice of Islam has been completed and with me, the chain of prophethood has come to an end (Bukhari)

None of his predecessors enjoyed this specific distiction. Among them there was none who had not been preceded by other prophet. there prophethood was as limited in time as it was in territory.

@ Perfect message.
3, Third distinction of the prophethood of Holy Prophet s.a.w is that the message which he brought is perfect and contains complete guidance for the mankind. No other religion had such illustrious position. All the previous religions were limited in their approach. However it will entirely be wrong to consider any of these religions as imperfect, nor it should be deemed that any of them were not capable of providing guidance to their people. The fact is opposite to it. Every religion was in accordance with the need and requirements of the society, age, and place to which it was sent. In fact, each of them provided guidance to the people. But no other religion had merit to be called as the complete code of guidance for whole mankind of all ages except Islam. This is not without reason. The Lord of universe knows the need of His creature. When the chain of guidance began from Adam a.s. the man was not much advance intellectually and culturally, nor his needs were so immense. so, he needed very few things to understand to lead his life according to the will of his Creator. In the view of this fact, the code of guidance were limited. But man has been bestowed with many faculties, using those prerogatives when he started exploring the mysteries around him and within himself, his knowledge began expanding. As the result of increase in knowledge and intellectual of man the aspect of his individual, social, material, and spiritual life required more broad guidance than before. So, with every prophet Allah widened the ambit of guidance. Till the advent of Islam man had reached to the extreme heights of its intellectual development and at the same time ignorance from the real path was also unspeakably deplorable. It was the exact time when Allah with His Wisdom and Knowledge decided to reveal the final code of guidance which was corroborated by every prophet in his teachings. Allah says in Holy Quran:
This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favours unto you (5:3)

In this way the Allah's guidance which began with Adam a.s culminated and became complete and perfect in the form of Islam. So, this is an exalted position of Islam that it is perfect in every sense, and contains the injunctions of the creator which will be valid for all men of all ages till the Last Day..

@Revealed book is present in its real form..
4, Fourth uniqueness of the prophethood of Muhammad s.a.w is that the Holy Book which was revealed on him is exactly in the same form and language in which it was sent. Even a single word has not been altered. If we look at the other revealed books, we will come to know that there is no other revealed book except Quran which is in its real shape. The language, contents, and even the basic teachings of other books have been altered by their followers. Now, after knowing this fact, careful examination and sound judgement makes it clear that such altered books are not capable of providing guidance to the mankind. So, it is but natural that man should turn to any other source which is real in its form and has the true words of Allah. This is only the Holy Quran which is so. It is the promise of God that the Quran is immune from any kind of alteration. Allah says in Holy Quran:
Lo! We, even We, reveal the reminder, and Lo! We, verily are its Guardians (15:9)

No other religion who preceded Islam had such privilege. This promise of Allah has been made for Holy Quran only. When it is fact that Islam alone is an acceptable religion, it is but natural that its core teachings should be preserved.

@Comparative analysis..
After so deep contemplation of Islam's position as religion and its comparison with other relgions much has been explained. Does Islam still need to be treated at par with other religions. should other religions be considered similar to Islam in their approach to provide guidance to the mankind? Is there still ambiguity about the right path? Is it yet upright to deem that whatever religion is followed will be acceptable to Allah? A fair judgement and unbiased conclusion of all aforementioned facts make it abundantly clear that the answer of all such questions is in negatve. The natural outcome of hitherto discussion is that all religions have been abrogated by Allah and now the only religion acceptable by him is Islam. The reasons for that assertion have almost been described. Islam is the complete code of life wich provide man with guidance in every sphere of worldly affairs. Not only this but the salvation in Hereafter depends on Islam. If someone does not follow Islam, Allah says about him in Holy Quran:
And whoso seekth a religion other than Islam, it will not be accepted from him. And he will be a loser in the Hereafter(3:85)

This verse proves to points. One is that it is obligatory for everyone to follow Islam and other relgions are no longer approved to be acceptable to Allah. Second point is that he who follows any religion which Allah Himself has cancelled and declared unacceptable will face the wrath of Allah on the Day of Judgement. These realities plainly emphasise the position of Islam and make it clear that no other religion can take its place.

Due to these very reasons Holy Prophet s.a.w preached Islam to every nation. He preached Islam even to those who were the bearers of revealed books and used to attribute themselves to be the followers of previous prophets. He led them to believe that the previous relgions have been abrogated and the religion which he brought was the will of Allah. This last point is a clear-cut explanation of the fact that if other religions had been as truthful as Islam and if the submission to them were the complete submission of Allah, Holy prophet would not have been invited their followers to embrace Islam. Rather, he would have directed them to follow in true spirit their own relgions. But the position is otherwise. Holy prophet invited them to embrace Islam and proclaimed that now Islam only is the real submission of Allah. Holy prophet s.a.w said that had moses been alive, he too would have no choice but to follow me. The prophet whose position is so eminent that if prophets themselves had been alive in his ear, they too would have followed him, then how is it possible that ordinary men can be exempted from the responsibility of his obedience? In the presence of religion brought by him how could anyone be allowed to follow any other?

Conclusion.
In view of above facts the pre-eminent position of Islam is crystal clear. It has been proved beyond doubt that true welfare of human beings in this world and salvation in the world Hereafter lie in following Islam in its entirety and true sense. All the other revealed religions are no more in their real form, hence incapable of guiding men to the right path. The solution of basic problems of men is present in Islam alone and it embodied the whole purpose of life for which man has been created. This whole discussion made it clear that Islam has an exalted position among the religions of world and the concept of homogeneity of religions is false and misleading.

Originally Posted by Ammasiub

Q:4- Critically evaluate the various concepts of Worship of the major religions of the world and compare them with the Islamic concept? (16 Marks)





Various concepts of worship of religions:

There are found two concept of evolution of religion i-e Evolutionary Concept and religion born concept.
According to evolutionary concepts, the ancient man started his career in ignorance and darkness and began to worship natural elements. It is thought that they began this practice in relation to their love with forefathers or they thought that these natural elements like floods, earthquakes, volcanoes etc, have control over their life, so they indulged themselves in anti – God practices and began to worship the natural objects due to ignorance. With the passage of time they realized that these natural elements are not the governing powers hence they should not be worshipped. Later on it came to their knowledge that God Has created these elements for His mankind and there is someone else who has control on all of these. Now the numerous Gods vanished away and concept of oneness of God came into existence.
It is observed that history of various religions shows the concept of oneness of God .All the religions and prophets are sent by God and their teachings are the same with a slight difference. But the concept of oneness of God can be found in all religions.Unfotunately, except Islam all the religions have been changed and restructured their religious formations due to many undescribing factors, by their followers.

There are numerous religions present in present world. Some religions have millions of its followers and some have in thousands or hundreds. However some important concepts of worship of different religions are discussed below:


Hinduism:

It is considered to be difficult religion in term of its beliefs and its history due to different approaches of its followers. At present there are more than 900 million followers of Hinduism and many other religious groups have been included in it. It began in 1500 B.C when Aryan attacked the Hindustan and take command over it. In that very age Vedas were written. In that age there was no one to lead Hindus and a caste system emerged which divided the Hindus in four parts:
1-Brahmans
2-Khatris
3-Veeshes
4-Schudars
It was based on by birth system. Brahmans were at top. They were enjoyed great privileges over other. At that time Brahma was their God and all the Hindus were supposed to worship Brahama which was nothing more than an idol(butt).Brahmans were considered superior over other because they thought to be born from the head of Barahama ,Their God. So their duty was to worship, preach and get knowledge.

Khatris were assigned the duty of armed forces and to run the government as it was to be thought that they are born from the arms of their God barahma.

Veeshes were allowed to trade, cultivate as they were supposed to be born from the belly.

Shudders were at bottom and they were considered as low people and they were assigned the duties of a layman. They were not allowed to enter in mandirs where other caste’s people go and worship. If they touched anyone outside their caste, he was considered to become impure.

Many Hindu scholars tried to abolish this system but they remained silent after being pressurized. Hinduism is a religion which has many Gods like Rama, brahma, Vishnu, sheva etc.Each of them is considered God of that particular work or thing on which he has command over it. At present Hindu worship many Gods because in their religion birth giving God, Salvation God, life destruction God is separate and is worshiped separately. They have belief that when body expires soul of that body does not expires rather it is transformed in other body and gets new shaped body which may be entirely different from previous one


Buddhism:

It was started in 6th century B.C.Gautam Buddh is the founder of this religion. He belongs to royal family of that time and it is said that once an astronomer predicted in his childhood that this boy if realized the problems of world then he would lead a life of recluse whether he would wear the crown forever. Their parents tried to keep him away from the miseries of the world. But in spite all of these Budh was not satisfied with the royal life. Once upon a time he got a chance to go out then in a jiffy many indescribable incidents happen to him and life of Budhh changed. He saw a patient crying with severe pain. He saw a dead body. He saw a beggar who was fully contend with his life. These questions disturbed Budh greatly and he decided to give up royal life and left for an aloof place.

At the age of thirty he left his home and began to get knowledge from the well known scholars of that time but no one could satisfy him. Gave up eating for few days and later left with nothing. He carried on this practice and after seven days he feel the condition of “arfan”(height of spirituality).The place where all this happen is called “Buddha Gaya”.

Buddh give “octagonal right path “which meant for health of eighth compulsory things. These were correct fith, correct aim, correct conversation, correct character, and correct means of livelihood, correct thinking, correct meekness and correct meditation.
Further there were five more imperatives in Buddhism:
Never kill an alive object
Never get anything from anyone by deceiving
Never tell a lie
Never take intoxicants
Never commit bodily sins


At earlier stage there was no concept of idol-worshipping in Buddhism .Buddh was presented through symbols e.g , wooden sandals and empty throne. Later, many new items crept in from Hinduism and Buddhism was changed. Its new shape was called “Mahayan.That meant for ‘a man who carries heavy load. The oldest system was called “Hanayan” that mean a person who cannot bear heavy burden.
The teachings of Buddhism were against the Brahmans’ because it opposed the cruel caste system in Hindu culture. hats why Buddhism spread very fast and it is said that there are near about 500 millions of followers are present in different areas of the world mostly in Nepal,China,Burma,Siam,srilanka etc.



Judaism:
There are two concepts present in Judaism. One is oneness of God and other is that children of Israel are the most favorite people chosen by God. There is no any holy book in which oneness of God is denied but in particular places its image is tarnished and self amendments have been made to change the meanings of God. In Judaism there are three Gods.
The Jews basically descended from the tribe of Israel. Israel” is a Hebrew word which means God’s man and it was an appellation to hazrat Yaqoob A.S in Hebrew language. In the Holy Quran it is stated that:
“O children of Israel! Remember that favor which I conferred upon you that preferred you among all the people of the then world”

The Jews were assigned the duty by their God to fulfill it. But when they continuously disobeyed the God and they indulged themselves in anti religion practices, The God taken back the title from them of being favorite people.
Jews were blessed with prophets, sent by the God and they conquered Palestine and set their kingdom under the rule of Hazrat Musa A.S…..In the time of Hazrat Daud A.S, Jews set history and they were touching the height of glory. But due to their disobedience God sent many of conquerors over them and they destruct the whole Palestine and drove Jews out of their country land.

Their famous Holy book is Torah. Now the Jews are very small in numbers. Even in the period of Hazrat Daud A.S and Hazrat Suleiman A.s their numbers were limited to one million but before the second war they were around 15 million, which is the greatest number ever recorded.


Christianity:

It is claimed as the biggest religion of the world as more than 30 percent of the population belongs to this religion. Christianity is much related to Judaism and some points it was considered as a branch of Judaism. To know the Christianity one must have to know the judiasm.jews remained in tarnished life for a long period. Once they were given chance to rule Palestine but their inability to handle the government destroys their rule and they fell down. Many prophets could not reform this situation.
There were circumstance when the Christ born in the house of virgin Hazrat Mariam A.S in Jerusalem. He started preaching at the age of 30 and it is said that he was of 32 when he died. Christ showed many miracles which include heeling of patients, infuse life in dead bodies. Christ was criticized by the majority and they were against the Christ and his teachings. They instigated the then Roman king and Christ was held for treason against the state. The Christ was sentenced to hang with the cross. Meanwhile the Roman governor realized that the Christ is innocent and it is wrong to arrest The Christ. So he put up an option before Jews either release of Christ r dacoit Braba on national day. The very said dacoit was very dangerous and people afraid of him. But Jews opted the release of that dacoit and took the queer decision. Later this did not happen and the Christ was saved from crucifixion.
After the Christ, the Christianity progressed rapidly. Both the Jews and Romans did not control the religion. In fourth century there was a great deal of torture against the Christians in Rome but it became the center of the Christianity. It was Pope who got higher status then a king.

The most prominent in the Christianity is the belief of the Holy Trinity. The Trinity includes father, Son and sacred soul. Christ was called the Son of God. Trinity is a basic belief in the Christianity which also includes Hazrat Mariam A.s into it. Christ is considered as the Son of God but in many stages different schools of thought considered Christ as a man of God. The religious book of Christians is Bible. At present almost two billions Christians are in this world.


Islam:

The history of Islam started from Adam A.s and continues till Hazrat Mohammad PBUH.All the prophets came into this world, preached that teachings which the Holy Prophet PBUH preached i-s Oneness of God.
The literally meaning of Islam is obedience .In other words obedience of God, everything is in the control of God and the entire universe is obedient to God. The man in this universe is left to act upon according to the will of His God. Those who obey the God are called obedient. So it has been proved here that Islam is not a religion of any nation or tribe, it is the religion for all mankind and it is a universal religion. It provides us the finest theory of life.

Islam wishes its followers to believe and have faith in three major commands which are Tauheed i-e oneness of God,Rasalat i-e The Holy prophet PBUH is God’s last and final messenger and Akhrat i-e The day of judgment, when everybody will be in front of His God and will be answerable to God.

The other things which Islam wishes to follow are offering of prayers five times a day, Hajj, Fasting in the Holy month of Ramadan and Zakat.At present there are 1.3 billion Muslims present in all around the globe, which is second largest population in contrast to Christians.

Comparative Study:

A synopsis of major religions is presented above. Now question arises in the minds that what is the position of other religions? Are they present in true and pure form? Do the Holly Books carry their original text? Can these religions fulfill the modern demands? Can these religions perform miracles today? Can they furnish the man with a best code of life?
For example Hindus are still not able to remove the ambiguity of their Holy book Vedas’ real time of revealation.Many Hindu scholars are of point of view that these are a human production. The case of Buddhism is more serious than Hinduism. Buddh has not written or preserved anything and left some sermons in air. The Holy book Torah remained out of sight for many centuries when it was taken into consideration. The big blunder made by Jews is that, Torah was revealed in the life time of Hazrat Musa A.s. Revelations came to anybody if the concerned Prophet is alive but the scenes of Musa’s burial are described in Torah..
The companions of the Christ tried to write the biography of Christ and later on it become renowned with the name of Bible. Now a day’s it is said that one script of Bible is found in Greek language and the fact is that the original language of Christ and his companions was Aramaic.

On the other hand, Holy Quran still has its original text and language. Because the first collection was started in the life of Prophet PBUH. And after it the companions continue the mission of compiling under the supervision of orthodox Caliphs that’s why there is no claim of piracy or ambiguity. It is as same as it was fourteen hundreds years ago. Even the worst enemies of Islam accept Quran’s veracity and authenticity.

Now it can be concluded that all the previous chapters have been closed by the Islam and opened the best one of all which will kindle the eternal light for mankind to live on the right path. Islam is a complete code of life which helps us in every spheres of life and guides us to follow the right direction which will take us to the destined place at the day of judgment.






All senior members are requested to check my attempt and point out mistakes which may I have committed.... where are the active members like ssara fassi shakeeel and other respected dears? Dont you think we are going slow after eid?

Originally Posted by Fassi

Dear respected active and other members, I've posted the new question yesterday but still no one has answered, that's not fair...

So, after a lot of personal research, I'm going to post my answer. Please do evaluate it.



Q:6- What is concept of creation of universe according to Islam and science and what is the place of human in this universe and Islam? Discuss (16 Marks)

Concept of Creation of Universe According to Islam and Science

Introduction:

The Islamic view toward the universe is an intellectual, scientific view that creates the human emotions and feelings toward the greatness of Allah the creator. It also creates emotions and feelings toward the smallness of the human being and his weakness in front of this universe, which leads to the necessity to submit to Allah (s.w.t)

The descriptions of creation in the Quran are not intended as dry historical accounts, but rather to engage the reader in contemplating the lessons to be learned from it. The act of creation, therefore, is frequently spoken of as a way of drawing the reader into thinking about the order in all things, and the All-Knowing Creator Who is behind it all. For example:
"Verily in the heavens and the earth are signs for those who believe. And in the creation of yourselves, and the fact that animals are scattered (through the earth), are signs for those of assured faith. And in the alternation of night and day, and that fact that Allah sends down sustenance from the sky, and revives therewith the earth after its death, and in the change of the winds, are signs for those who are wise" (45:3-5).

Big Bang Theory?

The creation of the universe is explained by astrophysicists in a widely accepted phenomenon, popularly known as the 'Big Bang'. It is supported by observational and experimental data gathered by astronomers and astrophysicists for decades. According to the 'Big Bang', the whole universe was initially one big mass (Primary Nebula). Then there was a 'Big Bang' (Secondary Separation) which resulted in the formation of Galaxies. These then divided to form stars, planets, the sun, the moon, etc.

Islamic Concept vs. Big Bang:

Islam is a scientifically inclined religion, so, while describing the creation of the "heavens and the earth," the Quran does not discount the theory of a "Big Bang" explosion at the start of it all. In fact, the Quran says that "the heavens and the earth were joined together as one unit, before We clove them asunder" (21:30). Following this big explosion, Allah "turned to the sky, and it had been (as) smoke. He said to it and to the earth: 'Come together, willingly or unwillingly.' They said: 'We come (together) in willing obedience'" (41:11). Thus the elements and what was to become the planets and stars began to cool, come together, and form into shape, following the natural laws that Allah established in the universe.

Again, this fact is a corollary to the 'Big Bang' and was not known to the Arabs during the time of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.w). What then, could have been the source of this knowledge? The Quran further states that Allah created the sun, the moon, and the planets, each with their own individual courses or orbits. "It is He Who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon; all (the celestial bodies) swim along, each in its rounded course" (21:33).

Concept of Expansion of Universe In Quran and Science: The Quran also does not rule out the idea that the universe is continuing to expand. "The heavens, We have built them with power. And verily, We are expanding it" (51:47). There has been some historical debate among Muslim scholars about the precise meaning of this verse, since knowledge of the universe's expansion was only recently discovered.

Concept of Creation of Universe in Six Days: The Quran states that "Allah created the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, in six days" (7:54). While on the surface this might seem similar to the account related in the Bible, there are some important distinctions.
The verses that mention "six days" use the Arabic word "youm" (day). This word appears several other times in the Quran, each denoting a different measurement of time. In one case, the measure of a day is equated with 50,000 years (70:4), whereas another verse states that "a day in the sight of your Lord is like 1,000 years of your reckoning" (22:47). The word "youm" is thus understood, within the Qur'an, to be a long period of time -- an era or eon. Therefore, Muslims interpret the description of a "six day" creation as six distinct periods or eons. The length of these periods is not precisely defined, nor are the specific developments that took place during each period.

Throne of Allah (s.w.t): After completing the Creation, the Quran describes that Allah (s.w.t) "settled Himself upon the Throne" (57:4) to oversee His work.

The On-Going Process of Creation: A distinct point is made to counter the Biblical idea of a day of rest: "We created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in six days, nor did any sense of weariness touch Us" (50:38). Allah (s.w.t) is never "done" with His work, because the process of creation is on-going. Each new child who is born, every seed that sprouts into a sapling, every new species that appears on earth, is part of the on-going process of Allah (s.w.t)'s creation. "He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then established Himself on the Throne. He knows what enters within the heart of the earth, and what comes forth out of it, what comes down from heaven, and what mounts up to it. And He is with you wherever you may be. And Allah (s.w.t) sees well all that you do" (57:4).

The Quranic account of creation is in line with modern scientific thought about the development of the universe and life on earth. Muslims acknowledge that life developed over a long period of time, but see Allah (s.w.t)'s power behind it all. Descriptions of creation in the Quran are set in context to remind the readers of Allah (s.w.t)'s majesty and wisdom.
"What is the matter with you, that you are not conscious of Allah's majesty, seeing that it is He Who has created you in diverse stages? See you not how Allah has created the seven heavens one above another, and made the moon a light in their midst, and made the sun as a (glorious) lamp? And Allah has produced you from the earth, growing (gradually)" (71:13-17).

Life Came From Water The Quran describes that Allah "made from water every living thing" (21:30). Another verse describes how "Allah has created every animal from water. Of them are some that creep on their bellies, some that walk on two legs, and some that walk on four. Allah creates what He wills, for truly Allah has power over all things" (24:45). These verses support the scientific theory that life began in the Earth's oceans.





Introduction:

What is the appropriate conduct for man in this life and what is his place in the universe. These questions have always been of fundamental importance. Both are interconnected so that one cannot properly by answered without the other. Realisation of what status he has in this life influences man’s attitude. Just as an uninvited guest would not behave as the chief guest of a banquet, the attitude of one who regards himself as a cog of the machine will entirely be different from the user or controller of the machine. The former, bound to the machine, would move with its rotation and working while the latter will control the working of the machine to meet his own ends. Similarly if a man considers himself an animal, albeit a developed animal, he cannot rise to the ranks of human because despite the highest development, an animal will remain an animal. A monkey can learn a lot but cannot become Socrates or Aristotle, One who is mindful of his status of a crowning creation of the universe, a master-piece of the All-wise and All-powerful who breathed His soul in him and honoured him with His divine spark, will certainly have a very different attitude. This attitude is mainly regulated by man's status and responsibilities in relation to his position in the universe.

Ancient And Scholarly Point of View:

Regarding the above said questions and their answers; different thinkers, philosophers and intellectuals of all times can be categorized into 4 groups.
1) The first group of philosophers is of those who equated man with animals, worms, beasts, etc. In their opinion, man will meet the same fate as these animals. Man has no precedence over them. The difference in certain attributes is not of much importance as similar differences are also present among the animals themselves.
2) The second group is of those philosophers who hold man a part of universal machine; the importance is that of the machine and not of the part. The wheel of the universal machine is rotating and man, like everything else in the universe, is playing his role. He is tied to it and his end is tagged to it. Great philosophers including Spinoza are included this group.
3) The third group is of those for whom man is the subject and fundamental purpose of the creation of the universe. He is the crown creation and the whole universe has been designed to his purpose. This group includes all great philosophers like, Socrates, Sophists, Plato, Aristotle and Kant etc.
4) Our present day philosopher, under the influence of science, thinks that he will shortly conquer the universe with the help of science and will also become its lord and master. He does not attach any importance to Allah (s.w.t) and is dreaming to become its master himself. Obviously his position is different but, actually, he belongs to the third one.

Adam or Apes and Islamic Concept?

Where do human beings fit into the development of life on Earth? Scientific theories currently hold that Homo sapiens evolved from earlier forms of hominoid primates approximately 3 million to 6 million years ago. However, the lines of descent between species are widely debated and not proven.
While Islam recognizes the general idea of the development of life over a period of time, human beings are considered different. Islam teaches that human beings are a unique life form that was created by Allah (s.w.t) in a special way, with gifts and abilities that had not yet been seen on earth. In short, Muslims do not believe that human beings randomly evolved from apes. The Qur'an makes brief mention of a group of people who were punished by Allah (s.w.t) for their disobedience and transgression, “When in their insolence they transgressed [all] prohibitions, We said to them: ‘Be ye apes, despised and rejected’” (Qur'an 7:166).

Many Muslim scholars however interpret this to mean that these human beings were literally turned into apes by Allah (s.w.t) . Islam teaches that human beings are a special creation of Allah (s.w.t) , given a special nature and an important role. Therefore, human being is the prime creation of Allah (s.w.t). He says, "We have indeed honoured the children of Adam; spread them in the land and the sea, provided them with good things; and preferred them in esteem over many things that we have created." (17:70)

Consequently, the life of human beings began with the creation of two people, a male and a female named Adam and Hawwa (Eve) not from apes. The Quran describes how Allah created Adam: "We created man from sounding clay, from mud moulded into shape..." (15:26). And, "He began the creation of man from clay, and made his progeny from a quintessence of fluid" (32:7-8). Thus, human beings have a fundamental attachment to the earth. While the creation of Eve is not described in detail, the Quran does make it clear that a "mate" was created with Adam, from the same nature and soul. "It is He Who created you from a single person, and made his mate of like nature, in order that he might dwell with her in love" (7:189). She is not mentioned by name in the Qur'an, but in Islamic tradition she is known as "Hawwa" (Eve).

From these two individuals, generations of human beings have inhabited the earth. "Oh humankind! We created you from a single pair of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honoured among you in the sight of Allah is the who is the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)" (49:13).

Critical Analysis:

The philosophers in the first group did not realise the importance either of the universe or man, as if they found the precious ‘Koh-i-Noor’ pearl from the garbage and they mistook it to be a commonplace stone. Otherwise, it is a that if a person ponders over the greatness, sublimity, grandeur, modes and wonders of this universe, he is dumfounded by the great and ingenious universe. If someone has the audacity to call the Red Fort a stable, he would hardly be a same person? Only a fool would consider such a great universe, which is manifest of the highest wisdom, to be useless. It is impossible to believe the destiny of man to be that of animals in the face of his capabilities, intelligence, sagacity and potential. While sitting in his room, man is capable of measuring the distance of the sun from the earth and the time its rays reach the earth. It would be foolish to hold about such an intelligent being that he would die as an ass and come to his end just like an animal. Such a concept would negate the purposefulness of the universe as well as of mankind and would reduce this universe to as absurdity. If man perishes like other animals, the universe is deprived of its purpose and responsibility and accountability is lifted and the universe becomes a play boy's game who discards the game as soon as he has enjoyed it to the fill. Can it be said about the great universe full of wisdom that it is a playboy’s game without a purpose? Man – a thinking being – perceives the grandeur and magnificence of this universe and exclaims O Lord Ye created it not aimlessly.

In short, the universe as a whole is a creation of Allah (s.w.t) that created it for a purpose. Even everything which you witnessed today is cratered for a purpose. As Allah Says in Qur'an "We have not created the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, for mere play, we created them not except with truth, but most of the do not know." [44: 38-39] Similarly, on another place Allah (s.w.t) says "We have not created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them for mere play. If We wanted to create aimless things, we would have done it if we were going to do (that)." [21:16-17]

Hence, Allah (s.w.t) has not created anything without purpose. Erath, Moon, Sun Galaxies these all the best creation of Allah (s.w.t) and these all are fully exploit in the wellbeing for human being. Human is also the beautiful creation of Allah (s.w.t) with a particular purpose as mentioned in Qur'an “And I did not Create the jinn and humans except they should worship Me.” [51:56] Similarly, at another place in Quran purpose of human creation is clearly mentioned “He Who created Death and Life, that He may test which of you is best in deed: and He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving.” [67:2]