The Criterion of Human Dignity in the Quran Publisher



Jafari SA¹ ; Araminia B² ; Tavasoli N³ ; Tavasoli H⁴ ; Abedi S⁵ ; Navab SA⁶ ; Darabi BT⁷
Source: Journal of Medical Ethics and History of Medicine Published:2024

Abstract

In the Holy Quran, a strong emphasis has been placed on the dignity of human beings. There are two verses in the Quran that discuss the differences between humans and other creatures. In this article, we have tried to interpret these two verses using free selection of virtues and goodness as the criterion for human dignity that was obtained in our previous research. In the verse of trust, unlike other creatures, man accepts a trust that informs us about his cruelty and ignorance. However, if we consider this trust as freedom of choice, it can also imply injustice and ignorance alongside justice and wisdom for humans. In the verse of succession, angels tell God that human as vicegerent on earth leads to corruption and bloodshed. God does not deny this, but reminds the angels of the existence of pure ones. If we consider freely choosing goodness the differentiating factor between humans and other creatures the angels accurately refer to the possibility of creating corruption and bloodshed. However, they did not see the value of voluntary goodness compared to their own compulsory goodness. Therefore, by considering freely choosing goodness as the criterion for human dignity, these two verses can be easily interpreted. © 2024 Tehran University of Medical Sciences.