{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Episode 336: A Creation Honoured Above the Angels [38:72]","description":"Allah describes the creation of the human being: \u201cSo when I have proportioned him and breathed into him of My Spirit, then fall down before him prostrating.\u201d (38:72) In this verse, Adam (as) is first fashioned from clay, then honoured by the breathing of Allah\u2019s R\u016b\u1e25. Scholars clarify that this does not mean humans carry a piece of God. Allah is utterly transcendent. Rather, this attribution is a declaration of dignity \u2014 an honour bestowed upon humanity. Like the Ka\u2018bah is called \u201cMy House,\u201d this language elevates what is being described. We are not merely animated clay. We are clay infused with consciousness, intellect, and moral awareness. We have the capacity to reflect divine attributes. And yet, because we are made of clay, we also carry earthly impulses. Imam Ali (as) said: \u201cAllah created the angels with intellect without desire, animals with desire without intellect, and human beings with both.\u201d Our elevation lies in this tension. We must choose alignment. We must train our impulses. Allama Iqbal wrote: \u201cFarishte se behtar hai insaan banna, magar is mein lagti hai mehnat zyada.\u201d \u201cIt is better to become human than to be an angel \u2014 but it requires far greater effort.\u201d Reflection: Am I reacting from my clay \u2014 or responding from my spirit? What would my higher self choose in this moment? What reflects the dignity Allah placed within me? If this reflection benefits you, subscribe, share it, and please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.   ","author_name":"Loving and Living the Quran","author_url":"http:\/\/marziahassan.libsyn.com\/webpage","html":"