In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Human Beings

(Qur’anic Perspective)

1. The Beauty of Joseph Amazed the Women

Arabic:
فَلَمَّا سَمِعَتْ بِمَكْرِهِنَّ أَرْسَلَتْ إِلَيْهِنَّ وَأَعْتَدَتْ لَهُنَّ مُتَّكَأً وَآتَتْ كُلَّ وَاحِدَةٍ مِّنْهُنَّ سِكِّينًا وَقَالَتِ اخْرُجْ عَلَيْهِنَّ ۖ فَلَمَّا رَأَيْنَهُ أَكْبَرْنَهُ وَقَطَّعْنَ أَيْدِيَهُنَّ وَقُلْنَ حَاشَ لِلَّهِ مَا هَٰذَا بَشَرًا إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا مَلَكٌ كَرِيمٌ

Transliteration:
Fa-lammā samiʿat bi-makrihinna arsalat ilayhinna wa-aʿtadat lahunna muttakaʾan wa-ātat kulla wāḥidatin minhunna sikkīnan wa-qālati ukhruj ʿalayhinna, fa-lammā raʾaynahu akbarnahu wa-qaṭṭaʿna aydiyahunna wa-qulna ḥāsha li-llāhi mā hādhā basharan in hādhā illā malakun karīm

Translation:
"So when she heard of their scheming, she sent for them and prepared for them a banquet, and she gave each one of them a knife and said, 'Come out before them.' When they saw him, they greatly admired him and cut their hands, and they said, 'Exalted is Allah! This is not a human being; this is none but a noble angel.'" (Yūsuf 31)

2. The Creation of Human Beings

Arabic:
وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي خَالِقٌ بَشَرًا مِّن صَلْصَالٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ
فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِي فَقَعُوا لَهُ سَاجِدِينَ

Transliteration:
Wa-idh qāla rabbuka li-al-malāʾikati innī khāliqun basharan min ṣalṣālin min ḥamaʾin masnūn
Fa-idhā sawwaytuhu wa-nafakhtu fīhi min rūḥī fa-qaʿū lahu sājidīn

Translation:
"And when your Lord said to the angels, 'Indeed, I am creating a human being from sounding clay, from altered black mud. Then when I have fashioned him and breathed into him of My spirit, fall down before him in prostration.'" (Al-Ḥijr 28–29)

3. The Messenger Is a Human Being

Arabic:
قُلْ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّي هَلْ كُنتُ إِلَّا بَشَرًا رَّسُولًا
وَمَا مَنَعَ النَّاسَ أَن يُؤْمِنُوا إِذْ جَاءَهُمُ الْهُدَىٰ إِلَّا أَن قَالُوا أَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ بَشَرًا رَّسُولًا

Transliteration:
Qul subḥāna rabbī hal kuntu illā basharan rasūlā
Wa-mā manaʿa al-nāsa an yuʾminū idh jāʾahumu al-hudā illā an qālū abaʿatha Allāhu basharan rasūlā

Translation:
"Say, 'Glory be to my Lord! Am I anything but a human messenger?' And nothing prevented people from believing when guidance came to them except that they said, 'Has Allah sent a human as a messenger?'" (Banī Isrāʾīl 93–94)

4. The Prophet Is a Human to Whom Revelation Comes

Arabic:
قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ أَنَّمَا إِلَٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ ۖ فَمَن كَانَ يَرْجُو لِقَاءَ رَبِّهِ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَدًا

Transliteration:
Qul innamā anā basharun mithlukum yūḥā ilayya annamā ilāhukum ilāhun wāḥid, fa-man kāna yarjū liqāʾa rabbihi fa-li-yaʿmal ʿamalan ṣāliḥan wa-lā yushrik bi-ʿibādati rabbihi aḥadā

Translation:
"Say, 'I am only a human being like you, to whom revelation has been given that your God is One God. So whoever hopes for the meeting with his Lord, let him perform righteous deeds and associate none in the worship of his Lord.'" (Al-Kahf 110)

5. Human Beings Created from Water

Arabic:
وَهُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ مِنَ الْمَاءِ بَشَرًا فَجَعَلَهُ نَسَبًا وَصِهْرًا ۗ وَكَانَ رَبُّكَ قَدِيرًا

Transliteration:
Wa-huwa alladhī khalaqa mina al-māʾi basharan fa-jaʿalahu nasaban wa-ṣihran, wa-kāna rabbuka qadīrā

Translation:
"And He is the One who created a human being from water and made him a lineage and a relation by marriage. And your Lord is Ever Powerful." (Al-Furqān 54)

6. The Birth of Jesus by Allah’s Command

Arabic:
قَالَتْ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِي وَلَدٌ وَلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِي بَشَرٌ ۖ قَالَ كَذَٰلِكِ اللَّهُ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاءُ ۚ إِذَا قَضَىٰ أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ

Transliteration:
Qālat rabbi annā yakūnu lī waladun wa-lam yamsasnī bashar, qāla kadhāliki Allāhu yakhluqu mā yashāʾ, idhā qaḍā amran fa-innamā yaqūlu lahu kun fa-yakūn

Translation:
"She said, 'My Lord, how will I have a child when no human has touched me?' He said, 'Thus Allah creates what He wills. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, “Be,” and it is.'" (Āl ʿImrān 47)

7. Human Beings Created by Allah

Arabic:
وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ وَالنَّصَارَىٰ نَحْنُ أَبْنَاءُ اللَّهِ وَأَحِبَّاؤُهُ ۚ قُلْ فَلِمَ يُعَذِّبُكُم بِذُنُوبِكُم ۖ بَلْ أَنتُم بَشَرٌ مِّمَّنْ خَلَقَ ۚ يَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَاءُ وَيُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَلِلَّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا ۖ وَإِلَيْهِ الْمَصِيرُ

Transliteration:
Wa-qālati al-yahūdu wa-al-naṣārā naḥnu abnāʾu Allāhi wa-aḥibbāʾuh, qul fa-lima yuʿadhdhibukum bi-dhunūbikum bal antum basharun mimman khalaq, yaghfiru li-man yashāʾ wa-yuʿadhdhibu man yashāʾ, wa-li-llāhi mulku al-samāwāti wa-al-arḍi wa-mā baynahumā, wa-ilayhi al-maṣīr

Translation:
"And the Jews and the Christians say, 'We are the children of Allah and His beloved.' Say, 'Then why does He punish you for your sins?' Rather, you are human beings among those He created. He forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills. And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, and to Him is the final return." (Al-Māʾidah 18)

8. Messengers Were Human Beings

Arabic:
قَالَتْ رُسُلُهُمْ أَفِي اللَّهِ شَكٌّ فَاطِرِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ يَدْعُوكُمْ لِيَغْفِرَ لَكُم مِّن ذُنُوبِكُمْ وَيُؤَخِّرَكُمْ إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ۚ قَالُوا إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُنَا تُرِيدُونَ أَن تَصُدُّونَا عَمَّا كَانَ يَعْبُدُ آبَاؤُنَا فَأْتُونَا بِسُلْطَانٍ مُّبِينٍ
قَالَتْ لَهُمْ رُسُلُهُمْ إِن نَّحْنُ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَمُنُّ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ ۖ وَمَا كَانَ لَنَا أَن نَّأْتِيَكُم بِسُلْطَانٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ

Transliteration:
Qālat rusuluhum a-fī Allāhi shakkun fāṭiri al-samāwāti wa-al-arḍi yadʿūkum li-yaghfira lakum min dhunūbikum wa-yuʾakhkhirakum ilā ajalin musamman, qālū in antum illā basharun mithlunā turīdūna an taṣuddūnā ʿammā kāna yaʿbudu ābāʾunā faʾtūnā bi-sulṭānin mubīn
Qālat lahum rusuluhum in naḥnu illā basharun mithlukum wa-lākinna Allāha yamunnu ʿalā man yashāʾu min ʿibādih, wa-mā kāna lanā an naʾtiyakum bi-sulṭānin illā bi-idhni Allāh, wa-ʿalā Allāhi fa-li-yatawakkali al-muʾminūn

Translation:
"Their messengers said, 'Is there any doubt about Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth? He calls you so that He may forgive you some of your sins and grant you respite for a specified term.' They said, 'You are only human beings like us. You wish to turn us away from what our forefathers used to worship. Then bring us a clear authority.'
Their messengers said to them, 'We are only human beings like you, but Allah bestows His favor upon whom He wills of His servants. And it is not for us to bring you any authority except by the permission of Allah. And upon Allah let the believers rely.'" (Ibrāhīm 10–11)

9. The Qur’an Is Clear Arabic Revelation

Arabic:
وَلَقَدْ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّمَا يُعَلِّمُهُ بَشَرٌ ۗ لِّسَانُ الَّذِي يُلْحِدُونَ إِلَيْهِ أَعْجَمِيٌّ وَهَٰذَا لِسَانٌ عَرَبِيٌّ مُّبِينٌ

Transliteration:
Wa-laqad naʿlamu annahum yaqūlūna innamā yuʿallimuhu bashar, lisānu alladhī yulḥidūna ilayhi aʿjamiyyun wa-hādhā lisānun ʿarabiyyun mubīn

Translation:
"And We certainly know that they say, 'It is only a human being who teaches him.' The tongue of the one they refer to is foreign, while this is clear Arabic language." (Al-Naḥl 103)

10. The Disbelievers’ Whispering

Arabic:
لَاهِيَةً قُلُوبُهُمْ ۗ وَأَسَرُّوا النَّجْوَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا هَلْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ ۖ أَفَتَأْتُونَ السِّحْرَ وَأَنتُمْ تُبْصِرُونَ

Transliteration:
Lāhiyatan qulūbuhum wa-asarrū al-najwā alladhīna ẓalamū hal hādhā illā basharun mithlukum a-fa-taʾtūna al-siḥra wa-antum tubṣirūn

Translation:
"Their hearts distracted, the wrongdoers whisper secretly, saying, 'Is this anything but a human like yourselves? Will you then approach magic while you see?'" (Al-Anbiyāʾ 3)