Surah al-Infitar (The Cleaving Asunder ) 82 : 7

Explanatory Note

Yet this is by no means the most significant of man’s distinctive qualities. There is that wonderful ray of God’s spirit which provides a link between man and the beauty of the universe and its Creator. As this link is established, man can experience at clear, bright moments a sense of communion with the infinite, the absolute, which prepares him for a blissful eternal life in God’s paradise.

Yet man has no power to comprehend the nature of his spirit, which is God’s greatest favour to him and which makes him a man. Hence God addresses him by this quality “O man!” He then remonstrates with him directly: “What has lured you away from your gracious Lord?” Thus man is reminded of God’s greatest favour, but he stands impudent, negligent of his duties, unashamed and ungrateful. But man does not need more than to realize the source of this remonstrance and what attitude he adopts when he stands before his Lord to be absolutely overwhelmed by shame: “O man, what has lured you away from your gracious Lord, who created and moulded you and gave you an upright form? He can give you whatever shape He wills."