Transliteration:( Wa laqad karramnaa Baneee aadama wa hamalnaahum fil barri walbahri wa razaqnaahum minat taiyibaati wa faddalnaahum 'alaa kaseerim mimman khalaqnaa tafdeelaa (section 7) )
"And We have certainly honored the children of Adam [153], and carried them on land and sea [154], and provided them with good things [155], and preferred them over many of Our creation [156]."
This verse affirms that human beings hold a special and elevated status among creation:
Humans are the noblest of creation, endowed with intellect, free will, beauty, and the ability to manage worldly and spiritual matters.
Even a sinful or disbelieving human, in terms of potential and form, is superior to other beings—though his actions may degrade him to a level worse than animals.
Disbelievers will not enter Hell in the honoured human form, as they failed to live up to its dignity.
The verse highlights Allah's favor in enabling humans to travel:
By land: riding animals, cars, trains, etc.
By sea: using ships and boats.
This control over the natural world reflects Allah’s mercy and might. In return, man's duty is to remain obedient to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.
“Everything is for us—and we are for Allah.”
Allah has provided pure and delicious sustenance—both physical (like fruits, grains, milk, etc.) and spiritual.
An ox labors more but gets grass.
Man works less, yet enjoys refined food—a sign of divine favor, not merit alone.
The phrase “over many of Our creation” signifies nearly all, based on Qur'anic style.
Example: “Most of them are liars” (26:223) and “Most of them follow only conjecture” (10:36).
This suggests that humans are superior even to angels:
Angels have intellect but no desires.
Animals have desires but no intellect.
Humans possess both—making them capable of both rise and fall.
Thus, Paradise, prophethood, and sainthood are all exclusive to the human species.
(Adapted from Khazainul Irfaan)
70. And indeed We have honored the Children of Adam, and We have carried them on land and sea, and have provided them with At-Tayyibat, and have preferred them above many of those whom We have created with a marked preferment).
Allah tells us how He has honored the sons of Adam and made them noble by creating them in the best and most perfect of forms, as He says:
(Verily, We created man in the best stature (mould).) (95:4) He walks upright on his two feet and eats with his hand, whilet other living creatures walk on four feet and eat with their mouths, and He has given him hearing, sight and a heart with which to understand all of that, to benefit from it, and distinguish between things to know which are good for him and which are harmful, in both worldly and religious terms.
(and We have carried them on land) means, on animals such as cattle, horses and mules, and also on the sea in ships and boats, great and small.
(and have provided them with At-Tayyibat,) meaning agricultural produce, fruits, meat, and milk with all kinds of delicious and desirable flavors and colors and beautiful appearance, and fine clothes of all kinds of shapes colors and sizes, which they make for themselves or are brought to them by others from other regions and areas.
(and have preferred them above many of those whom We have created with a marked preferment. ) means, over all living beings and other kinds of creation. This Ayah indicates that human are also preferred over the angels.
(17:70) Indeed, We honoured the progeny of Adam, and bore them across land and sea and provided them with good things for their sustenance, and exalted them above many of Our creatures.[85]
85. That is, it is an obvious fact that the superiority man enjoys over all other beings on the earth and all that is in it, has not been bestowed upon him by a jinn or an angel or a prophet. Most surely that is Allah’s blessing and favor. Is it not then the height of folly and ignorance that after having achieved such a high rank, man should bow down before any creature of Allah instead of Him?
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