Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim

1. Opening

Friends, whom Allah has blessed, have we ever reflected on why the human inner world is so complex? Sometimes we feel so pure and close to Allah, yet on another day we can slip into error. Psychologically and spiritually, this happens because humans are hybrid beings—a blend of the sacred heavenly [samawi] dimension and the lowly earthly dimension.Allah SWT created living beings in this universe with different blueprints to manifest His majesty. There are creatures whose path is straight with no turns, creatures that move purely by survival instinct, and creatures placed at a crossroads: that is us—humans.[potentials]Let us reflect on how Allah has locked these characteristics in His words: The Reality of the Creation of Angels. Angels are the personification of absolute obedience. They are energies of purity with no inner conflict, because Allah equipped them with intellect for ma‘rifah yet removed desire from them

وَلَهُ مَنْ فِى السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالْاَرْضِ وَمَنْ عِنْدَهٗ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُوْنَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهٖ وَلَا يَسْتَحْسِرُوْنَ

“To Him belongs whoever is in the heavens and the earth. And those near Him are not too proud to worship Him, nor do they tire.” (QS. Al-Anbiyā’ : 19)

The Reality of the Creation of Animals . In contrast, animals were created as complements to the earth’s ecosystem, driven by shahwah [desire to eat, drink, reproduce] without being given intellect to weigh moral value or the Hereafter.

اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يُدْخِلُ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَعَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ جَنّٰتٍ تَجْرِيْ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْاَنْهٰرُ وَالَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا يَتَمَتَّعُوْنَ وَيَأْكُلُوْنَ كَمَا تَأْكُلُ الْاَنْعَامُ وَالنَّارُ مَثْوًى لَّهُمْ

“Indeed, Allah will admit those who have believed and done righteous deeds to gardens beneath which rivers flow. But those who disbelieve enjoy themselves and eat as livestock eat, and the Fire will be a residence for them.” (QS. Muḥammad : 12).

The Reality of Human : UniquenessHumans are the masterpiece. Within this frail body, Allah breathed His spirit while forming our body from clay. We are given both intellect and desire.

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْاِنْسَانَ فِيْٓ اَحْسَنِ تَقْوِيْمٍۖ ثُمَّ رَدَدْنٰهُ اَسْفَلَ سَافِلِيْنَۙ اِلَّا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَعَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ فَلَهُمْ اَجْرٌ غَيْرُ مَمْنُوْنٍۗ

“We have certainly created man in the best of stature. Then We return him to the lowest of the low, except for those who believe and do righteous deeds, for they will have a reward uninterrupted.” (QS. At-Tīn : 4–6)

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ also said in a beautiful hadith regarding the origin of these elements:

خُلِقَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ مِنْ نُورٍ وَخُلِقَ الْجَانُّ مِنْ مَارِجٍ مِنْ نَارٍ وَخُلِقَ آدَمُ مِمَّا وُصِفَ لَكُمْ

“The angels were created from light, the jinn were created from a smokeless flame of fire, and Adam was created from what has been described to you.” (HR. Muslim)

2. Lessons and Message

From this division of potential, scholars [including Imam Al-Ghazālī] formulated a profound life principle for us:If a human can make his intellect and faith prevail over his desire, then his rank can soar above the rank of angels. Why? Because angels obey without the burden of temptation, whereas humans obey amid storms of temptation. But conversely, if a human allows his desire to colonize his intellect, then his rank plummets lower than animals. Why? Because animals have no intellect, while humans have intellect yet choose to become “beasts.”

Let’s look at today’s reality with a clear heart. How many tears are shed seeing the torn portrait of humanity. We see a child who cruelly abuses his parents just because he wasn’t given money to satisfy a fleeting pleasure. We see a father who abandons his own flesh and blood to chase ego and personal indulgence.When we witness such events, our souls ache. Why? Because in that moment, we are witnessing the collapse of “human essence.” Humans, who should be compassionate khalīfahs, instead discard sound reason, kill their conscience, and let animalistic desire take the wheel of their lives. Indeed, seeing a human lose his humanity is the saddest sight on earth.

Imagine ourselves as a Royal Carriage. Desire is the strong, energetic Horses. Without horses, the carriage cannot move. We need desire [to eat, to own wealth, to have a spouse] so that life on earth continues and stays vibrant.Intellect and Faith are the wise Coachman holding the reins .If the royal carriage is controlled by an intelligent coachman, those powerful horses will carry the carriage safely and honorably to the king’s palace. But if the coachman falls asleep or faints, the horses will run wild without direction, dragging the carriage into a deep ravine. Desire is not to be killed, but to be controlled under the command of intellect.

There’s a light story we often encounter in daily life. If a goat walks past a farmer’s water spinach field and eats all the spinach there, will the farmer take the goat to court or the police station? Of course not. At most, the goat is shooed away while being scolded. Why? Because everyone understands—it’s an animal; it has hunger-driven desire but no intellect to know whose property it is.

But imagine if someone in a neat suit, driving a luxury car, secretly “eats” what is not his—corrupting or taking others’ rights. Funny, right? He has intellect, high education, yet his behavior makes the goat by the roadside shake its head. Animals take food because they have no intellect, so what do we call an intelligent being who imitates animal behavior? This is where laughing at our fragility matters—so we quickly realize and seek istighfār.[forgiveness]

3. Conclusion and Closing

In closing, the essence of our creation is not to be sinless beings like angels, because that is impossible for us. Nor is it to live without rules like animals, because that demeans our dignity.Our task as humans is to be servants who keep striving: making intellect the leader, and desire an obedient servant. Every time our desire begins to rebel, tap it with the reminder of intellect and the light of faith.May Allah SWT always strengthen the reins of our intellect, soften our hearts with faith, and tame the wildness of our desires, so that when we return to Him, we are called as tranquil souls [Nafsul Muṭmainnah] worthy of His Paradise.

والله أعلم بالصواب

الحمد لله رب العالمين

Wassalamu’alaikum Warahmaullahi Wabarakatuh.

ِAbu Sultan Al-Qadrie