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ISLAMIC MEDICAL EDUCATION RESOURCES-04

0708- Creation of the Human: Relation to Science and Ethics

Background reading material for Year 1 Medical students for PPSD session on 22nd August by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr.

CREATION OF HUMANS

Humans were created after animals and plants. Humans were created de novo as humans. All humans have a common biological origin and are different from other creations. Human creation was a deliberate and not a random or accidental event. It was revolutionary and not evolutionary. Evolution by natural selection is denial of the existence of a Creator. Parity found in human creation is part of the general phenomenon of parity found in other creations: in animals, in plants, and in physical phenomena like day and night.

 

UNIQUENESS OF HUMAN CREATION

Human creation is optimal in structure and function. It is beautiful, orderly, harmonious, organized, and precise. It is superior to and is honored above all other creations. It is unique and the most sophisticated. The human is dual being both body and soul; matter and spirit. Humans carry responsibility while all other creations do not. Humans were placed at the top of the food pyramid and all other creations were made subservient to them.

 

NATURE OF THE HUMAN

Humans were created in a perfect natural state. This is the best state both biologically, morally, socially, and psychologically. It however can be degraded or distorted by human behavior biologically, and morally. Both nature and nurture play a role in human action and behavior. The relative role of each varies according to what aspects of human biology and behavior are being considered. The basic human nature enables humans to know the bad from the good in most cases. Humans have innate strengths and weaknesses in their nature. Humans are dualistic in nature having a material part (the body) and a non-material part (the soul or spirit). Thus human behavior is under dual control. Humans live in the empirical world of the seen world. Their interaction with the unseen world can only be through religious media. It is a unique duality of the human that he has both negative attributes such as aggression and positive attributes such as gratitude. The most important attribute of humans is intelligence that is highly developed, sophisticated, specialized, and capable of abstract thought and problem solving.

 

HUMAN SUPERIORITY

Humans are superior to all other creations because of their intellect, a free will, a sense of responsibility, and a sense of moral guidance. Superior intellect is due to a better-developed and sophisticated cerebral cortex. The intellect enables humans analyze, understand, and expand knowledge through research. The intellect enables humans control their physical environment. Closely related to intellect is the power of speech and communication that enables humans to carry out social intercourse and thus succeed in living in families and communities. Human intellect can be used positively or can be used for destruction of society and the ecosystem.

 

DIVERSITY OF HUMANS

All humans have a common biological origin based on DNA. They also have a common social origin and human cultures resemble one another in many ways. Variations in body structure and skin color are used to identify 3 human races: mongoloid, negroid, and caucasoid. Variations exist within each race. All humans regardless of race are from the same species and can interbreed. Humans vary by gender, race, customs, language, and social organization.

ŠProfessor Omar Hasan Kasule, Sr. August 2007