Slides on the topic of Human Nature. The focus is on the concept of the human at showcased by Psychoanalysis, Behaviorism, Humanistic Psychology and Islamic Psychology.
2. 1. Man has been subjected to a never-ending
research and investigation
2. Religious scholars, philosophers, biologists,
psychologists, anthropologists, sociologists,
& others
2
3. 1. Beginning with the Greek
philosophers
2. Muslim philosophers
3. Wise men in almost all religions
4. From the ancient to the scientific age
5. This study is perennial in nature
6. New information emerge from time
to time
3
4. 1. Being perennial in nature, the old and
new studies conducted on man, try to
unearth and bring to light many of man’s
potentials, which were not known
previously
2. Researchers believe that any latest
finding on man will be added information
to the existing knowledge and science on
man
( Mohd Abbas, 1997 & 2011) 4
5. Nye(1986), states that although at
times many of the ideas on man in the
Western paradigms complement one
another in answering the intricate
questions on human nature, there are
also times when they contradict each
other
5
7. Painted a negative image of man
There is no difference between man and other
members of the animal kingdom
Man is an intellectual beast doomed for
destruction
Man is enslaved to his sexual impulses
Man has no freedom to cut loose from the
shackles of his psychosexual development
Freud’s concept on man is a pessimistic and
deterministic one
Man is driven by two psychic forces; Eros
(Life Instinct) and Thanatos (Death Insticnt) 7
9. Based on the ‘tabula rasa’ theory, man is
neither good nor bad
Man is nothing more than an outcome of his
environment
Radical Behaviorism: Man and animals can be
conditioned by stimulus and response and
reinforcement
Man becomes a mechanical being.
They emphasized on man’s learning
experience
They do not believe that man is born with
innate knowledge 9
11. Man is born with a good nature but reacts
negatively due to situations which he gets into
They did not believe that all human actions can be
reduced to a stimulus-response type of action
They believe, man has a subjective inner dimension
Man has the freedom to choose either to respond
or not to the demands of the environment
Man’s state of consciousness is more important
than his unconscious
Man has the tendency for growth to experience
‘Self-Actualization’ and ‘Fully-functioning Person’
11
12. Many scholars in the West were and
are influenced by what has been
conceptualized by Charles Darwin
(1809-1882).
Darwin’s idea that states the origin of
man goes back to the ape family is
lurking in the ideas of Western
scholars who appeared later on the
intellectual stage of Europe
12
13. • Man has pre-existed before he came to this
world
• Human beings are the progeny of Adam
• Man is the Khalifah/vicegerent of God on earth
• Man was taught by Allah - as such, he possesses
the creative intelligence
• Man was created in the best of moulds
• Man was given the natural disposition
• Man is placed on the highest pedestal in the
hierarchy of creations
• Man was not the First Creation of Allah SWT
• The world was prepared for Man before his
coming 13
14. At times man’s position can go higher than the
angels and lower than animals
Man is forgetful
Man is given the freedom of choice to choose his
way, either to be thankful or ungrateful to Allah
Man is given the ‘Amanah’
Man has a dual nature; soul and body
The spiritual dimension of man
14
15. 15
And when your Lord said to the
angels: “Indeed, I will make a
vicegerent upon the earth.” They
said: “Will you place upon it one
who will cause corruption therein,
and will shed blood, while we
glorify Your praise and sanctify
You.” He said: “Surely, I know that
which you know not.”
Surah Al-Baqarah 2:30
16. He is known in the Qur’an as:
Man
Al-
Insan
An-
Nas
Al-Ins
Bani
Adam
Zurriyat
Adam
Al-
Bashr
16
20. Allah
•Establish a good relationship with Allah,
•This world is given as a trust
•He has to serve Allah SWT and no other deities/gods
• He has to be accountable for all his actions on this world
Nature
•Bring out the potentials from the belly of the earth and
used them for his spiritual development
•Nature is a gift from Allah (Flora & Fauna)
•Man should not abuse or cause destruction
•Administer the world well- establish peace and harmony
Humanity
•Establish a good relationship with fellow human beings;
Muslims and non-Muslims
20
21. Born in the primordial nature/ born
with his natural disposition
Born without any stain of sin
In Islam, man is not born with the
‘Original Sin’
21
22. 22
So set you your face (O
Muhammad) towards (this)
Faith, inclining to truth. The
nature of Allah that upon
which He has created
mankind. There is no
altering in (the laws of)
Allah’s creation. That is the
right religion, but most of
the people do not know [ Surah Rum30: 30 ]
24.
“We did indeed offer the Trust to the Heavens and
the Earth and the Mountains; but they refused to
undertake it, being afraid thereof. But man
undertook it (the Trust);- he was indeed unjust
and foolish...” (Surah Al-Ahzab:72)
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25. The word Amanah in Surah Ahzab:72 has
several meanings to it
Scholars say Amanah can be the sum total of all
the injunctions found in the Qur’an
The Qur’an can be the Amanah
The human intellect or Aql’ can be the Amanah
The Vicegerency can be the Amanah
The covenant between Allah and the whole of
humanity in the realm of soul, prior to his
coming to this world
25
26. 26
We have certainly created
man in the finest of moulds
(Surah Al-Tin 95:4)
And indeed, We have honored the
children of Adam, and We have carried
them on the land and the sea, and We
have provided them with good things,
and We have preferred them above
many of those whom We created, (a
sure) preference (Surah Al-Isra’:70)
27. 27
Indeed, We guided him to
the way, whether be he
grateful or be he
ungrateful (rests on his
will)
Surah Al-Insan76:3)
28. 28
And indeed, We made
a covenant with Adam
before, but he forgot,
and We did not find in
him determination
Surah Ta Ha 20: 115
29. 29
And He taught Adam all the
names, then He showed them to
the angels and said: “Inform Me of
the names of these, if you are
truthful.”
They said: “Glory be to You, we
have no knowledge except that
which You have taught us. Indeed,
it is You, the All Knower, the All
Wise.”
Surah Baqarah2: 31-32
31. 1. Jannah
(Adam& Hawwa)
2. Alam Al-Arwah
(Realm of the Souls)
3. Alam
Al-Arham
(9+ months)
4. Alam Al-
Dunya (60-70
yrs)
5. Alam Al-
Barzakh
6.
Qiyamah
(end of
time)
7. Yaumul
Hisab
(Judg-
ment)
8. Al-Mizan
(The Balance)
9. Sirat
(the Bridge)
The Spiritual
Journey of Man:
An Islamic
Perspective
Jahan
-nam
(Hell)
31