Allah has created human body with great artistry. All of the spectacular physical characteristics, such as the skeleton system that enables us to move easily, circular system that feeds 100 million cells one by one, blood that carries the oxygen, heart that makes the blood run through the blood vessels and reach every cell, liver that performs 500 different chemical activities in one cell and hundreds of other systems with countless details, are given to people by Allah in order for them to live in comfort. Cells, which make up the body and are too small to be seen with the naked eye, the hormones and enzymes produced by these cells, and hundreds of thousands of details like these are in complete harmony with one another, and each one has miraculous features that make life possible for a human being. Each of these perfectly run systems move with a mighty intelligence. This superior intelligence is the Creator of the universe, the Almighty, All-Wise Allah.
However, Allah, Who creates everything that we see and do not see with the naked eye, with a unique and sublime artistry, has created several weaknesses for the human body. Allah has created all these weaknesses with a special Wisdom, as He also has the power to create without them. Likewise, there are many reasons for the human body to have been created so helpless and weak.
Being mortal is one of the biggest weaknesses of a person. Hunger, sickness, sleep, the need to rest, being a creature influenced by the heat and cold, to be beaten by the smallest microbe and not being able to endure a common cold, makes one a very helpless being. Most of the time, people are obliged to use medicine to get better in the face of a disease, as from childhood. Especially in later ages, the need for using medicine increases. Each and every corner of the world is full of pharmacies, hospitals and health institutions. And this is a fact that clearly demonstrates the weakness of a human being.
No doubt death, like disease, is created specially to show how short and temporary the life of this world is. People come to this world to be tested and weaknesses establish the way to be tested in the life of this world. All of these are a means to realize the shortcomings of this world and head for the Hereafter as one’s true adobe.
However, some people become arrogant and boastful as if they do not possess these weaknesses. Even though people are helpless beings who could easily fall down and become permanently incapacitated or catch a serious disease through a cell getting deteriorated, they behave in an arrogant way in an attempt to show themselves as strong and superior. Yet they are weak beings just like anyone else. However, they become ridiculous by acting like they are not. This is because everyone else do realize how weak he or she actually is.
One of the most offending subjects for these people is death. They do not like to be reminded of death. They accuse people who talk about death with predicting the worst, and immediately try to silence them. Because death is a subject, which directly reminds them how helpless they really are. However death comes no matter what and in a time when they don’t expect it. Allah reveals in the Qur’an how such people try to hide their regrets when the Day of Judgment comes:
If every self that did wrong possessed everything on earth, it would offer it as a ransom. They will show remorse when they see the punishment. Everything will be decided between them justly. They will not be wronged. (Surah Yunus, 54)
In the same way, getting sick also offends such people. They feel humiliated and think that people will think less of them because of this. But they never give up their pride and egoism, and continue to behave in an arrogant and insensitive way, as so they are on deathbed. They do not accept their helplessness as a servant and continue their arrogance until the day they die. Allah reveals the condition of these people in the following verses:
On the Day when legs are bared and they are called on to prostrate, they will not be able to do so. Their eyes will be downcast, darkened by debasement; for they were called on to prostrate when they were in full possession of their faculties. So leave anyone who denies this discourse to me! We will lead them, step by step, into destruction from where they do not know. I will allow them more time. My subterfuge is sure. (Surat Al-Qalam, 42-45)
‘Enter the gates of Hell, remaining in it timelessly, for ever. How evil is the abode of the arrogant!’ (Surat An-Nahl, 29)
Muslims are aware of their weaknesses and therefore do not have the feelings of arrogance and pride. They know that Allah creates everything with Wisdom, turn to Him and pray for His help. This attitude of Muslims is revealed in the Qur’an in the following verse:
Those who remember Allah, standing, sitting and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth: ‘Our Lord, You have not created this for nothing. Glory be to You! So safeguard us from the punishment of the Fire. Our Lord, those You cast into the Fire, You have indeed disgraced. The wrongdoers will have no helpers. Our Lord, we heard a caller calling us to belief: “Believe in your Lord!” and we believed. Our Lord, forgive us our wrong actions, erase our bad actions from us and take us back to You with those who are truly good. (Surah Al ‘Imran, 191-193)
