What makes us human?

We are unique in our creation and distinct from the Creator. We were placed on earth for a purpose, which is to worship Allah. We were placed on earth as a ‘successive authority’. This successive authority indicate responsibility we have to do the right thing.

وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً ۖ

“And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.”

Surah Baqarah: 30

We are blessed with valuable capabilities, such as the ability to understand, to intend or will something, to direct ourselves to Allah, follow His guidance and repent after committing sins.

We have weaknesses too – desires, laziness, and forgetfulness that might lead us astray. Shaytan is always at work attempting to mislead us.

We can see this in the story of Prophet Adam (AS). Allah told him:

وَقُلْنَا يَا آدَمُ اسْكُنْ أَنتَ وَزَوْجُكَ الْجَنَّةَ وَكُلَا مِنْهَا رَغَدًا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمَا وَلَا تَقْرَبَا هَٰذِهِ الشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُونَا مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
فَأَزَلَّهُمَا الشَّيْطَانُ عَنْهَا فَأَخْرَجَهُمَا مِمَّا كَانَا فِيهِ ۖ

“O Adam, dwell you and your wife, in paradise and eat therefrom in abundance from wherever you will. But do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers. But Satan caused them to slip out of it and removed them from that [condition] in which they had been.”

Soorah Baqarah: 35-36