The Human being or what we would rather call Man is said to be the highest living animal. Why? Studies have shown that our brains are the most developed of all animals. We have senses that other animals do not possess. Even the apes and , monkeys that seem to be similar to humans are still not as intelligent as we are. For instance, they go about without clothes and do some things which we will never do. This is the same for other animals.
Take a look at the hens for example; they bear their young by laying eggs which if not properly handled get broken before they hatch. Those that survive to become chicks face a lot of risks. They are only lucky if they are not eaten by hawks or killed in one accident or the other. No matter how caring a mother hen is, she does not have the intelligence that our mothers have in protecting her young. By Allaahs will, the surviving chicks later become cocks and hens.
The wonder of it all is that the cock! born by a particular hen still com! round to mate with her. What a life! The life of many animals is also such that males mate with females by force. Of course we know that the females could also be on heat and as such willing, but no courtship or marriage is needed for all these to happen. They also do not have regular or permanent part is said, say, it is the whoever you see" The list seemingly strange things in the life of animals is endless.
Should we talk of their lack or education or the fact that they just sleep anywhere except they are trained to do otherwise or the fact that those that are fit for eating are not given any notice before they are killed without any consideration for their families who might miss them? All these and more are possible because Allaah in His majesty has put us above these animals. Take a good 109k around you. It is always a thing of joy when a woman is pregnant.
She doesnt lay eggs like the hens; a lot of care is taken to make sure that nothing goes wrong with the baby and when it is born, it is loved, cared for and protected from harm in every way possible. As babies, we did not have to start going to look for food almost immediately after we were born, but we were and are still being fed from the hard work Of our parents. We attend Schools and Madrasah just to make us better people. We sleep In warm beds at night and meet people who ask our consent before marrying us and throw feasts for this reason. We certainly do not have sexual relations with our parents may Allaah protect us from that).
Even with the recent cases of kidnappings and killings for ritual purposes, the human life is still seen as sacred and very precious. All this is possible because Allaah in His infinite mercy made it so! Allaah raised us above all creatures as a favour on us. He says, "And indeed We have honoured the Children of Adam, and We have carried them on land and sea, and have provided them with At- Tayyibat (lawful good things), and have preferred them above many of whom We have created with a marked preferment" (Q 17:70)
We should always be grateful to Him for this because we cannot imagine how our lives would have been if we had been created as other things. We should realize that being humans is a test and we will answer for all our actions to Allaah on the day of judgment. We should also know that Allaah loves us greatly and so treat other animals with His fear in our hearts. Remember that they are His creatures just like you! Have you said Alhamdulillah today? Which is it of the favours of your Lord that you deny?
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited