Abstract

In the Qur'an, there are many verses that positively point to the value of man, as well as verses that touch on his mistakes, sins and flaws. In these verses, the value of man is not absolutely attributed to greatness, nor is it definitely characterized by evil. It can be said that the Qur'an measures the value of human beings through their beliefs and behaviors in general. Despite this general attitude of the Qur'an, the discourse of "ashref-i mahlûkat/the most honorable creature" used for people in Muslim culture is a very assertive expression. According to our observations this expression, which is famous in the religious tradition, is generally associated with the seventieth verse of Isra Surah. However, there is no evidence in the aforementioned verse to support this statement in all its aspects. In the verse, it is said that man is not superior to all beings, but to some beings. Despite this, the proof of the statement that "man is the most valuable being" with this verse leads to the mistake of attributing a meaning that the verse does not say to it, even if it is not intentional. In this study, the authenticity of the expression "ashref-i mahlûkat" will be the subject of examination in the context of al-Isra 17/70, which is cited as evidence for this statement.