similar to God’s own. This is the wisdom reflected in the Prophet’s saying (ḥadīth): takhallaqū bi akhlāq Allāh (‘Adorn yourselves with the code of conduct laid down by Allah’).
However, this high ethical state can only be achieved if man fully understands the fact that he is not [totally] free to act as he pleases in this world. Rather, he is only a trustee of the true owner, the Lord of the Universes. It is this status of representation that establishes man’s relationship with every single object in this world, even including his own body, and determines the boundaries of that relationship.
Details of all these features of vicegerency occur in the Qur’ān. It is through these passages that every aspect of man’s existence in this temporal world is amply clarified and illuminated.
Man is subordinate, not the master
Regarding man’s status the Qur’ān declares:
For He it is Who has appointed you vicegerent over the earth, and has exalted some of you over others in rank that He may try you in what He has bestowed upon you.
[al-Anʿām 6: 165]
Moses said: ‘Your Lord will soon destroy your enemy and make you rulers in the land. Then He will see how you act.’
[al-Aʿrāf 7: 129]
(We said to him): ‘O David, We have appointed you vicegerent on earth. Therefore, rule among people and do not follow (your) desire lest it should lead you astray from Allah’s Path.’ Allah’s severe chastisement awaits those who stray away from Allah’s Path, for they have forgotten the Day of Reckoning.
[Ṣād 38: 26]
Is not Allah the Greatest of all Sovereigns?
[al-Tīn 95: 8]
Judgement lies with Allah alone.
[al-Anʿām 6: 57]
Say: ‘O Allah, Lord of all dominion! You bestow dominion on whomever You please, and take away dominion from whomever You please, and You exalt whom You please, and abase whom You please.’
[Āl ʿImrān 3: 26]
(O people), follow what has been revealed to you from your Lord and follow no masters other than Him.
[al-Aʿrāf 7: 3]
Say: ‘Surely my Prayer, all my acts of worship, and my living and my dying are only for Allah, the Lord of the whole Universe.’
[al-Anʿām 6: 162]
All these verses clearly state that whatever has been placed at man’s disposal for temporal use does not belong to him – including his own body. The real Owner and Ruler is God Almighty. It does not befit man to declare ownership rights over these things and use them as he wishes. His status is that of only a trustee and the extent of his power resides solely in the foundational principle that he must follow God’s guidance fully and use all worldly things according to Divine instructions. Any attempt to exceed Divine limits or follow one’s personal desires or follow the dictates of anyone other than the True Ruler amounts to waywardness and rebellion.
The First Precondition for Temporal Success
The Qur’ān lays down this prerequisite for man’s success:
As for those who believe in falsehood and are engaged in infidelity with Allah, it is they who will be the losers.
[al-ʿAnkabūt 29: 52]
… whoever from amongst you turns away from his religion and dies in the state of unbelief their work will go to waste in this world and in the Next.
[al-Baqarah 2: 217]
The work of he who refuses to follow the Way of faith will go to waste, and he will be among the utter losers in the Hereafter.
[al-Mā’idah 5: 5]
From these verses we see that man’s temporal success – in his status as God’s vicegerent – depends on his fully accepting the ascendancy of the One Entity of which he is the subordinate. Whatsoever action he undertakes in the world must reflect the mindset of God’s representative and trustee. Without this basic premise, whatever he partakes of the world can only be a mutinous act. It is a matter of very basic understanding that even if a rebel who is in unlawful occupation of an area acts in an admirable way, the lawful government would not consider such conduct with approbation. In the eyes of the lawful ruler, a rebel is and always will be a rebel, notwithstanding his good character and disposition or the excellent manner in which he may have managed the affairs of the area under his mutinous control.
Engaging in and dealing with a Temporal Life
The Qur’ān instructs:
O people! Eat of the lawful and pure things in the earth and follow not in the footsteps of Satan. For surely he is your open enemy; he only commands you to do evil and commit acts of indecency and to ascribe to Allah the things concerning which you have no knowledge.
[al-Baqarah 2: 168-169]
Believers! Do not hold as unlawful the good things which Allah has made lawful to you, and do not exceed the bounds of right. Allah does not love those who transgress the bounds of right. And partake of the lawful, good things which Allah has provided you as sustenance, and refrain from disobeying Allah in Whom you believe.
[al-Mā’idah 5: 87-88]
Say (O Muḥammad): ‘Who has forbidden the adornment which Allah has brought forth for His creatures or the good things from among the means of sustenance?’
[al-Aʿrāf 7: 32]
He enjoins upon them what is good and forbids them what is evil. He makes the clean things lawful to them and prohibits all corrupt things and removes from them their burdens and the shackles that were upon them.
[al-Aʿrāf 7: 157]
It is no offence for you to seek the bounty of your Lord.
[al-Baqarah 2: 198]
As for monasticism, it is they who invented it; We did not prescribe it for them. They themselves invented it in pursuit of Allah’s good pleasure.
[al-Ḥadīd 57: 27]
And certainly We have created for Hell many of the jinn and mankind; they have hearts with which they fail to understand; and they have eyes with which they fail to see; and they have ears with which they fail to hear. They are like cattle – indeed, even more astray. Such are utterly heedless.
[al-Aʿrāf 7: 179]
All these verses from the Qur’ān show that it is not proper for man to renounce a temporal life, for it is
