حمید آریان

The succession of humans from God is generally accepted in the Abrahamic religions. The present study aims to examine the thematic domain of human succession from God from the perspectives of the Qur'an and the Bible through a comparative approach; it also aims to understand and define the mission of humans as successors of God in the world based on the teachings of the Abrahamic religions, which can assist in reconciling the views of the followers of these religions in fulfilling human responsibilities in the contemporary world. To this aim was used a library-based approach for data collection and uses a descriptive-interpretive method with a comparative focus to address the issues. The findings indicate that the Qur'an explicitly affirms the principle of human succession from God, considering humans as successors of God in both existential and legislative matters, supported by evidence such as the generality of verse 30 of Surah Al-Baqarah in appointing humans as successors and the compatibility of the successor with the one succeeded upon in attributes. However, in the Bible, the succession of humans from God is implicitly mentioned. In the Old Testament , humans are introduced as representatives of God on earth, with the responsibility of cultivating the earth and governing its inhabitants. This indicates a form of succession in legislative matters. From the New Testament , a concept similar to the Qur'anic view (succession in all matters) can be inferred, which is certainly built around the centrality of the personality and succession of Jesus Christ (peace be upon him). 

The present study, through a documentary study and descriptive-interpretive method, aims to examine the perspectives of various religions based on their sacred texts regarding the origin of human creation in a comparative manner. The findings of the research indicate that the sacred text of Islam, the Quran, presents a strong and explicit account of the independent creation of the first human, stating that his origin is from clay and soil, not from another being. The views of other Abrahamic religions, namely Judaism and Christianity, based on the teachings of the Bible, align with this perspective. Some Zoroastrian texts suggest the emergence of "Gayomarth" or "Kayomarth" (the first human) from soil, but the predominant view in this tradition is that the first human originated from the Rivas plant (rhubarb, scientific name: Rheum). The sacred texts of Hinduism, in varied and somewhat ambiguous expressions, consider all creations, including humans, as manifestations of the Creator, with fire, water, and soil as the primary elements constituting the material aspect of human creation. In none of the sacred texts of the examined religions and traditions is the issue of human evolution or the emergence of humans from other beings or any alternative origin proposed.