An Ontological Analysis of Human Dignity and Its Relation to Tafḍīl (Preferential Grace) in the Verse of Honoring (Q17:70)

Document Type : Original

Authors

1 PhD Student in Quranic and Hadith Sciences, Department of Exegesis and Quranic Sciences, Imam Khomeini Educational and Research Institute, Qom, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Exegesis and Quranic Sciences, Imam Khomeini Educational and Research Institute, Qom, Iran.

Abstract

The "Verse of Honoring" (Āyat al-Takrīm, Q17:70) is a foundational Quranic verse that elucidates humanity's status within the cosmos by introducing the twin concepts of "honoring" (takrīm) and "preferential grace" (tafḍīl), pointing to inherent human dignity and their superiority over other creatures. This study aims to provide an ontological explanation of human dignity and to conceptually analyze its relationship with tafḍīl, thereby offering a coherent and precise interpretation of the verse. Employing a library-based research method and an analytical-interpretive approach grounded in thematic exegesis (tafsīr mawḍūʿī), the research argues that a clearer understanding of inherent dignity and its connection to human superiorities can establish a theoretical basis for re-examining the Quranic system of human valuation and for rationally defending the principles of human rights from a monotheistic perspective. The findings indicate that human dignity in this verse is a divine, universal, and inalienable endowment intrinsic to the essence of the human species, existing potentially within every individual. This dignity can only become the source for enjoying human rights and status when actualized through one’s voluntary pursuit of perfection. Furthermore, tafḍīl is analyzed as the external manifestation of this inherent dignity in comparison to other creations, revealing a hierarchical relationship between the two concepts. The study also demonstrates that the term "kathīr" (many) in the phrase "faḍḍalnāhum ʿalā kathīr mimmā khalaqnā" signifies the abundance of beings over whom humans are preferred, not a limitation that would imply the denial of human superiority over certain creatures, such as angels.

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Quranic Doctrines
Volume 22, Issue 42 - Serial Number 42
December 2025
Pages 123-154

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History

  • Receive Date: 14 February 2025
  • Revise Date: 16 July 2025
  • Accept Date: 27 October 2025
  • Publish Date: 22 December 2025

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