Are human being the best creation of God or are Jinns and Angels better than humans?
Can there be any other more intelligent being than humans in universe?
According to your reference of Quran (17:70), Allah mentions
And We have certainly honored the children of Adam and carried them on the land and sea and provided for them of the good things and preferred them over much of what We have created, with [definite] preference.
Doesn't that mean that there are better creatures than us?
Meaning of The best is incomplete without a context. If we consider the best to look at, then mankind is the best.
Allah says in 95:4 -
Verily We created man (al-insān: the generic) in the best of forms, [in the best] proportioning of his shape.
(Al Jalalain Tafsir). It tells us that mankind is the most spectacular in sight.
But we must not forget the Jinns. The Jinns were created from scorching fire. So they are as miraculous as humans.
Regarding The Best of the Creatures, Allah says in 98:7
Truly those who believe and perform righteous deeds — they are the best of creatures (al-bariyya means al- khalīqa)
(Al Jalalain Tafsir). This gives the answer to the header of the question. A Jinn or a Man, whoever does righteous deeds is included in the best of the creatures.
In Al Jalalin Tafsir, verse 17:70 is explained as such:
And verily We have honoured, We have preferred, the Children of Adam, [above other creation], by [giving them] knowledge, speech and [their being] a creation of even proportions amongst other things, including their [means of] purification after death, and carried them over land, on animal-back, and sea, in ships, and provided them with good things and We have preferred them above many of those whom We created, such as livestock and wild animals, with a marked preferment. (the min has the sense of mā, ‘of what’, or something close to it, and includes the angels, the purpose being to give preference to the [angelic] genus; there is no requirement to give [explicit] preference to the individuals [of this category of being], since they [angels] are superior to mankind, excepting the prophets).
So we cannot simply conclude there are better creatures than Us, nor can we say We are the best . The Angels, the Prophets, and the group of individuals among Man and Jinns combined who do righteousness and obey God are collectively the Best of the Creatures.
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Commented
Feb 15, 2014 at 19:49
When Allah created human congratulated himself for being the best of creators:
ثُمَّ خَلَقْنَا النُّطْفَةَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقْنَا الْعَلَقَةَ مُضْغَةً فَخَلَقْنَا الْمُضْغَةَ عِظَامًا فَكَسَوْنَا الْعِظَامَ لَحْمًا ثُمَّ أَنشَأْنَاهُ خَلْقًا آخَرَ ۚ فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّـهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ
Then We made the sperm-drop into a clinging clot, and We made the clot into a lump [of flesh], and We made [from] the lump, bones, and We covered the bones with flesh; then We developed him into another creation. So blessed is Allah, the best of creators. http://tanzil.net/#23:14
Considering that Allah did not congratulate himself for creating other things, perhaps it can be concluded human is the best creation of Allah.
And Allah commanded angels to fall in prostration for human: http://tanzil.net/#15:29
And human is successive authority of Allah on earth: http://tanzil.net/#2:30
Also this verse is clear:
وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِي آدَمَ وَحَمَلْنَاهُمْ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ وَرَزَقْنَاهُم مِّنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَفَضَّلْنَاهُمْ عَلَىٰ كَثِيرٍ مِّمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا تَفْضِيلًا
And We have certainly honored the children of Adam and carried them on the land and sea and provided for them of the good things and preferred them over much of what We have created, with [definite] preference. http://tanzil.net/#17:70
And this verse:
Do you not see that Allah has made subject to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth and amply bestowed upon you His favors, [both] apparent and unapparent? But of the people is he who disputes about Allah without knowledge or guidance or an enlightening Book [from Him]. http://tanzil.net/#31:20
And the best of humans are those who are more pious:
O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted. http://tanzil.net/#49:13
Imam Ali (a.s.) says:
there is no person in face of earth better in view of Allah than who obey Allah. (reference of hadith: Ghrar al Hikam, vol. 5 page 92)
This verse says only human could handle the trust of Allah:
Indeed, we offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, and they declined to bear it and feared it; but man [undertook to] bear it. Indeed, he was unjust and ignorant. http://tanzil.net/#33:72
Reference:
Why human became the best of creations and accepted the trust of Allah?
As per my understanding, mankind is the most preferred one in the sight of Allah. Though the other creatures are also precious to Allah but the love Allah has shown for us(the mankind) you may not find for others. Whatever Allah has made, made it in the best way but the Mankind is the special one with lots of leverages and strictness. Leverages in the sense that mankind is the only being which Allah has created with a free will and didn't restrict his actions. Moreover, He expects from this creation (though He knows everything). He has shown his love and mercy towards human being that even after a person did wrong and worked against the Allah's will for his entire life and in the end days of his life he asked for His forgiveness, Allah accepts his apology which makes a human special. When rest of the other creation even can not make a little move without His will or permission, a human being does whatever he wants and Allah allows him/her to do whatever please to him/her. And after doing lots of sins and crimes when we ask for his forgiveness He(Subhan Allah) forgives us as he mentioned in the Holy Quran. Don't you think, this is the special treatment with us of our Lord (Allah) among all his creations. I don't know much but what I have felt and understood that human beings are the only creation of Allah (Allah knows the best) which will get more for doing a little. The reward of eternal life in a beautiful Paradise, even for those who did nothing except for one or two good deeds in their entire life on earth but successful took the faith in Him.
I hereby append below the translation with Ayat 57 of Surat Ghafir which itself is self-explanatory. May Allah give us the true knowledge. Surely HE knows the best.
"The creation of the heavens and earth is greater than the creation of mankind, but most of the people do not know."
Yes Allah create us as a best creature of all creation. Now how and where Allah told about it. Read carefully the below aya (verse);
Sura Al-Hijir (15 : 29-31) “Therefore when I have properly fashioned him and breathed into him a chosen noble soul from Myself, fall down before him in prostration.” (29) Therefore all the angels, each and every one of them, fell prostrate. (30) Except Iblis (Satan); he refused to be among those who prostrated. (31)
If someone is not best/respectable/honorable/superior then All never told to other to prostration him.
Human are the best creature of all that is why Allah told everyone to fall down before him prostration. And only Iblis refused and disagreed so Allah told him: “And indeed you are accursed till the Day of Judgement.” (15: 35)
So there is no doubt that Human is the best creature of all creation.
Hope Allah help us to understand.
