The Position of Human Dignity in the Qur’anic Ideal Society

Utopias [=ideal places or states] are essentially based on values and no ideal theory can be developed to the level of the utopian theory with no regard to the morals and values. Among values and morals, essential human dignity is put at the top and is thus prior to other human values. This is a claim with which the Holy QurÞÁn has dealt. The real thesis of this article is that the Holy QurÞÁn as the most important epistemological source includes a model of utopian system which is naturally constituted by human dignity. One may study the essential and acquired human dignity within the ideal system of the Holy QurÞÁn by means of different theoretical paradigms. However, this article has been organized within the framework of Muhammad BÁqir Íakim’s theory of ‘unlimited ideal’ which is derived from the Holy QurÞÁn. The findings show that in all stages and five principles of this theory, i.e. ‘worship of God’, ‘conscious movement’, excruciating movement’, qualitative change’ and ‘quantitative change’, both natural and acquired forms of dignity are clearly present for which many Quranic evidence can be offered. Studies on human dignity within the framework of the theory of ‘unlimited ideal’ show only glimpses of the capacities of the Qur’anic utopia.