Anthropology as Reflected in the Holy Quran

Anthropology is one of the important topics in every school of thought, including Islam. The Western concept of anthropology differs from the recognition of humans in religious culture. In religious texts, anthropology means self-knowledge. In terms of cognitive method, anthropology has four types: empirical, intuitive, philosophical, and religious. The present paper adopts the religious method to understand humanity and provides an analytical description of how anthropology is presented in the Quran. One of the fundamental features of the religious method is the comprehensiveness of human cognition. All dimensions and characteristics of humans cannot be introduced in one article, and this paper focuses only on the most important elements of anthropology from the perspective of the Quran. The current writing shows that humans are created in a two-dimensional way: spiritual and physical. And their spiritual dimension is more important than their physical dimension. Limiting humans to material needs is a kind of oppression. The divine caliphate is the most prominent human position, and the succession of man from God is not exclusive to Adam. God's praises of humans reflect human nature, while divine reprimands about humans reflect their natural tendencies. Human dignity is related to their inherent characteristics. The right to life is one of the most fundamental human rights, which has both material and spiritual aspects. Ultimately, human life is not limited to this world, and the afterlife reflects human life in this world.