Answers

Based solely on Said Nursi’s Third and Fourth Remarks from The Second Chapter

Humanity is not merely a physical phenomenon but a layered reality composed of weakness, need, duty, and potential. In Said Nursi’s analysis, man is portrayed as a creature that appears weak and insignificant in physical terms, yet bears a spiritual and existential significance that makes him the focal point of the universe.

What is Man?

Man, in his physical form, is weak and perishable—“a miniscule particle,” “a needy creature,” and “a weak animal.” He is subject to pain, fear, hunger, and countless other afflictions. Even the smallest creatures—like vermin or insects—can defeat him. However, this very weakness is what grants him a unique status. Man’s poverty, impotence, and ignorance are not flaws but keys to his spiritual elevation. Through them, he becomes a mirror to Divine mercy, an object of compassion, and a receiver of grace.

He is also a conscious observer, an articulate interpreter of the universe, and a responsible servant. In this role, he reads the “book of the universe,” perceives its signs, and responds with gratitude and worship. He is tasked not with domination through power, but with stewardship through humility and understanding.

Why Was Man Created?

According to Said Nursi, man was not created merely to enjoy worldly pleasures or chase fleeting happiness. These pleasures are transient and often mixed with sorrow—memories of past joys bring pain, and future fears poison the present. This alone shows that the world cannot be the ultimate purpose.

Rather, man is a guest in this world, and life is a temporary banquet offered by a Generous Host. He has been created to recognize his Sustainer, to serve with gratitude, and to prepare for eternal life. The human soul contains countless faculties—imagination, conscience, reason, love, fear—that point not to a worldly goal, but to an eternal destiny.

The true purpose of man, then, is not to dominate through knowledge or to consume through power, but to grow through belief, to mature through worship, and to become worthy of the eternal realm.

Where Is He Going?

Said Nursi powerfully illustrates man’s journey with a parable: A dream-like vision of a man who wastes his life in fleeting pleasures until he is cast into a pit—symbolizing death—only to awaken to the regret of having misused his precious capital of life.

Man is on a path that leads either to falling to “the lowest of the low”—by following his ego and Satan—or to rising to “the highest of the high”—by heeding Divine truth and the Qur’an. If he recognizes his true condition, if he admits his weakness and seeks help, if he abandons arrogance and relies upon God, he is elevated to a rank where he can rightfully say:

“My Compassionate Sustainer has made the world a house for me,
the sun and moon lamps for it,
spring a bouquet of flowers,
summer a table of bounties,
and the animals my servants.”

This is not pride, but the acknowledgment of a bestowed honor. The journey of man, therefore, is from nothingness to conscious gratitude, from ephemeral existence to eternal significance, from helplessness to Divine assistance.

Conclusion

To ask “What is man?” is to begin a spiritual journey. The answer lies not in muscle or mind alone, but in the realization of weakness, the embrace of humility, and the pursuit of meaning beyond the material. Humanity’s mission is to read, reflect, give thanks, and rise. And man’s final destination depends on the path he chooses: Ego or truth, arrogance or worship, worldliness or eternity.