Bashar & Insan

Two words are predominately used in the Quran to denote the human. The first word is bashar ( بَشَر ) and the other is insan ( إِنسَـٰن ). In the Quran, the word bashar occurs 38 times, and insan occurs 91 times in their various forms.

Summary of Context for Bashar

Here is a summary of all the different contexts that the word bashar is used in the Quran:

Bashar
Just human being	5:18
Creation	15:28 (aged mud), 25:54 (water), 30:20 (dust+reproducing), 38:71 (clay)
Mary: no man touched me	3:47, 19:17, 19:20
Revealed Quran	6:91
Messenger is a human like us	11:27, 14:10, 14:11, 18:110, 21:3, 23:24, 23:33, 23:34, 23:47, 26:154, 26:186, 36:15, 41:6, 54:24, 64:6
Joseph	12:31
Satan refuses to prostrate	15:33
Human teaching prophet	16:103
Human messenger	17:93-94
Human (prophet)	3:79
Mortal	21:34
God communicates with	42:51

Summary of Context for insan

Here is a summary of all the different contexts that the word insan is used in the Quran:

Insan
People of Moses	2:60, 7:160
Deficiency in creation	4:28 (weak), 21:37 (impatient), 70:19 (impatient),
Created to worship God	51:56 (+Jinn)
Human and jinn devils	Humans sought power from jinns
Humans and Jinns	6:128 (jinns claim humans), 6:130 (received messengers), 7:38, 7:179, 11:119 (Hell), 17:88 (create a Quran), 27:17 (Solomon soldiers), 41:25, 41:29 (misled), 46:18, 55:33, 55:39 (penetrate outer limits), 55:56 (untouched mates), 55:74 (untouched mates)
Human sought power from jinns	72:6
Choose to be pure	7:82, 27:56
Touched by adversity	10:12, 11:9, 39:8, 39:49, 41:51, 42:48×2, 89:15
Devil enemy to human	12:5, 17:53
Unappreciative	14:34 (+transgressing), 17:67, 22:66, 43:15, 80:17, 100:6
Lost	103:2
Transgresses when becomes rich	96:6-7
Touched by adversity	17:83
Stingy	17:100
Argumentative	18:54
Creation	15:26 & 55:14 (aged mud), 16:4 & 36:77 (semen), 19:67 & 76:1 (was nothing), 23:12 (mud), 32:7 (clay), 55:3, 76:2 (liquid mixture), 90:4 (to work hard), 95:4 (best design → lowly), 96:2 (embryo)
Animals and humans	25:49
Whispers to himself	50:16
Impatient	17:11, 41:49 (+despondent),
Fastened Fate to Neck	17:13, 17:71 (record Day of Judgement)
Mary not to speak to any man	19:26
Doubts/rejects resurrection	19:66, 75:3, 75:5,10,13,14,36, 79:35, 99:3
Warning of meeting God	84:6
Reflect	80:24 (Let the human consider his food!), 86:5 (his creation), 82:6 (diverted from God)
Devil lets down human	25:29, 59:16
Honor parents	29:8, 31:14, 46:15
Accepted freedom of choice	33:72
Endowed with fitra	30:30
Human desires	53:24
Responsible for own works	53:39,
Taught by means of the pen	96:5
Hell	89:23

Some general distinctions between these two words are summarized below:

Bashar ( بَشَر )	Insan ( إِنسَـٰن )
Typically associated with the individual	Typically assocaited with all humankind
Never used in connection with jinns	Often mentioned along with jinns
Reproducing	Weak, impatient, transgressing, unappreciative, lost, deceived
God communicates with	Tested: blessed & touched by adversity
Brings out jealousy in others	Doubts Resurrection
Satan refuses to prostrate to	Duped devils
Isn’t he (messenger) only a human like us?	Commanded to honor parents
Human messenger	Requires redemption

Distinction between Bashar & Insan

From my analysis, it appears that the distinction between the two uses of this word is that bashar deals with the more neutral physicality of a human, while insan deals with the spiritual dilemma of a human. The insan is the part of the human that has the potential for both good and evil. This causes the insan to have a weakness where it can be exploited. Because of this, the insan must actively work to refrain from such slips and redeem itself when it does.

Origins

When we read the verses regarding God presenting a human being to the angels and Satan refusing to prostrate before Adam, it always uses the word bashar.

[38:71] Your Lord said to the angels, “I am creating a human being (bashar) from clay.

 إِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ إِنِّى خَـٰلِقٌۢ بَشَرًا مِّن طِينٍ

[15:28] Your Lord said to the angels, “I am creating a human being (bashar) from aged mud, like the potter’s clay.

 وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ إِنِّى خَـٰلِقٌۢ بَشَرًا مِّن صَلْصَـٰلٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ

[15:29] “Once I perfect him, and blow into him from My spirit, you shall fall prostrate before him.”
[15:30] The angels fell prostrate; all of them,
[15:31] except Iblis (Satan). He refused to be with the prostrators.
[15:32] He said, “O Iblis (Satan), why are you not with the prostrators?”

 فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُۥ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِى فَقَعُوا۟ لَهُۥ سَـٰجِدِينَ
 فَسَجَدَ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ كُلُّهُمْ أَجْمَعُونَ
 إِلَّآ إِبْلِيسَ أَبَىٰٓ أَن يَكُونَ مَعَ ٱلسَّـٰجِدِينَ
 قَالَ يَـٰٓإِبْلِيسُ مَا لَكَ أَلَّا تَكُونَ مَعَ ٱلسَّـٰجِدِينَ

[15:33] He said, “I am not to prostrate before a human being (bashar), whom You created from aged mud, like the potter’s clay.”

 قَالَ لَمْ أَكُن لِّأَسْجُدَ لِبَشَرٍ خَلَقْتَهُۥ مِن صَلْصَـٰلٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ

The following verses indicate that both the insan (15:26) and bashar (15:28) were created from aged mud, like the potter’s clay.

[15:26] We created the human being (insan) from aged mud, like the potter’s clay.

 وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مِن صَلْصَـٰلٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ

Interestingly, the immediate next verse describes the creation of the jinns from blazing fire and indicates this happened before the creation of the insan.

[15:27] As for the jinns, we created them, before that, from blazing fire.

 وَٱلْجَآنَّ خَلَقْنَـٰهُ مِن قَبْلُ مِن نَّارِ ٱلسَّمُومِ

We see this same pattern occur another time in the Quran, where it discusses the insan being made from aged clay, followed by the discussion of the jinns being created from fire.

[55:14] He created the human (insan) from aged clay, like the potter’s clay.

 خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مِن صَلْصَـٰلٍ كَٱلْفَخَّارِ

[55:15] And created the jinns from blazing fire.

وَخَلَقَ ٱلْجَآنَّ مِن مَّارِجٍ مِّن نَّارٍ

From the verses of the Quran, we can infer that Iblees was an angel when God gave the commandment for all the angels to fall prostrate before Adam. When he refused and disobeyed, he became the first jinn. Therefore, all jinns are descendants of Satan, just like all humans are descendants of Adam. This idea is captured in the following verse.

[18:50] We said to the angels, “Fall prostrate before Adam.” They fell prostrate, except Satan. He became a jinn, for he disobeyed the order of His Lord. Will you choose him and his descendants as lords instead of Me, even though they are your enemies? What a miserable substitute!

 وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ ٱسْجُدُوا۟ لِـَٔادَمَ فَسَجَدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِبْلِيسَ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْجِنِّ فَفَسَقَ عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِۦٓ أَفَتَتَّخِذُونَهُۥ وَذُرِّيَّتَهُۥٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِى وَهُمْ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّۢ بِئْسَ لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ بَدَلًا

9	kāna	كَانَ	He became
10	mina	مِنَ	of
11	l-jini	ٱلْجِنِّ	the jinn,
12	fafasaqa	فَفَسَقَ	and he rebelled
13	ʿan	عَنْ	against
14	amri	أَمْرِ	(the) command / order
15	rabbihi	رَبِّهِۦٓ	(of) his Lord.

I believe that humans in their neutral form are bashar, and once we accepted the responsibility of the freedom of choice, we all also gained the status of insan.

[33:72] We have offered the responsibility (freedom of choice) to the heavens and the earth, and the mountains, but they refused to bear it, and were afraid of it. But the human being (insan) accepted it; he was transgressing, ignorant.

 إِنَّا عَرَضْنَا ٱلْأَمَانَةَ عَلَى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱلْجِبَالِ فَأَبَيْنَ أَن يَحْمِلْنَهَا وَأَشْفَقْنَ مِنْهَا وَحَمَلَهَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ ظَلُومًا جَهُولًا

Notice that it calls the insan, transgressing and ignorant for accepting this responsibility, which are typical traits of insan, but not bashar.

I believe the human’s acceptance of the freedom of choice happened after Satan’s exposure but before the human was duped by Satan in Paradise. I believe that once we accepted this responsibility, God had us bear witness to Him, which became the fitra (natural instinct) for strict monotheism that the insan has.

[7:172] Recall that your Lord summoned all the descendants of Adam, and had them bear witness for themselves: “Am I not your Lord?” They all said, “Yes. We bear witness.” Thus, you cannot say on the Day of Resurrection, “We were not aware of this.”

 وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِنۢ بَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ قَالُوا۟ بَلَىٰ شَهِدْنَآ أَن تَقُولُوا۟ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هَـٰذَا غَـٰفِلِينَ

I came to this idea due to the interesting language used in 7:172, where it states, “your Lord brought forth from the loins of the children of Adam, their descendants and had them bear witness…”

1	wa-idh	وَإِذْ	And when / recall
2	akhadha	أَخَذَ	[He] took
3	rabbuka	رَبُّكَ	your Lord
4	min	مِنۢ	from
5	banī	بَنِىٓ	(the) Children (of)
6	ādama	ءَادَمَ	Adam –
7	min	مِن	from
8	ẓuhūrihim	ظُهُورِهِمْ	their loins –
9	dhurriyyatahum	ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ	their descendants
10	wa-ashhadahum	وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ	and He had them bear witness
11	ʿalā	عَلَىٰٓ	over
12	anfusihim	أَنفُسِهِمْ	themselves,

This reference to the loins of their descendants indicates to me that this bearing witness to the oneness of God is ingrained in our genetics, making it a natural instinct for us, similar to what is stated in the verse where we are informed of our fitra (natural instinct) to strict monotheism.

[30:30] Therefore, you shall devote yourself to the religion of strict monotheism. Such is the natural instinct (fitra) placed into the people (l-nās) by GOD. Such creation of GOD will never change. This is the perfect religion, but most people (l-nās) do not know.

 فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفًا فِطْرَتَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّتِى فَطَرَ ٱلنَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا لَا تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ ٱللَّهِ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْقَيِّمُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

This is why I believe the Quran informs us that God created the insan in the best design. As stated in a previous article, this is not the physical design but our potential for goodness. But this same feature which is our best feature, is also our greatest weakness when exploited. Therefore, it turned us afterward into the lowliest of the lowly.

[95:4] We created man (insan) in the best design.
[95:5] Then turned him into the lowliest of the lowly.

 لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ فِىٓ أَحْسَنِ تَقْوِيمٍ
 ثُمَّ رَدَدْنَـٰهُ أَسْفَلَ سَـٰفِلِينَ

I believe our turn to lowliness occurred after we selected the freedom of choice and it was exploited by Satan.

[7:27] O children of Adam, do not let the devil dupe you as he did when he caused the eviction of your parents from Paradise, and the removal of their garments to expose their bodies. He and his tribe see you, while you do not see them. We appoint the devils as companions of those who do not believe.

 يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ لَا يَفْتِنَنَّكُمُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ كَمَآ أَخْرَجَ أَبَوَيْكُم مِّنَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ يَنزِعُ عَنْهُمَا لِبَاسَهُمَا لِيُرِيَهُمَا سَوْءَٰتِهِمَآ إِنَّهُۥ يَرَىٰكُمْ هُوَ وَقَبِيلُهُۥ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا تَرَوْنَهُمْ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينَ أَوْلِيَآءَ لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ

So to summarize:

• Bashar constitutes the physical and original form of a human
• God created a bashar for the angels to fall prostrate to (15:28)
• Iblees, who was an angel, disobeyed God and became a jinn (18:50).
• The human is offered the responsibility of freedom of choice and accepts it gains the additional status of insan, which makes him responsible and thus vulnerable to sin (33:72).