9 Preface ثُمَّ سَوّاهُ وَنَفَخَ فيهِ مِن روحِهِ ۖ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمعَ وَالأَبصارَ وَالأَفئِدَةَ ۚ قَليلًا ما تَشكُرونَYusuf AliBut He fashioned him in due proportion, and breathed into him something of1 His spirit. And He gave you (the faculties of) hearing and sight and feeling2 (and understanding): little thanks do ye give!The third stage is indicated by “fashioned him in due proportion”. Cf. 15:29. After the fertilisation of the ovum by the sperm, an individual life conies into existence, and it is gradually fashioned into shape; its limbs are formed; its animal life begins to function; all the beautiful adaptations come into play. The fourth stage here mentioned is that of distinctive Man, into whom God’s spirit is breathed. Then he rises higher than animals.As a complete man he gets the higher faculties. The five animal senses I understand to be included in the third stage. But in the fourth stage he rises higher and is addressed in the second person, “you,” instead of the third person “him”. He has now the spiritual counterpart of hearing (i.e., the capacity to hear God’s Message) and seeing (i.e., the inner vision), and feeling the nobler heights of love and understanding the bearings of the inner life (both typified by the Heart). Yet with all these gifts, what thanks does unregenerate or corrupted man give to God? (Cf. 23:12-14 and 32:7-9)