Adam In Islam
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Adam Adam; el, Ἀδάμ, Adám; la, Adam is the name given in Genesis 1-5 to the first human. Beyond its use as the name of the first man, ''adam'' is also used in the Bible as a pronoun, individually as "a human" and in a collective sense as " ...
( ar-at, آدم, ʾĀdam) is believed to have been the
first First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
human being Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedality, bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex Human brain, brain. This has enabled the development of ad ...
on
Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
and the first
prophet In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the s ...
( ar, نبي, ''nabī'') of Islam. Adam's role as the father of the human race is looked upon by Muslims with reverence. Muslims also refer to his wife, Hawā ( ar, حواء,
Eve Eve (; ; ar, حَوَّاء, Ḥawwāʾ; el, Εὕα, Heúa; la, Eva, Heva; Syriac: romanized: ) is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the ...
), as the "mother of mankind". Muslims see Adam as the first
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
, as the
Quran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
states that all the Prophets preached the same faith of
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
( ar, إسلام,
Submission Deference (also called submission or passivity) is the condition of submitting to the espoused, legitimate influence of one's superior or superiors. Deference implies a yielding or submitting to the judgment of a recognized superior, out of re ...
to
God In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...
). According to Islamic belief, Adam was created from the material of the earth and brought to life by God. God placed Adam in a paradisical Garden. After Adam erred by eating from the forbidden tree, he was sent down to Earth, but he was forgiven after uttering a specific prayer taught to him by God. This story is seen as both a literal even among Muslims as well as an
allegory As a literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a hidden meaning with moral or political significance. Authors have used allegory th ...
for human relationship towards God. Islam doesn't necessarily adhere to young earth Creationism, and it is commonly held that sentient life on earth predates Adam, in the form of jinn (spirits) and other creatures.


Quran, hadiths and tales

The
Quran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
and
Hadith Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval ...
give some account of the creation and fall of Adam. Synthesizing the Quran with Sunni interpretations can produce the following account. God created Adam, according to the Quran, from mud or clay and breathed his spirit (''rūḥī'') into him. Hadith add that he was named Adam after the clay he was made out of, or the skin (''adim'') of the earth. Some exegetes report that God sent the Angel of Death to gather dust from the earth. The various skin-colors of people are due to the different colors of soil used in creating Adam. The soil also contributed to the idea that there are good people and bad people and everything in between in the world. A
Hadith Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval ...
from
Sahih al-Bukhari Sahih al-Bukhari ( ar, صحيح البخاري, translit=Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī), group=note is a ''hadith'' collection and a book of '' sunnah'' compiled by the Persian scholar Muḥammad ibn Ismā‘īl al-Bukhārī (810–870) around 846. Al ...
narrated by
Abu Hurairah Abu Hurayra ( ar, أبو هريرة, translit=Abū Hurayra; –681) was one of the companions of Islamic prophet Muhammad and, according to Sunni Islam, the most prolific narrator of hadith. He was known by the ''kunyah'' Abu Hurayrah "Fathe ...
states that Adam was created 60
cubit The cubit is an ancient unit of length based on the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger. It was primarily associated with the Sumerians, Egyptians, and Israelites. The term ''cubit'' is found in the Bible regarding No ...
s tall (about 30 meters), and that people in
Paradise In religion, paradise is a place of exceptional happiness and delight. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical or eschatological or both, often compared to the miseries of human civilization: in paradis ...
will look like Adam. According to the Quran, when
God In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...
informed the
angels In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles incl ...
that he was going to put a successor on Earth, they questioned why God would set wherein a human who would cause blood shed and damage. God then teaches Adam "the names of all things" and assembles the angels in front of Adam so as to show them that the angels know only "save what Thou Hast taught us", but Adam could tell all names. God commands the angels to prostrate before Adam wherein all amongst them obeyed except for
Iblis Iblis ( ar, إِبْلِيس, translit=Iblīs), alternatively known as Eblīs, is the leader of the devils () in Islam. According to the Quran, Iblis was thrown out of heaven, after he refused to prostrate himself before Adam. Regarding the o ...
(Satan), who claimed: "I am better than him. You created me of fire while him you created of mud." His disobedience of God's command followed by attributing injustice to God, caused him to fall out of God's favor:"And behold, We said to the angels: "Bow down to Adam" and they bowed down. Not so Iblis: he refused and was haughty: He was/became of those who reject faith." (2:34) Adam and his unnamed wife (tradition identify her with '' Hawā''), in Garden Eden. In Sunni traditions, based on biblical reports (''Israʼiliyyat''), it is said that, when Adam was sleeping, God took a rib from him and from it he created Eve. While the creation of Adam and Eve is referred to in the Quran, the exact method of creation is not specified. God tells them that they are free to enjoy of its fruits except not to come near the "tree of immortality", but the
devil A devil is the personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conceptions of t ...
(''shaiṭān'') was able to convince them to taste it: "He said, "Your Lord has forbidden this tree to you only to prevent you from becoming angels or immortals."" (7:21) Whereupon God sends Adam and his wife to earth, there they are condemned to "live and die", but is willing to forgive them. When Adam was cast out of Garden Eden, Adam turned towards God and begged for forgiveness. Therefore, there isn't a doctrine of
Original sin Original sin is the Christian doctrine that holds that humans, through the fact of birth, inherit a tainted nature in need of regeneration and a proclivity to sinful conduct. The biblical basis for the belief is generally found in Genesis 3 (t ...
in
Islamic theology Schools of Islamic theology are various Islamic schools and branches in different schools of thought regarding ''ʿaqīdah'' (creed). The main schools of Islamic Theology include the Qadariyah, Falasifa, Jahmiyya, Murji'ah, Muʿtazila, Bati ...
(''Kalām'') and Adam's sin is not carried by all of his children. In the '' Qiṣaṣ al-Anbiyāʾ'' (Prophetic tales) Adam and Eve were cast down far apart, so that they had to search for each other and eventually met each other at
Mount Arafat Mount Arafat ( ar, جَبَل عَرَفَات, translit=Jabal ʿArafāt), and by its other Arabic name, (), is a granodiorite hill about southeast of Mecca, in the province of the same name in Saudi Arabia. The mountain is approximately i ...
. Hadith say that once Adam was on earth, God (sometimes Gabriel at service of God) taught him how to plant seeds and bake bread. This was to become the way of all of Adam's children. Adam proceeded to live for about 1000 years, though this has been a topic of debate. Humankind would have learned everything from Adam. He was the first to learn to plant, harvest, and bake as well as the first to be told how to repent and how to properly bury someone. It is also said by some scholars that God also revealed the various food restrictions and the alphabet to Adam. He was made the first prophet and it is said that he was taught 21 scrolls and was able to write them himself.


Theological significance


''‘Iṣmah''

Muslim scholars can be divided into two groups regarding Adam's impeccability (''‘iṣmah''): One argues that Adam only became a prophet after he was cast out of paradise. They adhere to the doctrine that ''‘iṣmah'' only applies to prophets after they were sent to a mission. But since there have been no population to whom Adam could have been send, he could not have been a prophet and therefore ''‘iṣmah'' didn't apply until he left paradise. Stieglecker, H. (1962). Die Glaubenslehren des Islam. Deutschland: F. Schöningh. p. 194 (German) These arguments are, however, rejected by those who argue that prophethood doesn't start with preaching God's word and thus ''‘iṣmah'' begins before the prophetic mission. According to the second point of view, Adam was predestined by God to eat from the forbidden tree, because God planned to set Adam and his progeny on earth from the beginning and thus installed Adam's fall. By that Adam wouldn't have truly disobeyed, but acted in accordance with God's will to his best ability. For that reason, many Muslim exegetes do not regard Adam and Eve's expulsion from paradise as punishment for disobedience or a result from abused free will on their part, but as part of God's wisdom (''ḥikma'') and plan for humanity to experience the full range of his attributes, his love, forgiveness, and power to his creation. By their former abode in paradise, they can hope for return during their life-time. Some Muslim scholars view Adam as an image for his descendants: Humans sin, become aware of it, repent (''Tawba''), and find back to God. Adam embodies humanity and his fall shows humans how to act, when they sinned. Unlike Iblis (Satan), Adam asked for forgiveness for his transgression.


Adam and the angels

The story of angels prostrating before Adam gave rise to various debates about whether humans or angels rank higher. Angels bowing down before Adam is mentioned as evidence for human's superiority over the angels. Others hold that the prostration does not imply such a thing, but was merely a command or test for the angels. A position, especially found among
Mu'tazilites Muʿtazila ( ar, المعتزلة ', English: "Those Who Withdraw, or Stand Apart", and who called themselves ''Ahl al-ʿAdl wa al-Tawḥīd'', English: "Party of ivineJustice and Oneness f God); was an Islamic group that appeared in early Islamic ...
and some
Asharites Ashʿarī theology or Ashʿarism (; ar, الأشعرية: ) is one of the main Sunnī schools of Islamic theology, founded by the Muslim scholar, Shāfiʿī jurist, reformer, and scholastic theologian Abū al-Ḥasan al-Ashʿarī in the ...
, holds that angels are superior due to their lack of urges and desires.
Maturidism Māturīdī theology or Māturīdism ( ar, الماتريدية: ''al-Māturīdiyyah'') is one of the main Sunnī schools of Islamic theology, founded by the Persian Muslim scholar, Ḥanafī jurist, reformer (''Mujaddid''), and scholastic ...
generally does not think any of these creatures is superior to the other, and that angels' and prophets' obedience derive from their virtues and insights to God's action, but not as their original purity.Ulrich Rudolph Al-Māturīdī und Die Sunnitische Theologie in Samarkand BRILL, 1997 pp. 54-56 In the Quranic version of Adam's fall, Satan tempted them with the promise to become immortal angels.
Al-Qushayri 'Abd al-Karīm ibn Hawazin Abū al-Qāsim Banu Qushayr, al-Qushayrī al-Naysābūrī ( fa, , ar, عبد الكريم بن هوازن بن عبد الملك بن طلحة أبو القاسم القشيري; 986 – 30 December 1072) was an Ara ...
comments on 7:20, that Adam's fall is for being like an angel, while angels' fall is because when they desired to be like human. Adam desired an angelic state of no passion and avoiding the fate of death, while
Harut and Marut Harut and Marut ( ar, هَارُوْت وَمَارُوْت, Hārūt wa-Mārūt) are two angels mentioned in Quran 2:102, who are said to have been located in Babylon. According to some narratives, those two angels were in the time of Idris. Th ...
desired the freedom of choice and to rejoice in extravagance.


Life before Adam

It is evident from the Quran that Adam was the father of contemporary humanity, but if were has been sentient life before is debated. According to some views, God created thirty times an Adam every 1000 years. After the downfall of each humanity, God left the world uninhabited for 50.000 years, then 50.000 inhabited, and then a new Adam created. The majority of scholars, however, rejects this opinion, however, they agree that the
jinn Jinn ( ar, , ') – also Romanization of Arabic, romanized as djinn or Anglicization, anglicized as genies (with the broader meaning of spirit or demon, depending on sources) – are Invisibility, invisible creatures in early Arabian mytho ...
and animals have lived on earth before. According to the
Majallat Al Azhar ''Majallat Al Azhar'' (Arabic: ‏مجلة الأزهر‏ ‏آذار; ''Journal of Al Azhar'') is an Islamic publication of Al Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, which has existed since 1931. History and profile The magazine was launched in 19 ...
, nowhere within Islamic texts it is prescribed how long humans existed and every Muslim is free to think that is right, and that the notion of a young earth derives from biblical reports (''Israʼiliyyat'').


Genealogy of Adam

Though it is up for debate, it has been said that Eve went through 120 pregnancies with Adam and each of these consisted of a set of twins: a boy and a girl. In some other traditions, their first child was a girl, born alone, called ʿAnāq. According to several sources, God took all of Adam's progeny from his back while they were still in heaven. He asked each of them "am I not your lord?" as read in verse 7:172 and they all replied yes. For this reason, it is believed that all humans are born with an innate knowledge of God. The most famous of Adam's children are Cain and Abel. Both the brothers were asked to offer up individual sacrifices to God. God accepted Abel's sacrifice because of Abel's righteousness and Cain, out of jealousy, threw a rock at Abel, leading to the first murder in human history: the murder of Abel by Cain. As Adam grieved his son, he would preach to his other children about God and faith in Him. When Adam's death grew near, he appointed his son Seth as his successor. Islamic scholar
Sayyid Mumtaz Ali Sayyid Mumtaz Ali Deobandi (27 September 1860 – 15 June 1935) was an Indian Sunni Muslim scholar and an advocate of women rights in the late nineteenth century. He was an alumnus of Darul Uloom Deoband. His book ''Huquq-e-Niswan'' and the j ...
, while commenting on whether Adam was first or Eve, says that "the fact that Adam was created first is nothing but childish. To begin with, we are tempted to assert that this is so because it was not acceptable to God that a woman is left without a companion for even a second. Therefore, it is for her sake that he created Adam first. But as a matter of fact, the belief that Adam was created first and then came Eve is part of the Christian and Jewish faith. This is not at all part of the Islamic creed. There is no mention in the Quran about who was created first, Adam or Eve."


See also

*
Biblical and Quranic narratives The Quran, the central religious text of Islam, contains references to more than fifty people and events also found in the Bible. While the stories told in each book are generally comparable, there are also some notable differences. Knowing t ...
* Legends and the Quran *
Muhammad in Islam Muḥammad bin ʿAbd Allāh bin ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib bin Hāshim ( ar, ; 570 – 8 June 632 CE), is believed to be the seal of the messengers and prophets of God in all the main branches of Islam. Muslims believe that the Quran, the cen ...
*
Prophets of Islam Prophets in Islam ( ar, الأنبياء في الإسلام, translit=al-ʾAnbiyāʾ fī al-ʾIslām) are individuals in Islam who are believed to spread God's message on Earth and to serve as models of ideal human behaviour. Some prophets ar ...
* Stories of The Prophets


Notes


References

* * * *


External links


Islamic Concept of Adam's Creation
{{Adam to Muhammad Adam and Eve Prophets of the Quran Hebrew Bible prophets of the Quran