Adam: First Man/Father Of Mankind—How Allah Made Him

"Indeed, the example of Jesus[his creation] to Allah is like that of Adam. He created him from dust; then He said to him, "Be", and he came into being." --- Qur'an chapter 3 verse 59

We discussed the first two previous weeks since the commencement of this special history series[Delving Deep Inside the Islamic Historic Memory Lane], all that Allah created from the beginning of creation such as; the heaven and earth, water, trees, animals, demons[jinn], Angels until he created Adam, father of mankind in the heaven and placed him in Paradise.

In a hadith narrated on the authority of Ibn Abass, who heard from a group of the suhabah(companions) of the prophet who said: “Allah the Al-mighty sent Gabriel on to the earth to collect some sand to him, the earth said: “I seek refuge from you not to reduce (anything)from me or to make me ugly, Gabriel then returned (to Allah) without collecting the sand and said to Allah: “Oh Allah she sought refuge from You and I declined to collect her sand. God then sent Michael, she also sought refuge from Him and he returned and reported the same thing Gabriel reported. Then finally Allah sent down the Angel of death Azarael, she sought refuge from Him and he said I also seek refuge from Allah to return to Him without carrying out His order. He there and then collected the sand on different plains of the earth, white, black and red. That is why the children of Adam came out with different colors. He then ascended the sand to the heaven towards the throne of Allah, and then the sand became wet and turned into clay."

Allah then created Adam with His hands[not like our hands], so that the devil will not feel superior over him. He created him as man, he was in a state of clay for forty years then the angels past by him and they became scared, the one who was most scary was Iblis, the devil[before he became devil]. He would walk pass him and would kick him, and his (Adam's) body would sound like how the earthen pot sounds (like a bell), when one hits it. It is within the same light that Allah mentioned in Qur'an chapter 55 (Arahman or most gracious) verse 14 that, “…He created man from sounding clay like unto pottery.” And the devil would ask him what purpose he was created for? And would enter into him through his (Adam's) mouth and exit through his anus and would say: “Do not be sacred of this for your Lord is firm, strong and this is hollow and empty. If he was to be given authority over me, I will kill him.”

On the authority of Abu Musah may Allah be pleased with him who said, the messenger of Allah, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him said: “Allah created Adam from a collection of sand collected from the entire earth[which was collected by the Angel of death[as mentioned above], then the entire children of Adam [with skin pigmentations similar to the various colors that constitute the soil profile of the entire earth]. Some of them came with white skin, some with black/dark skin and some with red skin and so on. Some are bad and some are good. Some happy some are sad and so on.”

A scientific study conducted as far back as 1917 revealed that; there are 93 different chemical components or elements in the soil on the entire earth, and upon further research they realized it was rather 104 elements and when they studied the human body, it became clear to them that, it has over 18 different elements or components such as; oxygen 37%, carbon 19.38%, nitrogen 14% and the rest which comprise of; iron, zinc, calcium, potassium, magnesium, etc. all constitute about 1000%. Hence this is a clear testimony of the fact Allah repeatedly mentions in the Qur'an that, mankind was created from sand or clay collected from the earth.

When it was time for him to create Adam as stated in Qur'an chapter 1 verses 30-32, “He addressed the entire Angels saying: “Behold, your Lord said to the Angels: “I will create a vicegerent on earth.” They said: “Will you place therein in one who will make mischief therein and shed blood? While we do celebrate you and glorify your holy (name)?” He said: “I know what you do not know”. And He taught Adam the names of all things; then He placed them before Angels, and said: “Tell Me the names of these if you are right.” “They said: “Glory to You: of knowledge we have none, save what You have taught us; in truth it is You who are perfect in knowledge and wisdom.”

“The names of things”: according to commentators means the inner nature and qualities of things, and things here would include feelings. The particular qualities or feelings which were outside the nature of angels were put by Allah into the nature of man. Man was thus able to love and understand love, and thus plan and initiate, as becomes the office of vicegerent. The angels acknowledged this. These things they could only know from the outside, but they had faith, or belief in the Unseen. And they knew that Allah saw all-what others see, what others do not see, what others may even wish to conceal. Man has many qualities which are latent or which he may wish to suppress or conceal, to his own detriment.

When the time was due for Allah to inject life into him (Adam), He said to the Angels, the moment I blow part of my life into him prostrate to him. When He blew life into him and the life entered through his head, he sneezed, the angels told him: say; Al-hamdulilah (Praise be to Allah), he said it and Allah responded to him saying: Rahimaka Rabuk, (May your Lord have mercy upon you). From his head, when the soul reached his eyes, (it became wide open) and he begins to look at the various (extra-ordinary and unique) fruits of Paradise, so when the soul got to his stomach, he desired to enjoy (the) food he saw, he then took a leap before the soul get to his legs, he fell in a haste to get the fruit of Paradise. That is why Allah the Al-mighty says in Qur'an chapter 21(The Prophets) verse 37, that: “…Man is a creature of haste.” …Obeying the Command of Allah: “…So the Angels prostrated themselves, all of them together...Not Iblis (the devil): He refused to be among those who prostrated themselves.” Qur'an chapter 15(The Rocky Tract) verses 30-31.

In a hadith reported by Umar bin Abdul Aziz, and narrated by Imamu Ahmed, the Prophet[PBUH] said: "What would you say, father of Hamzah? He said: "Allah had honored Adam and created him with His own hands, injected in him with His own soul, He made the angels to prostrate in front of him and made prophets and messengers among his progeny and ordered some angels to visit him."

Also in another hadith according to Ubaiyi Bin Ka'ab which was narrated by Ibn 'Asakir, that the Prophet[PBUH] said: "Allah has created Adam a tall man with a lot of hair on his head, as if he is a date three called suhuk…So when he tested the fruit of the three that his wife gave him, he was stripped off his cloth. And his nudity was exposed, and picked a leaf from a three to cover his privacy. Allah then addressed him say: "O Adam! Are you running away from me? He answered: "No, the merciful Lord! But only out of shyness [I covered myself]."

In another hadith reported by Abdallah bin Amru who said: "When Allah created Paradise, the angels said: O our Lord! make this available for us so we would eat and drink because, you have already created the world/earth for the children of Adam[mankind]. Allah said to them: I never made a progeny that I created with My hands better than those I said, "Be" and it came into being."

On the authority of Abu Hurairah may Allah be pleased with him who said, the messenger of Allah[PBUH] said: "Allah created Adam...his height was sixty feet, when he created him He commanded him saying: Go and make salam[greetings] to a group of angles, and listen to how they would respond to you. That would be your greetings and the greetings of your progeny. And he said to them: "Assalamu Alaikum Warahamatu Lahi Ta'alaa Wabarakatuhu", [Peace and Mercy of Allah the Al-Mighty be upon you]. And whoever will enter Paradise his Paradise height will be less than the height of Adam and non of his progeny would ever equate his height." This hadith was narrated by Imam Bikhari, Muslim and Ahmad bun Hambal.

How Allah Distinguished Adam[Man] From Other Creatures

Even atheists who do not believe in the intelligent design[of Allah] but rather evolution theory do confess that, the intricate nature of human organism, makes mankind towers high above all other living creatures[Kaahinatul-hayyi], as the Arabs would call it. In fact, I was flabbergasted recently when I heard, this amazing revelation by the Director of the British Museum of Natural History, when he was moderating a comprehensive new BBC documentary, "A History of the World", that: “The human brain carries on evolving over thousands of years, and what is really interesting is that our brain starts to become asymmetrical as it gets to groups with a whole range of different functions; logic, language, the co-coordinated movement needed for tool making, imagination and creative thought. Quite unlikely, Ape brain, which remains smaller and symmetrical…So what we looking at is the moment we human became distinctly smarter and with an instinct not justice how to make things, but to imagine how to make things better.''

Where are the Darwinists, and the scientists, who believe natural selection or chance, tell me if mankind evolved from the apes, and on what scientific ground could humankind be smarter than the apes? We know that anything that has a source, the source becomes more enriched than it.

Sheikh Muhammad Mutawwali Sha'arawi, the late celebrated Egyptian scholar when comparing and contrasting the difference between man and animal, stated that: “Man can learn and teach another, what he learns, however an animal can learn but cannot teach another.” In another series of a BBC program, one resource personnel said, “Scientists looked at what happens inside the brain when a stone tool is being made. They used a modern hospital scanner to see which beat of the brain are used when a man is working with stone. And surprisingly, the areas of the modern brain activated when you are making a hand axe over that considerably with those you use when you speak.”

Nicholas Wade pointed out in his article in the March 16th, 2011 edition of Science Times(a section of New York Times) that: “…Natural selection was able to drive up the volume of the human brain until it eventually reached three times(more powerful than) that of chimp…the whiteness of(human) eyes, which are three times larger than those of any other primate presumably to help others follow the direction of gaze. Indeed, chimps infer the direction of gaze by looking at another's head, but infants do so by watching the eyes.” Allah declared this superiority of human creation in the Qur'an chapter 17 verse 70 over 1400 centuries, that, “We(Allah) have honored the sons of Adam; provided them with transport on land and sea; given them for sustenance things good and pure; and conferred on them special favors, above a great part of Our(Allah)Creation.” And in another verse He says that, “…We have indeed created man in the best of moulds…”

On the authority of Umar the son of Khatab said, I heard someone asked the prophet about this verse: “When your Lord drew forth the Children of Adam – From their lions-Their descendants, and made them testify concerning themselves…Am I not your Lord (Who cherishes and sustains you)?”- They said: “Yea! We do testify!” (This), lest you should say on the Day of Judgment: “Of this we were never mindful.” After the Prophet recited these verses, Umar said, I heard the Prophet(May the Peace and Blessings of Allah Be Upon Him) said: “Allah Al-mighty created Adam, then he wiped or rub on the right side of his lion(back), a whole progeny or a future generations/offspring appeared. He said: “I created these people for the sake of Paradise and they will enter it by the work of the people of Paradise that they will do.” He then again wiped the left side of Adam's back, there emerged a different group of offspring, and He said: “I created this group for Hell Fire and they will enter it by doing the work of the people of Hell Fire”. A man then asked the Prophet: “O messenger of Allah! then what is the purpose of work? The Prophet answered him saying: “If Allah created someone to go to Paradise, He would lead him to do the work of the people of Paradise and He will lead him into it. And if He created someone for the sake of Hell, He would let him do the work of the people of Hell Fire until he dies doing the work of the people of Hell and He will throw him in it.”

As if a great social thinker John Tillson ever read this hadith when he said, “The future is history to God[Allah], for He is omniscient, He who provides for this life and takes care of eternity.” And a Catholic scientist, Spalanzani was quoted [on BBC program, "Discovery" in the first week of May, 2010, entitled: “Moments of (scientific) Genius”] as stating that, “God[Allah] at the creation (inception), had placed all the future eggs inside the first human (Adam).” I wonder and doubt it at the same time, if Spalanzani read this hadith before, which he kind of paraphrased in this wisdom.

There three different incidents that happened concerning Adam. The first one was what happened when Adam was in heaven, the second was when he was in paradise and the third happened when Adam was 'deported' on to the earth.

The first incident was upon his creation blowing soul into him, Allah taught him names of all things that he had already created[as mentioned above], such as; horses, camels, demons, and all beasts as well as names of the angels. And it was then that Allah commended the angels to prostrate to him. And according to Umar bin Abdul Aziz: "When Allah commanded the Angels to prostrate to Adam, the first to obey the command was Angel Israfeel, and Allah rewarded him by inscribing the Qur'an on his foreword."

But what happened while he was in paradise was when the Angels prostrated to him and Allah kicked out Iblis or Satan from paradise. He[Allah] therefore made lawful all the threes in paradise to Adam, except only one three.

So while Adam was living large in luxurious Paradise, he fell asleep one night and when he woke up, he suddenly found a woman seating right by his head. Allah created her from his ribs when he was asleep. So upon seeing her, he asked her: Who are you and she said: A woman, he asked again: And why were you created? She said: For you to live with me. The angels were looking at him at this very moment and they asked him in order to test his level of knowledge: What is her name? Adam said: Hawah or Eve! And they asked him further: Why was she named Hawah? He answered them saying: Because she was created from a living thing [him]! Then Allah said at that moment: O Adam! Live with your wife in Paradise.

As stated in Qur'an chapter 2 verse 35 that:“We said to Adam: “O Adam! you and your wife dwell in the Garden; and eat of the bountiful things therein as (where and when) you will, but do not approach this tree, or you run into harm and transgression.” But that was the first evil machination the devil/iblis/satan inflicted upon them, when he metamorphosed into a serpent and came to Adam and never succeeded. However, he was able to influence them through Adam's wife, Eve to eat from the tree, with the view that Allah does not want them to eat from the tree because, they would become a King and a Queen or they will remain permanently in Paradise. After the devil influenced them to eat the forbidden fruit, Allah sent them on to the earth[after living in Paradise for half a day of the eternal time period, equivalent to fifty thousand years in our reckoning on earth], and they found themselves separated from each other. Adam found himself somewhere in the Himalayan Mountain ranges call "nawd" in India[this was confirmed by Ibn Abbass and Aliyu Bin Abi Talib], and Eve also found herself somewhere in mountainous plains in Jeddah/Mecca. While Iblis or Satan found himself in Meesan or Ubulah waters in Basrah, in Iraq.

Historians further said, they walked for so many days and months in opposite direction. While Adam was walking toward Arafah from Jeddah in Makkah[where he was descended], being directed by Allah to go and seek for His forgiveness and initiate Hajj rituals[Muslim Pilgrimage, which later became part and parcel of the five basic pillars of Islam] at Ka'abah or the black cube, which was the first building Allah himself ever created on earth[and has scientifically been proven to be the center of the earth], Hawah was also walking from India towards Makkah in opposite direction and they finally met on the mountain range of Arafah, which historians said, it means: "Heena Arafa Adama Hawaha", that is, "Where Adam discovered and located his wife Hawah since they were separated, having been 'deported' from Paradise on to the earth.

Husseini Yushau BabalWaiz, is the Research & Outreach Coordinator at the Center for Media & Peace Initiatives Inc. New York, Author of three books, including "Islam Promotes Tolerance & Prohibits Terrorism-Reviving the Islamic Advocacy of Mercy and Magnanimity to Mankind" & Tutor in Arabic & Islamic Studies in New York, [email protected]

NB: Folks, this is the third in the new series entitled: "Delving Deep Inside the Islamic Historic Memory Lane", which will be running for months or even years, aimed at showcasing the amazing historical phenomena that happened in the pre and post Islamic world. Next week, our discourse will dwell on how they found life on earth and the conception of Hawah, her delivery of twins, and how they were paired to marry and multiple and produced future progeny like us. Inform your colleagues, families and friends to follow me on facebook [husseini baba alwaiz] and twitter[@babalwaiz], weekly.

References:
Al-Bidayah Wal-Nihayah [The Beginning & The End],by Abil Fadah, Imam Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Al-Muntazim-Fii Tareekh Umam Wal-Mulook, [A book on the History of[medieval] Societies & Kingdoms] by, Abil Faraj, Abdul Rahman Bun Aliyi Bun Muhammad Ibnil Jawzi

Al-Qisas Fil Qur'an,[Stories from the Qur'an] by, Dr.Mustapha Murad

Mu'jizatul Qur'an,[Miracle of the Qur'an] by, Sheikh Muhammad Mutawwli Sha'arawii

Anta Tas'al Wal-Islamu Yujeeb[You are Asking & Islam Is Answering] by Sheikh Muhammad Mutawwli Sha'arawii