The creation of Adam, as told in the Qur'an:
We will discuss the creation of Adam (AS)
in three Ayahs (verses) only, (from Ayah 30 to a small part of Ayah 33 of Surat al-Baqara (second Surah in the Qur’an) since these
Ayahs form the core of our existence.
The story of Adam (AS) is mentioned
25 times in 25 Ayahs of the Qur'ِِan with the same meaning. This same story is
told with different portrayals, which indicates the miraculous nature, beauty
of style and wording, and precision of meaning in the Qur'an.
You will never become weary of these 25 times and this is the beauty of the Qur'an originating from Allah (SWT).
The first time Adam's story is
mentioned is in
You might wonder why this is the first
story in the Qur'an? It is because it holds within it
the mystery of existence until the Day of Judgment. Anything we might
need to live a pure, clean, righteous and happy life in this world and the
hereafter is there inside; so we should know Adam's story.
You will find that, in these Ayahs,
the story of Adam (AS) deals with everything that occurs in our life and
also deals with what spoils it. The story of Adam (AS) is the
archetype that should remain strong in our minds so as to determine the path we
take in this life. Let us start with Ayah 30. In this Ayah, Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as, “And
(remember) when your Lord said to the angels, ‘Verily, I am going to place
(mankind) generations after generations on earth.’” (TMQ, 2: 30)[1].
Let us start with the word ‘when.’ There is no superfluous word in the Qur'an and this word makes us visualize the event.
The word ‘said’ gives a feeling of the ancient past and the word ‘when’
makes it real as if you are watching it right now.
"Verily, I am going to place
(mankind) generations after generations on earth," (TMQ, 2:30). or what could also be translated as “I will create a
vicegerent on earth.” Do you think Allah (SWT) is consulting
His angels about whether to create Adam (AS) or not? Allah (SWT) forbid! He is going to create Adam (AS) and is only
telling His angels that they are going to play a role in these peoples’ lives,
so they should know about them. This is a splendid illustration; Allah (SWT)
never calls anyone to account without making things clear for him first.
Allah (SWT) could say, “Oh, my angels! Prostrate yourselves before Adam
(AS).” They will obey, but Allah (SWT) wanted to begin life on
earth by informing the angels about it.
Business Management Science today tells us
that in order to convince and maximize interaction with employees, we should
not start by giving orders, but rather we should meet with them and start
explaining our plan.
This Ayah deals with the period that
precedes the creation of Adam (AS). Adam (AS) was
originally created to descend down to earth not to stay in the Jannah (paradise), and he was created from
the material of the earth to live on it. That is why he was called 'Adam'
which might be derived from the Arabic verb ‘adama’
i.e. to make permanent.
You might ask yourself, “If Adam (AS) was
created to live on earth, why did he live in the Jannah
first?” Well, he had to go through life in heaven before earth, because it is
his final home. The Jannah is Adam's (AS)
homeland, and you realize that your father is originally from the Jannah. As a poet said, “Salute the Garden of
Eden, it is our homeland and in it is our campsite.” I
wonder whether there will be a day when we return home and end this exile we
live in.
Thank Allah (SWT) for starting our
existence in the Jannah. Among the first
things that our father saw were fruits, rivers, and the palaces of the Jannah. Do you understand now why he
experienced life in the Jannah at first,
before earth?
Adam (AS) was sent down to earth on
a mission but his original home that he will return to is the Jannah.
You might wonder again and say, “Why did
Satan whisper to Adam (AS) and make him eat from the tree, and therefore
disobey Allah (SWT) so that this whole story would happen? Weren’t we
descending down to earth anyway?”
I tell you, Allah (SWT) wanted to
give us an example of how Satan seduces man to commit sin, and how mankind can
repent.
When we were children we were taught
mathematical theorems like Pythagoras Theorem and we were then given
some sample exercises to apply the theory, and if we made a mistake we could
refer back to the rules. Allah (SWT) wanted to give us an already
solved exercise. Whenever we find ourselves unable to act, we just need
to look at that solved exercise: the story of Adam (AS).
Do you see how Satan deceived Adam (AS)?
In the same way he deceives us over and over again.
Look at the story of the forbidden tree.
It is just like the glass of wine, adultery, or any type of
temptation. The forbidden tree recurs thousands of times in our lives;
Satan's style, repentance, and Allah's forgiveness all recur thousands of times
in our lives.
Do you realize now why the repetition
occurs 25 times? Some tendentious and obstinate people say that the Qur'an is full of repetitions. Yes, it is; and that
is intended for those who do not understand the concept from one reading, so it
is repeated for them to understand; and for those who forget the story of their
origin, it is therefore repeated for them.
The aim of this story, with its examples
of sin, and repentance, is that when you are resurrected for account on the Day
of Judgment, you will not say, “Oh, Allah, I was never informed!” No, the
already solved example is here in front of you. Allah (SWT) will
not let us say, “Oh Allah, I was not informed, I did not know.” Each and
every one of us was given his chance and a version of this experience.
Why did Allah (SWT) create earth in
the first place?
We needed to descend to earth because, as
human beings, part of our makeup is that we do not realize the value of things
unless we strive to get them; and if we get something easily we do not place
much value on it, we then tend to give it away easily and will not be able to
appreciate the magnificent blessing we have.
We see this example in ourselves and our
relatives; your father has emigrated, struggled for 20 years in the Gulf, for
example. Then you bought a car, took a ride and crashed it. You would not
be as sad as your father would be. If you had been the one who bought it,
not him, you would have taken care of it and felt the blessing of having it.
Allah (SWT) wanted us to go down to
earth so that we may long to return to the Jannah,
realizing its value. Therefore, only believers lived on earth. Why?
Because they were the ones who longed for the Jannah;
and those who did not, would pass by the hell. They are the ones who,
with great difficulty, resist committing a sin when they could have easily done
it because they want to please Allah (SWT), whom they cannot see;
besides, they want to go to the Jannah.
I ask you by Allah (SWT), if you
worked hard in this world, fasted Mondays and Thursdays while the weather was
very hot, prayed in the mosque when it was bitter cold, obeyed Allah (SWT)
and resisted sins, where would your position be when the doors of the Jannah are being opened? You would enter running and
saying, “Is this the Jannah I worked for all
my 60 years?” Do you see how delightful this is? This is also Allah's
blessing upon us, that He created us with this nature so that we are able to
love the Jannah more.
Imagine if you obeyed Allah (SWT)
for 20 years and then met Him, what would that moment be
like?
Imagine that you are walking along a
street, you are tempted to take an unlawful glance; just say to yourself, “No,
Allah can see me; I cannot disobey Him while He sees me.” You are about
to take forbidden money; say, “I cannot, Allah (SWT) sees me and is
watching me right now.” In
Imagine the Day of Judgment when Allah (SWT)
calls out, “Oh my servants! Oh inhabitants of the Jannah!
Where are my servants who obeyed me without seeing me? Today is the day of
abundance, so ask Me for whatever you want.”
They agree on one thing only; and that is,
“Oh Allah, be satisfied with us.”
He says then, “I would never have granted
you my Jannah if I were not satisfied with
you, but ask Me for something else.” They all
agree on another thing; “Let us see Your face so we
can look upon it.” His veils then falls down-the 60 years of obedience
will seem to be a blessing and joy-and you will see Allah (SWT), so they
will see Allah. Nothing they were ever granted since their birth will be
as dear to them as the pleasure of looking at Allah's noble face. There
will be a long conversation between Allah (SWT) and each one of
them. Allah (SWT) will then say to each one, “Oh my servant, I am satisfied
with you, but are you satisfied with Me?” Surely the
deprived ones are those who did not know Allah (SWT) in this
world. The servant then feels ashamed and says, “Of course I am satisfied
with you, My Lord.” Allah (SWT) then says, “Do you remember that
certain sin which you committed?” The servant says, “Haven't you pardoned me
for it?” Allah (SWT) says, “Yes I did, and with my forgiveness for
what you did in your first life, you reached this place.”
Do you now understand why we came to this world?
We came so that we could know Allah (SWT);
obey Him without seeing Him. Because when we obey Allah (SWT)
without seeing Him and long for the Jannah without
seeing it, we reach perfection of faith and sincerity, and we are then counted
among the people of the Jannah.
You will see Allah (SWT) in the Jannah as long as you obeyed Him without seeing Him
in this world.
The Prophet (SAWS[2])
was once asked, "Who has the highest rank in the Jannah?"
He answered, "It is he who will see Allah (SWT) in the morning and
at night."[3]
Our ranks in the Jannah, as far as seeing Allah
(SWT), vary according to our obedience to Him without having seen Him in
this worldly life.
We reach now the translated phrase, "generations
after generations on earth” (TMQ, 2:30) or “a
vicegerent on earth.” The meaning of this phrase is that Allah (SWT)
created Adam (AS) and his children to be responsible for this earth, and
to live a life of obedience. Therefore, Allah (SWT) said,
[paraphrased in meaning] “Oh Adam, go down to earth, I will let you and your
children live on it generations after generations. You will be My vicegerent on earth and I will subject angels,
animals, wind, seas, mountains, and the whole universe to you. Oh Adam,
go down and manage the world in a satisfactory way.”
Allah (SWT) says what can be
translated as, "Believe in Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad), and
spend of that whereof He has made you trustees." (TMQ, 57:7)
Keep this trust and employ it in obeying Me. I
want the whole world to worship Me. You,
children of Adam, are responsible for that.
You must keep this Ayah always foremost in
your mind. "O Dawud (David)! Verily! We have
placed you as a successor on the earth; so judge you between men in truth (and
justice) (TMQ, 38:26). We call Abu-Baker (RA) a Caliph
(successor of Prophet Muhammad), because he was a
successor of the trust left by Prophet Muhammad (SAWS). When you
have children, people say, “you now have successors,” which means you have got
someone to pass on your name and property. This is on the personal level
only.
Allah (SWT) says what can be
translated as, "Truly, We did offer al-Amanah
(the trust or moral responsibility) to the heavens and the earth, and the
mountains, but they declined to bear it and were afraid of it (i.e. afraid of Allah’s Torment). But man bore it.” (TMQ,
33:72). You are a successor or a vicegerent in this world.
The most important question to ask yourself is: Why have I been created? The ancient
civilizations and philosophies had view points about the purpose of our
creation.
1. Plato said that God
created the universe then He forgot about it. That is why people are
fighting and killing one another. Allah (SWT) answers that in what
can be translated as, “…and your Lord is never forgetful…" (TMQ,
19:64).
2. Marx said, “God wanted
to be amused so he created people to watch them playing and killing one
another.” Allah (SWT) answers that in what can be translated as, “Did
you think that We had created you in play (without any
purpose), and that you would not be brought back to Us? So Exalted be Allah,
the True King.” (TMQ, 23:115-116).
3. If we ask people in the
streets why they have been created. Do you think they would know the
answer or would they only repeat things they memorized without understanding?
4. The well-known American
Lebanese poet Ilia Abu-Maddi
said in his famous poem ‘Attalasim’
“I came not
knowing from where, but I came.
And I saw a
pathway in front of me, so I walked.
And I will
remain walking, whether I want this or not.
How did I
come? I do not know.
How did I
see my pathway? I do not know.”
These words do not imply atheism, but they
are a sign of misunderstanding. ecause
of that, the story of Adam (AS) was mentioned in the first two pages in
Is it possible that Allah (SWT) has
created this beautiful universe, raised the skies, and made the sun rises in
precision for such a purpose? Allah (SWT) says what can be translated
as, “It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor does the night outstrip
the day.” (TMQ, 36: 40). In addition, Allah (SWT) sent angels
who descend from the heavens to surround us. There are two angels; one on
the right and another on the left of each one of us all the time. Allah (SWT)
sent divine books from the heavens and sent messengers. Can all that
be only for food, drink, marriage and death?
We have been created for two purposes:
Firstly, Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as, “And
I (Allah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone).” (TMQ, 51: 56). On the individual level, you
need to be obedient to Allah (SWT). You can continue to live your
life the way you wish, have fun and go out with your friends. There are
youth who are afraid of becoming religious because they think that they will be
depressed and deprived, as if they are in a jail. This is not true.
What you need to do is to have an intention for every action in your
life, and this is how you fulfill the worship in every minute of your life.
Why are you going to have
children? Just to enjoy and play with them. No, instead say: I will raise
a child who will, after ten years, be someone who prostrate and worship Allah (SWT);
someone who will memorize the Holy Qur’an and be like
Salah-Uddin (Saladin-the great Muslim leader);
someone who will be religious and will do more for Islam than what I was able
to do when I was young. With this intention, each moment you spend with
your children you will receive thawab (a
reward from Allah (SWT)). The time which the mother spends in
cooking or cleaning after her children, and the money which the father earns
for his family, all this will be counted as hassanat
(good deeds) for both of them. This is how they implement the previous
Ayah.
You can worship Allah (SWT)
in every moment in your life. Omar Ibn Abdul-Aziz (a great Muslim caliph) has never taken any step
without having an intention. Once a man asked him to accompany him to
visit someone, he said, “Wait a moment for me to review my intention.”
If you want to play soccer and
take a reward from Allah (SWT), every drop of sweat can be counted as a
good deed with this intention, “I am young and I have energy, which can be used
in a sin. My Lord, I will go to play soccer with my friends to use this
energy to prevent myself from disobeying you and to get back home tired.” With
this intention, whenever you run to catch the ball you will take reward.
The intention alone can turn all your life into worship even if you are
not in the mosque.
You work to earn money.
Try to make the intention of your work to be making Muslims excel in
their work, become successful in life and push Islam forward to be supreme.
With such an intention, you receive reward for each moment of your work.
You study because your father
told you so. Try to study with the intention of achieving success and
distinction that may do something good for Islam. With such an intention,
you receive reward every time you hold your pen.
Following this method, we can
all worship Allah (SWT) by intention and change our habits into worship.
Proper intention can change the habit to worship. Ibnul-Qayem
said, “Each breath and each drop of sweat released in this life without being
for the sake of Allah (SWT) will become a regret and remorse on the Day
of Judgment.” Allah (SWT) has created us to remember Him for 24 hours
everyday, not only during the five prayers.
Secondly, Allah (SWT) says what can be
translated as, “I will create a vicegerent on earth.” or “Verily, I
am going to place (mankind) generations after generations on earth.”
(TMQ, 2:30). This Ayah means that we are
created also to fix this universe. The first question you will be asked
on the Day of Judgment, “What did you do in life? What did you add?”
The first thing you will be asked about is
the praying. This question is related to the worship. However, you will be
asked about your belief before your worship. When asked, many youth would
say, “I do not know, I just fasted.” No, this is a wrong answer.
Instead you should say that your
existence in life was for two reasons:
1. To worship Allah (SWT) every
moment in your life and feel the enjoyment on the personal level
2. To spread goodness around you
and guide people to Allah (SWT).
The Prophet (SAWS) said in a Good Hadith, “Enjoin good and forbid evil otherwise Allah (SWT)
will punish you then you pray to Him, but He will not respond to
you.[4]”
If you asked a man, “Does your wife
pray?” Do your children pray? He may say, “It is none of my business, the
important thing is that they eat and drink.”
Be a vicegerent, but “… and argue with
them in a way that is better,” (TMQ, 16:125), and be gentle when you guide
people to Allah (SWT). Each one of us is a vicegerent in the place
where Allah (SWT) has placed him. Do not say, “Am I the one who
will fix the whole universe?” Not necessarily, but you can fix your area, your
neighbor, your sister.
Sheikh al-Sha’rawy
(the great Egyptian scholar) said, “Man has forsaken the truth of his existence
over the course of history and forgot that he is a vicegerent on earth.”
Now the population on earth is six
billion. How many of them believe in Allah (SWT)? How many are
disbelievers? How many do not believe in anything and are lost?
Every night ask yourself what are you
going to say to Allah (SWT) on the Day of Judgment? Were you a
vicegerent or not?
Ibrahim Ibn-Adham, who
was one of the great good successors, did not begin his life being obedient but
he was playing with horses. He had no aim but riding his horse and go
hunting, like many youth nowadays. He was very rich. Once, while he
was on his horse, an old man came and held the bridle of his horse and said to
him a few words that turned his life upside down. Concentrate and try to hear
them with your mind and heart. “O Ibrahim, is this
why you were created for or by this you were commanded?” Ibrahim
said, “After I heard these words, I spent the night thinking is this why I was
created for or by this was I commanded? Only then I knew my Lord and returned
to Allah (SWT). It was my day of birth when I understood the
meaning of the Ayah which can be translated as, “I will create a vicegerent
on earth.”(TMQ, 2:30).
During the reign of Caliph Abu–Bakr As-Sidiq (RA), there
was a horse race in a city in
Ibn–Taymiyah (a
successor) said, “The people of this life are pitiful, they left the life
without knowing the best thing in life. Then he was asked, “What is the
best thing in life?” He said, “Knowing Allah, fulfilling the commands of Allah
(SWT), pleasing Allah, and guiding people to His way.”
Abdul-Qader al-Kilany (a successor) said, “Whenever I guide someone to
Allah (SWT), my soul becomes satisfied and I feel that I do not need
food or drink anymore.”
Let us continue the ayah where Allah (SWT)
says what can be translated as, “They said, ‘Will You
place therein those who will make mischief therein and shed blood,-While we
glorify You we glorify You with praises and thanks and sanctify You.’" (TMQ, 2:30). The angels said that because they
were afraid that they fell short in their duties to Allah (SWT), and
that Allah (SWT) wanted to substitute or exchange them.
Is any obedient servant of Allah (SWT) afraid
of being substituted or exchanged? You should be afraid that you may get lost
after Allah (SWT) has guided you. Substitution occurs at the
moment you feel pride because of your obedience. Whenever you think the Hijab (cover for hair for women), prayers in
mosque or attending religious lecture and crying out of being emotionally
affected, these are the epic of obedience. Allah (SWT) says what
can be translated as, “And if you turn away (from Islam
and the obedience to Allah), He will exchange you for some other people and
they will not be your likes.” (TMQ, 47:38).
Abu-Bakr (RA) said, “Even if one
of my feet is in the Jannah and the other one
is out, I am firm, and obedient to You My Lord.”
How did the angels know that man is going
to make mischief and shed blood? The earth, before Adam (AS), was ruled
by Jinn who made great mischief. They shed blood, killed each other, and
created havoc. As a result, Allah (SWT) sent down angels in order
to dismiss Jinn from earth and confine them to sea islands.
Since that time, the Jinn have been dwelling in the sea
islands. This is how the angels knew before the creation what is
going to happen.
There is another beautiful remark.
Did you notice Allah's mercy when he let the angels
converse with Him? Some parents bring up their children on the assumption that
they know everything, while their children know nothing; and that children
should do what their parents order them without even thinking. You should
teach your children how to engage in discussions. We should learn from
this Ayah the word “they said.” They did not say their opinion out of
opposition. Some men, without citing reasons, order their wives not to
leave the house in a very oppressive way. There is also a known Hadith which says, “Consult them, and then do the
opposite.” This Hadith is weak. Imagine when
your wife tells you her view point regarding something then you tell her, “You
think so? I will do the opposite.” This is not a proper way; you should consult
her.
Another remark regarding the following
part of the Ayah which can be translated as, "…we glorify You with praises and thanks and sanctify You" (TMQ, 2:
30). In pertinence to this Ayah, the Prophet (SAWS) narrates
that while on al-Mi'raj (the Prophet’s
ascension to the seventh Heaven), he heard a voice in the sky coming from all
directions, saying, "Glorified be Allah the Exalted, the Most High."
After a short while he heard, "Glorified be Allah, the Incomparably Great."
They were the angels glorifying Allah (SWT). You see? Allah (SWT)
does not need us, so glorify Him. The Prophet (SAWS) says,
"He who says, ‘Glorified be Allah, and all praise is due to Him,’ a
hundred times in a day, all his sins are forgiven, even if they are as much as
sea foam.”[5]
Therefore, you should glorify Allah (SWT) as much as you can.
Allah (SWT) says what can be
translated as, "I know that which you do not know" (TMQ, 2: 30).
It is true that there will be human beings who will shed blood and kill each
other; but, on the other hand, there will be true believers; prophets;
messengers; martyrs and honest people. A young man, who remains
submissive to Allah (SWT) amidst abundant sins and turmoil, is dearer to
Allah (SWT) than an earth full of disbelievers and sinners. Allah
(SWT) created the universe for you. Think before you disobey Him;
for He knows everything, and you know nothing. You are the one meant by
this Ayah. You see how dear you are to Allah (SWT)?
In the next Ayah, Allah (SWT) says
what can be translated as "And He taught Adam all the names (of
everything)" (TMQ, 2:31). This Ayah refers to the names of
in-animate bodies, animals, plants, angels, and means of technology…etc, for
example, the sea contains fish and the fishnet should be thrown in the sea in a
certain way to catch fish. Then, you should rub two stones together to
produce fire, so that you can grill fish and eat it. This seed is called
‘wheat.’ You can plant it in the soil until the rain falls and the seed grows
to be a plant.
Adam (AS) was not just a pious man;
he was also knowledgeable in the matters of the universe. Allah (SWT)
taught him the names because He destined him to be a vicegerent on earth.
Accordingly, he should be experienced in earthly matters. How could he be
a vicegerent on earth if he was a failure?
Do you want to be a vicegerent on earth?
You might say, “I pray regularly, I am even the Imam of the mosque, but I am
not successful in my studies.” Subsequently, you are a failure. Even
more, you are a sinner; since you did not fulfill the requirements of becoming
a vicegerent. In order to undertake this responsibility, you should have
two things, religion and knowledge.
Religion without knowledge amounts to
failure. Knowledge without religion amounts to sin and disobedience.
Religion and knowledge should go together. A housewife who prays
and does her housework, but is concerned more with attending Qur'an lessons does not understand her role quite well.
Her role as a vicegerent is to succeed at home first. It was not
proper for Adam (AS) to inhabit the earth before learning. We want
a successful Muslim. Omar Ibnul-Khattab (RA)
says, "I am not cunning, but the cunning can not deceive me."
We want a successful Muslim who studies not only to pass the exam but also to
be useful to Islam. Do you see the value of education and knowledge in
Islam? In spite of the first Ayah, "And He taught Adam all the names
(of everything)" (TMQ, 2:31), 50% of our nation is illiterate, and our
youths are not cultured. Allah (SWT) says in the Qur'an what can be translated as, "Allah will exalt
in degree those of you who believe, and those who have been granted knowledge."
(TMQ, 58:11). He who fails in his studies and does not want to
succeed is a sinner. The Hadith says, "He
who follows a path in which he seeks knowledge, Allah (SWT) facilitates
for him a path to the Jannah."[6]
Allah (SWT), His angels and the inhabitants of the heavens and the
earth, even the ant in its burrow and the whale, bless those who teach people
goodness.”[7]
Do you see the value of knowledge?
In the next Ayah, Allah (SWT) says
what can be translated as, "…then He showed them to the angels and
said, 'Tell Me the names of these if you are truthful." (TMQ,
2: 31). The angels know only about religion; they have nothing to do
with worldly affairs. "They (angels) said, 'Glory be to You, we have no knowledge except what you have taught
us'" (TMQ, 2:32). Then Allah (SWT) says what can be
translated as, “He said,’ O Adam! Inform them of their names.’” (TMQ, 2:33). Hence, Adam (AS) named this
and that, he explained how this plant is irrigated this way; and how food is
obtained that way. The angels were amazed, therefore Allah (SWT)
told them what can be translated as, “Did I not tell you…” (TMQ, 2:33) (i.e. that there is a human being who is going to be a
believer and at the same time experienced in worldly affairs?)
It is as if the world was created for the
believers who master both worldly and religious affairs. You have to be
keen on making your own imprint on life: religion; knowledge; reforming people
and society. What have you added to life? Mustafa Sadeq
ar-Raf'ie says, "If you do not add something to
life, then you are redundant."
The angels rendered that their job is only
Allah’s worship. Hence, Allah (SWT) calls on Adam (AS)
(since he is a worshipper like all of you, but he has experience in worldly
affairs and he knows good and evil) and ordered the angels to prostrate before
him. Did you notice when the prostration occurred? It occurred after Adam
(AS) had mastered both religion and worldly affairs. If you, as
well, master both religion and worldly affairs, you deserve angels to prostrate
before you, for you will be similar to Adam (AS) when the angels
prostrated before him.
Allah (SWT) says what can be
translated as, "We said to the angels, ' Prostrate yourselves
before Adam.'" (TMQ, 2:34). Did all the
angels prostrate before Adam (AS)? Allah (SWT) says what can be
translated as, "So the angels prostrated themselves, all of them
together." (TMQ, 15:30). It was an
honoring ceremony for Adam (AS). Is it acceptable to prostrate
before someone other than Allah (SWT)? No, they prostrated before Allah
(SWT). Adam (AS) was only the Kiblah (prayer
direction). They did not worship Adam (AS); this prostration was only
for showing respect and submission to him. The angels are subjected to us
if we master both religion and worldly affairs. You might wonder, “Could I be
better than the angels?” Yes, and you are going to be even more
privileged to Allah (SWT) since both the earth and the heaven might not
know Allah's stature, but the believer is the best one to know His stature.
You see how much has Allah (SWT) honored humans? Why, then,
do we degrade ourselves?
The following are the forms of honoring
Adam (AS):
1. He
was created from dust and water – the cleanest and purest elements.
2. Allah
(SWT) formed him with His divine hands. "…What prevents you from
prostrating yourself to one whom I have created with Both My Hands" ( TMQ, 38:75).
3. Allah
(SWT) gave him a breath of His soul, "so, when I have fashioned
him completely and breathed into him (Adam) the soul which I created for
him…" (TMQ, 15:29).
4. All
the angels prostrated to him.
5. Satan
was kicked out of the Jannah because he
refused to prostrate to Adam (AS).
6. Allah
(SWT) subjected the angels to Adam (AS).
7. The
universe was created to be utilized by Adam (AS).
8. Allah
(SWT) taught Adam (AS) all the names.
Glorified be Allah (SWT).
Here, Allah (SWT) swears by three
things:
1. The
figs and the olives.
2.
3. The
holy city (Makkah).
Figs and olives, here, are only symbolic
to the place which is known by its figs and olives (
Let us look at these Ahadith
in order to see how much you were honored by Allah (SWT). Allah (SWT)
says in a Hadith Qudsi
(sacred Hadith), “… and My slave keeps on coming
closer to Me through performing nawafil
(praying or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him, so I
become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense of sight with
which he sees, and his hand with which he grips, and his leg with which he
walks; and if he asks Me, I will give him, and if he asks My protection
(refuge), I will protect him; (i.e. give him My refuge)….”[8]
In another Hadith,
the Prophet (SAWS) said, "If Allah loves a person, He calls
Gabriel, saying, “Allah loves so and so, O Gabriel love him,” so Gabriel would
love him and then would make an announcement in the heavens, “Allah has loved
so and-so therefore you should love him also,” so all the dwellers of the
heavens would love him, and then he is granted the pleasure of the people on
the earth." [9]
Allah (SWT) says in another Hadith Qudsi that if a person, “
… comes one span nearer to Me, I go one cubit nearer to him; and if he comes
one cubit nearer to Me, I go a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him;
and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.” [10]
Allah (SWT) loves us so much and waits for the day when we get closer to
Him, and know our aim in life. Allah (SWT) ordered the angels to
prostrate to Adam (AS) because man is precious and dear to Him. Do
not devaluate your stature by committing sins and forgetting about the purpose
of your existence in life.
A final comment:
Consider the scope of Allah’s honor.
It is a bountiful bestowing of honor, don’t you think? Compare this to
As a human soul, which do you prefer: the
monkey or Adam (AS)? Why did not all animals and monkeys evolve into
human beings? Look at Allah's words that can be translated as, "And
indeed We have honored the Children of Adam, and We
have carried them on land and sea, and have provided them with at-Tayyibat (lawful good things), and have preferred them
above many of those whom We have created with a marked preferment" (TMQ,
17:70).
[1] TMQ=Translation of the Meaning of the Qur'an.
This translation is for the realized meaning, so far, of the stated (Surah :Ayah)
of the Qur'an. Reading the translated meaning
of the Qur'an can never replace reading it in Arabic,
the language in which it was revealed.
[2] Sala-llahu
[3] Narrated by Ibn-Omar, Sunnan at-Tirmidhi, No .2677.
[4] Narrated Hudhaifa, Sunnan at-Tirmidhi, No .2259.
4 Authentic Hadith,
Narrated Abu Huraira Sahih Bukhari, No. 6042.
[6]
Authentic Hadith, narrated by Abu Huraira,
Sahih Muslim, no. 2699
6
Authentic, Strange and Good Hadith, narrated by Abu Umamah, Sunnan At-Tirmidhi, no. 2826.
[8]
Authentic Hadith narrated by
Abu Huraira, Sahih Al-Bukhari, No. 6137
[9]
Authentic Hadith narrated by Abu Huraira, Sahih Muslim, No .2637
[10]
Authentic Hadith narrated by Abu Huraira,
Sahih Muslim, No. 2675
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