CREATION OF ADAM
By Prof Dr Mohammad Munir Hasan
(Article placed on Website on 17 April 2008)
The discussion on the creation of Adam is multifarious. It includes the topics such as:
These are discussed in the light of various verses of the Holy Qur’an.
How long ago the Adam was Created and Placed on Earth?
There appears to be no clue given in Qur’an as to when the Adam was created or placed on earth. A number of researchers have given their estimated time frame which ranges from about 8,000 to 10,000 years from now. Some have proposed that our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was a descendent of Adam in about 120 or so generations. Taking an average of 50 years for one generation, this period comes to 6,000 years. About 1,500 years have passed since then, which when added to 6,000 years gives a figure which is even less than the other estimates. If these estimates are considered to be true, then we can say that Adam was placed on earth not more than 10,000 years ago from now.
Is Adam the First Human Creation Placed on Earth, or He Has Been Placed on Earth in a Long Sequence of Earlier Such or Similar Placements?
Some anthropologists have claimed that they have found the human bones from the remains which are hundreds of thousands years old. If the Adam was placed on earth not more than 10,000 years ago, then the findings of the scientists (anthropologists) do not match with other estimates. So, it is the duty of the Muslim anthropologists to start research to confirm or refute the claims of the non-Muslim scientists whether a man existed or not long before 10,000 years ago. This has a very important bearing because if no human remains are found older than 10,000 years, then we can say that Adam was the first man ever on earth. If it is confirmed that much older, millions of years old or so, human remains are found, then we can safely say that Adam mentioned in Qur’an was not the first human on earth, but he was the latest creation in a long sequence of such or similar creations continuing for millions of years on earth.
The above-mentioned second concept is worth considering as some clues to this effect are found in Qur’an. For example, when Allah said to the angels that He intended to place a vicegerent on Earth, then the angels showed their serious concern and asked Allah if He wanted to place there the one who would spread corruption on Earth and shed blood (Verse 2:30). The angels said it because they earlier must have seen corruption and blood-shedding of human beings on earth.
Now the question is that if the angels had seen the corruption and blood-shedding on Earth earlier, what type of creation was it? Whether the human or human-like creature existed earlier or not? The answer lies in the anthropological research to be carried out to determine it. The scientists should search and analyze, sincerely and honestly, the older human remains, especially the human bones, to determine their age. The anthropologist, especially the Muslim anthropologists, should divert their attention to this research.
At What Place Adam Was Created?
This point is specifically mentioned in a number of verses that Adam was created in Jannat. He and his spouse was asked to live there (e.g. Verse 2:35) and later he was ordered to leave Jannat (e.g. Verse 2:36). In this reference the two words worth considering regarding Adam are: “expelled” (Arabic word a derivative of Ikhrij) from the Jannat, and to “go down” (Arabic word a derivative of Ihbit) (e.g. Verse 2:36).
An important point to note here is that everywhere in the Qur’an when the concept of “coming down” has been described, the words derivatives of Arabic word “Nazala” have been used (e.g. Anzala, nazzala), such as for coming down of Qur’an, or Angels, etc. The derivatives of the same word (Nazala) have also been used at large number of places for pouring of rain, which gives some understanding or the meaning of this word how the things come down. However, nowhere this word or any derivative of it has been used for coming down of Adam, which means that mode of coming down of Adam was different from coming down of rain.
There are two other points worth considering. One, that when initially Allah intended to place vicegerent “on Earth” then was Adam created “on Earth” or outside Earth in the Heavens? Two, that if he was created outside Earth, then what was the mode of “coming down”? While coming down, a man and a woman made of flesh and bones had to pass all spheres around the Earth including ozone sphere and ionosphere, etc., and under the influence of gravity of Earth attain a high speed and face the wind pressure. This appears to be quite illogical and so, there has to be a different mode of coming down, as has been suggested in the last paragraph.
The Arabic word “Jannat” means a “Beautiful Garden”. Therefore it is quite logical to consider that Adam was created on Earth in a beautiful garden. The words “expelled” and “go down” mentioned in Qur’an suggest that Adam was created on some mountain at some height, and later he was expelled from that area and was asked to come down of the mountain. This concept that Adam was created on Earth, is substantiated by some other verses of Qur’an, to be described below.
With What Material Adam Was Created?
The usual translations of different verses show that Adam was created from “Clay”, or some form of clay. However, it is important to note that Allah has used three different Arabic words for this. These are: Salsaal (e.g. Verses: 15:26, 15:28, 15:33, 55:14), Teen (e.g. Verses: 6:2, 7:12, 17:61, 23:12, 32:7, 37:11, 38:71) and Turaab (e.g. Verses: 3:59, 22:5). What is the difference in the meaning of these words is a matter of serious deliberation.
The meaning of the word “Teen” is better understood from two other verses. In Verse 3:49 the Prophet Jesus mentions one of his miracles, as under:
I have brought you signs of my appointment from your Lord. I will make for you the likeness of a bird from clay (Arabic word: Teen); I will breathe into it and, with Allah's leave, it will become a living bird.
In verse 5:110 Allah mentions the same miracle of the Jesus in His own words as:
How you were able to make the figure of a bird out of a clay (Arabic word: Teen), by My permission, how you breathed into it and changed it into a real bird, by My permission.
In this miracle, the use of the word “Teen” shows that “Teen” means the clay taken from this Earth. The interesting point to note here is that in some other verses, as mentioned above, the same word “Teen” has been used in relation to the creation of Adam who was created in “Jannat”, which means that Adam was also created from “Teen”, the earthly clay. For example, in Verse 7:12 Allah Asked Shaitan
"What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you?" He (Shaitan) replied: "I am better than he; you created me from fire and him from clay (Arabic word: Teen)."
The same word is used not only for Adam, but also collectively for the whole mankind, such as in verse 6:2 Allah says:
He (Allah) is the One Who has created you (“you” in plural form, meaning all of you) from clay (Arabic word: Teen),
In Verse 23:12 Allah says:
Indeed We have created man (Arabic word: Insaan, meaning not only Adam but the whole mankind) from an essence of clay (Arabic word: Teen),
And in Verse 37:11 Allah mentions:
“Ask them: "What is more difficult - their creation or the rest of Our creation? - Them We have created out of a sticky clay (Arabic words: Teen-il-lazib).
These verses clearly show that not only one man, Adam, was made of clay (Teen), but the whole mankind is made of “Teen”.
The meanings of other words “Salsaal” and “Turaab” are also worth considering. While the word “Turaab” has been used in relation to the creation of Adam (Verse 3:59), it has also been used for the whole mankind (Al-Naas, Verse 22:5). The word “Salsaal” has been used in collective form only with words “Insaan” (Verses 15:26, 55:14) and with the word “Bashar” (Verses 15:28, 15:33).
The Creation of the Whole Mankind.
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The general concept in understanding Adam is that he was the first man who was created in the Heaven and then later placed on Earth. And it is only after placing the Adam on Earth that his descendents (Children of Adam) were created. This concept is not supported in a number of verses of Qur’an. For example, in verse 7:11 of the holy Qur’an Allah says:
Indeed We created you (Arabic word “Kum” in plural form), then We fashioned you (Arabic word “Kum” in plural form), then We asked the angels: "Prostrate yourselves before Adam." They all prostrated accordingly except Iblees (Shaitan) who did not join those who prostrated.
The use of plural form of proverb “kum” here at two places clearly shows that before asking the angels to prostrate before Adam, Allah had already created the whole mankind. This creation cannot be applied to the spirits only because Allah “fashioned” or “had given shape” to all mankind. This interpretation is substantiated by another verse of the holy Qur’an where Allah called upon the whole mankind to bear witness about themselves “Am I not your Rabb (Lord or Sustainer)” to which “all” of them replied in affirmative. The translation of Verse 7:172 is:
O Prophet, remind mankind about incident when your Rabb brought into existence the offspring from the loins of Adam and his descendants (virtually each single individual of mankind) and made them testify about themselves. Allah asked them: "Am I not your Rabb?" They all replied: "Yes! We bear witness that You are." This We did, lest you mankind should say on the Day of Resurrection: "We were not aware of this fact”
These verses clearly show that soon after the creation of Adam, the whole mankind was created first (even fashioned or given shape) before Allah asked the angels to prostrate before Adam (only). However, when we see that the descendants of Adam were and are being born one by one, generations by generations, then, the original creation of the whole mankind, mentioned by Allah in these verses, give an invitation that the earlier creation (of both life and shape of the whole mankind) must be in some form which should be investigated by the Muslim scientists.
One possibility is that this creation may be in the form of some sort of genetic information. The nucleus of almost every cell in our body contains all of the information needed to make our body and keep it working. In most cells, genetic information is organized into structures called chromosomes. Each chromosome contains hundreds, sometimes thousands, of smaller packages of information called genes which contain all the information of life. For example, the genes that are inside our body can tell our cells to make blue eyes or brown eyes, curly hair or straight hair or no hair, etc. Thus, the information contained in these genes may be considered as “fashioning” by Allah (Verse 7:11) before a person is actually physically born. However, when Allah made them testify about themselves (Verse 7:172) that means that it was not simply genetic information, but also it had life and understanding. What type of life it was is a topic of research for the scientists.
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A list of the Qur’anic verses mentioning the events which will take place on the Last Day of the world have been compiled in a separate article on this website. Out of these signs the verses 75.8 and 75.9 are considered here which give a clue that the end of the world will take place on the day of solar eclipse. These two verses are:
Verse 75:8 And the Moon will be darkened;
Verse 75:9 And the Sun and the Moon will be brought together.
As we know, the Moon is a satellite of the Earth and the Earth is a satellite of the Sun. So, if the Sun and Moon are to be brought together physically, this is only possible when the Earth with its satellite, the Moon, merges with the Sun. However, in this interpretation the darkening of the Moon cannot be explained. Therefore, another interpretation of the Verse 75:9 may be explained as under.
At the time of solar eclipse the Moon comes in front of the Sun such that at the time of complete solar eclipse the Sun is completely covered by the Moon. This situation as visible from the Earth can be stated as the Sun and the Moon have been brought together. At this moment the bright part of the Moon completely faces the Sun and the dark part faces the Earth. So, any person looking at the Moon from the Earth will see the Moon as darkened. So, in this interpretation both the conditions mentioned in the above two verses are satisfied.
One thing here needs further explanation. At the time of solar eclipse, the full eclipse can be seen from a part of the Earth only, and not from all parts of the Earth at the same time. However, even if it is not a complete solar eclipse but a part eclipse, the two conditioned are still satisfied. That is, the Sun and the Moon will appear to be brought together, and the Moon will be darkened.
It may therefore be said that the day of the “end of the world” will commence at the time of solar eclipse.
(This is our interpretation of the verses; nevertheless, Allah knows best).