This alongside all the other articles on the stories of the prophets has been taken from Ṣaḥīḥ Qiṣaṣ al Anbiyāʾ (Authentic Stories of the Prophets) by Salim ibn ʿId al Hilali who revised Ibn Kathir’s (Qiṣas al Anbiyāʾ) Stories of the Prophets by removing weak, fabricated, repeated reports and unreliable Isra’ili reports, he only kept the Quran verses, sound hadiths and reports from the Salaf.
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The chapter on what has come in the Noble Quran about the creation of Adam عليه السلام
The noble angels asking about the wisdom behind the creation of Adam عليه السلام
The envy of Iblis towards Adam عليه السلام
Iblis was in the heaven
Hawwa عليها السلام and the story of her creation
The tree from which Adam and his wife were forbidden
The true nature of the Garden in which Adam and Hawwa were
The whispering of Iblis to Adam and Hawwa عليهما السلام
The clothing of Adam and Hawwa عليهما السلام
The regret of Adam and Hawwa عليهما السلام and their seeking forgiveness
The expulsion of Adam and Hawwa عليهما السلام from the Garden
The repentance of Adam عليه السلام
The Argument of Adam and Musa
The people have taken different paths in relation to this hadith.
The Narrations Concerning the Creation of Adam
The Question of the Covenant and the Taking of Testimony for Tawhid
Iblis’ Regret at the Repentance of Adam
The Length of Adam’s Stay in the Garden
The Story of the Two Sons of Adam, Qabil and Habil
The Rejected Story about Adam and Hawwa Falling into Shirk
The Death Of Prophet Adam & His Will To Seth
Summary
The chapter on what has come in the Noble Quran about the creation of Adam عليه السلام
Allah created Adam as a khalifah on earth, honoured him, and mentioned his story in many Qur’an verses. He created him from clay, breathed into him from His Spirit, taught him the names, ordered the angels to prostrate, placed him and Hawwa in the Garden, then sent them to earth after they ate from the forbidden tree and accepted their repentance.
The noble angels asking about the wisdom behind the creation of Adam عليه السلام
When Allah told the angels He would place a khalifah on earth, they asked about the wisdom, mentioning corruption and bloodshed. Allah informed them He knew what they did not know, showed Adam’s virtue by teaching him the names of all things, and commanded the angels to prostrate to him, which they did except Iblis.
The envy of Iblis towards Adam عليه السلام
Iblis refused to prostrate, claiming fire is better than clay, so he disobeyed and became arrogant. His false analogy opposed a clear command, and he ignored Adam’s special honours, so Allah cursed him, expelled him, and promised him the Fire.
Iblis was in the heaven
Iblis was living in heaven among the angels and had a high status due to his worship before he fell. The correct view is that he was from the jinn, not from the angels, but included in the command because he was in their company and imitated them in worship.
Hawwa عليها السلام and the story of her creation
Hawwa was created from Adam, from his rib, before their entry into the Garden. Allah mentions that He created all people from a single soul and made from it its spouse, and the Prophet ﷺ explained that women were created from a rib and should be treated with kindness.
The tree from which Adam and his wife were forbidden
The scholars differed about the exact type of tree, but Allah did not name it. The benefit lies in the test, the command and the result of eating from it, not in knowing its specific kind.
The true nature of the Garden in which Adam and Hawwa were
The stronger view is that their Garden was the same high Garden of refuge promised to the believers. The wording of the verses and the hadith of Musa speaking to Adam about expelling people from the Garden support this.
The whispering of Iblis to Adam and Hawwa عليهما السلام
Iblis whispered to them and beautified the sin, promising lasting life and a kingdom that would not fade if they ate from the tree. When they ate, their private parts became apparent, they covered themselves with leaves, and they were sent down to earth, after which Adam and Hawwa repented.
The clothing of Adam and Hawwa عليهما السلام
The Qur’an shows that Adam and Hawwa had clothing which Shaytan stripped from them by causing them to sin. Reports that they were already naked and that only a serpent is involved are corrupt and come from altered scriptures, not from sound narrations.
The regret of Adam and Hawwa عليهما السلام and their seeking forgiveness
They confessed, saying, “Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy on us we will surely be among the losers.” This sincere admission, humility, and turning back to Allah is the path that brings a good end for the children of Adam.
The expulsion of Adam and Hawwa عليهما السلام from the Garden
Allah sent down Adam, Hawwa, and Iblis to earth, made them enemies, and gave them a temporary dwelling and enjoyment there. The repeated mention of descent in the Qur’an stresses both their enmity and that guidance will come, and that happiness or misery depends on following or rejecting that guidance.
The repentance of Adam عليه السلام
Allah taught Adam words by which he repented, accepted his repentance, chose him, and guided him. Reports show Adam asking about returning to the Garden after repentance, and Allah granting that, which shows the greatness of repentance and Allah’s mercy.
The Argument of Adam and Musa عليهما السلام
Musa blamed Adam for bringing people out of the Garden, and Adam answered by mentioning that this was written before his creation. Adam defeated Musa in argument regarding the decree related to the calamity, not regarding the sin, since he had already repented from the sin.
The people have taken different paths in relation to this hadith and why Adam’s use of decree was permitted
Some denied the hadith and others misused it to support compulsion. The correct way is that decree is accepted in calamities and cannot be used as an excuse for sin, and Adam only argued with Musa about the expulsion and the trial on earth, which are pure decree of Allah, not about his act of disobedience.
The Narrations Concerning the Creation of Adam
There are authentic narrations that Allah created Adam from a handful of the earth, breathed into him, taught him the greeting, showed him his offspring, and created him sixty cubits tall. Some narrations show that some descendants were created for the Garden and some for the Fire, and that each is made easy to do the deeds of the place he is heading to.
The Question of the Covenant and the Taking of Testimony for Tawhid
There are reports that Allah brought forth the descendants of Adam and made them testify to His Lordship, which is linked to the verse in Surat al Araf. Even with discussion about details, this shows that proof of tawhid is firmly set on mankind, whether through a primordial covenant or through fitrah and clear signs.
Iblis’ regret at the repentance of Adam
Every time a child of Adam prostrates at a verse of prostration, the devil withdraws, weeps, and remembers his own refusal to prostrate. This shows his lasting regret and humiliation, and the honour of Adam’s descendants when they obey.
The length of Adam’s stay in the Garden
The length of Adam’s stay in the Garden and whether children were born there are matters with no sound report. Stories about births in the Garden and detailed marriage arrangements are not firmly established, so the author leaves them.
The Story of the Two Sons of Adam, Qabil and Habil
Two sons of Adam offered sacrifices, one was accepted and the other rejected, so the jealous brother killed the other. The righteous brother feared Allah, refused to fight back, and warned his brother of bearing his own sin plus the sin of murder; this links to the teaching that unjust killing and cutting ties bring quick punishment and heavy sin.
The rejected story about Adam and Hawwa falling into shirk
The verse in Surat al Araf about making partners for Allah after receiving a righteous child concerns later people, not Adam and Hawwa. The reports that they named a child Abd al Harith by obeying Iblis are weak and false; Adam was a prophet honoured by Allah, and it is not correct to claim he fell into shirk.
Death of Prophet Adam ﷺ
Adam ﷺ passed away on a Friday. When his death came, the angels descended with a shroud, burial perfume, and burial tools from the Garden.
They washed him, shrouded him, prayed over him, buried him, and taught his children the rites of burial, saying, “O children of Adam, this is your way.” Adam ﷺ entrusted matters to his son Seth ﷺ, whose name means Gift of Allah, given after the killing of Abel. Eve died after Adam ﷺ.
The report describing this event is authentic, and although some versions are stopped and others raised, its ruling is that of a raised report because such matters cannot be based on personal opinion.
The scholars differed about the exact place of Adam’s burial. They also differed about the length of his life.
Authentic narrations show his lifespan was written as one thousand years. This does not conflict with what is mentioned in the Tawrah about 930 years, since that figure can refer to his time on earth after the descent, while the remaining years account for his stay in the Garden before it.
Full Article
The chapter on what has come in the Noble Quran about the creation of Adam عليه السلام
Allah the Exalted said
وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةٌ قَالُوا أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ قَالَ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ وَعَلَّمَ آدَمَ الْأَسْمَاءَ كُلَّهَا ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمْ عَلَى الْمَلَائِكَةِ فَقَالَ أَنبِئُونِي بِأَسْمَاءِ هَؤُلَاءِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ قَالُوا سُبْحَانَكَ لَا عِلْمَ لَنَا إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ قَالَ يَا آدَمُ أَنبِئْهُم بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ فَلَمَّا أَنبَأَهُمْ بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ غَيْبَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَأَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُونَ وَمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْتُمُونَ وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ أَبَى وَاسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ وَقُلْنَا يَا آدَمُ اسْكُنْ أَنتَ وَزَوْجُكَ الْجَنَّةَ وَكُلَا مِنْهَا رَغَدًا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمَا وَلَا تَقْرَبَا هَذِهِ الشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُونَا مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ فَأَزَلَّهُمَا الشَّيْطَانُ عَنْهَا فَأَخْرَجَهُمَا مِمَّا كَانَا فِيهِ وَقُلْنَا اهْبِطُوا بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ وَلَكُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ مُسْتَقَرٌّ وَمَتَاعٌ إِلَى حِينٍ فَتَلَقَّى آدَمُ مِن رَّبِّهِ كَلِمَاتٍ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ قُلْنَا اهْبِطُوا مِنْهَا جَمِيعًا فَإِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُم مِّنِّي هُدًى فَمَن تَبِعَ هُدَايَ فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَكَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا أُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ
“And when your Lord said to the angels, I am placing a khalifah on earth. They said, Will You place in it one who will spread corruption in it and shed blood, while we glorify You with praise and declare Your perfection. He said, I surely know what you do not know.
And He taught Adam the names, all of them, then He presented them to the angels and said, Tell Me the names of these if you are truthful. They said, Glory be to You, we have no knowledge except what You have taught us, indeed You are the All Knowing, the All Wise.
He said, O Adam, tell them their names. So when he had told them their names, He said, Did I not tell you that I surely know the unseen of the heavens and the earth, and I know what you make apparent and what you used to conceal. And when We said to the angels, Prostrate to Adam, they prostrated except Iblis, he refused and was arrogant, and he was one of the disbelievers.
And We said, O Adam, live you and your wife in the Garden, and eat from it freely as you wish, but do not come near this tree or you will be among the wrongdoers.
Then Shaytan caused them to slip from it, and brought them out from what they had been in, and We said, Go down, you are enemies to one another, and on earth you will have a dwelling place and enjoyment for a time.
Then Adam received words from his Lord, and He turned to him in mercy, indeed He is the One who often accepts repentance, the Most Merciful. We said, Go down from it all together, then when guidance comes to you from Me, whoever follows My guidance, there will be no fear upon them nor will they grieve. And those who disbelieve and deny Our signs, they are the people of the Fire, they will remain in it forever.” (al Baqarah 30–39)
Allah the Exalted said
إِنَّ مَثَلَ عِيسَى عِندَ اللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ آدَمَ خَلَقَهُ مِن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ
“The likeness of Isa with Allah is as the likeness of Adam, He created him from dust, then said to him, Be, and he is.”
(Aal Imran 59)
And He the Exalted said
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاءً وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي تَسَاءَلُونَ بِهِ وَالْأَرْحَامَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا
“O people, be mindful of your Lord, the One who created you from a single soul, and created from it its spouse, and spread from them many men and women, and be mindful of Allah by whom you ask one another and by the wombs, indeed Allah is ever watching over you.”
(an Nisa: 1)
And He the Exalted said
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَى وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ
“O people, We created you from a male and a female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you may know one another. The most honoured of you with Allah is the one most mindful of Him. Indeed Allah is All Knowing, All Aware.”
(al Hujurat: 13)
And He the Exalted said
هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَجَعَلَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا لِيَسْكُنَ إِلَيْهَا
“He is the One who created you from a single soul, and made from it its spouse so that he may find peace with her.”
(al Araf: 189)
And He the Exalted said
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَاكُمْ ثُمَّ صَوَّرْنَاكُمْ ثُمَّ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ لَمْ يَكُن مِّنَ السَّاجِدِينَ قَالَ مَا مَنَعَكَ أَلَّا تَسْجُدَ إِذْ أَمَرْتُكَ قَالَ أَنَا خَيْرٌ مِّنْهُ خَلَقْتَنِي مِن نَّارٍ وَخَلَقْتَهُ مِن طِينٍ قَالَ فَاهْبِطْ مِنْهَا فَمَا يَكُونُ لَكَ أَن تَتَكَبَّرَ فِيهَا فَاخْرُجْ إِنَّكَ مِنَ الصَّاغِرِينَ قَالَ أَنظِرْنِي إِلَى يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ قَالَ إِنَّكَ مِنَ الْمُنظَرِينَ قَالَ فَبِمَا أَغْوَيْتَنِي لَأَقْعُدَنَّ لَهُمْ صِرَاطَكَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ ثُمَّ لَآتِيَنَّهُم مِّن بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ وَعَنْ أَيْمَانِهِمْ وَعَن شَمَائِلِهِمْ وَلَا تَجِدُ أَكْثَرَهُمْ شَاكِرِينَ قَالَ اخْرُجْ مِنْهَا مَذْءُومًا مَّدْحُورًا لَمَن تَبِعَكَ مِنْهُمْ لَأَمْلأَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ وَيَا آدَمُ اسْكُنْ أَنتَ وَزَوْجُكَ الْجَنَّةَ فَكُلَا مِنْ حَيْثُ شِئْتُمَا وَلَا تَقْرَبَا هَذِهِ الشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُونَا مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ فَوَسْوَسَ لَهُمَا الشَّيْطَانُ لِيُبْدِيَ لَهُمَا مَا وُرِيَ عَنْهُمَا مِن سَوْآتِهِمَا وَقَالَ مَا نَهَاكُمَا رَبُّكُمَا عَنْ هَذِهِ الشَّجَرَةِ إِلَّا أَن تَكُونَا مَلَكَيْنِ أَوْ تَكُونَا مِنَ الْخَالِدِينَ وَقَاسَمَهُمَا إِنِّي لَكُمَا لَمِنَ النَّاصِحِينَ فَدَلَّاهُمَا بِغُرُورٍ فَلَمَّا ذَاقَا الشَّجَرَةَ بَدَتْ لَهُمَا سَوْآتُهُمَا وَطَفِقَا يَخْصِفَانِ عَلَيْهِمَا مِن وَرَقِ الْجَنَّةِ وَنَادَاهُمَا رَبُّهُمَا أَلَمْ أَنْهَكُمَا عَن تِلْكُمَا الشَّجَرَةِ وَأَقُل لَّكُمَا إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لَكُمَا عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ قَالَا رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَا أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ قَالَ اهْبِطُوا بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ وَلَكُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ مُسْتَقَرٌّ وَمَتَاعٌ إِلَى حِينٍ قَالَ فِيهَا تَحْيَوْنَ وَفِيهَا تَمُوتُونَ وَمِنْهَا تُخْرَجُونَ
“We certainly created you, then We fashioned you, then We said to the angels, Prostrate to Adam, so they prostrated except Iblis, he was not among those who prostrated. He said, What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you.
He said, I am better than him, You created me from fire and You created him from clay. He said, Then go down from it, it is not for you to be arrogant in it, so leave, you are indeed one of the lowly. He said, Give me respite until the day when they are raised. He said, You are of those given respite.
He said, Because You have misled me, I will surely sit in wait for them on Your straight path. Then I will come to them from before them and from behind them and from their right and from their left, and You will not find most of them thankful.
He said, Leave it, blamed and expelled, whoever follows you among them I will surely fill Hell with you all together. And O Adam, live you and your wife in the Garden and eat from wherever you wish, but do not come near this tree or you will be among the wrongdoers.
Then Shaytan whispered to them so as to make apparent to them what had been hidden from them of their private parts, and he said, Your Lord has only forbidden you from this tree so that you do not become angels or become of the everlasting.
And he swore to them, I am surely a sincere adviser to you. So he led them down by deception, and when they tasted the tree their private parts became apparent to them, and they began to fasten over themselves leaves from the Garden, and their Lord called to them, Did I not forbid you from that tree and say to you that Shaytan is a clear enemy to you.
They said, Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy on us we will surely be among the losers.
He said, Go down, you are enemies to one another, and for you on earth is a dwelling place and enjoyment for a time. He said, In it you will live, and in it you will die, and from it you will be brought out.” (al Araf 11–25)
And as He said in another verse
مِنْهَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ وَفِيهَا نُعِيدُكُمْ وَمِنْهَا نُخْرِجُكُمْ تَارَةً أُخْرَى
“From it We created you, and into it We will return you, and from it We will bring you out once again.”
(Ta Ha 55)
And He the Exalted said
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ مِن صَلْصَالٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ وَالْجَانَّ خَلَقْنَاهُ مِن قَبْلُ مِن نَّارِ السَّمُومِ وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي خَالِقٌ بَشَرًا مِّن صَلْصَالٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِي فَقَعُوا لَهُ سَاجِدِينَ فَسَجَدَ الْمَلَائِكَةُ كُلُّهُمْ أَجْمَعُونَ إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ أَبَى أَن يَكُونَ مَعَ السَّاجِدِينَ قَالَ يَا إِبْلِيسُ مَا لَكَ أَلَّا تَكُونَ مَعَ السَّاجِدِينَ قَالَ لَمْ أَكُن لِّأَسْجُدَ لِبَشَرٍ خَلَقْتَهُ مِن صَلْصَالٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ قَالَ فَاخْرُجْ مِنْهَا فَإِنَّكَ رَجِيمٌ وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكَ اللَّعْنَةَ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ قَالَ رَبِّ فَأَنظِرْنِي إِلَى يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ قَالَ فَإِنَّكَ مِنَ الْمُنظَرِينَ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْوَقْتِ الْمَعْلُومِ قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَا أَغْوَيْتَنِي لَأُزَيِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ إِلَّا عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِينَ قَالَ هَذَا صِرَاطٌ عَلَيَّ مُسْتَقِيمٌ إِنَّ عِبَادِي لَيْسَ لَكَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَانٌ إِلَّا مَنِ اتَّبَعَكَ مِنَ الْغَاوِينَ وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمَوْعِدُهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ لَهَا سَبْعَةُ أَبْوَابٍ لِّكُلِّ بَابٍ مِّنْهُمْ جُزْءٌ مَّقْسُومٌ
“We certainly created man from dry clay, from dark sticky mud. And the jinn We created before from smokeless fire. And when your Lord said to the angels, I am creating a human being from dry clay, from dark sticky mud. So when I have fashioned him and breathed into him from My Spirit, then fall down to him in prostration.
So the angels prostrated, all of them together, except Iblis, he refused to be among those who prostrated. He said, O Iblis, what is the matter with you that you are not among those who prostrate. He said, I am not one to prostrate to a human being whom You created from dry clay, from dark sticky mud.
He said, Then leave it, for you are accursed, and indeed upon you is My curse until the Day of Recompense. He said, My Lord, give me respite until the day they are raised. He said, You are of those given respite, until the Day of the appointed time.
He said, My Lord, because You have misled me, I will surely make attractive to them what is on earth, and I will surely mislead them all together, except Your chosen servants among them. He said, This is a straight path which leads to Me.
Indeed My servants, you will have no authority over them, except those who follow you from the deviators. And indeed Hell is their promised place, all together, it has seven gates, for every gate of them there is an allotted portion.” (al Hijr 26–44)
And He the Exalted said
وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ قَالَ أَأَسْجُدُ لِمَنْ خَلَقْتَ طِينًا قَالَ أَرَأَيْتَكَ هَذَا الَّذِي كَرَّمْتَ عَلَيَّ لَئِنْ أَخَّرْتَنِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ لَأَحْتَنِكَنَّ ذُرِّيَّتَهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا قَالَ اذْهَبْ فَمَن تَبِعَكَ مِنْهُمْ فَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ جَزَاؤُكُمْ جَزَاءً مَّوْفُورًا وَاسْتَفْزِزْ مَنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ مِنْهُم بِصَوْتِكَ وَأَجْلِبْ عَلَيْم بِخَيْلِكَ وَرَجِلِكَ وَشَارِكْهُمْ فِي الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَوْلَادِ وَعِدْهُمْ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا إِنَّ عِبَادِي لَيْسَ لَكَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَانٌ وَكَفَى بِرَبِّكَ وَكِيلًا
“And when We said to the angels, Prostrate to Adam, so they prostrated except Iblis, he said, Shall I prostrate to one You created from clay.
He said, Do You see this one whom You have honoured above me, if You grant me respite until the Day of Resurrection, I will surely destroy his descendants except a few. He said, Go, whoever of them follows you, then Hell will be your reward, an ample reward.
And incite with your voice whoever you can among them, and bring upon them your cavalry and your foot soldiers, and share with them in wealth and children, and make promises to them, and Shaytan promises them nothing except deception.
Indeed My servants, you have no authority over them, and your Lord is enough as a disposer of affairs.” (al Isra 61–65)
And He the Exalted said
وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ كَانَ مِنَ الْجِنِّ فَفَسَقَ عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِ أَفَتَتَّخِذُونَهُ وَذُرِّيَّتَهُ أَوْلِيَاءَ مِن دُونِي وَهُمْ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ بِئْسَ لِلظَّالِمِينَ بَدَلًا
“And when We said to the angels, Prostrate to Adam, so they prostrated except Iblis. He was from the jinn, and he rebelled against the command of his Lord.
Will you then take him and his descendants as close friends instead of Me, while they are enemies to you. What an evil exchange for the wrongdoers.” (al Kahf 50)
And He the Exalted said
وَلَقَدْ عَهِدْنَا إِلَى آدَمَ مِن قَبْلُ فَنَسِيَ وَلَمْ نَجِدْ لَهُ عَزْمًا وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ أَبَى فَقُلْنَا يَا آدَمُ إِنَّ هَذَا عَدُوٌّ لَّكَ وَلِزَوْجِكَ فَلَا يُخْرِجَنَّكُمَا مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ فَتَشْقَى إِنَّ لَكَ أَلَّا تَجُوعَ فِيهَا وَلَا تَعْرَى وَأَنَّكَ لَا تَظْمَأُ فِيهَا وَلَا تَضْحَى فَوَسْوَسَ إِلَيْهِ الشَّيْطَانُ قَالَ يَا آدَمُ هَلْ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى شَجَرَةِ الْخُلْدِ وَمُلْكٍ لَّا يَبْلَى فَأَكَلَا مِنْهَا فَبَدَتْ لَهُمَا سَوْآتُهُمَا وَطَفِقَا يَخْصِفَانِ عَلَيْهِمَا مِن وَرَقِ الْجَنَّةِ وَعَصَى آدَمُ رَبَّهُ فَغَوَى ثُمَّ اجْتَبَاهُ رَبُّهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ وَهَدَى قَالَ اهْبِطَا مِنْهَا جَمِيعًا بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ فَإِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُم مِّنِّي هُدًى فَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ هُدَايَ فَلَا يَضِلُّ وَلَا يَشْقَى وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَن ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَى قَالَ رَبِّ لِمَ حَشَرْتَنِي أَعْمَى وَقَدْ كُنتُ بَصِيرًا قَالَ كَذَلِكَ أَتَتْكَ آيَاتُنَا فَنَسِيتَهَا وَكَذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ تُنسَى
“We had already made a covenant with Adam before, but he forgot, and We did not find in him firm resolve. And when We said to the angels, Prostrate to Adam, and they prostrated except Iblis, he refused. Then We said, O Adam, this is an enemy to you and to your wife, so let him not drive you both out of the Garden so that you fall into hardship. Indeed it is for you that you will not be hungry in it nor be naked, and you will not be thirsty in it nor feel the heat of the sun.
But Shaytan whispered to him, saying, O Adam, shall I show you the tree of everlasting life and a kingdom that never decays. So they both ate from it, and their private parts became apparent to them, and they began to fasten over themselves leaves from the Garden, and Adam disobeyed his Lord and strayed.
Then his Lord chose him, and turned to him in mercy and guided him. He said, Go down from it both of you, all together, you are enemies to one another. Then if guidance comes to you from Me, whoever follows My guidance will not go astray and will not suffer.
And whoever turns away from My reminder, then indeed for him is a constricted life, and We will raise him on the Day of Resurrection blind. He will say, My Lord, why have You raised me blind while I used to see. He will say, In the same way Our signs came to you and you forgot them, and in the same way today you are forgotten.” (Ta Ha 115–126)
And He the Exalted said
قُلْ هُوَ نَبَأٌ عَظِيمٌ أَنتُمْ عَنْهُ مُعْرِضُونَ مَا كَانَ لِيَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ بِالْمَلَإِ الْأَعْلَى إِذْ يَخْتَصِمُونَ إِن يُوحَى إِلَيَّ إِلَّا أَنَّمَا أَنَا نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ إِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي خَالِقٌ بَشَرًا مِّن طِينٍ فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِي فَقَعُوا لَهُ سَاجِدِينَ فَسَجَدَ الْمَلَائِكَةُ كُلُّهُمْ أَجْمَعُونَ إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ اسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ قَالَ يَا إِبْلِيسُ مَا مَنَعَكَ أَن تَسْجُدَ لِمَا خَلَقْتُ بِيَدَيَّ أَسْتَكْبَرْتَ أَمْ كُنتَ مِنَ الْعَالِينَ قَالَ أَنَا خَيْرٌ مِّنْهُ خَلَقْتَنِي مِن نَّارٍ وَخَلَقْتَهُ مِن طِينٍ قَالَ فَاخْرُجْ مِنْهَا فَإِنَّكَ رَجِيمٌ وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكَ لَعْنَتِي إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ قَالَ رَبِّ فَأَنظِرْنِي إِلَى يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ قَالَ فَإِنَّكَ مِنَ الْمُنظَرِينَ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْوَقْتِ الْمَعْلُومِ قَالَ فَبِعِزَّتِكَ لَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ إِلَّا عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِينَ قَالَ فَالْحَقُّ وَالْحَقَّ أَقُولُ لَأَمْلأَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنكَ وَمِمَّن تَبِعَكَ مِنْهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ قُلْ مَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُتَكَلِّفِينَ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ لِّلْعَالَمِينَ وَلَتَعْلَمُنَّ نَبَأَهُ بَعْدَ حِينٍ
“Say, it is a great news, from which you are turning away. I had no knowledge of the highest assembly when they were disputing. It is only revealed to me that I am a clear warner. When your Lord said to the angels, I am creating a human being from clay.
So when I have fashioned him and breathed into him from My Spirit, then fall down to him in prostration. So the angels prostrated, all of them together, except Iblis, he was arrogant and was one of the disbelievers.
He said, O Iblis, what prevented you from prostrating to what I created with My two Hands, did you become arrogant or were you from the lofty ones. He said, I am better than him, You created me from fire and You created him from clay.
He said, Then leave it, for you are accursed, and upon you is My curse until the Day of Recompense. He said, My Lord, give me respite until the day they are raised. He said, You are of those given respite until the Day of the appointed time. He said, By Your might, I will surely mislead them all together, except Your chosen servants among them.
He said, Then the truth, and the truth I say, I will surely fill Hell with you and with those who follow you, all together. Say, I do not ask you for any reward for it, and I am not one who puts himself forward without right. It is only a reminder for all creation, and you will surely know its news after a time.”(Sad 67–88)
So this is the mention of this story in different places in the Quran. The author (Ibn Kathir) has spoken about all of them in detail in his Tafsir.
The noble angels asking about the wisdom behind the creation of Adam عليه السلام
Allah the Exalted informed that He addressed the angels saying
وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةٌ
“And when your Lord said to the angels, I am placing a khalifah on earth.”
(al Baqarah 30)
He informed them of what He intended to create, from Adam and his offspring, who would follow one another in succession, as He said
وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَكُمْ خَلَائِفَ الْأَرْضِ
“And He is the One who made you successors on earth.”
(al Anam 165)
And He said
وَيَجْعَلُكُمْ خُلَفَاءَ الْأَرْضِ
“And He will make you successors on earth.”
(an Naml 62)
So He informed the angels of that in order to honour the creation of Adam and his offspring, just as someone informs of a great matter before it occurs.
The angels said, asking in order to seek out the hidden wisdom and to learn the reason, not objecting, and not belittling the children of Adam or envying them. They said
أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاءَ
“Will You place in it one who will spread corruption in it and shed blood.”
(al Baqarah 30)
It is said that they knew this would happen because of what they had seen from those who were on earth before Adam, from the jinn, so they knew that what is created from the earth is mostly like this. Allah knows best.
Then they said
وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ
“While we glorify You with praise and declare Your perfection.”
(al Baqarah 30)
Meaning, we worship You always, none of us disobeys You. So if the reason for creating these new beings is so that they worship You, here we are, we do not tire by night or by day.
Allah said
إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
“I surely know what you do not know.”
(al Baqarah 30)
Meaning, I know the great benefit and the stronger wisdom in creating these beings, which you do not know. That is, from them will come the Prophets and Messengers, the truthful ones, the martyrs and the righteous.
Then Allah made clear to the angels the virtue of Adam over them in knowledge. He said
وَعَلَّمَ آدَمَ الْأَسْمَاءَ كُلَّهَا
“And He taught Adam the names, all of them.”
(al Baqarah 31)
The correct view is that He taught him the names of things and their actions, in their larger and smaller forms, as Ibn Abbas pointed to. (The author said in Tafsir 1–76, The correct view is that He taught him the names of all things, their realities, their descriptions and their actions. Ibn Abbas said, even to the degree of the sound a person makes and the small things. Meaning the names of things and actions, in large and small forms. What is reported from Ibn Abbas has a weak chain, but the general wording of the verse itself indicates this, and Allah knows best.)
Al Bukhari mentioned from Anas ibn Malik, from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that he said
The author (Ibn Kathir) brought this hadith because it proves that Allah taught Adam the names of all created things, and this shows that the view of Imam Ibn Kathir is like the view of Al Bukhari in this matter.
Then Allah said
ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمْ عَلَى الْمَلَائِكَةِ فَقَالَ أَنبِئُونِي بِأَسْمَاءِ هَؤُلَاءِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ
“Then He presented them to the angels and said, Tell Me the names of these if you are truthful.”
(al Baqarah 31)
Al Hasan al Basri said, When Allah wished to create Adam, the angels said, Our Lord will not create a creation except that we will be more knowledgeable than it, so they were tested with this, and that is His saying, if you are truthful. (Reported by at Tabari in Jami al Bayan 1/173 with a good chain.)
They said
سُبْحَانَكَ لَا عِلْمَ لَنَا إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ
“Glory be to You, we have no knowledge except what You have taught us, indeed You are the All Knowing, the All Wise.”
(al Baqarah 32)
Meaning, You are far above that anyone should encompass anything of Your knowledge without Your teaching, as He said
وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَ
“They do not encompass anything of His knowledge except what He wills.”
(al Baqarah 255)
Allah said
يَا آدَمُ أَنبِئْهُم بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ
“O Adam, tell them their names.”
(al Baqarah 33)
So when he told them their names, He said
أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ غَيْبَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَأَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُونَ وَمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْتُمُونَ
“Did I not tell you that I surely know the unseen of the heavens and the earth, and I know what you make apparent and what you used to conceal.”
(al Baqarah 33)
Meaning, I know what is hidden just as I know what is open.
Then Allah said
وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ أَبَى وَاسْتَكْبَرَ
“And when We said to the angels, Prostrate to Adam, they prostrated except Iblis, he refused and was arrogant.”
(al Baqarah 34)
This is a great honour from Allah for Adam, that He created him with His Hand, and breathed into him from His Spirit, as He said
فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِي فَقَعُوا لَهُ سَاجِدِينَ
“So when I have fashioned him and breathed into him from My Spirit, then fall down to him in prostration.”
(al Hijr 29)
So these are four honours: that He created him with His Noble Hand, that He breathed into him from His Spirit, that He commanded the angels to prostrate to him, and that He taught him the names of things.
The envy of Iblis towards Adam عليه السلام
Allah the Exalted said in another verse
وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي خَالِقٌ بَشَرًا مِّن صَلْصَالٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِي فَقَعُوا لَهُ سَاجِدِينَ فَسَجَدَ الْمَلَائِكَةُ كُلُّهُمْ أَجْمَعُونَ إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ أَبَى أَن يَكُونَ مَعَ السَّاجِدِينَ قَالَ يَا إِبْلِيسُ مَا لَكَ أَلَّا تَكُونَ مَعَ السَّاجِدِينَ قَالَ لَمْ أَكُن لِّأَسْجُدَ لِبَشَرٍ خَلَقْتَهُ مِن صَلْصَالٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ قَالَ فَاخْرُجْ مِنْهَا فَإِنَّكَ رَجِيمٌ وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكَ اللَّعْنَةَ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ
“We certainly created you, then We fashioned you, then We said to the angels, Prostrate to Adam, so they prostrated except Iblis, he was not among those who prostrated. He said, What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you. He said, I am better than him, You created me from fire and You created him from clay.”
(al Araf 11 to 12)
Al Hasan al Basri said, Iblis used analogy, and he was the first to use analogy.
Muhammad ibn Sirin said, The first to use analogy was Iblis, and the sun and the moon were only worshipped by such analogies. (Both reports are narrated by at Tabari in Jami al Bayan 7 to 98, and Ibn Kathir regarded them as sound in his tafsir 2/212.)
The meaning is that he measured himself against Adam, looking at himself through this comparison, and thought himself better than Adam, so he refused to prostrate to him, even though the clear command had come to him and to all the angels to prostrate.
Qiyas (analogy), when it opposes a clear text, is invalid and has no value. (See for this Imam Ibn al Qayyim’s work Hujjat Iblis, page 11)
Then his analogy in itself is false, because clay is more useful and better than fire. Clay has firmness, patience, calmness and growth, while fire has haste, lightness, speed and burning.
(Imam Ibn al Qayyim explained this in detail in as Sawaiq al Mursalah 3/1003 and what follows.)
Then Allah honoured Adam by creating him with His Hand and breathing into him from His Spirit, and for this reason He commanded the angels to prostrate to him, as He said
وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ قَالَ أَأَسْجُدُ لِمَنْ خَلَقْتَ طِينًا قَالَ أَرَأَيْتَكَ هَذَا الَّذِي كَرَّمْتَ عَلَيَّ لَئِنْ أَخَّرْتَنِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ لَأَحْتَنِكَنَّ ذُرِّيَّتَهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا قَالَ اذْهَبْ فَمَن تَبِعَكَ مِنْهُمْ فَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ جَزَاؤُكُمْ جَزَاءً مَّوْفُورًا وَاسْتَفْزِزْ مَنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ مِنْهُم بِصَوْتِكَ وَأَجْلِبْ عَلَيْهِم بِخَيْلِكَ وَرَجِلِكَ وَشَارِكْهُمْ فِي الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَوْلَادِ وَعِدْهُمْ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا إِنَّ عِبَادِي لَيْسَ لَكَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَانٌ وَكَفَى بِرَبِّكَ وَكِيلًا
“And when your Lord said to the angels, I am creating a human being from dry clay, from dark sticky mud. So when I have fashioned him and breathed into him from My Spirit, then fall down to him in prostration.
So the angels prostrated, all of them together, except Iblis, he refused to be with those who prostrated.
He said, O Iblis, what is the matter with you that you are not with those who prostrate. He said, I am not one to prostrate to a human being whom You created from dry clay, from dark sticky mud. He said, Then leave it, for you are accursed, and indeed upon you is the curse until the Day of Recompense.” (al Hijr 28–35)
He deserved this from Allah because this implied his belittling of Adam, despising him, raising himself above him, opposing the command of Allah, and resisting the clear truth that singled out Adam by name. He began to excuse himself with false excuses and an argument that could not help him. In fact his excuse was worse than his sin.
Allah the Exalted said in Surah Isra
وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ قَالَ أَأَسْجُدُ لِمَنْ خَلَقْتَ طِينًا قَالَ أَرَأَيْتَكَ هَذَا الَّذِي كَرَّمْتَ عَلَيَّ لَئِنْ أَخَّرْتَنِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ لَأَحْتَنِكَنَّ ذُرِّيَّتَهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا قَالَ اذْهَبْ فَمَن تَبِعَكَ مِنْهُمْ فَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ جَزَاؤُكُمْ جَزَاءً مَّوْفُورًا وَاسْتَفْزِزْ مَنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ مِنْهُم بِصَوْتِكَ وَأَجْلِبْ عَلَيْهِم بِخَيْلِكَ وَرَجِلِكَ وَشَارِكْهُمْ فِي الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَوْلَادِ وَعِدْهُمْ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا إِنَّ عِبَادِي لَيْسَ لَكَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَانٌ وَكَفَى بِرَبِّكَ وَكِيلًا
“And when We said to the angels, Prostrate to Adam, they prostrated except Iblis. He said, Shall I prostrate to one You created from clay. He said, Do you see this one whom You have honoured above me, if You give me respite until the Day of Resurrection I will surely destroy his descendants except a few. He said, Go, whoever of them follows you, then Hell will be your and their reward, a full reward.
And incite whoever you can among them with your voice, and bring upon them your cavalry and your infantry, and share with them in wealth and children, and make promises to them, and Shaytan promises them nothing but deception. Indeed My servants, you have no authority over them, and your Lord is sufficient as a disposer of affairs.”
(al Isra 61–65)
And He said in Surah al Kahf
وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ كَانَ مِنَ الْجِنِّ فَفَسَقَ عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِ
“And when We said to the angels, Prostrate to Adam, they prostrated except Iblis. He was from the jinn and he rebelled against the command of his Lord.”
(al Kahf 50)
That is, he came out of the obedience of Allah deliberately, stubbornly and arrogantly, rejecting His command.
This was only because his nature and his evil material failed him at the time he needed it most. He was created from fire, as he himself said, and as it has been narrated in Sahih Muslim from Aishah, from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that he said
Al Hasan al Basri said, Iblis was never, not even for the blink of an eye, from the angels. (Reported by at Tabari in Jami al Bayan 1/179, and Abu Shaykh in al Azamah 1129 and others, with chains through Awf al A rabi from al Hasan. Its chain is authentic.)
This issue is one of the issues where the people of knowledge from the earlier and later generations differed greatly. The correct view is that Iblis, may Allah curse him, was from the jinn, not from the angels, for the following reasons
First, His saying,
إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ كَانَ مِنَ الْجِنِّ
“Except Iblis, he was from the jinn.”
(al Kahf 50)
This is a clear text on the matter, because jinn are a separate kind of creation besides humans. When this word is used on its own, it is not used for angels or any of them.
Second, Iblis was created from fire, while the angels are created from light, and what a difference there is between the two.
Third, Iblis has offspring, as Allah said
أَفَتَتَّخِذُونَهُ وَذُرِّيَّتَهُ أَوْلِيَاءَ مِن دُونِي
“Will you take him and his offspring as allies instead of Me.”
(al Kahf 50)
The angels do not have children and do not reproduce.
Fourth, Iblis disobeyed Allah, was arrogant and disbelieved, while the angels are honoured servants who do not disobey Allah in what He commands them and they do what they are commanded.
If it is said, How was he commanded to prostrate along with the angels when he was not one of them.
The answer is that he was raised to their level due to his knowledge, his effort and his worship, and because he had taken on the appearance of the angels in obedience and worship, as has come from many of the early generations, and this is the view that Al Hafiz Ibn Kathir chose. There is no problem that he was among them even though he was not from their kind. Adam عليه السلام was also in the company of the angels with his Lord the Blessed and Exalted.
If it is said, How did Allah exclude him from the angels in wording, when he is not from them.
The answer is that this is from the type of exception that is separate, where the one who is excluded does not have to be part of what came before, like when you say, The people drank, except their cattle, and they came except their camels.
Iblis was in the heaven
Allah the Exalted said to Iblis
فَاهْبِطْ مِنْهَا
“Then go down from it.”
(al Araf 13)
And He said
اخْرُجْ مِنْهَا
“Leave it.”
(al Araf 18)
This is proof that he had been in the heaven, so he was commanded to go down from it, and to go out from the rank and the high place that he had reached by his worship and his effort, and by his taking on the way of the angels in obedience, then this was taken from him because of his pride and his self admiration and his opposition to his Lord. He was made to descend to the earth, blamed and cast away.
Hawwa عليها السلام and the story of her creation
Allah commanded Adam عليه السلام to live in the Garden along with his wife. He said
وَقُلْنَا يَا آدَمُ اسْكُنْ أَنتَ وَزَوْجُكَ الْجَنَّةَ وَكُلَا مِنْهَا رَغَدًا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمَا وَلَا تَقْرَبَا هَذِهِ الشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُونَا مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
“And We said, O Adam, live you and your wife in the Garden, and eat from it freely as you wish, but do not come near this tree or you will be among the wrongdoers.”
(al Baqarah 35)
And He said in Surah al A’raf
قَالَ اخْرُجْ مِنْهَا مَذْءُومًا مَّدْحُورًا لَّمَن تَبِعَكَ مِنْهُمْ لَأَمْلأَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ وَيَا آدَمُ اسْكُنْ أَنتَ وَزَوْجُكَ الْجَنَّةَ فَكُلَا مِنْ حَيْثُ شِئْتُمَا وَلَا تَقْرَبَا هَذِهِ الشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُونَا مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
“He said, Leave it, blamed and cast away. Whoever follows you among them, I will surely fill Hell with you all together. And O Adam, live you and your wife in the Garden and eat from wherever you wish, but do not come near this tree or you will be among the wrongdoers.”
(al A’raf 18–19)
And He the Exalted said
وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ أَبَى فَقُلْنَا يَا آدَمُ إِنَّ هَذَا عَدُوٌّ لَّكَ وَلِزَوْجِكَ فَلَا يُخْرِجَنَّكُمَا مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ فَتَشْقَى إِنَّ لَكَ أَلَّا تَجُوعَ فِيهَا وَلَا تَعْرَى وَأَنَّكَ لَا تَظْمَأُ فِيهَا وَلَا تَضْحَى
“And when We said to the angels, Prostrate to Adam, and they prostrated except Iblis, he refused. Then We said, O Adam, this is an enemy to you and to your wife, so let him not drive you both out of the Garden so that you suffer. Indeed, it is for you that you will not be hungry in it nor be naked, and that you will not be thirsty in it nor feel the heat of the sun.”
(Ta Ha 116–119)
The wording of these verses shows that the creation of Hawwa took place before Adam entered the Garden, because of His saying, O Adam, live you and your wife in the Garden. Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Yasar stated this clearly, and this is apparent from these verses.
Muhammad ibn Ishaq narrated from Ibn Abbas that she was created from the shortest rib on his left side while he was sleeping, and that the place was sealed with flesh.
The proof for this is His saying
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا
“O people, be mindful of your Lord, the One who created you from a single soul, and created from it its spouse.”
(an Nisa 1)
And His saying
هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَجَعَلَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا لِيَسْكُنَ إِلَيْهَا
“He is the One who created you from a single soul, and made from it its spouse, so that he may find peace with her.”
(al Araf 189)
In the two Sahihs, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet ﷺ, that he said
The tree from which Adam and his wife were forbidden
The mufasireen (explainers of the Qur’an) differed about the saying of Allah
وَلَا تَقْرَبَا هَذِهِ الشَّجَرَةَ
“And do not come near this tree.”
(al Baqarah 35)
This difference is minor, and Allah has left the type of tree unmentioned and not specified. If there was a benefit for us in knowing exactly which tree it was, He would have clarified it in detail for us, as He did with other things in the Quran.
The true nature of the Garden in which Adam and Hawwa were
The real disagreement which they mentioned is whether this Garden which Adam entered was in the heaven or on earth. This is the disagreement which needs to be examined and resolved.
The majority are of the view that it is the Garden which is in the heaven, the Garden of refuge, because that is what the verses and hadiths suggest on the surface, such as His saying
يَا آدَمُ اسْكُنْ أَنتَ وَزَوْجُكَ الْجَنَّةَ
“O Adam, live you and your wife in the Garden.”
(al Baqarah 35)
The definite article in the word Garden is not for generalisation or for a known thing in words, rather it is for a known thing in the mind, which is what is understood in the Sharia when the Garden of refuge is mentioned.
Also the saying of Musa to Adam عليهما السلام, “For what did you cause us and yourself to be expelled from the Garden,” as will be mentioned.
This is strong evidence, clearly showing that this is the Garden of refuge.
The whispering of Iblis to Adam and Hawwa عليهما السلام
Allah the Exalted said
فَأَزَلَّهُمَا الشَّيْطَانُ عَنْهَا
“Then Shaytan caused them to slip from it.”
(al Baqarah 36)
Meaning, from the Garden.
فَأَخْرَجَهُمَا مِمَّا كَانَا فِيهِ
“And brought them out from what they had been in.”
(al Baqarah 36)
Meaning, from the blessing, delight, beauty and joy, to a land of hardship, toil and trouble. That was because of his whispering to them, and his making things attractive in their hearts.
Allah the Exalted said
فَوَسْوَسَ لَهُمَا الشَّيْطَانُ لِيُبْدِيَ لَهُمَا مَا وُرِيَ عَنْهُمَا مِن سَوْآتِهِمَا وَقَالَ مَا نَهَاكُمَا رَبُّكُمَا عَنْ هَذِهِ الشَّجَرَةِ إِلَّا أَن تَكُونَا مَلَكَيْنِ أَوْ تَكُونَا مِنَ الْخَالِدِينَ
“Then Shaytan whispered to them to make apparent to them what had been hidden from them of their private parts, and said, Your Lord has only forbidden you from this tree so that you do not become angels or become of the everlasting.”
(al Araf 20)
Meaning, He only forbade you from eating this tree so that you do not become angels, or so that you do not become beings who do not die. If you eat from it, you will become like that.
Allah said
وَقَاسَمَهُمَا إِنِّي لَكُمَا لَمِنَ النَّاصِحِينَ
“And he swore to them, I am surely a sincere adviser to you.”
(al Araf 21)
As Allah said in another verse
فَوَسْوَسَ إِلَيْهِ الشَّيْطَانُ قَالَ يَا آدَمُ هَلْ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى شَجَرَةِ الْخُلْدِ وَمُلْكٍ لَّا يَبْلَى
“Then Shaytan whispered to him, saying, O Adam, shall I show you the tree of everlasting life and a kingdom that never decays.”
(Ta Ha 120)
Meaning, Shall I guide you to the tree which, if you eat from it, you will become everlasting in what you are in of blessing, and you will stay in a kingdom that does not fade or perish. This was deception, trickery and false information.
The point is that the meaning of the expression “the tree of everlasting life” is the tree which, if someone eats from it, will give him everlasting life. It could be that this is the same tree that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ spoke about in the hadith,
Allah the Exalted said
فَدَلَّاهُمَا بِغُرُورٍ فَلَمَّا ذَاقَا الشَّجَرَةَ بَدَتْ لَهُمَا سَوْآتُهُمَا وَطَفِقَا يَخْصِفَانِ عَلَيْهِمَا مِن وَرَقِ الْجَنَّةِ
“So he led them down by deception, and when they tasted the tree their private parts became apparent to them, and they began to fasten over themselves leaves from the Garden.”
(al Araf 22)
As He said in Surah Ta Ha
فَأَكَلَا مِنْهَا فَبَدَتْ لَهُمَا سَوْآتُهُمَا وَطَفِقَا يَخْصِفَانِ عَلَيْهِمَا مِن وَرَقِ الْجَنَّةِ
“So they both ate from it, and their private parts became apparent to them, and they began to fasten over themselves leaves from the Garden.”
(Ta Ha 121)
Hawwa ate from the tree before Adam, and she was the one who urged him to eat from it. Allah knows best.
On this is carried the hadith from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet ﷺ that he said
(The muhaqqiq said: The betrayal of Hawwa towards Adam عليهما السلام was that she beautified the act of eating from the tree to him and urged him to it. There is no meaning besides this. Al Hafiz Ibn Hajar indicated this in Fath al Bari 6/368. Abu al Ashbal Ahmad Shakir said in his commentary on al Musnad 8019. There were no other men present besides Adam, such that there could be a possibility that the betrayal meant some kind of immorality. This is a firm statement and a strong clarification. No wife of a Prophet fell into adultery, and Adam عليه السلام is a Prophet who spoke with Allah.)
The clothing of Adam and Hawwa عليهما السلام
In the Torah which is in the hands of the People of the Book it says that the being which led Hawwa to eat from the tree was the serpent, which was one of the most beautiful and tallest creatures. Hawwa ate from the tree after it spoke to her, and she gave some to Adam عليه السلام. There is no mention of Iblis in it. It then says that their eyes were opened and they realised that they were naked, so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings from them. It also says that they were naked before that. (Genesis, chapter 3.)
Wahb ibn Munabbih said that their clothing had been light that covered his private part and her private part.
What is in this Torah in their hands is wrong, a distortion and an error in translation, because moving a speech from one language to another is not something that just anyone can do, especially when the one translating hardly knows the speech of the Arabs according to the intent of the Arabs, and does not fully understand his own book either. For this reason there is much mistake in their translation of it, both in wording and in meaning. (Many times mistakes are seen in their work because they do not know the language of the Arabs in the way its people intended, and their Islamic knowledge is weak except for those whom Allah has mercy on, and they are few.)
The Great Quran shows that they had clothing, because of His saying
يَنزِعُ عَنْهُمَا لِبَاسَهُمَا لِيُرِيَهُمَا سَوْآتِهِمَا
“He removes from them their clothing in order to show them their private parts.”
(al Araf 27)
This cannot be used for anything besides what is being talked about here. Allah knows best.
Ubayy ibn Ka b said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said
“Your father Adam was like a tall date palm tree, sixty cubits tall, with much hair, covering his private parts. When he committed the sin in the Garden, his private parts became exposed. He left the Garden and a tree met him and grabbed his forelock. His Lord called out to him, Are you fleeing from Me, O Adam. He said, No, my Lord, but I am shy of You because of what I have done.” (Hasan. Ibn Saad reported it in at Tabaqat al Kubra 1/31, al Hakim 2/262, and Ibn Asakir in Tarikh Dimashq 7 to 405 through Abdul Wahhab ibn Ata al Khafaf al Ajli from Said ibn Abi Arubah from Qatadah from al Hasan from Ubayy. Its narrators are trustworthy, but Qatadah and al Hasan al Basri are known to make tadlis and have used an unclarified chain here, and Ibn Abi Arubah changed in his later life, but the report of Abdul Wahhab from him was before that.
Abdul Wahhab al Ajli was opposed by Abbad ibn al Awwam who reported it from Said ibn Abi Arubah with the same chain but stopped at Ubayy. Ibn Saad, Abu Nuaym in al Hilyah 1/254, and al Hakim 2/543–544 reported that version. Abbad had confusion in his reports from Said ibn Abi Arubah, as Imam Ahmad said.
See Hadi as Sari page 412. Ishaq ibn ar Rabi, who is reliable, also narrated it from al Hasan as a saying of al Hasan only, as reported by Ibn Saad 1/32. In summary, the hadith is weak from this route alone, but it has another route which the author will mention immediately after this, so with all of them together it rises to the level of being Hasan, if Allah wills.)
The regret of Adam and Hawwa عليهما السلام and their seeking forgiveness
Allah said
وَنَادَاهُمَا رَبُّهُمَا أَلَمْ أَنْهَكُمَا عَن تِلْكُمَا الشَّجَرَةِ وَأَقُل لَّكُمَا إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لَكُمَا عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ قَالَا رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَا أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ
“Their Lord called to them, Did I not forbid you from that tree, and say to you that Shaytan is a clear enemy to you. They said, Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy on us we will surely be among the losers.”
(al A’raf 22 to 23)
This is acknowledgement, returning to Allah with repentance, humbling themselves, showing need to Him in that moment. This secret, whenever it flows in any of their descendants, his end in this life and the next is good.
The expulsion of Adam and Hawwa عليهما السلام from the Garden
Allah said
قَالَ اهْبِطُوا بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ وَلَكُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ مُسْتَقَرٌّ وَمَتَاعٌ إِلَى حِينٍ
“He said, Go down, you are enemies to one another, and on earth you will have a dwelling place and enjoyment for a time.”
(al Araf 24)
Allah said in Surah Ta Ha
قَالَ اهْبِطَا مِنْهَا جَمِيعًا بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ
“He said, Go down from it both of you together, you are enemies to one another.”
(Ta Ha 123)
This is a command to Adam and Iblis. Hawwa is counted with Adam, and the serpent is counted with Iblis.
It is also said that this is a command to all of them expressed in the dual form, as in His saying
وَدَاوُدَ وَسُلَيْمَانَ إِذْ يَحْكُمَانِ فِي الْحَرْثِ إِذْ نَفَشَتْ فِيهِ غَنَمُ الْقَوْمِ وَكُنَّا لِحُكْمِهِمْ شَاهِدِينَ
“And David and Sulayman, when they both judged concerning the field whose sheep of some people had grazed by night, and We were witness to their judgement.”
(al Anbiya 78)
The correct view is that when someone judges, he always judges between two parties, the one who claims and the one being claimed against, so He said, We were witness to their judgement.
As for the repeated mention of going down in Surah al Baqarah, in His saying
فَأَزَلَّهُمَا الشَّيْطَانُ عَنْهَا فَأَخْرَجَهُمَا مِمَّا كَانَا فِيهِ وَقُلْنَا اهْبِطُوا بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ وَلَكُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ مُسْتَقَرٌّ وَمَتَاعٌ إِلَى حِينٍ * فَتَلَقَّى آدَمُ مِن رَّبِّهِ كَلِمَاتٍ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ * قُلْنَا اهْبِطُوا مِنْهَا جَمِيعًا
“Then Shaytan caused them to slip from it and brought them out from what they had been in, and We said, Go down, you are enemies to one another, and on earth you will have a dwelling place and enjoyment for a time.
Then Adam received words from his Lord and He turned to him in mercy, indeed He is the One who often accepts repentance, the Most Merciful. We said, Go down from it all together.”
(al Baqarah 36–38)
Some mufasireen said that the first going down was from the Garden to the lowest heaven, and the second going down was from the lowest heaven to the earth.
This is weak, because He said with the first going down,
وَلَكُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ مُسْتَقَرٌّ
“And on earth you will have a dwelling place.”
(al Baqarah 36)
So this shows that they were made to go down to the earth by the first command to go down. Allah knows best.
The correct view is that He repeated the wording even though the going down is one, and each time attached a different ruling to it. With the first He attached the ruling of their enmity towards one another.
With the second He attached the condition that whoever follows His guidance which He will send down to them later is fortunate, and whoever opposes it is wretched. This style in speech has other examples in the Wise Quran.
Abu Musa al Ashari said, When Allah caused Adam to go down from the Garden to the earth, He taught him the craft of every thing, and supplied him with fruits from the Garden. Your fruits in this world are from the fruits of the Garden, except that these change while those do not change. (Reported by Abdul Razzaq in his Tafsir 1/43–44, by at Tabari in Jami al Bayan 1/175, Ibn Abi Hatim in his Tafsir 1/421, al Bazzar in al Bahr az Zakhkhar 8/45 number 3030, al Hakim 2/543, and al Bayhaqi in al Bath 1/180. Its chain is authentic as a saying of Abu Musa. Al Bazzar also reported it as a marfu hadith with a sound chain, number 3029 volume 8 page 45.)
Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said
“The best day on which the sun has risen is Friday. On it Adam was created, on it he entered the Garden, and on it he was taken out of it.” (Muslim 854.)
In another authentic route there is the addition, “and on it the Hour will be established.”
The repentance of Adam عليه السلام
Allah the Exalted said
فَتَلَقَّى آدَمُ مِن رَّبِّهِ كَلِمَاتٍ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ
“Then Adam received words from his Lord and He turned to him in mercy.”
(al Baqarah 37)
It is said that these words were His saying
رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَا أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ
“Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy on us we will surely be among the losers.”
(al Araf 23)
This was reported from Mujahid, Said ibn Jubayr, Abu al Aliyah, ar Rabi ibn Anas, al Hasan, Qatadah, Muhammad ibn Kab, Khalid ibn Ma dan, Ata al Khurasani and Abdul Rahman ibn Zayd ibn Aslam. (See Tafsir Abdul Razzaq 1/44, Tafsir Ibn Abi Hatim page 414, Jami al Bayan 1/193–194, Tafsir al Quran al Adheem of the author 1/85, and ad Durr al Manthur 1/59.)
Ibn Abbas said about Allah’s saying
فَتَلَقَّى آدَمُ مِن رَّبِّهِ كَلِمَاتٍ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ
“Then Adam received words from his Lord and He turned to him in mercy,”
(al Baqarah 37)
that Adam said, My Lord, did You not create me with Your Hand. He was told, Yes. And did You not breathe into me from Your Spirit. He was told, Yes. And did You not make me live in Your Garden. He was told, Yes. And did Your mercy not come before Your anger. He was told, Yes. And did You not write this on me. He was told, Yes. He said, Then if I repent, will You send me back to the Garden. He said, Yes. This verse is like His saying
وَعَصَى آدَمُ رَبَّهُ فَغَوَى * ثُمَّ اجْتَبَاهُ رَبُّهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ وَهَدَى
“And Adam disobeyed his Lord and strayed. Then his Lord chose him, and turned to him in mercy and guided him.”
(Ta Ha 121–122) (Reported by al Hakim 2/545, Ibn Abi Hatim 1/411, at Tabari in Jami al Bayan 1/193, and Ibn Asakir in Tarikh Dimashq 7/433 with a good chain.)
The Argument of Adam and Musa
Abu Hurayrah narrated from the Prophet ﷺ that he said:
Umar ibn al Khattab narrated from the Prophet ﷺ that he said:
The people have taken different paths in relation to this hadith.
A group from the Qadariyyah rejected it because it contains affirmation of the earlier decree.
Another group, the Jabriyyah, used it as proof, and its apparent wording at first glance seems to support them, since he said, “So Adam defeated Musa when he argued against him by way of the previous writing.” The answer to this will come.
Others said that Adam only defeated him because Musa blamed him for a sin from which he had already repented, and the one who repents from a sin is like one who has no sin.
It has been said that he defeated him because he was older than him and earlier.
It has been said that it was because he was his father.
It has been said that it was because both of them were in two different laws.
It has been said that it was because they were in the life of al barzakh, in which there is no duty in the view of those people.
The sound understanding is that this hadith has been narrated with many wordings. Some of them are narration by meaning, and there is some discussion about that. Yet the main narrations in the two Sahihs and others revolve around the point that Musa blamed Adam for bringing himself and his descendants out of the Garden, so Adam said to him, “I did not bring you out.
The One who brought you out is the One who made the expulsion follow on from my eating from the tree. The One who set that in order, decreed it and wrote it before He created me is Allah the Mighty and Majestic.
So you are blaming me for something whose connection to me is nothing more than the fact that I was forbidden from eating from the tree and I ate from it.
As for the expulsion being attached to that, then that is not from my action. I did not bring you or myself out of the Garden. Rather that was from the decree of Allah and His action, and He has in that the perfect wisdom. For this reason Adam defeated Musa.”
Whoever denies this hadith is stubborn, because it has reached the level of multiple routes that support one another from Abu Hurayrah, and that is enough for you in terms of his truthfulness, memorisation and precision.
Then it is also narrated from other companions as we have mentioned.
Whoever interprets it with the interpretations mentioned above is far from both the wording and the meaning. None of them has a position stronger than the Jabriyyah, yet there is discussion regarding what they said from a number of angles.
One of them is that Musa ﷺ does not blame anyone for a matter from which the doer has repented.
The second is that Musa himself killed a soul whom he had not been commanded to kill. He sought forgiveness from Allah for that by saying:
رب إني ظلمت نفسي فاغفر لي
“My Lord, indeed I have wronged myself, so forgive me.” (al Qasas 16)
The third is that if the answer to being blamed for a sin was to use the earlier decree written upon the servant as an argument, then this door would be opened for everyone who is blamed for anything he has done. He would use the previous decree as his proof, and then the door of requital (the universal law where every action, thought, and intention, good or evil, brings a corresponding consequence, either in this life or the Hereafter) and the prescribed punishments would be closed.
If decree were a proof, every person would use it as an argument for whatever he has committed from the major and minor acts, and this would lead to terrible consequences.
For this reason some of the scholars said that the answer of Adam was only an argument by way of the decree regarding the calamity, not regarding the act of disobedience.
Allah the Exalted knows best where the truth lies, and He is enough for me and the best disposer of affairs. (Such as the two Imams Shaikh al Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and his student Ibn Qayyim al Jawziyyah, may Allah have mercy on them both, and the words of the author, may Allah have mercy on him, meet theirs and do not differ, so reflect. See also, and this is necessary, Al Ihtijaj bil qadar by Shaikh al Islam, and At Tamhid 12/18 and Al Istidhkar 26/85 and 88, both by Ibn Abd al Barr.
The sum of the matter is that Allah’s decree is something a believer accepts and believes in, but it is not something a person is allowed to use as an argument to excuse sins, disobedience, or abandoning obligations.)
The Narrations Concerning the Creation of Adam
Abu Musa narrated from the Prophet ﷺ that he said:
Anas narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
Anas ibn Malik narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“When the spirit was breathed into Adam and it reached his head he sneezed and said, ‘Praise be to Allah the Lord of the worlds.’ So the Blessed and Exalted said to him, ‘May Allah have mercy on you.’” (Authentic. Reported by Ibn Hibban 6165 with an authentic chain.)
Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
Iblis would come and pass by him and would say, ‘You have been created for a tremendous matter.’
(Side Note: All of it’s chains are weak)
Abu Hurayrah narrated from the Prophet ﷺ that he said:
Muslim ibn Yasar al Juhani narrated that Umar ibn al Khattab was asked about the verse:
وإذ أخذ ربك من بني آدم من ظهورهم ذريتهم وأشهدهم على أنفسهم ألست بربكم قالوا بلى
Umar ibn al Khattab said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ being asked about it. He said:
And when Allah creates a servant for the Fire He employs him with the actions of the people of the Fire until he dies upon one of the actions of the people of the Fire, and by it he enters the Fire.’” (Sound through supporting witnesses. Reported by Malik 2/898, Ahmad 1/44, Abu Dawud 4703, al Tirmidhi 3075, Ibn Hibban 6/166, al Hakim 1/27 and 2/324 and 544 and others through the route of Malik. Abu Dawud 4704, Ibn Abi Asim 201 and Ibn Abd al Barr in al Tamhid 4/65 through the route of Zayd ibn Abi Unaysah.
The Question of the Covenant and the Taking of Testimony for Tawhid
All these narrations show that He the Exalted brought forth the descendants of Adam from his back like small particles and divided them into two parties, the people of the right and the people of the left. He said, “These are for the Garden and I do not mind, and these are for the Fire and I do not mind.” (Authentic. Reported by Ahmad 4/186, Ibn Saad 1/10, Ibn Hibban 338 and al Hakim 1/31 from Abd al Rahman ibn Qatadah with an authentic chain.)
As for the testimony taken from them and their being caused to speak with acknowledgement of the oneness of Allah, this has not come in the authentic narrations, and explaining the verse in Surat al Araf and carrying it upon this meaning is open to discussion, as we have clarified in that place.
We have mentioned there the narrations and reports in full with their chains and the wordings of their texts. Whoever wants a precise treatment of it should refer to that discussion, and Allah knows best.
As for the hadith from Ibn Abbas from the Prophet ﷺ that:
“Indeed Allah took the covenant from the back of Adam at Nu man, meaning Arafah. He brought out from his loins every descendant that He would create and scattered them before Him like particles. Then He spoke to them directly and said, ‘Am I not your Lord?’ They said, ‘Yes, we bear witness’ so that you not say on the Day of Resurrection, ‘Indeed we were unaware of this,’ or so that you not say, ‘It was only our fathers who associated others before, while we were descendants after them, so will You destroy us for what those falsifiers did?’” (al Araf 172 to 173)
this has been narrated both as a statement of Ibn Abbas and as a raising up to the Prophet ﷺ, and the version stopped at Ibn Abbas is more authentic. (Authentic. It was reported by Malik (2/272), al Nasaʾi in al Sunan al Kubra (4/440), al Tabari in Jamiʿ al Bayan (6/153 and 11/110), al Hakim (5442), and Ibn Abi ʿAsim in al Sunnah (202). This narration comes through the route of Muhammad ibn Husayn al Marwazi from Malik.
Its chain is authentic, as the author (Ibn kathir), may Allah have mercy on him, said, and this was affirmed by al Albani, in al Silsilah al Sahihah (1623). Al Albani followed up on Ibn Kathir in al Silsilah al Sahihah (1623) with important remarks. He explained that the report carries the ruling of being raised to the Prophet ﷺ from several angles. Therefore, there is no difference and no contradiction.)
Those who held this belief, namely that of taking the covenant from the particles of the offspring, have taken support from what Anas ibn Malik narrated from the Prophet ﷺ that he said:
Iblis’ Regret at the Repentance of Adam
It has preceded that when He the Exalted commanded the angels to prostrate to Adam they all obeyed the command, while Iblis refused to prostrate to him out of envy and enmity. So Allah expelled him, cast him far away, drove him out from the noble presence and banished him from it, and sent him down to the earth as one rejected and cursed, a rebellious devil.
Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
The Length of Adam’s Stay in the Garden
When Allah settled Adam in the Garden in which He placed him, he and his wife Hawwa remained in it eating plentifully from wherever they wished. When they both ate from the tree from which they had been prohibited, they were stripped of what they had been clothed in and sent down to the earth.
We have already mentioned the different statements regarding the place to which he descended. They also differed regarding how long he remained in the Garden and whether any child was born to them in the Garden. None of this has any authentic report.
They mentioned that a child was born to them from every pregnancy as a boy and a girl, and that he was commanded to marry each son to the sister of his brother who was born with him, and the other sister to the other brother, and so on. It was not permissible for a man to marry his own twin sister. None of this has any authentic chain.
The Story of the Two Sons of Adam, Qabil and Habil
Allah the Exalted said:
وَاتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ ابْنَيْ آدَمَ بِالْحَقِّ إِذْ قَرَّبَا قُرْبَانًا فَتُقُبِّلَ مِنْ أَحَدِهِمَا وَلَمْ يُتَقَبَّلْ مِنَ الْآخَرِ قَالَ لَأَقْتُلَنَّكَ قَالَ إِنَّمَا يَتَقَبَّلُ اللَّهُ مِنَ الْمُتَّقِينَ لَئِنْ بَسَطْتَ إِلَيَّ يَدَكَ لِتَقْتُلَنِي مَا أَنَا بِبَاسِطٍ يَدِيَ إِلَيْكَ لِأَقْتُلَكَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ إِنِّي أُرِيدُ أَنْ تَبُوءَ بِإِثْمِي وَإِثْمِكَ فَتَكُونَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّارِ وَذَٰلِكَ جَزَاءُ الظَّالِمِينَ فَطَوَّعَتْ لَهُ نَفْسُهُ قَتْلَ أَخِيهِ فَقَتَلَهُ فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ غُرَابًا يَبْحَثُ فِي الْأَرْضِ لِيُرِيَهُ كَيْفَ يُوَارِي سَوْءَةَ أَخِيهِ قَالَ يَا وَيْلَتَىٰ أَعَجَزْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِثْلَ هَٰذَا الْغُرَابِ فَأُوَارِيَ سَوْءَةَ أَخِي فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ النَّادِمِينَ
“And recite to them the true story of the two sons of Adam when they both offered a sacrifice, and it was accepted from one of them but not accepted from the other. The latter said, ‘I will surely kill you.’ The former said, ‘Indeed Allah accepts only from those who have taqwa.
If you stretch your hand toward me to kill me, I will not stretch my hand toward you to kill you. Indeed I fear Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Indeed I want you to bear my sin and your sin, and thus you will be among the people of the Fire.
That is the recompense of the wrongdoers.’ So his soul prompted him to kill his brother, and he killed him and became one of the losers. Then Allah sent a crow that scratched in the earth to show him how to conceal the disgrace of his brother.
He said, ‘Woe to me. Am I incapable of being like this crow and concealing the disgrace of my brother?’ Then he became one of the regretful.” (al Maidah 27–31)
His saying, when his brother threatened him with killing:
لئن بسطت إلي يدك لتقتلني ما أنا بباسط يدي إليك لأقتلك إني أخاف الله رب العالمين
“If you stretch your hand toward me to kill me, I will not stretch my hand toward you to kill you. Indeed I fear Allah, the Lord of the worlds.” (al Maidah 28)
indicates noble character, fear of Allah the Exalted, and caution from repaying his brother with the evil that his brother wanted to carry out against him.
For this reason there is a report in the two Sahihs from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that he said:
His saying:
إني أريد أن تبوأ بإثمي وإثمك فتكون من أصحاب النار وذلك جزاء الظالمين
“Indeed I want you to bear my sin and your sin and thus you will be among the people of the Fire. That is the recompense of the wrongdoers.” (al Maidah 29)
means: I want to refrain from fighting you even though I am stronger and more able than you, since you have made firm your resolve upon what you have decided.
As for his saying:
أن تبوأ بإثمي وإثمك
“That you bear my sin and your sin,”
it means that you will carry the sin for killing me together with whatever sins you already possessed. This was said by Mujahid, al Suddi, Ibn Jarir and many others.
The meaning is not that the sins of the one who is killed transfer to the killer just because he killed him, as some people have imagined.
Ibn Jarir transmitted consensus upon the opposite of that.
As for the hadith which some of those who have little knowledge narrate from the Prophet ﷺ, that he said, “The killer leaves nothing of the sin of the killed person,” this has no basis. It is not known in any of the books of hadith with an authentic, good or even weak chain either. (See al Silsilah al Daifah 287)
He said, “What do you command me if I meet that time?”
Hudhayfah ibn al Yaman narrated it in a report raised to the Prophet ﷺ, and he said, “Be like the better of the two sons of Adam.” There is a similar narration from Abu Dharr which Muslim and the authors of the Sunan, except al Nasai, transmitted. (Sound through supporting witnesses. Reported by Ibn Marduyah in his Tafsir as in Tafsir al Quran al Adheem 2/42 with a weak chain because there is a man not named in it, but it has authentic supporting routes from Saad and Abu Dharr, so it rises to the level of authenticity. The intended meaning is the original hadith, which does not contain mention of the tribulation.)
As for the other son, it is as Ibn Masud said. He said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
The mountain of Qasiun to the north of Damascus has a cave known as the Cave of Blood which is famous as the place where Qabil killed his brother Habil. This is something taken from the people of the Book. Allah knows best about its correctness. (Likewise the names of the two sons of Adam have only been transmitted from the people of the Book. There is nothing authentic about them.)
His saying the Exalted:
فبعث الله غرابا يبحث في الأرض ليريه كيف يواري سوأة أخيه قال يا ويلتى أعجزت أن أكون مثل هذا الغراب فأواري سوأة أخي فأصبح من النادمين
“Then Allah sent a crow that scratched in the earth to show him how to conceal the disgrace of his brother. He said, ‘Woe to me. Am I incapable of being like this crow and concealing the disgrace of my brother?’ Then he became one of the regretful.” (al Maidah 31)
Some of them mentioned that after he killed him he carried him on his back and continued to carry him like that until Allah sent two crows that fought each other and one killed the other. When it killed it, it turned to the earth and dug in it, then cast the dead crow into it and buried and concealed it. When he saw it doing that he said:
يا ويلتى أعجزت أن أكون مثل هذا الغراب فأواري سوأة أخي فأصبح من النادمين
“Woe to me. Am I incapable of being like this crow and concealing the disgrace of my brother?” (al Maidah 31)
So he did as the crow had done. He concealed and buried his brother.
They have mentioned that Qabil was hastened with punishment on the day he killed his brother as a hastening of the recompense for his sin, transgression and envy of his brother in relation to their parents. (The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said in a long hadith that Ahmad 5/149 and 163, Abu Dawud 4261, Ibn Majah 3958, Ibn Hibban 5960 and al Hakim 2/156 and 4 423 reported with a chain authentic upon the conditions of Muslim, and which Muslim 648, Abu Dawud 431, al Tirmidhi 176 and Ibn Majah 1256 transmitted in a shorter form only mentioning the story of the prayer, that he said:
“There is no sin more deserving that Allah hastens its punishment in this worldly life along with what He stores for its companion in the Hereafter than transgression and cutting family ties.”(Reported by al Bukhari in al Adab al Mufrad 29, Ahmad 5/36 and 38, Abu Dawud 4902, al Tirmidhi 2511 and Ibn Majah 4211 from Abu Bakrah with an authentic chain.)
After that people spread and became numerous, extended themselves in the earth and multiplied, as He the Exalted said:
يا أيها الناس اتقوا ربكم الذي خلقكم من نفس واحدة وخلق منها زوجها وبث منهما رجالا كثيرا ونساء واتقوا الله الذي تساءلون به والأرحام إن الله كان عليكم رقيبا
“O mankind, fear your Lord who created you from a single soul and created from it its spouse and spread from them many men and women. Fear Allah in whose Name you ask one another and the wombs. Indeed Allah is ever, over you, an Observer.” (al Nisa 1)
The Rejected Story about Adam and Hawwa Falling into Shirk
Allah the Exalted said:
هو الذي خلقكم من نفس واحدة وجعل منها زوجها ليسكن إليها فلما تغشاها حملت حملا خفيفا فمرت به فلما أثقلت دعوا الله ربهما لئن آتيتنا صالحا لنكونن من الشاكرين فلما آتاهما صالحا جعلا له شركاء فيما آتاهما فتعالى الله عما يشركون
“It is He who created you from a single soul and made from it its spouse that he might find rest with her. When he covered her she carried a light burden and continued with it.
When it became heavy they both called upon Allah, their Lord, ‘If You give us a righteous child we will surely be among the thankful.’ But when He gave them a righteous child they made partners for Him in what He had given them. Exalted is Allah above what they associate.” (al Araf 189–190)
This is first a reminder by mentioning Adam. Then the speech moves on to humankind in general, and the point is not to mention Adam and Hawwa. When the individual was mentioned, the discourse moved on to the kind, just as in His saying:
ولقد خلقنا الإنسان من سلالة من طين ثم جعلناه نطفة في قرار مكين
“And indeed We created the human from an extract of clay, then We made him a drop in a firm lodging.” (al Muminun 12–13)
and His saying:
ولقد زينا السماء الدنيا بمصابيح وجعلناها رجوما للشياطين وأعتدنا لهم عذاب السعير
“And indeed We have adorned the lowest heaven with lamps and made them as missiles for the devils and We have prepared for them the punishment of the Blaze.” (al Mulk 5)
It is known that the missiles against the devils are not the very same as the lamps of the sky. Rather the discourse moves from the individual to the group.
As for the hadith from al Hasan from Samurah from the Prophet ﷺ that he said:
“When Hawwa became pregnant, Iblis went around her. Previously none of her children survived. He said, ‘Name him Abd al Harith, for he will live.’ So they named him Abd al Harith, and he lived. That was from the revelation of the devil and his command.” (Weak. Reported by Ahmad 5 11, al Tirmidhi 3077, Ibn Jarir in Jami al Bayan 9 99, Ibn Abi Hatim 5 1631, al Hakim 2 545 from Samurah with a weak chain, as the author, may Allah have mercy on him, clarified in Tafsir al Quran al Adheem 2 253, and al Albani, may Allah have mercy on him, in al Silsilah al Daifah 342.)
Al Hasan al Basri interpreted these verses with a meaning other than this. If he had possessed from Samurah a raised narration concerning this he would not have left it for another interpretation, and Allah knows best.
Furthermore Allah the Exalted only created Adam and Hawwa so that they be the origin of humankind and so that He spread from them many men and women. How then could it be that none of the male children of Hawwa survived, as this story mentions, if it were sound?
Moreover Adam and Hawwa were more God fearing than what has been mentioned about them here. Adam is the father of humankind, whom Allah created with His Hand, breathed into him from His spirit, made His angels prostrate to him, taught him the names of all things and settled him in His Garden.
Abu Dharr said, “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, how many prophets were there?’ He said, ‘One hundred and twenty four thousand.’
I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, how many messengers were there among them?’ He said, ‘Three hundred and thirteen, a large company.’
I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, who was the first of them?’ He said, ‘Adam.’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, was he a prophet sent?’
He said, ‘Yes. Allah created him with His Hand, then He breathed into him from His spirit, then He fashioned him as He willed.’” (Authentic. Reported by Ibn Hibban 361, al Tabarani in al Kabir 1651, Abu Nuaym in al Hilyah 1/166, al Tayalisi 478, Ahmad 5/178 and 179 and 265, al Nasai in al Kubra 9/180 11968, al Hakim 2/597, al Bayhaqi 4/9 and others through routes from Abu Dharr. With all of them together it is authentic, even though some do not escape criticism. al Albani declared it authentic in Mishkat 5737 and in al Silsilah al Sahihah 2668.)
I said, “O Jibril, what is this?”
This is suitable, for Allah created Adam and formed him with His noble Hand and breathed into him from His spirit. It was not fitting that He create anything but the most excellent of things.
Abdullah ibn Amr and Ibn Umar both reported, in statements both stopped and raised, that:
“When Allah the Exalted created the Garden, the angels said, ‘Our Lord, make this for us, for You have created for the children of Adam the worldly life in which they eat and drink.’ He said, ‘By My might and My majesty, I will not make the righteous offspring of him whom I created with My two Hands like the one to whom I said “Be” and he was.’” (Reported by al Darimi in al Radd ala Bishr al Marisi 1/256. He said, “Abdullah ibn Salih narrated to us, he said, al Layth narrated to me, he said, Hisham narrated to me, he said, Hisham ibn Sad narrated to me from Zayd ibn Aslam from Ata ibn Yasar from Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al As, and he stopped it.”
This chain is good, despite the disagreement about Abdullah ibn Salih. In summary, what comes from the narration of the precise and careful imams is from the authentic reports, and their narrations from him are sound. This report is of that type, since its narrator from Abdullah ibn Salih is Imam al Darimi.
It is possible, however, that its origin is from the Israiliyyat which some of those who had been People of the Book and then embraced Islam used to narrate, and Allah knows best. The report has supporting narrations, but they are weak and defective upon scrutiny. See Tafsir al Quran al Adheem 5 125 and the comments of al Albani upon al Aqidah al Tahawiyyah, page 305.)
The Death Of Prophet Adam & His Will To Seth
The meaning of the name Seth is Gift of Allah, and they named him that because they were granted him after Abel was killed. When Adam عليه السلام passed away, and that was on a Friday, the angels came to him with burial perfume and a shroud from Allah the Mighty and Exalted, from the Garden, and they offered condolences for him to his son and trustee Seth عليه السلام.
From Ubayy, who is Ibn Damrah al Saadi, who said: I saw an old man in Madinah speaking, so I asked about him, and they said: This is Ubayy ibn Kab.
He said: When death came to Adam, he said to his children: “My children, I long for some of the fruits of the Garden.” So they went out seeking them for him.
The angels met them, and with them were his shrouds and his burial perfume, and they had with them axes, spades, and baskets. They said to them: “O children of Adam, what is it that you want and what are you seeking?” or “What is it that you want and where are you seeking it?” They said: “Our father is sick and he has longed for some of the fruits of the Garden.”
They said to them: “Go back, for your father has already passed away.” So they returned, and when Eve saw them she recognised them, and she clung to Adam. He said: “Move away from me, for it is from your direction that this came upon me.
Leave me with the angels of my Lord the Mighty and Exalted.” So they took his soul, washed him, shrouded him, applied burial perfume to him, dug for him, made a lahd for him, and prayed over him.
Then they entered him into his grave, placed him in his grave, then heaped earth over him. Then they said: “O children of Adam, this is your way.” (Authentic. It was recorded by Abdullah ibn Ahmad in Zawaid al Musnad (5/136), al Tabarani in al Awsat (8/157/8261 and 9/105–106/9259), Ibn Saad in al Tabaqat (1/33), Ibn Jarir in Tarikh al Umam wa al Muluk (1/100), and Ibn Asakir in Tarikh Dimashq (7/455–456) from Ubayy. It is authentic, as the author, may Allah have mercy on him, said. Al Hakim also recorded it as raised to the Prophet (1/344), and it is authentic.)
Its chain to him is authentic.
There is no contradiction between it being raised and it being stopped, because the stopped report is in the ruling of being raised, since such matters are not said from personal opinion and reasoning.
They differed regarding the place of his burial.
Eve died after him.
They also differed regarding the length of his life عليه السلام. We have already mentioned in the hadith from Ibn Abbas and Abu Hurayrah, raised to the Prophet ﷺ, that his lifespan was written in al Lawh al Mahfuz as 1000 years.
This is not in conflict with what is in the Tawrah, that he lived 930 years, because this statement of theirs is criticised and rejected when it opposes the truth that is with us, which is preserved from the infallible one ﷺ.
Also, this statement of theirs can be reconciled with what is in the hadith. What is in the Tawrah, if it has been preserved, is carried upon the period of his stay on earth after the descent, and that is 930 solar years, which in lunar years is 957 years.
To that is added 43 years, which is the period of his stay in the Garden before the descent, as Ibn Jarir and others mentioned, so that the total is 1000 years.
