Adam (PBUH)

Adam (PBUH)

Bashar Bakkour

The holy Prophet Adam, (Peace Be Upon Him), was the father of Mankind and the first human being to set foot on the earth. He is mentioned in six long Quranic texts telling the story of his creation and other related events, most remarkable of which is Iblis's rejection of Allah's Divine Order to prostrate himself to Adam.  The first Quranic text is:   ﴾ Remember when your Lord said to the angels: "I will make a viceroy on the earth." They said: "Will you place in it those (human beings) who will make mischief in it and shed blood while we do celebrate Your Praise and Glory?" He (Allah) said: "I know what you do not know." And He (Allah) taught Adam the names of all things, and then He offered them to the angels and said: "Tell me the names of these (things) if you are truthful." They replied: "Glory to You! We have no knowledge except that which You  have taught us. Verily, You are All-Knowing and All-Wise. He (Allah) said to Adam: "Tell them the names of these things." When he (Adam) told them their names, He (Allah) said: "Did I not tell you that I know what is unseen in the heavens and the earth and that I know what you reveal and what you conceal?" And remember when We said to the angels: "Prostrate yourselves to Adam." They all fell down prostrate, except Iblis (Satan), who refused haughtily and was one of the disbelievers. And We said to Adam: "Dwell, you and your, wife in Paradise. And eat, both of you, easefully where you desire, but do not go near this tree, otherwise you will be one of the wrong doers." However, Satan caused them to slip from it (Paradise), from the felicity which they were enjoying. And We said: "Get down (all of you) to the earth, some of you will be enemies of the others. The earth will be the place for your dwelling and enjoyment for a time." Then Adam received some words from his Lord, Who accepted his repentance. Verily, He is Ever the Acceptor of Repentance, the Most Merciful. ﴿ [1]   [2: 30-37]                                          

The word "Adam" in Arabic is derived either from "Adim al-Ard", which means: "the surface of the earth" or from "Al-Udmah", which means "brownness".

Allah, Glory to Him, informed His angels that He would create a human being, whom He would call 'Adam', and of whose offspring would be generations succeeding one another.  By way of enquiry not objection, the Angels asked: "Will you place in it (the earth) some people who will make mischief…?" [ibid] In other words, they enquired whether the new human creature would commit evil deeds or spread corruption on earth, while they glorified the Lord in absolute obedience and devotion. In fact, they desired to know the wisdom behind creating such a new human creature as Adam.

However, an imperative question may arise in this context: What made the angels think that the new human creature, and his offspring, would make such probable mischief on earth? In answer to this question, two suggestions have been put forward. The first suggestion was adopted by Abdullah Ibn Omar and Ibn Abbas, two eminent commentators of the Holy Quran, who mentioned that before the creation of Adam, (PBUH), Jinn had dwelled on earth. They had made a lot of mischief and committed heinous crimes and murders. Therefore, the Almighty Allah sent hosts of angels who killed some of them and forced the others to have recourse to the seas and summits.[2]

The second suggestion, adopted by some contemporary commentators, such as Sheikh Abdurrahman Habannakah, holds that the foregoing Quranic verses could be interpreted as follows: The angels asked Allah, All Mighty, to describe the qualities of the new human creature to them. Allah, Glory to Him, informed them that among Adam's human characteristics are a free will, whereby he makes his own choices, the ability to learn and acquire knowledge, lusty desires and caprices that he strives to satisfy even by committing sins and misdeeds. Such illaudable human traits are conducive to lots of mischief and bloodshed. [3]    

The latter opinion is supported by At-Tabari, a well-known Quranic commentator, in his tradition that goes to the same effect, confirming vulnerability of Adam's offspring to such illaudable human traits as envy, corruption, murder, and bloodshed. [4]

However, Allah's answer to the angels' enquiry came: "I know what you know not."  In other words, Allah, alone, knows the wisdom behind the creation of mankind.

Phases of Adam's Creation:

 It is common knowledge that Adam, (PBUH), was created from clay, a mixture of water and dust.  In their collections of Prophetic Hadith, Ahmad, Abu Dawoud, and Attirmidhi narrated on authority of Abu Mousa Al-Ash'ari that the Prophet, (PBUH), said:  "Allah created Adam from a handful (of dust) that He took from the entire earth. Thus, Adam's children are similar to the earth (in terms of color, substance and quality). They are red, white, black, or other colors in range; and they are gentle, tough, vicious or virtuous."[5]

 In the book of Genesis (Ch. 2: 7) of the Old Testament, we read: "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. And man became a living soul."

As stated by Sheikh Abdurrahman Habannakah in his commentary of the Holy Quran, "Ma'arij At-Tafakkur", Adam's creation went through several phases:

Firstly, there was the Teen (clay) phase about which the Quran says, ﴾Remember when your Lord said to the angels: 'I am creating a human being from Teen (clay). When I have fashioned him and breathed into him of My Spirit, fall down prostrate to him.'} [38: 71-72]

Secondly, Over the time, the clay turned into Hama' Masnoun (black molded mud), which in turn became Salsal (dried clay). The Quranic reference to this phase goes, ﴾ We created Man from Salsal (dried clay), of Hama' Masnoun (black molded mud). And previously, We created the Jinn from the fierce, fiery wind. And remember when your Lord said to the angels, ' I am going to create a human being from dried clay of black molded mud. When I have fashioned him and breathed into him of My Spirit, fall down prostrate to him '} [15: 26- 29]

These verses, which were revealed later, clearly confirm the information that has to do with the first phase of the creation of Adam as mentioned in verses [38: 71, 72] above.

Thirdly, after a period of time, Allah made the dried clay into the form of a human being, which was the ultimate form of Adam's body before the spirit was breathed into him.

Referring to this third phase, the Quranic verse goes, {We created and then fashioned (all of) you.} [7: 11] This means that Allah created Adam's body in due proportion, but since he was the forefather of human beings, all his offspring are addressed in the above verse.

In his book of Prophetic Hadith, Imam Muslim, narrated on the authority of Anas that the Prophet, (PBUH), said, "When Allah created Adam in the heaven, He left him (in the form He created him) as long as He desired to leave him (i.e. for a certain period of time). (Out of curiosity), Satan started to go round Adam looking at him. Once he saw that Adam had a hollow body, he realized that he is a weak creature."[6]

Another Prophetic Hadith goes, "Allah created Adam on Friday." [7]

A third Hadith also says, "Allah created Adam with a height of 60 cubits. Therefore, those humans that enter the Garden (of Paradise) will assume Adam's form (i.e. height), although their creation (i.e. height) has been reducing ever since."  [8]

Fourthly, Allah breathed, of His Spirit, into Adam's body, which had already been created and shaped.  In this context, the Quranic verse goes, {And then He fashioned him and breathed into him of His Spirit.} [32: 9] This means that Allah breathed into Adam a part of the Spirit, which is one of His magnificent creatures, and by which inanimate matter becomes alive according to the intrinsic characteristics in which He originally created it.[9] 

Adam is Taught the Names of Things: 

In His Divine Book, the Holy Quran, Allah says, {And He (Allah) taught Adam the names of all things, and then He offered them to the angels and said, 'Tell me the names of these (things) if you are truthful.'} [2: 31] Having being created and given the potentiality to acquire knowledge, Adam was taught by Allah, Glory to Him, the names of all things. With respect to the meaning of the word 'names' in the foregoing verse, commentators hold divergent opinions.

According to Ibn Abbas, the names were those of common things, such as names of persons, animals, plains, mountains, camel, etc. Mujahid holds that Adam was taught the names of all things. [10]

It is worth mentioning that the use of the demonstrative pronoun 'these' in the foregoing verse indicates that Allah must have taught Adam the names of the things that he could see with his own eyes. 

In the same context, we read in the book of Genesis (ch. 2  :19-20): "And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field."

Angels are ordered to prostrate themselves to Adam:

Having created Adam and breathed into him of His Spirit, Allah commanded the angels to prostrate themselves to Adam as a sign of honor not worship. To this effect, Allah says, {Remember when your Lord said to the angels, 'I am creating a human being from clay. When I have fashioned him and breathed into him of My Spirit, fall down prostrate to him.' The angels fell down prostrate all together. Except Iblis (Satan), he was arrogant and became one of the disbelievers. } [38: 71-74]

Although Allah had already known Iblis's inner intentions, He asked him why he refused to prostrate himself to Adam. Iblis claimed that he was superior to Adam, since he was created out of fire, while Adam was created out of clay. Iblis wrongly believed that fire was better than clay and that it was unfair that a superior creature should prostrate to an inferior one. Anyway, Allah said, {'O Iblis! What prevents you from prostrating yourself to him, whom I have created with My both Hands?! Are you too proud, or are you of the high exalted?' Iblis said, 'I am better than he is. You created me from fire, while You created him from clay.'} [38: 75- 76] However, envy and arrogance stood behind Iblis's rejection and disobedience.

Due to his insolent arrogance, Iblis was expelled from the heavenly world. Allah commanded him, saying, {'Then get out from it (Paradise)! You are accursed; and the curse will be on you till the Day of Judgment.'} [15: 34- 35] Allah also addressed him, {'Get down from it. It is not for you to be proud here. Get out; you are one of the degraded'} [7: 13]   

Admitting Alla's Divinity, Iblis said, {'O my Lord, respite me till the day when they are raised up (i.e. as You issued this decree to dismiss me from Your Mercy, so keep me alive till the Day of Judgment).'} [15: 36] Allah answered Iblis's request and promised to respite him to the Resurrection Day. To this effect, the verse goes, {He (Allah) said, 'You are among the ones that are given respite till the day of the time appointed.'} [15: 37- 38] Having received the Divine Promise, Iblis declared that he would make each and every endeavor to allure Adam's children away from the straight path.  He said, {'I swear by Your Glory, that I will seduce them all, except Your Chosen Servants.'} [38: 82-83] He added arrogantly, {'Do You see this (creature) whom You have honored above me? If You give me respite till the Day of Resurrection, I will surely lead astray his descendents, except a few of them.'} [17: 62] Another Quranic verse shows the outlines of Iblis's plans of seduction: {He said, 'Because you caused me to go astray, I shall sit in ambush for them (Adam's children) and prevent them from following Your Straight Path. Then I shall come upon them from before them, from behind them, from their right hands and from their left hands; and You will not find most of them thankful.'} [7: 16- 17] However, Allah, the Most Merciful, said, {'You will have no power over My faithful servants, except those who follow you of the wrong doers.'} [15: 42]

Is Iblis an Angel?

The majority of religious scholars hold that Iblis was not an angel. They cite the following evidences:

1- Iblis was from the Jinn, as the verse clearly indicates {And remember when We said to the angels: 'Prostrate to Adam', they prostrated, except Iblis, he was one of the Jinn. He transgressed the command of His Lord } [18: 50]

2- If Iblis were an angle, he would not have defied Allah's Order, for angels are always obedient to the Lord. The Quran describes them, saying, {They (Angels) never disobey Allah's Commands, but they do what they are commanded. } [66: 6]

3- Iblis was created of fire, while angels were created of light. In the Holy Quran, Iblis is quoted as saying, {'I am better than him (Adam). You created me from fire, and You created him from clay.'} [38: 76] By the same token, the authentic Prophetic Hadith says, "Angels were created from light, Jinn from smokeless fire, and Adam from what has been described to you."[11]

4- Angels are not to be described with either masculinity or femininity. Therefore, they are not subject to the laws of sexual reproduction, unlike Iblis, who has progeny, as mentioned in the verse: {Will you take him (Iblis) and his offspring as friends instead of Me (Allah). } [18: 50][12]

The Creation of Hawa' (Eve):

After the creation of Adam, Allah made Eve from his body. In relation to that, the verse says, {O mankind, fear your Lord who created you from a single (human) being (Adam), and from him He created his mate (Eve).} [4: 1] According to an authentic Prophetic Hadith, it is confirmed that "woman was created from a rib (of man)."[13]

Further information is provided in the book of Genesis (Ch. 2: 21-23): "And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept. And He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh instead thereof. And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said: This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called (Woman), because she was taken out of man."

It is unknown whether Eve's creation took place before entrance into Paradise or after it. Eve is also named Hawa' because she is the mother of every human being.

Adam & Eve in the Garden:

Upon the creation of Adam and Eve, they were both made to live in a Garden that some scholars claim to be in the heaven. 

Regarding the location of that Garden, there are different opinions.

The majority of Islamic religious scholars believe that it is the Paradise promised to the believers on the Judgment Day. Supporting their view, they cite two proofs:

1- The following verse: {We said to Adam: 'Dwell, you and your, wife in al-Jannah (Paradise)' } [2: 35] The usage of the definite article al (the) in Al-Jannah refers to a certain known Garden, namely that of Paradise.

2- The genuine Prophetic Hadith: "(On the Day of Judgment) Allah gathers all mankind together. When Paradise is brought near to the believers, they go to Adam saying: 'O our father! Ask (the Lord) to open Paradise to us.'  He replies: 'Did anything cause you to be driven out of Paradise except your father's sin?'"

In contrast, the Mu'tazilite, and some scholars of the Maturide view the Garden as different from that into which the believers will be admitted on the Judgment Day, as mentioned above. This is because in the Garden in which Adam and Eve were made to live, they were ordered not to come near or eat from a particular fruit tree, but under Satan's malicious insinuations, they disobeyed the Lord and ate from the tree. In the Paradise promised to the believers, however, such things as happened to Adam and Eve do not exist.[14]

The Mu'tazilite and Maturide schools also differ as regards the location of the Garden, whether in the heaven or on the earth. According to a tradition of the Old Testament, it was in an area near Iraq. To this effect, we read: "And the Lord planted a Garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the Adam whom He had formed." (The book of Genesis: Ch. 2: 8)

As for the descent of Adam and Eve from the Garden, various traditions are mentioned. In words of Ibn Abbas: Adam was made to get down to India, while Eve to Judah (In Saudi Arabia). Later on, they met in a place called Muzdalifah near 'Arafah.

In another tradition, it is stated that Adam was made to get down on the highest summit on earth.  [15]

Irrespective of its location, it should be stressed that the dwelling of Adam and his wife in the Garden meant to be a sort of trial for both.

The Holy Quran says that before their entering the Garden, Adam and his wife had been warned by the Lord of Satan's evil temptations. To this effect, the verses go: {And remember when We (Allah) said to the angels: 'Prostrate to Adam' They all prostrated, except Iblis (Satan); he refused. Then We (Allah) said: 'O Adam, certainly this is an enemy to you and your wife. Therefore, do not enable him to drive you both out of the Garden and thence you (Adam) will be loaded with Misery'} 20; 116-117]

In its broadest sense, the word 'Misery' in the above verse refers to all of the unpleasant and undesirable aspects of human life on earth (e.g. illness, agony, anxiety, suffering etc). Further, the clause "thence you (Adam) will be loaded with misery" in the above Quranic verse is addressed to Adam alone, which bears the implication that he is the one who has to assume more life responsibilities and hardships than Eve does.[16]

While dwelling in the Garden, Adam and his wife were permitted to eat freely from all trees except only one. With this respect, the Quranic verse goes: {O Adam, dwell you and your wife in the Garden. Eat whatever you like, but do not approach this tree, lest you become wrongdoers.}  [7: 19] Islamic traditions do not give any definite account of the tree, although the book of Genesis describes it as "the tree of knowledge of good and evil". (Ch. 2: 9)

Satan's Evil Strategies:     

In revenge for his expulsion from the Garden and Heaven, due to obstinacy and arrogance, as previously mentioned, Iblis undertook solemnly to seduce Adam and his progeny.

The Holy Quran portrays Satan's methods of seduction: {But Satan whispered to him (Adam), saying: 'O Adam, shall I lead you to the tree of immortality, and a kingdom which does not decay?' } [20:120] The remarkable thing about this verse is that Iblis from now on is given a new name, Satan, which implies his rebellious character and malicious plotting against Adam and his offspring. In order to tempt Adam, Satan, apparently out of feigned love and sincere advice, offered to show him what he claimed to be "the tree of immortality" and the ever-lasting kingdom (as if such a tree had already been known among the inhabitants of the Heaven). Driven by curiosity, Adam wanted to see the immortal tree and eat from it. Upon seeing the tree, however, he realized, later on, that it was nothing but the forbidden one.  

A dialogue must have taken place between Adam and Satan. Adam must have explained to Satan that the Lord had already forbidden him to approach or eat from that tree. Adam was definitely certain that if he disobeyed the order, he and his wife would be among the wrongdoers and, hence, would be expelled from the Garden.

Having failed to seduce Adam to eat from the forbidden tree, Satan maliciously tried to get Eve involved in the dialogue, in the hope of attaining his wicked intentions through her. In this context, the Quranic verse goes: { But Satan whispered to them, in order to reveal to them that which was hidden form them of their shameful parts, saying:' You Lord has forbidden you to approach this tree only to prevent you from becoming angels or becoming immortal' Then he swore to them (saying):' I am a sincere adviser to you' } [7:20-21]

It is obvious that Adam had been afraid of falling sinful. Therefore, he requested an evidence of truthfulness from Satan, who immediately made a solemn oath marking the beginning of a new step of his spiteful allurement. To this purport, the verse reads, { So he led them by delusion } [7:22] He may have said to them: "You do not have to eat. Just taste!" 

 It is worth remarking that this devilish method of gradual seduction has always been adopted by Satan's hosts from among both Jinn and humans.[17]

Adam was simply overcome not only by his human weakness and overwhelming desire to become an angel or an immortal creature but also by Eve's temptation to eat from the forbidden tree, as well as Satan's solemn oath that eating from that tree would certainly help him achieve his desire. As a result, he forgot Allah's Divine Order and ate from the forbidden tree, along with his wife. Upon doing that, Adam and Eve both went naked.

 The Quranic verse descries their situation as follows: {When they ate of the tree, their shameful parts appeared to them, and they both started to cover themselves with the leaves of (the trees of) Paradise. } [7:22. See 20:121].

It should be mentioned that Satan must have known already that eating from this forbidden tree would cause nakedness, as we learn from the Quranic verse: { And Satan whispered to them in order to reveal to them that which was hidden form them of their shameful parts.} [7:20]

Allah reproached Adam and his wife, saying: { 'Did I not forbid you from approaching that tree, and warn you that Satan is your manifest enemy?' } [7:22]

Sorrowfully and regretfully, they replied: {'Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You do not forgive us and have mercy on us, we shall, certainly, be of the losers.' } [7:23]

Due to their grievous erroneous act, they were all commanded to descend to the earth: {Get down (all of you) to the earth, some of you will be enemies of the others. The earth will be the place for your dwelling and enjoyment for a time. } [2:36]

In distress, Adam supplicated His Lord, the Most Merciful, to forgive him. The Lord, in response, revealed to him certain words to incorporate in his supplication. To this effect, the verse goes: {Then Adam received some words from his Lord, Who accepted his repentance. Verily, He is Ever the Acceptor of Repentance, the Most Merciful. } [2: 30-37]  In another verse, we read: { Then his Lord chose him, turned again unto him, and guided him. } [20:122]

Was Adam both a Prophet and Messenger?

Consensus holds that Adam was the first Prophet, yet his being a Messenger has been a controversial issue. Undoubtedly, Adam was a Prophet in the sense that he communicated Allah's Divine Commands to his own family and children.

The Story of Qabil &Habil (Cain&Abel):

Traditions state that Eve gave birth to forty twins in twenty deliveries, a male and a female in every delivery. With Allah's Permission, Adam married each son to his brother's twin sister. He did not marry a male to the female of the same delivery. However, one of Adam's sons, Abel, wanted to get married to the twin sister of his brother, Cain. But Cain wanted to keep his twin sister for himself because she was very beautiful. Adam ordered Cain to allow his twin sister to get married to Abel, but Cain refused, saying that he had more right to her. In order to solve this problem, Adam bade them both to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. "The one whose sacrifice is accepted by the Lord will marry her," said Adam. Abel, who had goats, sacrificed one of his best and fattest ones. But Cain, who was a farmer, sacrificed a bundle of the worst plants he owned. A fire was sent down to devour Abel's accepted sacrifice. Thus, Cain got angry and threatened to kill his brother if he married his beautiful twin sister. Abel replied: "Allah accepts only from the righteous." In the end, Cain killed his brother and became one of the losers.

Regarding the story of Adam's two sons, the Quran says: {And recite to them the story of the two sons of Adam truthfully, when both of them offered a sacrifice. It was accepted of one of them, and not accepted of the other. 'I will surely slay you,' said one. 'Allah accepts only of the righteous,' said the other. 'Yet if you stretch out your hand against me to slay me, I will not stretch out my hand against you to slay you. I fear Allah, the Lord of all being.' } [5:27-28] [18]

In a Prophetic Tradition, we read: "Never is a person killed unjustly but a part of his blood is on the hands of the first son of Adam, because he was the first to innovate murder"[19]

An Important Hadith Concerning Adam's Creation:

As regards the creation of Adam, a long authentic Prophetic Hadith provides a number of critical issues. Narrated Ibn Hibban, A renowned traditionist, on the authority of Abu Huraurah, a well-known companion, that the Prophet said: "When Allah created Adam, and breathed into him the Spirit, Adam sneezed and said: 'Praise be to Allah.' Adam praised Allah with His Permission. So, His Lord said to him: "O Adam, may your Lord have mercy on you. Go to those angels, to a group of them sitting, and greet them." (Adam went to the angels) and said: "Peace be upon you." "Allah's Peace and Mercy be upon you," they replied. Then, he returned to his Lord, Who said to him: "This will be your greeting, and your children's among themselves. Then Allah, the Most Exalted, said to Adam, with His Divine Hands gripped: "Choose whichever (Hand) you like." Adam said: "I have chosen my Lord's Right-Hand. Both of my Lord's Hands are Right and Blessed." Then Allah opened His Divine Hands with Adam and his offspring therein. Adam asked: 'O my Lord, who are these?' Allah answered: 'They are your offspring.' Behold! The age of each one of them appeared inscribed between his/her eyes. Behold! Among them was a man who looked the brightest, or one of the brightest, and who was destined to live only forty years. Adam asked: 'Who is that?' 'That is your son David,' Allah answered. Allah decreed that his (David's) age would be forty years. Adam said: 'O my Lord, increase in his age.' 'This is what I have decreed for him.' Allah replied. Then Adam said: 'I would like to grant him another sixty years of my own life.' Allah said: 'As you wish.' (After some time) Allah said to Adam: 'Dwell in Paradise.' Adam dwelled in Paradise as long as Allah willed. Then he was made to descend (to the earth) from it (on eating from the forbidden tree). (On earth) Adam used to count down his remaining days. Then, the angle of death came to Adam (to take his soul). Adam said to him: 'You have come before due time. I was destined to live a thousand years.' The angle replied: 'That's right, but you have granted your son, David, sixty years of them.' Adam denied, and so did his offspring (afterwards); and he forgot, and so did his offspring. For that reason, records and witnesses have been enjoined." [20]

Adam's Demise:

According to the above-cited Hadith, Adam lived for a thousand years but sixty, which he had granted to his son, David.

As for his place of burial, he is said to have been buried in India, or in Mecca (Abu Qubays Cave).

Adam in the Old-Testament:

1- In the book of Genesis (Ch. 1: 26), we read: "And God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.'" This shows that Adam, according to the Bible, resembles God's image.

2- No reference is made to the angels' prostration to Adam, nor to their statement, {Will you place in it (the earth) those (human beings) who will make mischief in it and shed blood, while we do celebrate Your Praise and Glory? } as mentioned in the Holy Quran [ 2:30].

3- There is no mention of the following matters: The Lord's teaching Adam the names of all things, Adam's superiority over the angels, because of his ability to learn and acquire knowledge. On the other hand, the book of Genesis refers to God's fear when He knew by chance that Adam had eaten from the tree of knowledge.

4- The Old Testament is silent as regards the story of Satan with Adam: Satan's arrogance and rejection of the Divine order, and his evil plans against Adam and Eve.

5- In the Old Testament, it is claimed that it was the serpent that tempted Eve to eat from the tree of knowledge, and that it was Eve that convinced Adam to eat from the tree. Thus, a Divine curse befell the serpent, Eve, Adam and even the earth.

6- In the Old Testament there is no mention that Adam was a Prophet or a Messenger.[21]

Morals of Adam's Story:

- Allah honored mankind by a number of things: He created their father with His own Divine Hand, He breathed His spirit into him, He ordered the angels to prostrate to him, He taught him the names of all things, and He made him His vicegerent on earth.

- A human being should always remember that he was created of dust, and to the earth his return will be. Accordingly, he must not claim superiority over other people. Laying stress on that, the Prophet, (PBUH), said: "O people! Verily, your Lord is One, and your father (Adam) is one. No Arab is (to be considered as) superior to a non-Arab, a non-Arab to an Arab, a red one to a black one, nor a black one to a red one, except by being more pious and righteous."[22]

- A human being should always be watchful of Satan's malicious seductions and whisperings; and he should take him for an enemy. It was Satan who caused Adam and Eve to leave Paradise. To this effect, the Quranic verse goes:  { O you children of Adam! Do not let Satan seduce you in the same way as he caused your parents to go out from Paradise!} [7:27]

- Since man is naturally a weak forgetful creature, he is highly susceptible to erring and going astray. With this respect, the Prophetic Hadith reads: "When Allah created Adam in the heaven, He left him (in the form He created him) as long as He desired to leave him (i.e. for a certain period of time). (Out of curiosity), Satan started to go round Adam looking at him. Once he saw that Adam had a hollow body, he realized that he is a weak creature." This human weakness, forgetfulness being an aspect thereof, played a major role in making Adam eat from the tree and hence become among the wrongdoers.

- A sinful person should by no means lose hope of Allah's Mercy and Forgiveness. The Most Merciful Allah says: { O my servants who transgressed against their souls! Do not despair of the Mercy of Allah, for Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful. } [39:53]   

References

- Daf' Shubah Attashbeeh, Ibn Al-Jawzi. Dar Annawawi, Jordan 1991.

- Kissas Al-Anbiya', Inb Kathir. Dar Sadr, Beruit 2003.

- Ma'arij At-Tafakkur, Abdurrahman Habannakah. Dar Al-Kalam, Damascus 2003.

- Musnad Ahmad, Dar Arrisalah, Damascus. 1993-2001.

- Sahih Muslim, Dar Al-Hadith, Cairo 1991.

- Annubuwwah wal-Anbiya', Assabouni. Dar Al-'Irfan, Syria.

- Atlas Tareekh Al-Anbiya' warrusul. Sami Al-Maghlouth. Maktabat Al-'beekan, Al-Riyad. Saudi Arabia 2001.

- Al-Insan Musayyar am Mukhayyar. Muhammad Said Ramadan Al-Buti. Dar Al-Fikr, Damascus 1998.

- Allah walanbiyya' fi Attawrah wal'ahd Al-Kadeem. Muhammad Ali Al-Bar, Dar Al-Kalam 1990.