The Story of Prophet Adam (PBUH)

Adam was the first man to be put onto this earth which we reside in now. He is NOT the first creation of Allah (God), nor is he the final creation. Adams' (PBUH) story is told in the Holy Koran. This article will firstly give the brief story of the creation of the World and Adam, then the story of Adams direct descendants will be told, then the verses concerned with this Prophet will be analyzed.

Allah (God) decided to create Adam and from him a progeny (khalifah) on the earth in the future. First, Allah created the earth and that took 6 days. He did NOT rest on the seventh day because God is almighty and all-powerful and doesn't become tired. A "day" does not necessarily mean 24 hours in this case.

إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ اللّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ يُغْشِي اللَّيْلَ النَّهَارَ يَطْلُبُهُ حَثِيثًا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ وَالنُّجُومَ مُسَخَّرَاتٍ بِأَمْرِهِ أَلاَ لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَالأَمْرُ تَبَارَكَ اللّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ

[7.54] Surely your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six periods of time [days], and He is firm in power; He throws the veil of night over the day, which it pursues incessantly; and (He created) the sun and the moon and the stars, made subservient by His command; surely His is the creation and the command; blessed is Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

Then Allah created Adam from mud/clay and shaped him into the form that we recognize as human. Adam was NOT created in the image of God if it is meant that God looked like Adam. Allah then breathed into him from his soul and His creation came to life. This means that Allah created a soul to be placed into Adam.

Adam was allowed to wander in the garden that was most beautiful but was not heaven itself. In this garden was a tree which Allah had told Adam not to eat from. Allah created a mate for Adam. "He [Allah] it is Who created you from a single being, and of the same type (human) did He make his mate..."  [Koran 7.189]. She was called Hawaa (Eve). Allah had asked all the angels and Iblees (Satan, who is not an angel) to bow down to Adam because man was Allah's newest and most superior creation. So all the angels bowed except Iblees. "He [Allah] said: O Iblis! what excuse have you that you are not with those who bowed down?" [Koran 15:32]. Iblees replied that Adam was less superior to him because Adam was created from clay and he, (Iblees) was created from fire because he was a Jinn. Iblees was headstrong, angry and jealous and refused to change his mind.

Allah was angered by Iblees and ordered him out of heaven! Allah cursed Iblees and promised him hell fire for his arrogance. But, Iblees asked of God to grant him respite (no punishment) until the day of judgement. Allah agreed since Allah is fair because Iblees used to be one of the most loyal and pious of the jinn who worshipped Him. Another reason why Allah granted Iblees respite is that He knew what Iblees was going to say after Allah had granted him this respite.

"He [Iblees] said: My Lord! because Thou hast made life evil to me, I will certainly make (evil) fair-seeming to them on earth, and I will certainly cause them all to deviate. Except Thy servants from among them, the devoted ones." [Koran 15.39-40]. So Iblees vowed that his job from thereon was to make Adam and his progeny slip and fall away from the straight path - the path that leads to heaven. The purpose of Iblees and his Shayateen (plural of Shaitan [a partner and helper of Iblees]) was now set. Allah was fully aware that this was going to happen because Allah knows everything. It encompassed His will.

Iblees went down to the garden and talked to Adam and Hawaa. We do not know what form Iblees came to them in but the bible states a snake. Muslims have no problem of understanding that Iblees came to them in his jinn form, or he came and whispered into their hearts that they should eat of the tree, but the idea of Shaitan coming in the form of a snake is unsupported as far as I know.

Iblees promised them that if they ate of the tree, nothing bad will become of them, that they would become high and mighty angels and other lies to entice them. "So by deceit he brought about their fall: when they tasted of the tree, their shame became manifest to them, and they began to sew together the leaves of the garden over their bodies. And their Lord called unto them: 'Did I not forbid you that tree, and tell you that Satan was an avowed enemy unto you?'" [Koran 7.22]. They were both to blame. After eating of the (unknown type of) fruit of the tree they became different. They became normal humans. Humans that reproduce, that urinate and excrete, that feel hunger, emotions and pain. Allah then set them both onto earth so that they may live for a certain time and then die. Adam lived on earth for 930 years according to the bible. The first of creation had very long life-spans - made possible by the will of Allah.

In Islam this story is taken very literally unlike in some other religions were there is a trend of people who believe that this story is not literal and has a deeper meaning.