Prophet Adam (AS)
Quran References:
Prophet Adam (AS) is mentioned in the Quran 25 times in the following verses:
(Quran, 2:31-37, 2:121, 7:11, 7:19, 7:22-23, 7:26-27, 15:28-29, 17:61, 17:70, 18:50, 19:58, 20:115-117, 38:71-74)
Creation of Prophet Adam:
Allah SWT shaped Adam (AS) into a human being but he remained a figure of clay for forty years.
The angels would go past him and they would fear what they would say, especially Iblis (Shaytan).
Allah breathed his spirit into Adam and he sneezed.
When he sneezed, the angels said: Say All praise belongs to Allah! Adam (AS) also repeated this statement.
When the spirit reached his eyes, Adam looked at the fruits of Paradise.
He jumped before the spirit could reach his legs so he could eat from the fruit of Paradise and Allah SWT said: ‘Man is created of haste’. (Quran, 21:37)
Teaching Adam (AS) The Names of All Things (Quran, 2:31-33):
Allah SWT taught Prophet Adam (AS) the names of all things. He then turned to Adam and commanded: O Adam! Inform them of their names!
As he was commanded, Adam (AS) recited the names of everything and the angels were amazed at this. They knew that the knowledge and wisdom they saw in Adam was something that was special and it was not seen before.
The angels said to Adam (AS): Glory be to you! We have no knowledge except what you have taught us. You are truly the All-Knowing, All-Wise.
The Command to Prostrate and Shaytan’s Refusal:
Allah SWT told the angels: ‘Prostrate to Adam’.
They all prostrated except Shaytan who refused. (Quran, 2:34)
Allah SWT said: What prevented you (O Iblis) that you did not prostrate when I commanded you?
Shaytan replied: I am better than him (Adam) You created me from fire and him You created from clay.
Allah SWT then said: O Iblis, get down from this (Paradise), it is not for you to be arrogant here. Get out for you are those humiliated and disgraced.
Shaytan replied: Allow me respite till the Day they are raised up (Day of Resurrection).
Allah SWT granted this request and Shaytan said: Because You have sent me astray, surely, I will sit in wait against them (human beings) on Your Straight Path. Then, I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left and You will not find most of them as thankful ones (they will not be dutiful to You).
Adam and Hawwa in Paradise (Quran, 2:35-37)
Allah SWT told Adam (AS) to be free in Paradise but ordered him and his wife, Hawwa to stay away from a tree or they would both be of the Zalimeen (wrongdoers).
Despite Allah’s order, Shaytan deceived them and made them eat from the tree.
Allah SWT called out to them saying: Did I not forbid you that tree? Verily Shaytan is an open enemy unto You.
Adam and Hawwa asked Allah SWT for His forgiveness and Allah said: Get down one of you an enemy to the other (ie, Adam, Eve and Shaytan) On Earth will be a dwelling place for you and an enjoyment, for a time, therein you shall live and therein you shall die, and from it you shall be brought out (resurrected).
The Story of Qabil and Habil:
Prophet Adam had four children, the first set of twins Hawwa had was Qabil and his twin sister and the second set of twins was Habil and his twin sister.
Allah SWT had instructed Adam (AS) that the children should marry the other twin sister.
The Prophet then instructed Qabil and Habil to do so and Qabil was not happy with the sister he had to marry because she was not as beautiful as the other, so he refused to marry her.
Adam (AS) was now in a dilemma and he asked Allah SWT for guidance as he wanted peace in his family.
Allah commanded that each son offer a sacrifice and whoever’s offering was accepted would have the right of choosing their wife.
Habil offered his best camel for Allah SWT, in comparison to Qabil who offered his worst grain.
Allah SWT rejected Qabil’s offer because he refused to follow his father’s commands.
After Allah SWT rejected Qabil’s sacrifice, he threatened Habil and said: I will kill you; I refuse to see you happy while I remain unhappy.
Habil was always ready to obey the will of Allah, unlike his brother.
Qabil struck Habil with a stone, killing him instantly and this was the first murder and criminal act committed on Earth.
Allah SWT then sent a crow who scratched the ground to show Qabil where to bury the dead body of his brother.
After committing this act, Qabil instantly began to regret his actions.
Reaction of Prophet Adam (AS):
When Adam (AS) found out what had happened, he became very upset.
He realised that he had lost two of his sons, Habil was murdered and his son Qabil was corrupted by the evil of Shaytan.
The Story of Habil and Qabil in the Quran:
Allah SWT mentioned this story between Prophet Adam’s two sons in the following verses of the Quran:
‘And O Muhammad recite to them (the Jews) the story of the two sons of Adam (Habil and Qabil) in truth; when each offered a sacrifice (to Allah), it was accepted from the one but not from the other. The latter said to the former: “I will surely kill you.” The former said: “Verily, Allah accepts only from those who are Al-Muttaqun (the pious).” “If you do stretch your hand against me to kill me, I shall never stretch my hand against you to kill you: for I fear Allah, the Lord of the `Alamin (mankind, jinn, and all that exists).” “Verily, I intend to let you draw my sin on yourself as well as yours, then you will be one of the dwellers of the Fire; and that is the recompense of the alimin (polytheists and wrong-doers);” So the Nafs (self) of the other (latter one) encouraged him and made fair-seeming to him the murder of his brother; he murdered him and became one of the losers; Then, Allah sent a crow who scratched the ground to show him to hide the dead body of his brother; He (the murderer) said: “Woe to me! Am I not even able to be as this crow and to hide the dead body of my brother?” Then, he became one of those who regretted.’ (Quran, 5:27-31)
Prophet Adam’s Final Advice:
Before Prophet Adam (AS) passed away, he informed his children that Allah SWT would send prophets to guide them and they would have different names and miracles, but they would be united in one thing, the call to worship Allah alone.
Death of Prophet Adam (AS):
Prophet Adam (AS) was the first Prophet to pass away in history and he died at the age of around 930-1000 years old, according to Islamic reports.
Hadith of the Prophet about the Lifespan of Prophet Adam (AS):
Abu Hurayrah reported a Hadith where the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: When Allah created Adam, He wiped his back and every person that He created among his offspring until the Day of Resurrection fell out of his back. He placed a ray of light between the eyes of every person.
Then, He showed them to Adam, who said: O Lord! Who are these people? Allah SWT said: These are your offspring.
Adam (AS) saw one of them whose ray between his eyes amazed him, so he said: O Lord! Who is this? Allah SWT said: This is a man from the latter nations of your offspring called Dawud.
Adam said: Lord! How long did You make his lifespan? Allah SWT said: Sixty years.
Adam said: O Lord! Add forty years from my life to his.
So at the end of Adam’s life, the Angel of Death came to him, and he said: ‘Do I not have forty years remaining?’ The Angel of Death replied: Did you not give them to your son Dawud?
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ then said: Adam denied, so his offspring denied, and Adam forgot and his offspring forgot, and Adam sinned, so his offspring sinned. (Tirmidhi)
More Hadith of the Prophet about Adam (AS):
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: Adam and Musa argued with each other. Musa said to Adam: your sin expelled you and us from Paradise. Adam said: You are Musa whom Allah selected as his Messenger and the one whom He spoke to directly, yet you blame me for a thing that had already been written in my fate before my Creation.
The Prophet said twice: Adam outclassed Musa. (Bukhari)
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: the best of days on which the sun has risen is Friday. On this day Adam was created and on this day, he was descended to Earth. (Muslim)
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: Allah created Adam from a handful of dust from different lands, so the children of Adam have been created according to the composition of the land. Therefore, from mankind, we have white, red, black and yellow ones. We have good and evil, ease and sorrow and what comes between them. (Tirmidhi)