Prophet Adam: Beginning of Humankind (part 2 of 2)

Objectives

·       To learn about Adam’s wife and children.

·       To learn about Allah’s command to Satan to prostrate to Adam.

·       To learn understand that Adam and Eve were forgiven and no one carries the sin of another.

·       To understand Satan's resolve to lead mankind astray, so need to remain conscious of it.

Arabic Terms

·       Iblees - Arabic name for Satan.

·       Jinn - A creation of Allah that was created before humankind from smokeless flame.   They are referred to at times as spirit beings, banshees, poltergeists, phantoms and so forth.   

·       Taqwa - Awe or fear of Allah, piety, God-consciousness.   It describes a state of awareness of Allah in everything one does.

Adam’s Wife

Soon after creating Adam, Allah created his wife, Hawwa or Eve.  From them, Allah brought forth all human beings (Quran 49:13).  Hawwa was created from Adam’s rib.  The Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of Allah be upon him, said, “Take good care of women, because the (first) woman was created from a bent rib (of Adam), and the most curved part of a rib is its upper end.  If you insist on straightening it, you will break it and if you leave it, it will remain bent.  So take good care of women.” (Bukhari)

Adam’s Children

After creating Adam, Allah extracted all his descendants from his backbone (Quran 7:172).  The Prophet  said, “When Allah created Adam, He wiped his back, dropping from it every person of Adam’s offspring He would create until Resurrection Day.”[1]

Allah Commands Angels to Prostrate to Adam

Allah commanded the angels to prostrate to Adam after He blew life into Adam.  Allah said to them,

“So when I have proportioned him (Adam) and breathed into him My soul, fall down before him in prostration.” (Quran 15:29, 38:72)

After giving life to Adam, Allah issued the command to the angels to prostrate before Adam,

“(Note) when We told the angels, ‘Prostrate yourselves before Adam.’” (Quran 2:34, 17:61, 18:50, 20:116)

When Allah commanded the angels to prostrate to Adam, Satan (or Iblees in Arabic) was among them.  The angels immediately prostrated, but Iblees refused (Quran 2:34, 20:116, 15:30-31).  His first sin was disobeying Allah’s command of prostration.  Iblees was never an angel (Quran 18:50); he was a jinn but lived among the angels.  Instead of showing remorse and repenting for his behavior, Allah says,

“So they (the angels) prostrated themselves, except for Iblees, who refused, was arrogant, and (thus) became of the disbelievers.” (Quran 2:34)

Allah gave him a chance to repent; however, Iblees went deeper into disobedience and rebellion.  To justify his arrogance, Satan said that he was better than Adam because fire is better than clay. 

Allah expelled Iblees from Paradise as punishment. 

Iblees recognized that he deserved immediate punishment for his outright disbelief and disobedience, but he requested that his punishment be postponed until Judgement Day.  Allah granted his request for a great wisdom. 

Iblees announced his evil plan to mislead humanity.  He announced boastfully to Allah,

“(Iblees) said, ‘Because You have put me in error, I will surely lie in ambush for them (humans) along Your straight path.  I will then surely assault them from before them and from behind them and from their right and from their left, and You will find most of them ungrateful (to You).’” (Quran 7:16-17)

Iblees blamed Allah for his misfortune, even though Allah did not take away his freedom of choice.  Allah’s wisdom dictated that Iblees be the trial ‘machine’ for human beings and he was given extraordinary powers over human beings, but it’s limitation is that he will not be able to subdue Allah’s true servants. 

Allah permitted Iblees to pursue his plan.  Once he has completed his evil scheme, he will abide in Hell with his followers from the jinn and human beings (Quran 7:18).

Adam and Hawwa in Paradise

Allah let Adam and Eve dwell in Paradise, the best residence.  He gave them permission to enjoy its bounties without restriction.  However, Allah prohibited them from eating one specific fruit,

“We said, ‘O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise, and eat therefrom in abundance from wherever you wish.  But do not approach this very tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers.’” (Quran 2:35)

Soon after Adam and Hawwa started living in Paradise, Satan unleashed his cunning deception on them.  The two were innocent and did not know about lying and deception.  Satan took a false oath by Allah and used their innocence to his advantage.  Satan suggested to them that they could be like the angels or live eternally in Paradise.  Adam and Hawwa were overcome with desire and fell into Satan’s trick and ate from the forbidden tree.  As soon as they did, their private parts became exposed (Quran 2:36). An immediate outcome of disobedience is the stripping away of the spiritual clothing of taqwa, hence they were punished by losing the physical garments that covered their private parts.

They were punished by losing the physical garments that covered their private parts.

Satan first tempted Hawwa and then she convinced Adam to eat from the forbidden tree (based on report in Bukhari and Muslim). 

After Satan seduced the couple to disobey Allah, they were expelled from Paradise to live on Earth, to be followed by death and resurrection.

As soon as Adam and Hawwa realized the graveness of their sin, they regretted it and wanted to repent to Allah.  Their attitude towards their sin was completely different from that of Satan.  Satan blamed his Lord for his disobedience and refused to show remorse or repent.

Allah showed them the way to repentance by teaching them specific words to express it.  The words said by Adam and his wife were,

“Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves and unless You grant us forgiveness and bestow Your mercy upon us, we will certainly be among the losers.” (Quran 7:23)

The best way to repent is to acknowledge sinning and wrongdoing.  This is how Allah taught Adam and Hawwa to express their repentance. 

Allah accepted their repentance and told them that humans must reside on Earth.  Only those who act righteously will be allowed in Paradise.