Allah Almighty created Prophet Adam (peace be upon him) with His own hands from clay, shaped him into human form, and breathed the soul into him. Then He commanded all the angels to prostrate before him. Accordingly, all obeyed and prostrated except Iblis, who refused to prostrate:
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَاكُمْ ثُمَّ صَوَّرْنَاكُمْ ثُمَّ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ لَمْ يَكُن مِّنَ السَّاجِدِينَ
“And We created you, then We shaped you, then We said to the angels: Prostrate to Adam. So they prostrated, except Iblis; he was not among those who prostrated.”
The Purpose of the Creation of Humanity:
Allah Almighty has said:
وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً ۖ قَالُوا أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
“And when your Lord said to the angels, ‘Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.’ They said, ‘Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?’ Allah said, ‘Indeed, I know that which you do not know.'”
In this noble verse, a kind of favor upon the children of Adam is mentioned, that before creating them, Allah mentioned them before the angels and described their excellence, meaning He said that He intends to create a nation whose generations will come one after another. The angels must have understood from the special knowledge granted by Allah that they would cause corruption on earth and shed blood. It should be noted that the angels’ statement was an objection, not out of envy towards the children of Adam, questioning, “O Lord! What wisdom is there in creating such a creature? If worship is the purpose, then we already worship You; glorification, sanctification, and praise are always on our tongues, and we are free from corruption, etc.” Allah Almighty answered their question by saying that despite their corruption, He knows the wisdom and purposes for which He is creating them, which they cannot comprehend. He knows that among them will be Prophets and Messengers. Among them will be truthful ones and martyrs. Among them will be worshippers, ascetics, saints, righteous, benefactors, those close to the Divine Presence, scholars, pious, God-fearing, and those who love Allah. Those who obey His commands wholeheartedly and respond to the call of His Prophets will also be among them.
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ
“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.”
Elsewhere it is stated that He is far exalted above creating anything without purpose. He created you solely for His worship. Accordingly, He said:
أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ عَبَثًا وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا تُرْجَعُونَ
“Did you think that We created you uselessly and that to Us you would not be returned?”
Satan caused Adam (peace be upon him) to slip into error:
When all the heavens obeyed Allah’s command and prostrated to Adam (peace be upon him), this prostration was meant to honor Adam (peace be upon him), meaning Allah Almighty gave him respect. Then He created his wife from his rib so that Adam could find comfort through her. Allah completed His blessings upon them both by commanding them to live in Paradise and enjoy its bounties.
وَقُلْنَا يَا آدَمُ اسْكُنْ أَنتَ وَزَوْجُكَ الْجَنَّةَ وَكُلَا مِنْهَا رَغَدًا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمَا وَلَا تَقْرَبَا هَٰذِهِ الشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُونَا مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
“And We said: O Adam! You and your wife live in Paradise, and eat freely wherever you wish, but do not approach this tree, or you will be among the wrongdoers.”
In another place, it is stated:
إِنَّ لَكَ أَلَّا تَجُوعَ فِيهَا وَلَا تَعْرَىٰ (118) وَأَنَّكَ لَا تَظْمَأُ فِيهَا وَلَا تَضْحَىٰ (119)
“Allah said to Adam that in Paradise you will neither suffer hunger nor be naked, nor will you suffer thirst or heat.”
Allah Almighty made every blessing of Paradise lawful for the master Adam (peace be upon him), except for that tree whose fruit Allah prohibited for them to eat, so that there would remain no excuse for them to eat from the forbidden tree. This prohibition was a test from Allah for them.
When Iblis saw them in this state, the fire of envy flared up in him, and he devised deceit and trickery against them so that the blessings they were enjoying and the beautiful garments they were wearing would be taken away from them. Thus, he slandered Allah by saying that your Lord forbade you from this tree because if you eat from it, you will become angels, then you will no longer need to eat or drink, nor will you die, and you will live forever in Paradise. To convince them of his sincerity, Iblis swore by Allah Almighty that he was their best well-wisher and that was why he revealed this secret to them.
فَوَسْوَسَ لَهُمَا الشَّيْطَانُ لِيُبْدِيَ لَهُمَا مَا وُورِيَ عَنْهُمَا مِن سَوْآتِهِمَا وَقَالَ مَا نَهَاكُمَا رَبُّكُمَا عَنْ هَٰذِهِ الشَّجَرَةِ إِلَّا أَن تَكُونَا مَلَكَيْنِ أَوْ تَكُونَا مِنَ الْخَالِدِينَ (20) وَقَاسَمَهُمَا إِنِّي لَكُمَا لَمِنَ النَّاصِحِينَ (21)
“Satan whispered to them to reveal to them what was hidden of their private parts, and said: Your Lord only forbade you this tree lest you become angels or become immortals in Paradise. And he swore to them both that he was indeed their sincere friend.”
Satan deceived both and brought them down from the heights to the lowliness. That is, he made them consider committing the sin as desirable. So when they ate from the forbidden tree, deceived by Satan, the consequence of that disobedience immediately appeared before them: their garments separated from their bodies, so they began to cover themselves with the leaves of the Paradise trees to conceal themselves. Then Allah said to them, “Did I not forbid you from that tree?” and “Did I not tell you that Satan is your open enemy?”
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
“So he (Satan) deceived them by his deceit, and when they tasted the tree, their private parts became apparent to them, and they began to fasten the leaves of Paradise over themselves. And their Lord called to them: Did I not forbid you from that tree and tell you that Satan is your open enemy?”
The Repentance of Adam (peace be upon him) and the Forgiveness Granted by Allah:
At that time, he learned words from his Lord and repented through them, so Allah accepted his repentance.
فَتَلَقَّىٰ آدَمُ مِن رَّبِّهِ كَلِمَاتٍ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ
“Adam learned words from his Lord, so Allah accepted his repentance. Indeed, He is the Accepting of Repentance, the Merciful.”
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) فَتَلَقَّىٰ آدَمُ مِن رَّبِّهِ كَلِمَاتٍ narrates that Adam (peace be upon him) said: O Lord! Did You not create me with Your own hands? Allah said: Yes. Adam said: If I repent and correct my condition, will You return me to Paradise? Allah said: Yes.
Text of the Forgiveness Letter:
The words that Allah taught to Adam (peace be upon him) so that through them he could declare his repentance were this prayer:
رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَا أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ
“O our Lord! We have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers.”
The earthly journey and the paths of guidance and misguidance:
Allah Almighty addressed Adam and Eve (peace be upon them) saying that now you will live on the earth, and We will send guidance to you. So whoever follows My guidance will neither have any sorrow over what is lost in this world, nor will they have any fear about their outcome in the Hereafter. It is stated:
قُلْنَا اهْبِطُوا مِنْهَا جَمِيعًا ۖ فَإِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُم مِّنِّي هُدًى فَمَن تَبِعَ هُدَايَ فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
“We said: Go down, all of you, and when guidance comes to you from Me, whoever follows My guidance will neither have any fear nor will they grieve.”
Allah Almighty said elsewhere:
فَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ هُدَايَ فَلَا يَضِلُّ وَلَا يَشْقَىٰ
“Whoever follows My guidance will neither be led astray in this world nor suffer misfortune in the Hereafter.”
And those who choose the path of disbelief and deny Our signs, their abode will be Hell, where they will abide forever. Thus Allah Almighty said:
وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَكَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ
“And those who disbelieve and deny Our signs are the companions of Hell, abiding therein eternally.”
The children of Adam multiplied, spread across the earth, and settled in all inhabitable lands of the world, dividing into various tribes, nations, and families:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا ۚ إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ
“O mankind! We created you from a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another. Indeed, the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.”
The Series of Prophethood of the Prophets and Messengers upon them peace:
Allah, the Lord of Glory, created Adam (peace be upon him) and all humanity upon the natural religion of Islam. After Adam (peace be upon him), people continued to worship Allah, the One without partner, according to this true Shariah for a long time. Then the rejected Satan misled them, and they began to worship other than Allah. Accordingly, Allah the Exalted says:
كَانَ النَّاسُ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ النَّبِيِّينَ مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ وَأَنزَلَ مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ فِيمَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ ۚ وَمَا اخْتَلَفَ فِيهِ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ أُوتُوهُ مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ فَهَدَى اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ بِإِذْنِهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَهْدِي مَن يَشَاءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
“At first, all people were upon one religion (then over time they differed), so Allah sent the prophets whose duty was to give glad tidings of Paradise and warn of the punishment of the Fire, and with them He revealed the true scriptures, so that Allah might judge between the people concerning that in which they differed. And those who were given the scripture differed only out of mutual envy and hatred, despite clear signs having come to them. Then Allah guided by His grace those who believed in that difference to the truth, and Allah guides whom He wills to the straight path.”
In the exegesis of this noble verse, the commentator of the Quran, Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), is reported to have said:
كان بين نوح و آدم عشرة قرون، كلهم على شريعة من الحق، فاختلفوا، فبع الله النبيين مبشرين ومنذرين.
“There was a period of ten centuries between Adam and Noah. During this entire period, people remained upon one true Shariah, then over time differences arose among them, so Allah sent the prophets as bringers of glad tidings and warners.”
The First Human and the First Prophet:
Adam (peace be upon him), besides being the first human, was also the first prophet. It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) that a person asked: O Messenger of Allah! Was Adam (peace be upon him) a prophet? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
كان آدم نبيا مكلما كان بينه وبين نوح عشرة قرون وكانت الرسل ثلاثمائة وخمسة عشر.
“Yes! He was a prophet who spoke with Allah. There was a period of ten centuries between Adam and Noah (peace be upon them), and there were three hundred and fifteen prophets.”
After that, Allah Almighty continued to send prophets and messengers successively to their peoples.
Thus, Allah the Exalted says:
ثُمَّ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا تَتْرَىٰ ۖ كُلَّ مَا جَاءَ أُمَّةً رَّسُولُهَا كَذَّبُوهُ ۚ فَأَتْبَعْنَا بَعْضَهُم بَعْضًا وَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ أَحَادِيثَ ۚ فَبُعْدًا لِّقَوْمٍ لَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ
“Then We sent Our messengers in succession. Whenever a messenger came to a people, they denied him, so We destroyed them one after another and made them stories. So the disbelievers were cleared away from the earth.”
The First Messenger Among the Children of Adam: Sayyiduna Noah (peace be upon him):
Among the children of Adam, the first prophet is our master Noah (peace be upon him). In Sahih Bukhari, in the Hadith of Intercession, it is mentioned that people would come to Noah (peace be upon him) and say: O Noah! Indeed, you are the first messenger of Allah to the people of the earth.
Allama Sindhi states: This means that Noah (peace be upon him) was the first messenger sent to invite the disbelievers to faith. Before him, Adam, Seth, and Idris (peace be upon them) were not sent to disbelievers but rather to teach the believers the Shariah because before Noah (peace be upon him), disbelief did not exist.
And Allama Mubarakpuri (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned another objection. He says: That our master Noah (peace be upon him) was the first messenger to the people of the earth, this contradicts the Hadith specific to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in which it is stated that before me, the prophets were only sent to their own peoples, and I was sent to all people. Then, resolving this apparent contradiction, he says that Noah (peace be upon him) was indeed sent only to his own people. His original mission was not universal. However, after the flood of Noah, the people who remained in the whole world were the remnants of his nation.
Allah Almighty says:
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِ إِنِّي لَكُمْ نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ
“And indeed We sent Noah to his people, and he said, ‘O my people, I am to you a clear warner from Allah’s punishment.'”
Allah Almighty sent Prophet Hud (peace be upon him) to guide the people of ‘Ad, who were from among themselves. These people worshipped idols. Prophet Hud (peace be upon him) said to them: O my people! Worship Allah, besides whom you have no deity. And the fact that you abandon Him and worship idols is a great slander, because Allah never told you to worship idols carved by your own hands. Thus it is stated:
وَإِلَىٰ عَادٍ أَخَاهُمْ هُودًا ۚ قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرُهُ ۖ إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلَّا مُفْتَرُونَ
“And to the people of ‘Ad, their brother Hud was sent. He said, ‘O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. You are only inventing lies against Allah.'”
Mada’in Saleh, which was located between Tabuk and Madinah Munawwarah, was the place where Prophet Salih (peace be upon him) was sent about a hundred years after Hud (peace be upon him). He also told his people: Worship only Allah, besides whom you have no deity, who created you from clay and settled you in the land, and has endowed you with the ability to cultivate it. Therefore, repent from polytheism and turn to Allah, for Allah is very near and accepts the prayers of His servants. Allah Almighty says:
وَإِلَىٰ ثَمُودَ أَخَاهُمْ صَالِحًا ۚ قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرُهُ ۖ هُوَ أَنشَأَكُم مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ وَاسْتَعْمَرَكُمْ فِيهَا فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ ثُمَّ تُوبُوا إِلَيْهِ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّي قَرِيبٌ مُّجِيبٌ
“And to Thamud, their brother Salih was sent. He said, ‘O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. He created you from the earth and settled you in it. So seek His forgiveness and repent to Him. Indeed, my Lord is near and responsive.'”
Prophet Shu’ayb (peace be upon him) was sent to the people of Midian. Allah Almighty said:
وَإِلَىٰ مَدْيَنَ أَخَاهُمْ شُعَيْبًا ۚ قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرُهُ ۖ وَلَا تَنقُصُوا الْمِكْيَالَ وَالْمِيزَانَ ۚ إِنِّي أَرَاكُم بِخَيْرٍ وَإِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ مُّحِيطٍ (84) وَيَا قَوْمِ أَوْفُوا الْمِكْيَالَ وَالْمِيزَانَ بِالْقِسْطِ ۖ وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا النَّاسَ أَشْيَاءَهُمْ وَلَا تَعْثَوْا فِي الْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ (85) بَقِيَّتُ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ۚ وَمَا أَنَا عَلَيْكُم بِحَفِيظٍ (86)
“And to the people of Midian, their brother Shu’ayb was sent. He said, ‘O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. And do not reduce the measure and weight. Indeed, I see you in prosperity, but indeed I fear for you the punishment of a tremendous Day. And O my people, give full measure and weight in justice and do not deprive the people of their due and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption. If you are believers in Allah, then He has provided you with good lawful sustenance. And I am not a guardian over you.'”
Similarly, Allah Almighty continued to send Prophets and Messengers one after another to specific nations.
Allah Almighty says:
إِنَّا أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ كَمَا أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ نُوحٍ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ مِن بَعْدِهِ ۚ وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالْأَسْبَاطِ وَعِيسَىٰ وَأَيُّوبَ وَيُونُسَ وَهَارُونَ وَسُلَيْمَانَ ۚ وَآتَيْنَا دَاوُودَ زَبُورًا(163) وَرُسُلًا قَدْ قَصَصْنَاهُمْ عَلَيْكَ مِن قَبْلُ وَرُسُلًا لَّمْ نَقْصُصْهُمْ عَلَيْكَ ۚ وَكَلَّمَ اللَّهُ مُوسَىٰ تَكْلِيمًا (164)
“Indeed, We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], as We revealed to Noah and the prophets after him. And We revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Descendants, Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, and Solomon, and to David We gave the book [of Psalms]. And We sent messengers about whom We have related [their stories] to you before and messengers about whom We have not related to you. And Allah spoke to Moses.”
Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) has mentioned the names of twenty-five Prophets whose names Allah Almighty has mentioned in the Holy Quran. Most of the other Prophets’ names are unknown. The Prophets whose names Allah Almighty has mentioned in the Quran are:
Adam, Idris, Noah, Hud, Salih, Abraham, Lot, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Shu’ayb, Moses, Aaron, Jonah, David, Solomon, Elias, Elisha, Zechariah, John, and Jesus (peace be upon them all).
Similarly, according to many commentators, Dhul-Kifl is also a Prophet. The chain of Prophethood and Messengership ends with our last Prophet, the Master of the Prophets and Messengers, Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Allah Almighty says:
مَّا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِّن رِّجَالِكُمْ وَلَٰكِن رَّسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًا
“Muhammad is not the father of any one of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the seal of the Prophets. And Allah is ever, of all things, Knowing.”
This noble verse is a clear text that there is no Prophet after him. And when there is no Prophet, then no one can be a Messenger either, because the rank of Messengership is higher than Prophethood, since every Messenger is a Prophet but not every Prophet is a Messenger.
Purpose of the Prophets’ Mission:
Allah Almighty sent the Prophets so that they may give glad tidings of Paradise to the believers and warn the disbelievers of the punishment of Hellfire, so that on the Day of Judgment, people will have no excuse to present before Allah, saying, “O Allah! Why did You not send a Messenger to guide us?” Allah Almighty says:
رُّسُلًا مُّبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ لِئَلَّا يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَى اللَّهِ حُجَّةٌ بَعْدَ الرُّسُلِ ۚ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا (165) لَّٰكِنِ اللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ بِمَا أَنزَلَ إِلَيْكَ ۖ أَنزَلَهُ بِعِلْمِهِ ۖ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ يَشْهَدُونَ ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِاللَّهِ شَهِيدًا (166)
“We sent Messengers who gave glad tidings and warned, so that after the Messengers were sent, people would have no argument against Allah. And Allah is Mighty and Wise. If the disbelievers do not believe, then let them not believe, but Allah bears witness to the revelation He has sent down to you, sent it down according to His knowledge, and the angels bear witness. And Allah is sufficient as a Witness.”
It is narrated in Sahihayn from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
“No one loves to seek forgiveness from Allah Almighty more than I do.”
Therefore, He sent Prophets to give glad tidings of Paradise and warn of Hellfire, so that people may adopt the teachings of the Prophets and seek forgiveness for their sins to become deserving of Allah’s pleasure.
