Nabi Adam

Allah informed the angels that He would make a caliph on earth. The angels asked why Allah created creatures who would do damage and shed blood, even though they always praised Him. Allah answered, "Indeed I know what you do not know." Adam was created from clay, then Allah breathed his soul into him and taught him the names of all objects - knowledge that the angels did not possess. When the angels were unable to mention these names, Adam mentioned them, and the glory of the knowledge that Allah had given to humans appeared.

Allah ordered all the angels to bow down to Adam as respect, not worship. Everyone prostrated except Satan. He boasted and said, "I am better than him; You created me from fire while you created him from earth." Because of this arrogance, Satan was expelled from Allah's mercy, then he asked for a delay until the Day of Judgment and vowed to lead Adam's descendants astray from all directions - except for the sincere servants of Allah.

Adam and his wife, Eve, were placed in heaven and were invited to enjoy everything in it, except for approaching one tree. The devil whispered deceit, falsely swore that he was a sincere counselor, and said the tree was the tree of eternity. Both of them finally ate the fruit, their nakedness was visible and they covered it with the leaves of heaven. This was man's first transgression — born of heedlessness, not Satan-like arrogance.

Adam and Eve did not give up hope. They received the words from their Lord and then prayed, "Rabbana zhalamna anfusana — Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves; if You do not forgive us and give us mercy, we will surely be among the losers." Allah accepted their repentance, then sent them down to earth to live the life that had been determined: the earth became a place to live and a field of charity, and Allah's guidance would come one after another through the prophets.

Among Adam's children, the Qur'an tells of two of his sons who offered sacrifices. Habil's sacrifice was accepted because of his piety, while Qabil's sacrifice was rejected. Envy burned Qabil's heart until he killed his own brother - the first murder in human history. He later regretted it when a crow taught him how to bury his brother's body. From this story, Allah determines: killing one soul without rights is like killing all humans.

The story of Adam teaches that humans are noble because of knowledge and obedience, not because of the origin of creation; that sin followed by repentance is more beloved to Allah than pride that refuses to be guilty; and that Satan's hostility towards man is real and eternal. Every child of Adam has made a mistake, and the best person who makes a mistake is the one who repents.

Allah took the covenant from the backs of the children of Adam before they were born, "Am I not your God?" They answered, "Yes, we testify." This is the nature of monotheism that is embedded in every human being. Adam, as the first prophet, guided his descendants above that fitrah and taught that salvation was only by remembering the agreement and not associating partners with Allah.

Adam lived to prosper the earth and educate his descendants in monotheism until he died. In history, Muslims believe that Adam was a prophet who was given revelation, not just the first human. Rasulullah ﷺ called him "Abul Basyar" - the father of humanity - and on the day of judgment all mankind came to him asking for intercession before finally going to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Adam's story closes with an eternal lesson: each of his children and grandchildren will return to Allah as he came from Him.