Question 17: It is stated in the Quran that Hz. Adam was created as the first man and that he was taught everything. In that case, what is the meaning of the wall pictures found in the caves in various places in the world?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Answer: It is stated in the Quran that Hz. Adam, the first man, was created from dust, that his wife Hz. Hawwa was created from him and that their offspring reproduced according to the law of reproduction we witness today.

We learn from the Quran that Hz. Adam was the first man and also the first prophet, that he was taught the names, that he was subjected to a test with the angels, that some things that the angels could not know were asked him, that he answered those questions correctly and that the angels prostrated before him.

We understand from the prostration of angels that he was superior to angels in terms of knowing Allah, understanding God’s activities in the universe, knowing he purposes and wisdom of the creation of beings and the issues of Paradise and Hell.

The issue of what should be understood from the names taught to Hz. Adam is subject to interpretation. Maybe the structure of the DNA was not taught himin detail. However, the information necessary to meet his basic needs, such as how to grow things like wheat and barley and how to benefit from domestic animals must have been given to him.  As a matter of fact, it is stated in the Quranthat some prophets who came after Adam were taught certain professions. For example, it is stated that Hz. Idris was taught tailoring and that Hz. Dawud was taught how to soften iron like dough.

According to the typical evolutionary philosophy, the first man was ignorant and illiterate, he spent his life by hunting animals and collecting wild fruits and usually lived in a cave. He developed agriculture and domesticated the animals over time. Some social communities formed and they started to live in villages; they gradually discovered how to use tools, attaining in a developed civilization.

As for creationists, they accept that man is created as a human being, with a high intelligence, greatability and capacity. Doubtlessly, man did not come to a world with established cities and advanced technology in all aspects. However, the Creator gave him the ability to use and develop the earth and its resources, and equipped him with faculties and organs suitable for the purpose of being sent to the world. It is clear that the technology man owns has been developing continuously for centuries. However, evidences show that this development is not the result of evolution. In other words, such a development is related to human capacity and it has been placed in man as a separate characteristic that does not exist in animals. For example, this ability in man enables the knowledge and information a generation has to be transferred to the next generation. Thus, the transfer of new information into the future is possible only with the ability available in man. It is impossible for civilization to emerge through evolution in human history.¹

Undoubtedly, creationists also take into account the fact that people lived in caves, made tools of stone, and lived on hunting and fruit gathering. However, they do not accept the explanation of these events with evolutionary periods.

According to creationists, all humans initially lived together. Afterwards, they dispersed to the earth in small groups and went to different countries, being separated from one another. Some of these small groups that left the original center of the community maintained the knowledge and arts that they had while others lost them.

 The Tasaday community, which left the Philippine natives about five or six centuries ago, is shown as an example of it. This community, which lived in Mindanao, in the southern tip of the Philippine Islands, had been engaged in agriculture together with the Philippine natives and had been making various types of tools and weapons until five or six centuries ago. The people of Tasaday left that place and spread to large areas; they underwent a long isolation. They forgot many things they knew as there was no competition for place, food and other essential needs. They do not have any information on agriculture now. They do not make weapons either. They only use some tools made from stones and bamboo reeds as weapons. Therefore, the people of Tasaday are regarded as an advanced society of the past and a primitive society of today.²

Archaeological research shows that the first center of civilization on earth was the Middle East, and it dates back to nine thousand years Before Christ. Helbeak states the following on the subject:

The center of agriculture, that is, farming, in the Old World was the high areas in the west of the arc formed by Zagros mountains between Iraq and Iran, Toros (Southeast Turkey) and Galilean (North Palestine).³

Çambel accepts that plants were grown and animals were domesticated in the same place:

The evidences that were obtained show that the beginning of agriculture dates back to about nine thousand years BC in the Near East .⁴

According to Dyson, metal started to be obtained nine centuries Before Christ:

The oldest metal objects made artificially were some copper beads found in the north of Iraq. It was determined that they dated back to nine thousand years BC.⁵

It is understood that writing was as old as human history and that it appeared suddenly. Lintor expresses it as follows:

Writing spread from the Near East and became more effective in the development of civilization than the use of metals.⁶

In conclusion, some of the first people who left the centers where the first people lived in Mesopotamia or around it went to Asia and Europe in crowded groups. The narrow land in the region, high population, frequent wars and inadequate food led to the rapid development of these tribes and states in terms of science, technique, art and civilization.

On the other hand, those who went to America, Australia and South Africa started to live in large areas in a scattered way. As it was the case in the people of Tasaday, they did not compete with one another due to sufficient fruits and prey, they gradually abandoned the means of civilization they used to have. Thus, these people in Africa and similar places, who initially had a similar cultural value to the tribes and nations in Europe and Asia, have become primitive communities today.

The cultural values and languages of these clans and tribes, which separated from one other, gradually became different, and different languages emerged. It is necessary to consider the shapes and pictures seen in some caves from this viewpoint. Those people made some figures and sculptures in order to show one another their art and skill; some shapes, pictures and signs must have been used as a means of communication among communities with different languages.

1.Tatlı, A. Evrim ve Yaratılış. Beşinci baskı,  2018, s. 163. ISBN:975953790-7.
2.Macleish, K. National Geographic. 1972,  Vol.142. p.219.
3.Helbeak, H. Domestication of Food Plants in the Old World. Science. 1959, Vo1.130.p.365.
4.Cambel, H. and Braidwood, RJ.  An Early Far­ming Village in Turkey. Scientific American. 1970, Vol. 222.p.52.
5.Dyson, RH. On the Origin of Neolithic Revolution. Science. 1964, Vol. 144. p.674.
6.195. Lintor, R. The Tree of Culture. New York. 1955, pp.8­9,110.

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