Was Hz. Adam created as a community? How is the creation of Hz. Adam narrated in the Quran?

- In science, fossils of humans or humanlike beings called Homo sapiens were found; these fossils are 100 thousand years old, that is, before Hz. Adam. - Did Allah create Hz. Adam as a group? Did He choose a vicegerent among them, educated him and make him a civilized man? Some people say Adam is a group and some resources say Hz. Adam was chosen as a single individual among them. NOTE: The translation of the phrase “inni ja’ilun” as “I will create” in verse 32 of the chapter of al-Baqara is not true. In Arabic, “khalaqa” means to create in general. However, the verb “ja’ala” is used in the chapter of al-Baqara for this concept. Ja’ala means to create but it is used in the sense of appointing, elevating to a higher level. I will be glad if you inform me about it.

Dear Brother / Sister,

Homo sapiens is the Latin name of today’s human beings. It has been proven that the evidences claimed to be human fossils do not belong to human beings. That is, the first man did not evolve from beings of lower structures; he was created directly from dust (soil).

The Creation of the First Man

1. The Creation of Hz. Adam from Dust

We see that man’s stages of creation are stated in detail in the Quran. We can list those verses as follows:

“Among His Signs in this, that He created you from dust; and then,- behold, ye are men scattered (far and wide).”(1)

“He created you from clay,...”(2)

“Man We did create from a quintessence (of clay).”(3)

“Them have We created out of a sticky clay.”(4)

“We created man from sounding clay, from mud molded into shape.”(5)

“He created man from sounding clay like unto pottery.”(6)

As it is seen, the stages of man’s creation are stated in those verses. Accordingly, the creation of man started with dust continued with clay and quintessence of clay and finally had a hard structure like pottery.   

It is clear that what is narrated through those stages is the creation of the first man. This view is supported when it is mentioned after some of those verses that the angels were asked to prostrate before Adam after this creation.(7)

The higher level of creation expressed by the word “ja’ala”mentionedin verse 32 of the chapter of al-Baqara is clear in the verses listed above. The creation that started at the level of dust did not remain in the level of plants and animals. It was elevated directly to the level of human beings.

Is there no elevation like that in today’s creation? The formation of man starts with one cell in the womb. A baby who is created from one cell is equipped with organs and feelings; is it a small elevation? From one cell, it is elevated to a sane person who is conscious, who thinks, knows and dreams. Can there be a post higher than that?

That it is stated in the first verse after it is expressed that man was created from dust that men were scattered on earth indicates that various races that spread to different regions of the world came from the descent of Hz. Adam. As a matter of fact, the following is stated in a hadith: “Hz. Adam was created from a lump of dust taken from various regions of the world; therefore, sons of Adam have different colors.” (8)

2. The Creation of Hz. Adam’s Wife

“It is He Who created you from a single person, and made his mate of like nature.”(9)

In the verse above, Allah addresses human beings and tells them that He created them from a single person. Tafsir scholars state that this person is Hz. Adam and that his mate created from this person is Hz. Hawwa (Eve).

The verses and hadiths related to the creation of Hz. Adam expresses this meaning; the statements in the Torah support the interpretations of tafsir scholars.

The phrase “wa khalaqa minha zawjaha” (He created his mate from him) is generally interpreted as follows: “He created Hz. Hawwa from Hz. Adam’s left rib."

However, some tafsir scholars interpreted it as He created his wife “min jinsiha” (from Adam’s species).  That is, He created you from Hz. Adam and created Hz Hawwa from Hz. Adam (according to the general acceptance) or from Hz. Adam’s species (according to some tafsir scholars).

Thus, according to both interpretations, it is stated that human beings were created from one person (Hz. Adam).

“And your creation or your resurrection is in no wise but as an individual soul.”(10)

It is clear that “individual soul (nafs wahida)” mentioned in the verse above means a single person; similarly, it is also clear that “a single person” mentioned in verse 189 of the chapter of al-Araf means the same thing. 

“The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him: "Be". And he was.”(11)

As the verse above indicates, this person is Hz. Adam.

In a similar verse in the chapter of an-Nisa, the verse continues as follows: "and from them (the two people) twain scattered (like seeds) countless men and women.” (12) The phrase from them (the two people) mentioned in the verse proves that they are these two people (Hz. Adam and Hz. Hawwa).

3. The Creation of Human Generation from Hz. Adam and Hz. Hawwa

“He began the creation of man with (nothing more than) clay, And made his progeny from a quintessence of the nature of a fluid despised.”(13)

In those verses, Allah Almighty attracts attention to the creation of today’s men. He attracts attention to the difference between the creation of the first man and that of the others. It is clear that what is meant “man” in this verse is “Adam” and by “naslahu”(his generation) is the other “people”.

That Iblis, who was created from fire, avoided prostrating before Adam despite Allah’s order “Prostrate before Adam!” by saying “Shall I bow down to one whom Thou didst create from clay?”(14) is a clear evidence that the person created from clay is Hz. Adam.

Allah Almighty states different creations as follows:

“He is Well-versed in every kind of creation.”(15)

As he created before the father of Jinn from the fire of a scorching wind (16), He created the first man with clay, and made his progeny from a quintessence of the nature of a fluid despised.(17)

The verses clearly explain the creation of the first man, his wife and today’s human beings, who came from them. Listen to and obey the Quran, which is the word of Allah.

Footnotes:

(1) ar-Rum, 20.
(2) al-An’am, 2.
(3) al-Mu’minun, 12.
(4) as-Saffat, 11.
(5) al-Hijr, 26.
(6) ar-Rahman , 14.
(7) al-Hijr, 28-29 and similar verses
(8) see Muslim, II, 261; Tirmidhi, IV, 67-68; Abu Dawud, 4693; Ahmad, IV, 400.
(9) al-A’raf , 189.
(10) Luqman , 28.
(11) Aal-i Imran, 59.
(12) an-Nisa, 1.
(13) as-Sajda, 7-8.
(14) al-Isra, 61.
(15) Yasin, 79.
(16) al-Hijr, 27.
(17) as-Sajda, 7-8.

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