HISTORY OF HAZRAT ADAM (A.S)

HISTORY OF HAZRAT ADAM (A.S)

Allah, the Almighty, created the earth, skies, sun, moon, stars and planets and furnishedall other necessities for man's survival. He created the angels for His worship andobedience and bestowed them with all the bounties. He taught them the method of Hisobedience and veneration. After this Allah, the Wise, created Adam (a.s.) and his progenyso that they may reside in the earth. Then He informed the angels that He intended toappoint man as His emissary on earth. He would permit him to partake of the earthly bounties and unearth the treasures hidden in its womb.The angels found this untenable that Allah should prefer some other creature over themfor the Caliphate on earth. Hence they said,

"What! Will Thou place in it such as shall make mischief in it and shed blood, and we celebrate Thy praise and extol Thy holiness?" 

He said:

"Surely I know what you do not know." 

(Baqarah : 30).

"I know the wisdom behind appointing Adam and his sons as My vicegerents. You cannot comprehend this. I will shortly create Adam. As soon as I create him and blow My spirit into him, you all prostrate before him." (All the Islamic scholars are unanimous that the prostration of angels to Adam was not a prostration of worship for it would have been anact of polytheism. The prostration was for Allah and Adam was like a qiblah (the center of attention) and the angels prostrated simply in consonance with divine decree.Allah created the body of Adam from special clay and blew His spirit into him (a.s.). TheHoly Spirit began to circulate in his body and he became a perfect human being, ready toinhabit the earth. All the angels prostrated before him in conformity with the Divine order except Iblis, who refused to comply. Allah sought the reason for his disobedience. Iblisreplied haughtily, "I am superior to Adam. You have created me from fire and him fromclay." Shaitan displayed his disdain to the divine mandate and disobeyed Allah. ThoughAllah had created Adam by His power, Iblis did not submit, thereby turning into aninfidel and being liable for eternal chastisement.Allah ordered Iblis out of His presence and said, "Now you have become very far fromOur Mercy and the halter of curse has been put around your neck till the day of Judgment." Iblis , thereafter called as Shaitan, requested the Almighty to give himreprieve till the day of reckoning and begged to be kept alive. Allah gave him reprieve tillthe "appointed hour." But Shaitan did not thank his Lord even for this obligation. Instead,he showed his ungratefulness by threatening, "I will forever misguide them all exceptYour sincere servants." Allah replied, "Go! Do as you wish and trouble whomsoever youcan with your instigation. Involve the people in your falsehood and deceit and make themfalse promises and show them your mirages. But remember well, those of my servantswho are sincere with firm beliefs and an unshakable faith, will not be misled by you. Youwill never be able to deviate them. Their hearts and ears will never submit to youwhisperings."

The Almighty bestowed knowledge upon Adam (a.s.) and illuminated him with His lightand taught him the Names.

"And He taught Adam all the names..." 

(Baqarah : 31).According to the traditions of the infallibles, the 'Names' were those of the beloved personalities of Allah. (Tafseer-e-Ithna Ashari, v. 1, p. 111). When the angels came toknow that Allah had taught Adam (a.s.) the names, they realized that Adam (a.s.) wassuperior to them.

"They exalted Him: Glory be to the Thee! We have no knowledge but that which Thou hastaught us; surely Thou art the All Knowing, the Wise. Allah commanded: O Adam ! Inform them of their names. Then when he had informed them of their names, He said : Did I not say to you that I surely know what is hidden in the heavens and the earth and (that) I know what you manifest and what you hide?" (Baqarah : 32-33).

The angels were absolutely ignorant of what Adam (a.s.) knew.Allah placed Adam (a.s.) and his spouse, Janaab Hawwa (a.s.) [Eve] in Paradise andwarned,

"O Adam ! Dwell you and your wife in the garden and eat from it a plenteous (food)wherever you wish (but) do not approach this tree, for then you will be of the unjust." 

(Baqarah : 35).Adam (a.s.) began to reside in Paradise and partake of its bounties. This did not go downwell with Shaitan and he planned to deprive them both of this lavishness. Shaitandisguised himself as a sincere and righteous personality and befriended Adam (a.s.).Later, he whispered, "Actually Allah has not really prohibited this tree from you for if you eat from it you and Eve will become angels and dwell forever in this place." But hisinstigation had no effect on Adam and Eve. When Shaitan realised that Adam and Evewere not being influenced by his stratagems, he executed his last trick and swore that hewas their sincere friend and assured them that no harm would befell them. He succeededin entrapping Eve with his sweet talk who convinced Adam (a.s.) to eat from the prohibited tree. Such a contravention is termed as '

Tark-e-Awla

' which means neglectingthe preferred course of action. It is actually an action that is better avoided. But it is not prohibited (haraam), i.e. it is not accounted as a sin. The expulsion of Adam (a.s.) from paradise to earth was a punishment for this Tark-e-Awla.Actually Adam (a.s.) had been created for this earth (and not Paradise). The verse of SuraBaqarah (2:30) quoted above is a pointer to this fact. Allah declares (to the angels) even before the creation of Adam that He was going to appoint a Caliph on earth.

Therefore,when Adam (a.s.) was finally ordered to dwell on earth, it was not a punishment for a sin.Therefore it has not affected the infallibility of Adam (a.s.). He had simply performed aTark-e-Awla due to which Allah expelled him from the bounties of Paradise. Adam (a.s.)

and Eve supplicated for forgiveness and implored: "

Our Lord ! We had been unjust toourselves and if you don't forgive us, we shall be deprived of Your Mercy. Then surely we shall be among the bereaved." Allah commanded, "Get forth, some of you being theenemies of others, and there is for you in the earth an abode and a provision for a time." 

(Baqarah : 36)The supplication of Adam (a.s.) and Eve was accepted by Allah when they beseeched himfor the sake of Muhammed (s.a.w.s) and his Purified Progeny (a.s.). Allah made mansubservient to needs and necessities. He made inherent despair and hope in man's natureso that he may strive for his necessities and wants.Allah also informed that the life of Paradise was a great bounty and Adam (a.s.) was being deprived of it and was being sent to a place where there are two paths - salvationand deviation, faith and infidelity. One who shall remain faithful to the prescribed pathand wards off satanic provocation, will be successful in this world as well as thehereafter.