The Origin of Humans

The Creation of Adam

An angel then took the soil into Paradise and mixed it with water from Paradise until it became clay. Allah formed the shape of Adam from that clay. After a period of time the shape became dry.

Then the soul was blown into Adam and he spoke. The first thing he said was: "Praise be to Allah" (al-hamdu lillah).

Allah, the Exalted, created the knowledge and the belief in Adam as soon as the soul was blown into him. Therefore, Adam knew that he had a Lord who created him and Adam knew the names of things. He knew that his Lord is the One Who deserves to be worshipped and no one else deserves to be worshipped.

The Creation of Hawwa' (Eve)

Allah, the Exalted, created Hawwa' (Eve) from the shortest left rib of Adam.

Then Adam and Hawwa' had many offspring. Allah the Exalted said:

Surat al-'A^raf, Ayah 189 means: [Allah created you from one person (Prophet Adam) and created his wife (Hawwa') from him.]

Characteristics of Adam and Hawwa'

Allah, the Exalted, created Hawwa' from Adam's rib. He did not create her as a child.

He created her tall--suitable for the height of Adam. Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, informed us that Adam, may peace be upon him, was sixty cubits in height and seven cubits in width.

Adam and Hawwa' lived in Paradise for a period of time. Then they were taken out of Paradise and brought down to earth.

Adam is the First of the Prophets

Allah, the Exalted, sent the Messengers as a mercy for His slaves. He made it obligatory to obey them.

The first of the Messengers was Adam, may peace be upon him.

Allah created in Adam the knowledge of the languages. Adam did not have to study them. He spoke eloquently and without having to use signs.

Allah created in Adam the knowledge of how to plant wheat, how to make dresses, and how to make money from gold and silver.

The Offspring of Adam

Since at the time there were no other humans, Allah, the Exalted, created Hawwa' for Adam to marry. After a time, they were brought down to earth, and Adam received the Revelation. He became a Prophet who called for Islam.

Adam lived for 1,000 years and then died. When he died, his offspring remained Muslim and did not worship other than Allah. They did not worship the sun, nor the moon, nor anything other than Allah. They remained that way for a long time--without blasphemy and without associating partners with Allah.

Our Master Shith

Adam (may peace be upon him) lived as a Muslim, as did Hawwa'. They worshipped Allah, the Exalted, and did not worship other than Him. Their children lived as Muslims. After Adam died, Shith received the Revelation of prophethood. Shith was Adam's son. All the humans were Muslim throughout Shith's life.

After Shith died, another Prophet was revealed whose name was Idris. He lived a long time teaching the people the Religion of Islam.

Our Master Idris

Idris (may peace be upon him) is one of the honored messengers whom Allah mentioned in the Qur'an. Allah mentioned Prophet Idris in Surat Maryam, Ayahs 56-57. Allah, the Exalted, said:

This Ayah mentions that Idris was a trustworthy prophet and had a very high status.

It is obligatory to believe in Idris. This means that it is an obligation to believe that he was a prophet and a messenger of Allah.

Idris was the son of Yarid, who was the son of Mahla'il. His lineage goes back to Shith, the son of Adam. Idris is among the forefathers of Prophet Nuh, may peace be upon him.

The Life History of Idris

Idris was the third Prophet. He came after Adam and Shith (may peace be upon them).

Idris was the first to write with a pen. Fifty Books were revealed to him.

He was born in Babylon, a city in Iraq. Before he received the Revelation, he followed the rules revealed to Prophet Shith, the son of Adam. When Idris grew older, Allah bestowed Prophethood on him. During his lifetime all the people were Muslim; no one associated partners with Allah.

Idris in Egypt

Afterwards, our Master Idris left his hometown of Babylon because a great number of his people commited many sins even after he told them not to do so. Some of the Muslims left with Prophet Idris. It was hard for them to leave their home.

They asked Prophet Idris: "If we leave Babylon, where will we find a place like it?" Prophet Idris said: "If we immigrate for the sake of Allah, He will provide for us."

So the people went with Prophet Idris and they reached the land of Egypt. They saw the Nile River. Our Master Idris stood at its bank and mentioned Allah, the Exalted, by saying: "Subhanallah."

The High Status of Idris

Idris and those who were with him stayed in Egypt calling the people to follow the rules of the Religion, in the acts of worship and the dealings.

Our Master Idris (may peace be upon him) lived a period of time and then he died. He had a high status to Allah, as Allah said:

Surat Maryam, Ayah 57 means: [We raised his status high.]

Idris gave preachments and had good manners. He called the people to worship the Creator alone, as did all of the Prophets.

Preachments: Every talk that makes one extremely afraid of the torture of Allah or makes one extremely love Paradise.

Good manners in sleeping, for example, is to sleep while having wudu', and to sleep on one's right side.

The Call of Idris

Idris called the people to the Religion of Allah, Islam. He called the people to save themselves from the torture in the Hereafter by worshipping the Creator and by doing good deeds in this world.

He ordered the people to pray, fast, and pay zakat, and he forbade all intoxicating drinks.

It was said that during his time seventy-two (72) different languages were spoken.

The Cities of Idris

Idris, may peace be upon him was the first to draw for his own people the rules of designing cities.

Every group of the nation of Prophet Idris built cities in their lands.

During Prophet Idris' time, eighty-eight (88) cities were built.

Prophet Idris was famous for his wisdom. Among his wise statements is: "Patience, along with belief, leads to success."

Patience is of three kinds: a) to be patient in performing what Allah made obligatory among the matters of obedience: like praying and fasting Ramadan b) to be patient in refraining from what Allah forbade: like leaving out prayers, drinking alcohol, and stealing c) to be patient when inflicted with hardships and calamities: like the pain or the harm caused by people, poverty, or sadness.

Apostasy and Blasphemy (1)

After Prophet Idris died, Iblis appeared to the people in the shape of a man. He whispered to them to build five statues of five pious men who had died so that they would always remember them. Some people made the statues of those five pious men.

After a long period of time, Iblis whispered to them to blaspheme and worship these statues. Some of the people followed him.

Apostasy and Blasphemy (2)

Sometime after the death of Idris, ignorance spread among the people.

There was no Prophet among the people at that time. Iblis appeared to the people and told them: "Worship those five statues." The people worshipped those statues and as a result, became blasphemers.

Worship: Extreme submission with total humbleness; Prostrating to an idol, the sun, or fire is an act of worship to those objects and is blasphemy.

Allah said:

Ayah 23 of Surat Nuh states the names of the five pious Muslims the people made statues of and worshipped. The names of those five pious Muslims were: Wadd, Suwa^, Yaghuth, Ya^uq, and Nasr.

Our Master Nuh

After blasphemy had spread on earth, Allah sent a Prophet named Nuh, may peace be upon him. He started calling the people to Islam; to worship only Allah and not to associate partners with Him.

The period between Idris and Nuh was one thousand years.

Our master Nuh moved among the people telling them: "O you people leave out that which you worship other than Allah: Worship Allah alone. Leave out worshipping those five statues and worship Allah alone."

Our master Nuh, may peace be upon him, was the first Messenger sent to the blasphemers, to call them to worship Allah alone.

Nuh's Ark (1)

For 950 years our master Nuh, may peace be upon him, moved among the people telling them to worship Allah alone. Most of them belied him, mocked him, and harmed him.

Then Allah revealed to him that no one else among his people would become believers. Those who believed already were about eighty-three (83) people.

Nuh started making supplication to Allah against them, saying:

Surat Nuh Ayah 26 means: [O Allah, do not leave any of the kuffar alive on earth.

Nuh's Ark (2)

Allah revealed to Nuh to build an ark, and Allah revealed how to build it. Nuh built the ark, then went on it. His three children who were believers went with him. Each one of them had his wife with him. People who believed in him from other than his relatives also went on the ark.

On the ark Nuh took a pair of each kind of animal: cows, sheep, and other than that. Allah ordered the earth to spring up its water and the sky to bring down its water. The water of the sky and the water of the earth both joined and the water covered the earth. The ark and those on it survived.

Mount Al-Judiyy

Allah, the Exalted, drowned all the humans who had belied Prophet Nuh and remained worshipping the idols.

Then the earth stopped its water from springing forth and the sky held its rain from falling down. After a while, the earth became as dry as it had been before the flood.

The ark landed on a mountain near the city of Mousil in Iraq. This mountain is called al-Judiyy. Prophet Nuh and those with him came down from the ark on to earth.

The Offspring of Nuh's Children

The ark landed on al-Judiyy, and Prophet Nuh and those with him went on land once again.

Of those who went out of the ark, none had children--except for Sam, Ham, and Yafith--the three sons of Nuh. Those three had children and from them the humans spread: the Arabs, Romans, Indians, Africans and others. All people on earth today are offspring of Nuh's three Muslim sons.

Our Master Hud

A long period of time after Prophet Nuh, some people started to associate partners with Allah and worship other than Allah. Allah sent a Prophet among the Arabs who was in Yaman. His name was Hud.

Prophet Hud started calling the people to Islam, telling them: "O people, worship Allah alone and leave out that which you worship other than Allah." Some believed in him and others belied him.

The Story of the People of Hud

Some people believed in Hud, may peace be upon him and others belied him, so Allah destroyed them with the wind.

Allah, the Exalted, directed a strong wind on them for seven nights and eight days. The wind blew them in the air and dropped them down on earth with their heads separated from their bodies. All people of ^Ad died--except for the believers.

^Ad is the name of Hud's tribe.