الحمد لله نحمده ونستعينة ونستغفره، ونعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا، ومن سيئات أعمالنا 

وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له ، وأشهد أن سيدنا محمدًا عبده ورسوله

A question that has been perplexing to philosophers, scientist and theologians is the origin of man and two schools have emerged.   The creationist school believe that man was created as he is now by Allah and the father of all mankind is Prophet Adam.  This school considers that thru the ages there were minor evolutionary changes that occurred in the physical features such as skin color.  These minor changes are influenced by the environment and the genetic makeup of the parents.

The second school is the evolutionist school that promotes the idea that the current man was developed through an evolutionary process.  Those who follow this school differ regarding whether this evolutionary process is random process or intelligent process.  While the theory of evolution may have metrics for animals and birds but when it came to man, it cannot be proven with any level of certainty.    The reason for the lack of certainty is that the creation of man cannot be deprived of celestial knowledge that can only be provided by divine revelation.  This point is clearly emphasized in the Quran:

مَا أَشْهَدْتُهُمْ خَلْقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلَا خَلْقَ أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَمَا كُنْتُ مُتَّخِذَ الْمُضِلِّينَ عَضُدًا

“I did not have them witness the creation of the heavens and the earth, nor their own creation; and I would never take misleaders for helpers.”  (Al-Kahf 18:51)

In this talk, I am going to try, inshallah to explain the verses in the Quran in which Allah opened the door of heaven to us to reveal the story of our creation.   The story of the creation of man is the first story in the Quran and it is provided in verses 30-33 in Surat al-Baqara.   The creation of man is mentioned in several other chapters because of its importance and our keen interest.   But, let us focus for now on the first introduction of the story in Surat Al-Baqara.  Allah says:

وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً قَالُوا أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَنْ يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ قَالَ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

“And when your Lord told the angels: I am placing a vicegerent (Khalifa) in the earth, they said: will You place in it someone who will cause mischief in it and shed blood, while we, we hymn Your praise and glorify Your holiness? He said: I know that which you do not know.”   (Al-Baqara 2:30)

وَعَلَّمَ آدَمَ الْأَسْمَاءَ كُلَّهَا ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمْ عَلَى الْمَلَائِكَةِ فَقَالَ أَنْبِئُونِي بِأَسْمَاءِ هَؤُلَاءِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ قَالُوا سُبْحَانَكَ لَا عِلْمَ لَنَا إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ

 “And He taught Adam all the names; then He placed them before the angels and said:  Tell me their names if you are truthful.  They said: Glory to You: we have no knowledge except what You have taught us, You are the all-knowing, the all Wise” (Al-Baqara 2:31-32)

قَالَ يَا آدَمُ أَنْبِئْهُمْ بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ فَلَمَّا أَنْبَأَهُمْ بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُلْ لَكُمْ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ غَيْبَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَأَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُونَ وَمَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْتُمُونَ

“He said:  o Adam, tell them their names.  When he told them their names, Allah said: Didn’t I tell you that I know what is unseen in the heavens and the earth and I know what you reveal and what you have concealed.” (Al-Baqara 2:33)

In analyzing these verses, I want to address the following 3 questions:

1. How did the angles know than man will cause mischief in the earth and shed blood? The speculative answer to this question may have prompted some Muslims to suggest that evolution occurred by suggesting that man-like people inhabited the earth and caused mischief and shed blood.   But some interpreters of the Quran suggested that the earth was inhabited by the Jinn and they are the ones who caused mischief and shed blood.    

2. When the angels made their statement, they apparently haven’t not stated the complete truth because they were hiding something and this why Allah told them: “I know what you revealed and what you have concealed”. The question is what information did the angels conceal that is related to the nature on man?  
3. What are the names that Allah taught Adam and the angels did not know? But in answering this question, it may be important to rationalize that the names must be related to something that refutes the angels’ claim that this man will cause mischief and shed blood while they hymn Allah’s praise and glorify His holiness.

Let first link these verses to another set of verses in Surat Al-Araf.  In verse 11, Allah reveals important information that happened before Allah’s command to the angels to prostrate to Adam.  The information is related to the creation of all human being including you and I at the same time as Allah says: 

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَاكُمْ ثُمَّ صَوَّرْنَاكُمْ ثُمَّ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ لَمْ يَكُنْ مِنَ السَّاجِدِينَ

“We created you, then shaped you; then We said to the angels prostrate to Adam and they prostrated except Iblis who was not among those who prostrated.”  (Al-Araf 7:11)

This verse implies that the creation of mankind was done in three steps with some time delay between as implied by the article (ثُمَّ) meaning “then”.  The first step is the creation of all human beings (وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَاكُمْ), then the second stage of shaping all of us (ثُمَّ صَوَّرْنَاكُمْ).   The third step is Allah’s command to the angels to prostrate to prophet Adam. 

The open question is at what stage Allah told the angels that He is making/assigning a khalifa in the earth (إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً).   It has to be before Allah asked the angels to prostrate to Adam to be consistent with the verses in Surat Al-Baqara.   But it is reasonable to assume that Allah told them that He will assign a khalifa in earth after He created and shaped all human beings.

After our creation we died and only Prophet Adam remained. After this death, we will come alive through the womb of our mothers to live on earth for a while and then die again to be raised alive again in the Day of Judgement. This means that we are subjected to two deaths (death after our creation and death after living in earth) and we have two lives (life in earth and then life in the hereafter).  This is clear in the Quran as Allah informs us by saying:

قَالُوا رَبَّنَا أَمَتَّنَا اثْنَتَيْنِ وَأَحْيَيْتَنَا اثْنَتَيْنِ فَاعْتَرَفْنَا بِذُنُوبِنَا فَهَلْ إِلَى خُرُوجٍ مِّن سَبِيلٍ

They said: “O our Lord, You have made us to die twice and have brought us to life twice!  (Ghafer 40:11).

كَيْفَ تَكْفُرُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَكُنْتُمْ أَمْوَاتًا فَأَحْيَاكُمْ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيكُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ

“How can you disbelieve in Allah when you once were dead and He gave you life, then he will make die once more and then He brings you back to life, and unto Him you will return.”  (Al-Baqara 2:28) 

There are several ahadeath that provide more insight on the details of our creation in heaven.   In a hadeath reported by Imam Al-Tirmizi (الترمذي) and narrated by Abu Hurayrah (أبي هريرة -رضي الله), the Prophet (PBUH) said:

“ لما خلق الله آدم مسح ظهره فسقط من ظهره كل نسمة هو خالقها من ذريته إلى يوم القيامة وجعل بين عيني كل إنسان منهم وبيصا من نور ثم عرضهم على آدم فقال: أي ربي من هؤلاء؟ قال: هؤلاء ذريتك فرأى رجلا منهم فأعجبه وبيص ما بين عينيه فقال: يا رب من هذا؟ قال: هذا رجل من آخر الأمم من ذريتك يقال له: داود قال: يا رب كم عمره؟ قال: ستون سنة قال: أي رب أعطه من عمري أربعين فأخذ الله عليه الميثاق فلما انتهت المدة جاء ملك الموت ليقبض روح آدم فقال: أولم يبق من عمري أربعين؟ قال: أولم تعطها لابنك لداود؟ فنسي آدم ونسيت ذريته وجحد آدم وجحدت ذريته وخطئ آدم فخطئت ذريته”

“When Allah created Adam, He wiped his back and every soul of his offspring that Allah will create until the Day of Judgement fell from his back.  Allah put on the forehead of every one of them a flash of light, then showed them to Adam. Adam asked: “My Lord who are they?  Allah said: They are your offspring.

Adam saw one of them and he was charmed by a bright flash between his eyes. He asked: My Lord, who is this?  Allah said: he is a man from the late nations from your descendants and his name is Dawoud (David).

Adam asked:  My Lord, what is his age?  Allah said: sixty years.

Adam said: My Lord give him from my age 40 years.  Allah took the covenant from Adam that is his demand. 

When the angel of death came to Adam, he protested and said there are forty years remaining in my life.  The angel of death, didn’t you give it to your son Dawoud (David)

Adam forgot and all his children forget. Adam denied it and all his children deny.   Adam made mistake and all his children make mistakes.  

In another similar hadeath reported also by mam Al-Tirmizi (الترمذي) and also narrated by Abu Hurayrah but through others, that the age of every person was written on his forehead  and this how Adam knew the age of prophet Dawoud, also Allah told Adam that his age is 1000 years, this is when Adam told Allah to give Dawoud 40 years of his.

In another similar hadeath that was narrated by Ibn Abbas (ابن عباس) in which its stated:   

قال ابن عباس : إن الله لما خلق آدم مسح ظهره ، وأخرج ذريته كلهم كهيئة الذر ، فأنطقهم فتكلموا ، وأشهدهم على أنفسهم ، وجعل مع بعضهم النور ، وإنه قال لآدم : هؤلاء ذريتك آخذ عليهم الميثاق : أنا ربهم ، لئلا يشركوا بي شيئا ، وعلي رزقهم . قال آدم : فمن هذا الذي معه النور؟ قال : هو داود . قال : يا رب كم كتبت له من الأجل؟ قال : ستين سنة . قال : كم كتبت لي؟ قال : ألف سنة ، وقد كتبت لكل إنسان منهم كم يعمر وكم يلبث . قال : يا رب زده . قال : هذا الكتاب موضوع فأعطه إن شئت من عمرك! قال : نعم . وقد جف القلم عن أجل سائر بني آدم ، فكتب له من أجل آدم أربعين سنة ، فصار أجله مائة سنة . فلما عمر تسع مائة سنة وستين سنة جاءه ملك الموت; فلما رآه آدم قال : ما لك؟ قال له : قد استوفيت أجلك . قال له آدم : إنما عمرت تسع مائة وستين سنة ، وبقي أربعون سنة . قال : فلما قال ذلك للملك ، قال الملك : قد أخبرني بها ربي . قال : فارجع إلى ربك فاسأله ! فرجع الملك إلى ربه ، فقال : ما لك؟ قال : يا رب رجعت إليك لما كنت أعلم من تكرمتك إياه . قال الله : ارجع فأخبره أنه قد أعطى ابنه داود أربعين سنة .,

The light of the face of the descendants was not on all of them but only some and among them with the brightest was Prophet Dawoud.   This hadeath implies that those who have light were the Prophets and the righteous.

Another hadeath reported by Ubay ibn Kaab (أبي بن كعب) in which the Prophet (PBUH) said that Adam saw the prophets with sharp light over them (ورأى الأنبياء فيهم مثل السرج عليهم).  This hadeath and the previous one clearly indicate that the Prophets were identified at that time by the light over them.

While the descendants of Adam were standing, Allah took the pledge from all of them including you and I to worship none but Him.  This is revealed to us verses 172 and 173 of Surah Al-Araf in which Allah said:

وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِنْ بَنِي آدَمَ مِنْ ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ قَالُوا بَلَى شَهِدْنَا أَنْ تَقُولُوا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هَذَا غَافِلِينَ أَوْ تَقُولُوا إِنَّمَا أَشْرَكَ آبَاؤُنَا مِنْ قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا ذُرِّيَّةً مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ أَفَتُهْلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ الْمُبْطِلُونَ

“When your Lord brought the offspring from the lions of the children of Adam, and made them bear witness about themselves: Am I not your Lord?  They said: Yes, indeed, we bear witness.  Lest you might say on the Day of Resurrection: we were unaware of this. Or lest you say, it was our forefathers who were polytheists and we are their late offspring, will You destroy us for what futile men have done?” (Al-Araf 7:172-173) 

In interpreting this verse Ubay ibn Kaab (أبي بن كعب) narrated ahadeath in which the Prophet (PBUH) said that Adam saw the prophets with sharp light over them when the descendants of Adam took the pledge.  At that time, Allah took a second and special pledge from those Prophets.

عن أبي بن كعب في قوله : ( وإذ أخذ ربك من بني آدم من ظهورهم ذرياتهم ) قال : جمعهم ، فجعلهم أزواجا ، ثم صورهم فاستنطقهم فتكلموا ، ثم أخذ عليهم العهد والميثاق وأشهدهم على أنفسهم ” ألست بربكم قالوا بلى ” قال : إني أشهد عليكم السماوات السبع [ والأرضين السبع ] ، وأشهد عليكم أباكم آدم أن تقولوا يوم القيامة : لم نعلم بهذا ، اعلموا أنه لا إله غيري ولا رب غيري ولا تشركوا بي شيئا ، إني سأرسل إليكم رسلي يذكرونكم عهدي وميثاقي ، وأنزل عليكم كتبي ، قالوا : شهدنا بأنك ربنا وإلهنا ، لا رب لنا غيرك ، ولا إله لنا غيرك ، فأقروا ، ورفع عليهم آدم – عليه السلام – ينظر إليهم ، فرأى الغني والفقير وحسن الصورة ودون ذلك ، فقال : يا رب لولا سويت بين عبادك ؟ قال : إني أحببت أن أشكر ، ورأى الأنبياء فيهم مثل السرج عليهم ، خصوا بميثاق آخر في الرسالة والنبوة ، وهو قوله تعالى : وإذ أخذنا من النبيين ميثاقهم إلى قوله : عيسى ابن مريم – عليهما السلام – كان في تلك الأرواح ، فأرسله إلى مريم – عليها السلام – 

This scene of having all of Adam’s descendant standing in front of Allah will be repeated again on the Day of Judgement as Allah describes it to us in Surat Al-Kahf as He says:

وَعُرِضُوا عَلَى رَبِّكَ صَفًّا لَقَدْ جِئْتُمُونَا كَمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ بَلْ زَعَمْتُمْ أَلَّنْ نَجْعَلَ لَكُمْ مَوْعِدًا

“And they will be marshaled before your Lord in lines, (with the announcement), “Now you have come back to Us as We created you the first time; yet you thought We wouldn’t make an appointed time for you. “(Al-Kahf 18:48)

The assembly of verses clearly show than we have not evolved but rather we, all,  were created by Allah at the time of Adam’s creation.   Therefore, none of us is an accident, our parents may not have planned us, but Allah did.  Long before we were conceived in our mothers’ womb, we were conceived by Allah.  

From these verses, it is expected that the angels were witnessing all these events.  The question is at what point Allah told them that He will make Adam and his descendants khalifa on earth.  The likely time is after we faced our first death and only Adam remained. Therefore, the angels must have seen the light on the face of some of Adam’s descendants.  One of those whom the light was bright on his face was Dawoud,

Now, let us connect the dots and explain the verses in Surat Al-Baqara. 

1. The angels were aware of Adam and his decedents’ but did not know their role until Allah told them that He will make Adam khalifa on earth.
2. The angels expressed concern that those descendants will cause mischief and shed blood. But Allah told them that they do not know.
3. Allah taught Adam all the names (الْأَسْمَاءَ كُلَّهَا), but the names must be the names of those who will refute the angels claim. Who are best to refute the angels claim other those on whose face there were light and one of them is Prophet Dawoud. The names that Adam learnt are the names of all Prophets whom the angels saw but did not know their names.
4. This hypothesis explains why Allah told the angels that He knows what they declared and what they were concealing. The angels were concealing that among the descendants of Adam there will be Messengers of Allah and Prophets and those will neither cause mischief nor shed blood.  In fact, those descendants will hymn Allah’s praise and glorify His holiness more than the angels. This is also supported by why prophet Dawoud specifically was identified in the hadeath.  Two observations:
   1. In the whole Quran the title Khalifa was stated only twice, one related to prophet Adam and the second time to Prophet Dawoud.

يَـٰدَاوُ ۥدُ إِنَّا جَعَلۡنَـٰكَ خَلِيفَةً۬ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ

“O Dawoud! Verily! We have placed you as “khalifa” a vicegerent on earth.” (Sad 38:26)

1. The Quan clearly identifies prophet Dawoud as the one with whom many creations join him in Glorifying Allah,

وَسَخَّرۡنَا مَعَ دَاوُ ۥدَ ٱلۡجِبَالَ يُسَبِّحۡنَ وَٱلطَّيۡرَ‌ۚ َ

“And We subjected the mountains and the birds to glorify Our Praises with Dawoud (David)” (Al-Anbiya 21:79)

وَٱذۡكُرۡ عَبۡدَنَا دَاوُ ۥدَ ذَا ٱلۡأَيۡدِ‌ۖ إِنَّهُ ۥۤ أَوَّابٌ (١٧) إِنَّا سَخَّرۡنَا ٱلۡجِبَالَ مَعَهُ ۥ يُسَبِّحۡنَ بِٱلۡعَشِىِّ وَٱلۡإِشۡرَاقِ (١٨) وَٱلطَّيۡرَ مَحۡشُورَةً۬‌ۖ كُلٌّ۬ لَّهُ ۥۤ أَوَّابٌ۬ (١٩)

‘’ And remember Our slave Dawoud (David), endued with power. Verily, he was ever oft-returning in all matters and in repentance. (17) Verily,  We made the mountains to glorify Our Praises with him in the early evenings and early mornings. (18) And (so did) the birds assembled all obedient to him [to glorify Allah’s Praises along with him]. (Sad 38:17-19)

The last point in refuting the angels claim by them admitting man has actually worshipped Allah more than them.  The Prophet (PBUH) said:

قال رسول الله – صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلّم-: «يوضع الميزان يوم القيامة فلو وزن فيه السموات والأرض لوسعت، فتقول الملائكة يارب لمن يزن هذا، فيقول الله تعالى لمن شئت من خلقي، فتقول الملائكة سبحانك ما عبدناك حق عبادتك، ويوضع الصراط مثل حد الموسى، فتقول الملائكة من تجيز على هذا، فيقول من شئت من خلقي، فيقولون سبحانك ما عبدناك حق عبادتك “

“The balance is placed on the Day of Resurrection, the heavens and the earth can be easily weight with it. The angels asked: “O Lord, who will be weigh by this?  Allah says:  Whoever I wish from my creation.  So the angels will say, “We have not worshipped you as you deserve to be worshipped.

Then the Sirat will be place with a razor edge.  The angels say: who is permitted to pass on this?  Allah says: whoever I wish from my creation.  They will say: , and you will be from my creation. The angels will say: We have not worshipped you as you deserve to be worshipped”. 

This implies that those whom Allah will weight with the scale and will pass across the Sirat are those who have worshipped Allah more the angels to deserve this honor.   While the angels may worship Allah more in quantity but they do not face difficulties, temptations and calamities that man faces and challenges his commitment for worship.  But those who are able to continue to worship and paise Allah in face of all these challenges are the one who really the ones whose worship of Allah is the worthiest.

 Last point to make is related to Allah response when the angels questions many suitability to be khalifa and Allah told them (إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ) “I know that which you do not know”.  If Allah said (انى اعلم ما لن تعلموه), it would have meant I know what you would not know.  But when Allah said: (إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ) “I know that which you do not know””, this means that you don’t know now but you may know in the future.  

Hope that I presented reasonable and consistent explanation of man’s creation based on the divine revelation.   But at the end it is up to you to accept this analysis or the analysis by others or offer you own an alternative scenario

Dua