In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Who is Adam? - Quran's Truth

God clearly addresses Adam in the Quran by His words that are complete, perfect, and precisely chosen. No human or jinn can abrogate or add to His divine and proven truth.

[6:115] The word of your Lord is complete, in truth and justice. Nothing shall abrogate His words. He is the Hearer, the Omniscient.

[18:27] You shall recite what is revealed to you of your Lord's scripture. Nothing shall abrogate His words, and you shall not find any other source beside it.

Who is Adam? The non-negotiable facts from Quran

A human being and the father of the human race:

As far as our first life before we came down on earth, the human race, including Adam and his wife, bore witness that God is the Lord and Master.

We Are Born With Instinctive Knowledge About God [7:172] Recall that your Lord summoned all the descendants of Adam, and had them bear witness for themselves: "Am I not your Lord?" They all said, "Yes. We bear witness." Thus, you cannot say on the Day of Resurrection, "We were not aware of this."

All other creatures in the heavens and the earth were upholding God's absolute authority (33:72). However, at certain point, both jinns and humans questioned that fact, after being exposed to Satan (one of the angels). They thought Satan could be a lord. We all asked to be given a chance to decide on that, freely, on our own (33:72). God granted us that chance. He put us all to death (first death for all souls) then brought us back to life, but on earth (40:11, 21:35) . Out of His mercy, God has been showering us, humans and jinns, with all the means and signs to help us decide on that, including sending us messengers and many divine scriptures to warn us, and guide us to His light:

Freedom of Choice [33:72] We have offered the responsibility (freedom of choice) to the heavens and the earth, and the mountains, but they refused to bear it, and were afraid of it. But the human being accepted it; he was transgressing, ignorant.*

[6:130] O you jinns and humans, did you not receive messengers from among you, who narrated to you My revelations, and warned you about the meeting of this day? They will say, "We bear witness against ourselves." They were totally preoccupied with the worldly life, and they will bear witness against themselves that they were disbelievers.

There is a specific set up that was designed by God to represent or symbolize for us all that and to initiate the process of our departure from Heaven to Earth. God has chosen Adam, his wife, and Satan to be the key players in that set up to represent the mistake of being impressed by Satan, and being egoistically hesitant or indecisive about God's absolute authority. Eating from the tree and obeying Satan represents that. God, graciously, forgave us that mistake, and granted us a final chance on earth. Both Adam and his wife initiated the human race on earth for this final chance. Satan was sent down along with Adam and his wife, and he was to initiate the jinn race on earth for the same final chance that was given to humans. With the birth of a new baby on earth, a soul is given a final chance to choose between God and Satan one more time. A jinn companion is assigned for that soul all the time to represent Satan's points of view. This act is perfectly described in different sets of verses in the Quran:

[7:27] O children of Adam, do not let the devil dupe you as he did when he caused the eviction of your parents from Paradise , and the removal of their garments to expose their bodies. He and his tribe see you, while you do not see them. We appoint the devils as companions of those who do not believe.

Classification of God's Creatures [18:50] We said to the angels, "Fall prostrate before Adam." They fell prostrate, except Satan. He became a jinn, for he disobeyed the order of His Lord.* Will you choose him and his descendants as lords instead of Me, even though they are your enemies? What a miserable substitute!

[15:28] Your Lord said to the angels, "I am creating a human being from aged mud, like the potter's clay.
[15:29] "Once I perfect him, and blow into him from My spirit, you shall fall prostrate before him."
[15:30] The angels fell prostrate; all of them,
[15:31] except Iblis (Satan). He refused to be with the prostrators.
[15:32] He said, "O Iblis (Satan), why are you not with the prostrators?"
[15:33] He said, "I am not to prostrate before a human being, whom You created from aged mud, like the potter's clay."
[15:34] He said, "Therefore, you must get out; you are banished.
[15:35] "You have incurred My condemnation until the Day of Judgment."
[15:36] He said, "My Lord, respite me until the day they are resurrected."
[15:37] He said, "You are respited.
[15:38] "Until the specified day and time."
[15:39] He said, "My Lord, since You have willed that I go astray, I will surely entice them on earth; I will send them all astray.
[15:40] "Except those among Your worshipers who are devoted absolutely to You alone."
[15:41] He said, "This is a law that is inviolable.
[15:42] "You have no power over My servants. You only have power over the strayers who follow you.
[15:43] "And Hell awaits them all.

[2:34] When we said to the angels, "Fall prostrate before Adam," they fell prostrate, except Satan; he refused, was too arrogant, and a disbeliever.
[2:35] We said, "O Adam, live with your wife in Paradise , and eat therefrom generously, as you please, but do not approach this tree, lest you sin."
[2:36] But the devil duped them, and caused their eviction therefrom. We said, "Go down as enemies of one another. On Earth shall be your habitation and provision for awhile." Specific Words [2:37] Then, Adam received from his Lord words, whereby He redeemed him. He is the Redeemer, Most Merciful.
[2:38] We said, "Go down therefrom, all of you. When guidance comes to you from Me, those who follow My guidance will have no fear, nor will they grieve.

[20:121] They ate from it, whereupon their bodies became visible to them, and they tried to cover themselves with the leaves of Paradise . Adam thus disobeyed his Lord, and fell.
[20:122] Subsequently, his Lord chose him, redeemed him, and guided him.
[20:123] He said, "Go down therefrom, all of you. You are enemies of one another. When guidance comes to you from Me, anyone who follows My guidance will not go astray, nor suffer any misery.

[7:22] He thus duped them with lies. As soon as they tasted the tree, their bodies became visible to them, and they tried to cover themselves with the leaves of Paradise . Their Lord called upon them: "Did I not enjoin you from that tree, and warn you that the devil is your most ardent enemy?"
[7:23] They said, "Our Lord, we have wronged our souls, and unless You forgive us and have mercy on us, we will be losers."
[7:24] He said, "Go down as enemies of one another. On earth shall be your habitation and provision for awhile."
[7:25] He said, "On it you will live, on it you will die, and from it you will be brought

It seems that the Angels were not aware of our mistake and the divine plan God designed for us to be debased on earth along with the jinns. All what they knew was that Satan is wicked, and disobedient. They couldn't figure out why he is going to be placed on earth. They wondered about that and God told them "I know what you do not know. "

Satan: A Temporary "god"* [2:30] Recall that your Lord said to the angels, "I am placing a representative (a temporary god) on Earth." They said, "Will You place therein one who will spread evil therein and shed blood, while we sing Your praises, glorify You, and uphold Your absolute authority?" He said, "I know what you do not know." *2:30-37 These verses answer such crucial questions as: ``Why are we here?'' (See Appendix 7).

Based on the above Quranic facts, Adam and his wife were chosen to be the human entities that we all descend from on earth.

Based on the following Quranic facts, we are clearly titled as "children of Adam." Adam's creation in Heaven was simply by a blow from the Almighty in mud/aged clay - be and it is. As for our birth on earth, it follows the the earthly laws of reproduction. It was Adam and his wife who were chosen by God to initiate this process on earth.

[17:70] We have honored the children of Adam, and provided them with rides on land and in the sea. We provided for them good provisions, and we gave them greater advantages than many of our creatures.

Mathematical Confirmation [3:59] The example of Jesus, as far as GOD is concerned, is the same as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him, "Be," and he was.

[7:189] He created you from one person (Adam). Subsequently, He gives every man a mate to find tranquility with her. She then carries a light load that she can hardly notice. As the load gets heavier, they implore GOD their Lord: "If You give us a good baby, we will be appreciative."

The Origin of Man [32:7] He is the One who perfected everything He created, and started the creation of the human from clay. [32:8] Then He continued his reproduction through a certain lowly liquid.

So, God, in the Quran, precisely tells us that Adam and his wife were the first humans on earth and Adam is the chosen father who initiated us following the set divine systems of human reproduction on earth.

Adam is also the father of all prophets and messengers of God:

Messengers From Among You [7:35] O children of Adam, when messengers come to you from among you, and recite My revelations to you, those who take heed and lead a righteous life, will have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve.

Is Adam a messenger or prophet - messenger?

NO. God has never stated that in His perfect infallible Quran, nor was there any verse in the entire Quran that indirectly implies that. Unfortunately some claim so lying about God and attributing some falsehood to God's Messenger of the Covenant by taking some of his words in parentheses, footnotes, index, or in some of his presentations out of context. The bottom line is that the messenger wouldn't utter blasphemies about God or add to what God has sent down to us in the Quran. It is we, humans, who are stamped with idol worship and will always tend to do so.

Why, then, is it claimed that Adam is a messenger or a prophet-messenger?

  1. Unfortunately, the following clarification in between the parenthesis by God's Messenger of the Covenant misleads some of us:

    [3:33] GOD has chosen Adam, Noah, the family of Abraham, and the family of Amram (as messengers) to the people.

    Refutation:

    First, like all the information between the brackets all over the translation of the Quran by Dr. Rashad Khalifa, God's Messenger of the Covenant, the above stated in between parenthesis is not in the text of the Quran. It is a clarification by the messenger that is applicable only to the family of Abraham and Amran, otherwise the reader might conclude that the whole family of Abraham and Amran were chosen servants. We know for a fact that Abraham's father was an idol worshiper. So, in other words it is saying , God has chosen Adam, Noah, and (the messengers) of Abraham’s family and (the messengers) of Amran’s family from all the people.

    Second, in the Arabic text, the verse ends with "from all the people" not with "to the people." However, the only reason one could think of that made the messenger translated it as such is to emphasize the duty of the messengers from among the families of Abraham and Amran.

    Third, there is no support that choosing Adam means that he is a messenger. God is precisely saying He has chosen him, but “chosen” does not automatically mean "as a messenger." There are examples of some people chosen by God for different things, such as in 2:247, Saul was chosen as king, and in 3:42 (8 verses after 3:33) Mary was also chosen from all the women. The Arabic wording ending both 3:42 in regard of Mary, and 3:33 is almost identical. No one, however, has ever claimed Mary to be a messenger or a prophet of God!

    Mary and Jesus [3:42] The angels said, "O Mary, GOD has chosen you and purified you. He has chosen you from all the women.

  2. Based on the wrong interpretation of the brackets of 3:33, Adam was listed as a messenger in the index of the English translation.

    Refutation:

    We all know that the index was never the work of Dr. Rashad Khalifa alone. The index was a tedious work, and may God bless those who were working on it. We have witnessed many typos and mistakes done to this index, many revisions and many edits. We have also witnessed many people who take statements out of context from Dr. Khalifa or from the Quran itself to make new laws and spread baseless and shameful information. NO one should put any emphasis on the index knowing that it is nothing but a fallible, man-made doctrine created simply to ease the process of studying the Quran. The Index is not the word of God.

  3. Since Adam received certain words from God, this makes him received something "new" and this automatically qualifies him to be a prophet and renders the "new" words he received to a scripture.

    [2:36] But the devil duped them, and caused their eviction therefrom. We said, "Go down as enemies of one another. On Earth shall be your habitation and provision for awhile."
    Specific Words* [2:37] Then, Adam received from his Lord words, whereby He redeemed him. He is the Redeemer, Most Merciful.
    [2:38] We said, "Go down therefrom, all of you. When guidance comes to you from Me, those who follow My guidance will have no fear, nor will they grieve. *2:37 Similarly, God has given us specific, mathematically coded words, the words of Sura 1, to establish contact with Him (see Footnote 1:1 and Appendix 15).

    [20:121] They ate from it, whereupon their bodies became visible to them, and they tried to cover themselves with the leaves of Paradise . Adam thus disobeyed his Lord, and fell.
    [20:122] Subsequently, his Lord chose him, redeemed him, and guided him.
    [20:123] He said, "Go down therefrom, all of you. You are enemies of one another. When guidance comes to you from Me, anyone who follows My guidance will not go astray, nor suffer any misery.

    Refutation:

    First, Adam was given “words” with which to redeem himself. This is all we are told about God's words Adam received. Then God says in the sequence, go down therefrom and when guidance comes to you from Me, follow it. The sequence of events is very clear and non-negotiable; sinning, recognizing the sin, asking God for forgiveness, receiving certain words that were called by God as words of redemption, then forgiveness that lead to going down to earth for a final chance, then the command to wait for God's guidance. That is all what the Arabic text of the Quran is stating.

    Second, proposing that the words of redemption Adam received is a scripture since they are an inspiration from God almighty is nothing but a faulty man-made conclusion that was never given by God or stated by Dr. Rashad Khalifa in the footnotes of 2:37, 1:1 or in any of the appendices. All what Messenger of the Covenant stated is that the words Adam received were specific words. These words, in function, are similar to the Key words (Al Fatiha) that we, submitters, must utter in our daily contact with God to be redeemed. He had never claimed or assumed that these words of redemption constitute a scripture just because they are an inspiration from God.

    Third, "something new" doesn't qualify by itself as a definition of a scripture. Furthermore, we should never accept that limited words of redemption or forgiveness would fulfill the broad definition and functions of scripture as given clearly by God almighty in the Quran. A divine scripture, besides being new from God and being in a written format, must contain guiding teachings, enlightenment, and laws that settle all disputes. This is how God almighty defines a scripture for us in the Quran:

    The Book of Moses [28:43] We gave Moses the scripture - after having annihilated the previous generations, and after setting the examples through them - to provide enlightenment for the people, and guidance, and mercy, that they may take heed.

    [2:213] The people used to be one community when GOD sent the prophets as bearers of good news, as well as warners. He sent down with them the scripture, bearing the truth, to judge among the people in their disputes. Ironically, those who received the scripture were the ones who rejected any new scripture, despite clear proofs given to them. This is due to jealousy on their part. GOD guides those who believe to the truth that is disputed by all others, in accordance with His will. GOD guides whoever wills in a straight path.*

    [16:64] We have revealed this scripture to you, to point out for them what they dispute, and to provide guidance and mercy for people who believe.

    [10:57] O people, enlightenment has come to you herein from your Lord, and healing for anything that troubles your hearts, and guidance, and mercy for the believers.

    Should we assume that "The Key" or Al-Fatihah is also a scripture since they are our words of redemption from God? Of course not. We should not misconstruct the purpose of Al-Fatihah (The key) and take it beyond its mere purpose to establish contact with God as clarified by God and His messenger in the above footnote (2:37) and appendix 15 . The same exactly applies to the function of the words of redemption Adam received- a very limited function.

  4. In appendix 9, God's Messenger of the Covenant states: "One of the prevalent myths is that Muhammad was the founder of Islam. Although Islam, total submission to God alone, is the only religion recognized by God since the time of Adam (3:19, 85)…"

    Also in footnote 4:125, it is stated: "All messengers since Adam have preached one and the same religion. Abraham was the original messenger of the creed named ``Islam'' (22:78, Appendix 26). ``Islam'' is not a name, but rather a description meaning ``Submission.''

    Refutation:

    "Since the time of Adam" and "since Adam" is nothing but to say : from the beginning of time, or : for the oldest time. The implication is that God's message has been one and the same for the oldest time. This shouldn't be taken literally to conclude that Adam was a messenger. Praise God that Dr. Khalifa didn't say for once "since the time of prophet Adam.". He never did because God has NEVER said so and NEVER included Adam, for once, with the other 20 prophets He mentioned by name in the Quran.

Questions to ask
  1. If Adam was a prophet or a messenger, what is the Quranic evidence or support for that? The answer is: zero Quranic evidence or support.
  2. If Adam was a messenger without a scripture, what message and what scripture was he sent to confirm? The answer is : nothing and no one existed on earth before Adam.
  3. If Adam was God's prophet, what is the name of the scripture he brought, and who were the recipients on earth at that time? Who was he sent for? The answer is : nothing and no one existed on earth before Adam to receive any scripture.
  4. If Adam was a prophet or a messenger, why he had to wait for God's guidance on earth based on the perfect narration and sequence of events in the above verses? The answer is: he wasn't. He was brought up on earth just as any one else to choose one more time between God and Satan.

Conclusion

  1. Messenger of the Covenant never claimed in His writings that Adam was a prophet or a messenger. The support towards Adam being a messenger or prophet relies heavily on our own personal interpretations and conclusions of certain words the messenger wrote down in parenthesis, footnotes, or appendices. So the danger is not in what the messenger said but in what we conclude from his writings.

    Others rely on what they directly heard from him in Quranic studies or discussions. This is another danger. It was never meant by God when He sends a messenger that the message would be clarified better for a specific handful of believers who were around him, with the rest not having as good of a grasp on issues because they were not there. Praise be to God, the message of the Quran is divinely guarded and preserved, and was fully confirmed by God's Messenger of the Covenant. The messenger’s duties are clearly documented for all the people. The messenger lived and died preaching we shall worship God alone and follow Quran alone. He is no longer with us, but Quran will remain the only alive and perpetual messenger of God.

    It is, however, a responsibility and a test for those who were around the messenger to not put too much emphasis on what he had said when he was alive to limited groups, at specific locations, under specific frame of mind, and while discussing specific topics without considering the general context of the entire Quran. This, somehow, could result in saying things that do not conform with the general picture, and the ultimate Quranic truth. This is exactly what we refer to as "the human mistakes of a messenger." We try to educate the Sunnies that Muhammad was never infallible. However, history repeats itself, but we are not admitting that we are among the ones repeating it.

  2. God has NEVER stated in His infallible scripture that Adam was among the prophets or the messengers in a single verse in the entire Quran. God has never mentioned that the words of redemption Adam received in Heaven are a scripture to guide man kind on earth. God has never mentioned that the Key we use to establish contact with God is a scripture either. God has never explained to us that being "new", by itself and even if divine, would be enough qualification or definition for a scripture. These are all baseless pieces of information that we must be extremely careful uttering or else we would be adding our own opinions and interpretations to the word of God.

    God calls His book perfect, complete, and infallible. He never runs out of words. Each word and letter is precisely chosen. There is not even a hint in the entire Quran that indicates directly or indirectly that Adam was a prophet or a messenger. Both Adam and his wife started our race on earth so we all can be given our final chance of redemption, and they both waited along with others for God's guidance on earth.

  3. We all know that it is an act that is described by God as evil to attribute lies to God and say what we have no knowledge of about Him. May God keep us away from evil and from lying about God.

Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.