Islamic teachings about Adam’s creation : Some interpretations

Most of Muslims believe that God creates Adam as the first created man in the whole world. God creates him from clay, places him in heaven, creates Eve to be his wife, but then moves both of them into earth to pay for their mistakes in disobeying God’s command in the case of the heaven tree (we, Indonesian people name it: Khuldi tree). After coming to the Earth, then Adam and Eve have many children and become the first generation of human life in this earth.

The creation story of Adam has clearly been portrayed in Quran in Al Baqarah: 30-39, Ali Imraan: 59, An-Nisaa: 1, Al Hujuraat: 13, Al-A’raaf 11-25 and 189, Al Hijr: 26-44, Al Israa: 61-65, Al Kahfi: 50, Thaaha: 55 and 115-126, Shaad: 67-68.[1]

The creation Process of Adam

In the Qur'an Adam was created by God from the dry soil that is then formed by God with the best possible shape. Once complete it is by God's spirit blown into him that he then came alive. This is confirmed by God in the Quran:

"What makes something that He has created his best, and started the creation of man from clay." (As Sajdah: 7)

 "And indeed we created man (Adam) from sounding clay (derived) from a given form of black mud". (Al-Hijr: 26)

Besides, God also explains in detail about the creation of man in the Al Hijr : 28 and 29.

 "And (remember) when thy Lord said unto the angels: Surely I will create a man from dried clay (derived) from a given form of black mud. So, when I have perfected it happened, and have breathed into it the spirit (creation), then you submit to him by prostrating "(Al-Hijr: 28-29)

In a Hadith, the Messenger of Allah said:

"It is precisely the man is from Adam and Adam's (created) from the ground". (Narrated by Bukhari).

Human roles in the world

Islam recognizes two different roles of humans in the world. The first is that the human becomes a caliph in the earth, and the second is that human becomes a God’s servant. Both positions are very different in meaning and practice. The first has proclaimed humans as the leader, the ruler of this world, but on the other side, humans must be a servant of God.

The first position, the human as a caliph, comes from the verse in Al Baqarah: 30.

"Remember when your Lord said to the angels, 'Verily I am about to make a caliph in the earth.' They (angels) said, 'Why do you want to make (the caliph) on earth was the person who will make mischief and shed blood to her when we are constantly praises You and sanctify You? "God said, 'Behold, I know what ye know not.'" (al-Baqarah: 30)

A caliph means that humans are the vicegerents of God in the earth. This implies the meaning that humans have their own right to manage and rule the world and all of the beings there. Therefore, humans have their own freedom to make up this world as they want. In other words, they can build this world or even damage it depending on their acts. Of course, this position is very terrible when we consider what the angels say before the creation of Adam that humans will only shed the blood of one another and destroy the world or nature. And, God admits it in Qur’an. God says:

"It has been apparent the damage on land and at sea are caused by the deeds of arms (immoral) man, that God may feel some of them (due to) their actions, so they come back(to the right path)" (Ar Rum: 41).

In this case, the second role of humans has been given to limit damaging the world (nature). Besides making humans as caliphs, God also makes humans as servant. God says:

“And I do not create Jinn and Man except to worship for Me.”(Adz Dzariyat: 56).

In my opinion, this position is the basic answer for all of our doubts that man can damage the world. This human position as the servant of God will equalize the power which human gets from God as a caliph. Humans must equalize their power to control with the mandatory to serve God. This is the main idea that humans not only can damage the world, but also keep the world from damage.

Those positions as caliph and as servant also are the way God asks human to take responsibility in the world. God has provided humans two places there, the heaven and the hell. Humans will be placed in one or the other based on their result of their position as caliph and servant. If their actions are bad, humans will enter hell, and vice versa if their actions are good, humans deserve to enter heaven.

In order to gain heaven, humans cannot treat nature as they want without considering things exist in nature. It is because two roles of human must be understood together. Humans cannot act as a caliph only but also humans must equalize it with its role as a servant. This equal role is the basis of the action of every Muslim in the world.

The rationality of nature

In accordance to the relationship between humans and nature, I think the most interesting thing which can be found in Qur’an in the case of nature is that nature is also a being. Nature is alive, has its own life, and all of it prays and praises to glorify God, together with humans. This projection is clearly stated in Qur’an as follow:

“All in the heaven and the earth is to glorify God (expressing the greatness of Allah) and he who isThe Almighty and Wise.” (Al Hadiid: 1)

 “The seven heavens and the earth and everything on it glorify God and there is nothing but praises him, but you all do not understand their prayer beads. Indeed he is the most forbearing and forgiving.” (Al Israa: 77)

Those verses above explain that nature is alive. They can glorify God, although in human’s perspective, they do nothing in the reality. This is what is stated clearly by God that we, human beings cannot understand their actions. However, this teaching must be a turning point to get mutual relationships between humans and nature.

Conclusion

Humans and nature are in equal position. Both of them are the same creation of God. In some verses in the Qur’an, Adam has been created from clay, or some element which grounds nature. It means that humans are not different from nature. Humans have come from nature. In this sense, it is very obvious that nature and humans are one unity,so that they have tight relationships in the beginning until today.

According to some verses also, humans have two roles in the world. The first role is a caliph, and the second is a servant. Both roles apparently contradict each other, as a leader and as a servant. To avoid this contradiction, it must be understood in a comprehensive way. This comprehensive way includes God, humans, and nature as the reality outside of human beings.

Many religious interpretation advocates the role of  human beings in the world as the center life. It is something that we have to admit. However, the verses from Qur’an actually give another understanding about nature, which is often being forgotten by people. Qur’an verses point clearly to the idea that nature is alive, every time and every place they glorify God. It concludes that actually  nature also is a being, has feeling and actions, although humans cannot recognize it.

Nature has its own rationality. It can be concluded that nature is as equal as human in front of God. This is very important because after this, humans should not exploit nature as a dead thing, as a non-being. Nature is a being, so that human must be aware and be careful to explore all the richness which exists in nature.

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[1]See IbnuKatsir, The story of the prophets, no year.  The complete Letters and verses also can be retrieved from:  http//kawansejati.org/penjelasan-penciptaan-nabi-adam.