6. The Error That The Prophet Adam (Pbuh) Was Not The First Man

Another claim put forward regarding the error of evolutionary creation is that the Prophet Adam (pbuh) may not have been the first man and may not even have been a human being. (We absolve the Prophet Adam (pbuh)). The following verse is presented as evidence for this:

When your Lord said to the angels, "I will create a vicegerent on Earth," they said, "Why put on it one who will cause corruption on it and shed blood when we glorify You with praise and proclaim Your purity?" He said, "I know what you do not know." (Surat al-Baqara, 30)

Those who support this claim say that the Arabic verb ja'ala in the expression "I will create a vicegerent" means "to appoint." In other words, they wrongly suggest that the Prophet Adam (pbuh) was not the first man, but that that he was "appointed" as a vicegerent among many people. However, in the Qur'an, this verb has the following meanings:

To create, invent, translate, make, place and render

Some examples of Qur'anic verses where ja'ala is used are:

He created you from a single self, then produced (ja'ala) its mate from it, and sent down livestock to you – eight kinds in pairs… (Surat az-Zumar, 6)

Say: "He brought you into being and gave (ja'ala) you hearing, sight and hearts. What little thanks you show! (Surat al-Mulk, 23)

(Do you not see how He) placed the moon as a light in them and made (ja'la) the sun a blazing lamp? (Surah Nuh, 16)

Allah has spread (ja'la) the ground out as a carpet for you. (Surah Nuh, 19)

As can be seen from the above verses, ja'ala has various meanings. Furthermore, several verses state that the Prophet Adam (pbuh) was created from dust. These verses make it clear that the Prophet Adam (pbuh) was not just one man among many, but that he possessed a special and different creation.

In the Qur'an Allah reveals another important fact about the Prophet Adam (pbuh): his removal from the Garden of Eden. It says in the verses:

Children of Adam! Do not let satan tempt you into trouble, as He expelled your parents from the Garden, stripping them of their covering, and disclosing to them their private parts. He and his tribe see you from where you do not see them. We have made the demons friends of those who do not believe. (Surat al-Mursalat, 27)

We said: "Adam, live in the Garden, you and your wife, and eat freely from it wherever you will. But do not approach this tree and so become wrongdoers." But satan made them slip up by means of it, expelling them from where they were. We said: "Go down from here as enemies to each other! You will have residence on Earth and enjoyment for a time." (Surat al-Baqara, 35-36)

The verses' statements are perfectly clear. Allah created the Prophet Adam(pbuh) from dust. The Prophet Adam (pbuh) is a special creation that emerged first from his existence in the Heaven and then from his removal from it. Yet Muslims who have been deceived by evolution ignore this evident truth and maintain that "Heaven" here refers not to the Heaven in the Hereafter but to a beautiful area on Earth, despite the fact that the Qur'an specifies many features of the Heaven in which the Prophet Adam (pbuh) was created. For example, that Heaven contains both angels and the devil, and the angels speak with Allah. It is a mistake to produce forced interpretations and seek evidence of evolution when the verses are so clear on this matter.

Many verses state that all people are descended from the Prophet Adam(pbuh). As it is revealed in the Qur'an:

When your Lord took out all their descendants from the loins of the children of Adam and made them testify against themselves "Am I not your Lord?" they said: "We testify that indeed You are!" Lest you say on the Day of Rising: "We knew nothing of this." Or lest you say: "Our forefathers associated others with Allah before our time, and we are merely descendants coming after them. So are You going to destroy us for what those purveyors of falsehood did?" (Surat al-Mursalat, 172-173)

The Prophet Adam (pbuh) was the first man and Allah's first Messenger. The verses are so clear on this matter that there is no need for any commentary. All that people have to do is read the Qur'an with a sincere heart and listen to their conscience. Allah will reveal the truth to those who read the verses with that intent.