This is the starting point of the great journey of human life. It begins by giving the human race power so that it can settle on earth. Here the reference is to an absolute fact that precedes the creation of mankind.

“We have established you firmly on earth and We have provided you there with means of livelihood. How seldom are you grateful.” (Verse 10) The Creator of both the earth and man is the One who has made it possible for the human race to establish itself on earth. It is He who has given the earth its qualities and characteristics and made all these balances which allow human life to prosper and provide people with sustenance and other means of livelihood.

It is indeed He who has made the earth suitable for sustaining human life, by giving it its atmosphere, its particular size, shape and make-up, its appropriate distance from the sun and the moon. It is He who has set it in its orbit in order to enable it to move round the sun, and given it its particular speed and determined the angle it makes with its axis. All these balances are as important as giving the earth the potential to produce sustenance and sources of energy to enable human life to continue and prosper. It is also God who has made man the master of all creation on earth, giving him the ability to utilize the earth’s potential and resources by his ability to identify and use the laws of nature.

Had it not been for the fact that God has established man on earth and given him all these qualities, man, a weak creation as he certainly is, would not have been able to make his `conquest of nature’, as people in jāhiliyyah communities, past and present, say. He would not have been able to stand up to the enormous, overwhelming forces that operate in the universe.

It is unfortunate that ancient Greek and Roman concepts continue to impart their colour to present-day jāhiliyyah. It is these concepts that portray the universe as hostile to man, and universal forces as opposed to man’s existence and action. They try to show man engaged in a fight against natural forces, with every discovery of natural law man makes portrayed as a triumph of man against nature.

All these concepts are both absurd and evil. Had it been true that the natural laws of the universe are hostile to man and that they work in opposition to what man does, and had it been true that these forces operate without any control by a wise will, man would have never come into existence in the first place. How could he have existed? How could he survive in a hostile universe and environment when these are subject to no external will or power whatsoever? How could he have sustained his life, when all these great forces are opposed to him? The question becomes even more forceful if we are to accept the claim that these forces are subject to no control other than their own.

Only the Islamic concept of life provides a coherent concept that relates all these details to their original and consistent line. It is God who has created both man and the universe. His will and wisdom has determined the nature of this universe making it possible for human life to maintain itself and prosper. He has also endowed man with the ability that makes it possible for him to identify certain natural laws and utilize them for his own needs. This perfect coherence and harmony is the one worthy of God’s creation, because God’s work is characterized by its perfection in every aspect. He does not place His creation on a war footing so that they are always hostile to one another.

What we are about to learn is the story of human life with all its exciting events. It begins with an announcement of the forthcoming birth of mankind. The announcement is made in a majestic celebration attended by the Supreme Society, a Qur’ānic term that refers to the angels. As a further evidence of honour, no one other than God Almighty makes the announcement when the angels are gathered, and Iblīs is present, though he is not one of the angels. The whole event is witnessed by the heavens and the earth and all that God has created. It is indeed a great event in the history of the universe:

We have indeed created you, and then formed you. We then said to the angels:

“Prostrate yourselves before Adam!” They all prostrated themselves, except for Iblīs:

he was not one of those who prostrated themselves. And [God] said: “What has prevented you from prostrating yourself when I commanded you?” Answered [Iblīs]:

“I am nobler than he: You created me out of fire, while You created him out of clay.” [God] said: “Off with you hence! It is not for you to show your arrogance here. Get out, then; you will always be among the humiliated. “Said he: “Grant me a respite until the Day when all will be raised [from the dead].” God replied: “You shall indeed be among those granted respite.” [Iblīs] said: “Since you let me fall in error, I shall indeed lurk in ambush for them all along Your straight path, and I shall most certainly fall upon them from the front and from the rear, and from their right and from their left; and You will find most of them ungrateful.” [God] said: “Get out of here, despised, disgraced. As for those of them that follow you, I shall fill Hell with you all. “(Verses 11-18)

This is the first scene, which is both exciting and very serious indeed. It is perhaps more appropriate to look properly at the scenes in this story, making our comments at the end when we can better try to understand its importance.

We have indeed created you, and then formed you. We then said to the angels:

“Prostrate yourselves before Adam!” They all prostrated themselves, except for Iblīs:

he was not one of those who prostrated themselves. (Verse 11)

‘Creation’ may mean initiation, while `formation’ may mean the assigning of a particular form and special characteristic. These are grades not stages of existence.

The conjunction `then’ may signify giving a higher status without having any element of a chronological order. To give something a form is more advanced than its mere existence, for the latter may be limited to the raw material only. Formation, in the sense of giving a special human form and characteristic, is certainly much more significant than mere existence. Hence, the Qur’ānic statement should be understood as not signifying mere existence but also giving that existence a number of higher characteristics. This is akin to the Qur’ānic statement which refers to God Himself as the One “who has given everything that exists its true form and then guided them.” (20: 50).

The scene portrays three different types of God’s creation: the first is that given to absolute obedience and complete self-surrender. In this scene, its role is completed with the submission it makes which manifested itself in the angels prostrating themselves, one and all, to Adam as commanded by their Lord. The second type is that of absolute disobedience and spiteful arrogance, while the third is that of human nature. We will be discussing shortly the characteristics of these latter types and how they work.

And [God] said: “What has prevented you from prostrating yourself when I commanded you?” Answered [Iblīs]: “I am nobler than he: You created me out of fire, while You created him out of clay” (Verse 12)

Iblīs here claims for himself a private opinion and a right of discretion to consider whether to comply with an order given by God or not. He wants to base his action on what appears to him to be justifiable. Needless to say, when a clear order is given by God no one has the right of discretion. The only thing that is left is complete obedience and perfect compliance. However, fully aware that God is the Creator and Sustainer of all creation and who controls the universe to the extent that nothing takes place without His permission and consent, Iblīs refuses to comply, justifying his disobedience by his own logic: “I am nobler than he: You created me out of fire, while You created him out of clay.” (Verse 12) Immediately, he received the right answer to his arrogance: “[God] said: Off with you hence! It is not for you to show your arrogance here. Get out, then; you will always be among the humiliated.” (Verse 13)

Neither his knowledge of God nor his belief in God’s existence and attributes were of any benefit to Iblīs. The same applies to anyone who receives a divine order and claims for himself a degree of discretion about whether to accept or refuse that order, or claims the right to refuse God’s ruling on any question whatsoever. For this entails disbelief in spite of knowledge and certitude. Iblīs was not at all lacking in either his knowledge of God or his certainty of His attributes. He was expelled from Heaven and deprived of God’s grace. He incurred God’s displeasure and was condemned to permanent humiliation.

Evil and obstinate as he is, Iblīs does not forget the cause of his expulsion and God’s displeasure with him: namely, Adam. He does not want to accept his miserable fate without trying to avenge himself. Furthermore, he wants to fulfil his task in accordance with the evil nature which he has come to symbolize: “Said he:

‘Grant me a respite until the Day when all will be raised [from the dead].’ God replied: ‘You shall indeed be among these granted respite.’ [Iblīs] said: ‘Since You let me fall in error, I shall indeed lurk in ambush for them all along Your straight path, and I shall most certainly fall upon them from the front and from the rear, and from their right and from their left; and You will find most of them ungrateful.’” (Verses 14-17)

His attitude, then, is one of complete determination to follow the evil path, and absolute insistence on trying to lead people astray. Here we see his nature revealing its main characteristic of a deeply entrenched, deliberate evil, and not a passing or temporary one.

Fast on the heels of the scene ending with Satan’s expulsion from Heaven follows a scene in which we see God looking at Adam and his wife. Only at this point do we realize that Adam has a wife of his own species. We do not know how she came to exist. This passage which relates this story of the creation of man and similar passages in the Qur’ān do not tell us anything about the creation of the female human being. All the reports that speak of her being created out of Adam’s rib belong to Israelite literature. As such, they are not totally reliable. What we can say without fear of being contradicted is that God created for Adam a spouse of his own type, to make them a couple. Making all species in couples is the law applicable to all creation. God says in the Qur’ān: “Of all things We have created couples so that you may reflect.” (51: 49) Keeping this rule in mind, it seems to us that it was not long before Eve was created, and that it must have been in the same manner as Adam’s creation.

Be that as it may, both Adam and his wife are now addressed to outline God’s commandment to them. They are to be given their experiences so that they are prepared for the fulfilment of their basic role for which they have been created. This is the role of vicegerency on earth, as is stated clearly in the second sūrah, The Cow, or, Al-Baqarah, in which we are told: “Your Lord said to the angels: I am appointing a vicegerent on earth.” (2: 30)

“And (as for you), Adam: dwell you and your wife in this Garden, and eat, both of you, whatever you may desire; but do not come near this tree, lest you become wrongdoers.” (Verse 19) The Qur’ān remains silent about what kind of tree it was, because providing any specific information on this point does not add any particular information about the purpose of its prohibition. Withholding such information lends weight to the view that the prohibition itself was the objective. God has permitted Adam and his wife the enjoyment of what He has made lawful, and commanded them to steer away from what has been forbidden. It was necessary to identify something as forbidden so that the human race could learn that people must not exceed their limits. Thus man’s will is restrained such that he controls his desire and caprice. He is thus able to elevate himself above the level of animals who respond involuntarily to their desires and cannot control them. This is indeed the quality that distinguishes man from animals.

Now Satan begins to play the role for which he dedicated himself. This against a unique creation whose birth God so graciously announced Himself before the Supreme Society in grand celebration. Furthermore, He ordered the angels to prostrate themselves to him, and expelled Satan from heaven on his account. We are told how God created man with a dual nature, capable of following both the right and wrong paths. He has inherent weaknesses and desires which can lead him astray, unless he observes God’s commandments.

Thus Satan saw his chance and began to play on human desires: “But Satan whispered to them both, so that he might show them their nakedness, of which they had previously been unaware. He said to them: ‘Your Lord has only forbidden you this tree lest you two become angels or immortals.’ And he swore to them: ‘I am indeed giving you sound advice.’” (Verses 20-21)

Wicked as he is and knowing that prohibition of that tree was firmly rooted in their minds, Satan thought to shaken its effect by assuring them that they had nothing to fear. He coupled that by tempting them with the fulfilment of their desires. He swore to them that he only gave them sound advice and that he was sincere in that advice: “And he swore to them: I am indeed giving you sound advice.” (Verse 21).

Upon the influence of their desires and the reassuring effect of his oath, Adam and his wife forgot that Satan was their enemy who would never point out something good to them. They became oblivious of the fact that God had issued a commandment to them which they had to obey, whether they recognized its purpose or not. They further forgot that everything takes place in accordance with God’s will.

If it is God’s will that they should not be immortal or should not have an everlasting kingdom, then they will have neither. They forgot all this and yielded to Satan’s temptation. “Thus he cunningly deluded them. And when they both had tasted the fruit of the tree, their nakedness became apparent to them, and they began to cover themselves with leaves from the Garden. Their Lord called out to them: `Did I not forbid you that tree and tell you both that Satan is your open enemy?” (Verse 22)

The temptation was thus complete and yielded its bitter fruit. With their error, Satan brought them down from the level of obeying God to that of disobeying Him.

Thus he caused their delusion: “Thus he cunningly deluded them.” (Verse 22) Now they realized that they were naked after they were unaware of those bodily parts which should remain covered. They began to gather leaves from the trees of heaven and patch them together to cover their nakedness. The way all this is expressed in the Qur’ān suggests that it is a reference to the physical private parts which a human being is naturally too shy to expose. He only exposes them when his nature is corrupted under the pressure of traditions and practices that may prevail in jāhiliyyah societies.

Their Lord called out to them: “Did I not forbid you that tree and tell you both that Satan is your open enemy?” (Verse 22) They heard their Lord’s reproach for their disobedience and for taking no heed of His advice. As to how this reproach was made and how they heard it, these are matters of which we have no knowledge other than that they took place. We accept that as we accept the statement that their Lord spoke to them the first time and also spoke to the angels and to Iblīs. God does what He wants.

With this address from on high, the other side of man’s nature is revealed. He is liable to forget and to err. He has a weakness which gives Satan the opportunity to delude him. He does not always maintain the right path. However, he recognizes his mistake and regrets it, and seeks God’s help and forgiveness. He is ready to turn back to God. He does not insist on his disobedience as Satan did, nor does he request his Lord to help him sink deeper into error: “Said they: ‘Our Lord.’ We have wronged ourselves; and unless You grant us forgiveness and bestow Your mercy upon us, we shall certainly be lost.’” (Verse 23) This is one of man’s main characteristics, establishing his bond with his Lord. This opening of the doors leading to his Lord involves recognition of his error, repentance, seeking forgiveness, feeling his own weakness, seeking God’s help and mercy. He is all the time certain that his own power is of no avail unless God helps him and bestows His mercy on him. Otherwise he is lost.

What we are told in this sūrah about Adam’s creation is not a mere story. It is a presentation outlining the truth of the creation of man, explaining his nature and origin as well as the world around him and what control he has over his life. It also seeks to explain the code which God wants him to implement, the test to which he is put and the destiny awaiting him. All these are basic elements in the Islamic concept of life. We will tackle these only briefly in our commentary, because they are tackled in greater depth in a separate book.10

The first fact which we derive from studying the history of human existence and how man came into being demonstrates that there is full and complete harmony between the nature of the universe and the creation of man. Divine planning, which is characterized by being elaborate and careful, encompasses both man and the universe. It is this planning which makes man’s existence the outcome of a deliberate plan, not a mere coincidence. It also makes harmony between man and the universe the norm.

Those who do not have a proper concept of God and do not properly understand His nature or give Him the respect due to Him, apply their own human measures to His will and actions. When they realize that man is only one of numerous creatures which live on earth, and discover that the earth is no more than a small particle in the ocean of the universe, they claim that “it does not stand to reason” that man’s existence has a definite purpose or that man has a role to play in the overall universal system. Some claim that human existence was a mere coincidence and that the universe is hostile to human existence and life in general. These are no more than blind thoughts that result from imposing human standards on God’s actions.

Clearly, had man been the owner of this vast universe, he would have paid no attention whatsoever to this earth, or to man, the creature walking here and there on the face of the earth. That is because human concerns cannot be addressed to everything that exists in this great creation or to the establishment of harmony between them. But the Lord of the universe is God (limitless is He in His glory) who does not allow a single particle in any part of the heavens or the earth to escape His attention. He is the sovereign of this great kingdom in which nothing can exist without His will or survive without His care. The problem with man is that when he deviates from divine guidance and follows his own desires, which he may call occasionally as science and knowledge, he forgets what God is like and gives Him a picture of his own making. He then starts to measure His actions by his own standards. As a result, he imposes the dictates of his desire, thereby distorting the truth.

As an example of the many erroneous human concepts let us look at this statement by Sir James Jeans:

Standing on our microscopic fragment of a grain of sand, we attempt to discover the nature and purpose of the universe which surrounds our home in space and time. Our first impression is something akin to terror. We find the universe terrifying because of its vast meaningless distances, terrifying because of its inconceivably long vistas of time which dwarf human history to the twinkling of an eye, terrifying because of our extreme loneliness, and because of the material insignificance of our home in space — a millionth part of a grain of sand out of all the sea sand in the world. But above all else, we find the universe terrifying because it appears to be indifferent to life like our own; emotion, ambition and achievement, art and religion all seem equally foreign to its plan. Perhaps indeed we ought to say it appears to be actively hostile to life like our own. For the most part, empty space is so cold that all life in it would be frozen; most of the matter in space is so hot as to make life on it impossible; space is traversed, and astronomical bodies continually bombarded, by radiation of a variety of kinds, much of which is probably inimical to, or even destructive of, life.

The second fact to be concluded from the story of the start of human life is that man is not only unique among living creatures, he is also noble and honoured.

Moreover, a great task has been assigned to him. He moves within a wide expanse and deals with a variety of worlds, within the framework of his submission to God alone. This concept is diametrically opposed to man-made materialistic philosophies which ignore his role in the universe and give all importance to matter and its inevitable influence. It is also opposed to the theory of evolution which sends man down to the animal world and cares little for his unique and distinctive characteristics. Similarly, it is contrary to the Freudian philosophy which uses psychiatric analysis to depict man as totally lost in the quagmire of sex, to the extent that he can only sublimate himself through sexual behaviour. But the nobility and honour Islam assigns to man does not make of him a god, as he is depicted by the philosophical theories formulated in the Age of Enlightenment. The Islamic concept is distinguished by being factual and balanced at the same time.

Based on the import of all the Qur’ānic statements that speak of man’s existence, we are more in favour of the view that man’s existence was an independent one, but we cannot say that with absolute certainty. The birth of this unique species was announced in a great gathering witnessed by the Supreme Society. The announcement was made to this noble gathering and to the whole universe by God Almighty. In another account of this event, related in the second sūrah, man’s mission as vicegerent on earth is also announced at the beginning of his creation. Then he faced his first test in heaven to prepare him for discharging the duties of vicegerency.

Qur’ānic statements in other sūrahs also make it clear that God has made the whole universe, not only the earth, helpful to him. He has made all things in the heavens and on earth subservient to him.

In this we note the great task assigned to man by his Creator. To build life on a whole planet and to be in charge of it by God’s will, regardless of the size of the planet, is certainly a great honour.

What appears from this story and from other statements in the Qur’ān, is that man is a unique creature, not only in respect of this planet of ours but also in the universe.

Other worlds of creation like the angels and the jinn, and other types known only to God, have other tasks, and have been created with suitable natures that differ from that of man. Man has his own characteristics and tasks giving him a unique position in God’s system of creation. This is further supported by God’s statement in the Qur’ān: “We offered Our trust to the heavens, and the earth, and the mountains, but they refused to bear it because they were afraid of it. Yet man took it up, for he has always been prone to be a wrongdoer and foolish.” (33: 72) This makes man a species on his own, with unique characteristics which include being a wrongdoer and foolish. He has also been given freedom of choice within limits, the ability to learn and acquire progressive knowledge, and a free will of his own. He has the ability to maintain justice and acquire great knowledge in the same way as he has the ability to be unjust and sink into ignorance. This dual ability is indeed his distinctive quality.

The third fact which we can deduce from this story is that despite the uniqueness of man, or because of it, he is weak in certain aspects of his constitution. His weakness makes it possible for him to be led by his desire to evil and to bottomless depths. His two main weaknesses are his love of survival and his possessive desire.

He is at his weakest when he leaves God’s guidance and submits to his desire or to his sworn enemy who has taken it upon himself to try to seduce him and never let him go.

But God has shown His grace to man by not leaving him alone to carve his path on the basis of the dictates of his nature and reason without any further help. God has sent him messengers to remind and warn him, as we will see in a following verse.

This represents man’s salvation indeed. He is saved from his caprice and desire by turning to God, and he is saved from his enemy who flies away whenever man remembers his Lord and seeks His mercy and reward.

All these elements strengthen man’s resolve and help him elevate himself above his desires and weaknesses. He received his first training in this area whilst still in heaven. He was told then that a particular tree was forbidden him. That training aimed to strengthen his will and to highlight its opposition to temptation and weakness. If he failed in his first experience, that experience should stand him in good stead in the future.

By the grace of God, the door of repentance and return remains open to man at every moment. Should he remember after a slip or a lapse of memory, and should he repent after having fallen into sin, then he finds the door open. God will accept his repentance and forgive him his slips. When he maintains the right path thereafter, God substitutes good deeds for bad ones and multiplies his reward as many times as He pleases. God has not made man’s original sin a curse that chases him and his offspring, for there is simply no permanent, everlasting or inherited sin. No one bears the burden of another.

This basic element in the Islamic concept relieves mankind of the burden and the myth of original, inherited sin which forms the basis of Church concepts in Christianity. It also provides the basis for a great mass of rituals and superstitions. It depicts Adam as a sinner whose sin becomes a curse threatening mankind all the time. The only way to save man, according to this concept, is for God to take the form of the son of man, the Christ who, bearing the burden of atonement for this inherited sin, is allegedly crucified. Thus, forgiveness is granted only to those who are in communion with Jesus Christ who sacrificed himself to atone for Adam’s sin inherited by his offspring.

The Islamic concept is much simpler and much easier. Adam forgot his instructions and slipped into sin, but he then repented and prayed for forgiveness.

God accepted his repentance and forgave him. That puts an end to that first sin.

What remains of it is the experience which helps mankind in its ongoing fight against sin and temptation. How simple, how clear and how easy.