The Process of Creation
A Qur'anic Perspective
by
Dr Israr Ahmad
8. Completion of Adam’s d Creation--- Appointment as Khalifah
The
Qur`anic theistic assertion of Allah (swt) as being the Creator, the Originator and
the Fashioner renders all mysterious and enigmatic questions regarding the
origin of this world and the appearance of man in it intelligible and
satisfactorily resolved. Allah (swt) is not immanent in the cosmos in the
Neo-Platonic sense; He is a transcendent and a personal Allah (swt) to which man can
turn directly for guidance. Although Allah (swt) is transcendent, the creation is not
detached from Him, rather it is an expression, effect or concretization of the
Divine performative word of “kun”. The myriad forms of the created
universe are differentiated in time and space, and are not part of the process of
emanation. The following two verses of the Holy Qur`an clearly and
unambiguously state that before the appearance of Adam (pbuh), his prefigured
primates in the form of “bashar”
were created by Allah (pbuh) through a long evolutionary process:
1. “Behold!
Thy Lord said to the angels: I am about to create man (bashar) from
clay.” [Sa`d, 38:71]
2. “Behold!
Thy Lord said to the angels: I am to create man (bashar) from sounding
clay, from mud moulded into shape.” [Al-Hijr, 15:28]
The
word bashar used in these verses can refer to Homo, the genus of
primates of which, according to evolutionary theory, modern humans (Homosapiens)
are the present-day representative. The genus Homo is believed to have
existed for at least two million years and modern humans first appeared in the
Upper Paleolithic. In this sense, bashar can denote hominid (or
hominoid) --- a primate of a group that includes humans (only in the sense of
living physical body prior to the breathing of Divine spirit into it), their
fossil ancestors, and the bipeds. There is very strong insinuation in the
Qur`an that Adam (pbuh) was one chosen bashar and he became Adam (pbuh) after
Allah (swt) blew into him out of His spirit --- a primordial truth to which atheistic
evolutionists turn a blind eye. The Qur`anic verses, which speak of selection
of Adam (pbuh) from amongst a species of humans,
are the following:
i)
“Allah did choose Adam and Nuh, the family of Ibrahim, and the
family of Imran above all people.” [A`le Imran, 3:33]
ii)
“It is We who created you (in the plural) and gave you shape; then
We made the angels: Bow down to Adam. And they bowed except Iblees; he refused
to be of those who bow down.” [Al-A`raf, 7:11]
Adam’s (pbuh) being chosen by Allah (swt) and similarly creation of a multitude of human
primates and crowning one individual with the title and status of “Adam (pbuh)” is
quite significant. This essential difference is definitely due to the addition
of spiritual soul --- a new and highest metaphysical element --- to the animal
part of man. And this, of course, was the result of Allah’s breathing into him
out of His own spirit and thus infusing in him the metaphysical element of
soul.
It is in this perspective that we can appreciate verse 75 of Surah Saad
in which Allah (swt) says that He created Adam (pbuh) with ‘His two Hands’ (yadayya).
This perhaps is a subtle allusion to the fact that as Adam (pbuh) is a composite
being of material/ physical body and a spiritual soul i.e. both a`alam-e-Khalq
and a`alam-e-Amr were fused together to constitute Adam (pbuh). The
Adamic first man is none other than the primordial man by virtue of his being made “in the
image” (imago Dei) of a Divine Being. Adam (pbuh) is thus man in divinis,
human in his element of khalq but reflective of Divine qualities and
attributes as far as soul (the element of Amr) is concerned. And
according to an authentic Hadith, a particular soul (which was kept in the
repository of souls) is aligned by an angel to each and every embryo developing
in the womb of its mother. Thus, the entire progeny of Adam (pbuh) too consist of
both a corporeal and a spiritual element. It is this very spiritual element in
man that makes him Allah’s representative and vicegerent on earth.
The
crowning of Adam (pbuh) as vicegerent of Allah on earth was finalized by the Divine
Commandment for all angels to prostrate before Adam (pbuh) thus submitting to his
superiority as a deputy of the Lord on earth. This order was rejected and
flouted by Azazeel (a jinn, included in the lower cadres of angels on
the basis of his devotion and service). Verse 34 of Surah Al-Baqarah
reads:
“And
behold, We said to the angels: Bow down to Adam; and they bowed down. Not so
Iblees, he refused and was haughty; he was one of those who reject Faith.”
(2:34)
And
in verse 50 of Surah Al-Kah`f, we read:
“Behold!
We said to the angels: Bow down to Adam. They bowed down except Iblees. He was
one of the Jinns, and he broke the command of his Lord.” (18:50)
The
word “Iblees” in verse 34 of Surah Al-Baqarah is derived from the root
idea of desperateness or rebellion whereas “Satan” conveys the idea of
perversity or enmity. The Jinn Azazeel disobeyed the command of Allah (swt)
and was denounced as Iblees and Satan. The importance of the episode of Adam (pbuh)
and Iblees can be measured by the fact
that in the Qur`an it has been mentioned no less than six times in Makkan
surahs and once in Madinese Surah of Al-Baqarah. Among the Makkan surahs
which refer to this narration of Adam (pbuh) and Iblees are Al-A`raf, Al-Hijr,
Al-Isra, Al-Kah`f, Taha and Saad. So in all it has been mentioned
seven times, a sure proof of its extraordinary significance. From amongst the
seven places, two from Surah Al-Hijr and Surah Saad, are of
particularly great significance as they both mention, before the creation of
Adam (pbuh), the creation (or evolutionary development) and taswiya of bashar.
So in Surah Saad, we read:
“Behold,
thy Lord said to the angels, I am about to create bashar from clay.”
[38:71]
And
in Surah Al-Hijr, we read:
“Behold,
thy Lord said to the angels, I am about to create bashar from sounding
clay from mud moulded into shape.” [15:28]
At
both places, two verses which are literally identical in the two surahs follow:
“When
I have fashioned him (in due proportion) and breathed into him of My spirit,
fall ye down in obedience unto him.”
The
Arabic locution “taswiya” used at both places encapsulate the entire
evolutionary process of the development of life on earth leading to the
appearance of Homo sapiens --- the animal prototypes of human beings. And it
was only after the infusion of Divine spirit in one such prototype that it
became a full-fledged human being – Adam (pbuh). The spirit or soul of Adam (pbuh) was
previously lying in slumber in the repository of souls and its dignity and
excellence was highlighted by the fact that Allah, the Most High, relates it to
Himself i.e. min ruhi (out of my own spirit). This ontological dualism
involved in the creation of Adam (pbuh) is of utmost significance in the
metaphysical worldview of the Qur`an, which is usually glossed over by
contemporary modernist interpreters of the Holy Book. Addition and infusion of
spirit or soul in the progeny of Adam is subtly referred to in verse 14 of
Surah Al-Mominun where, first, the variegated stages of the development
of human fetus in a mother’s womb are described in detail and then its
formation on an entirely different pattern is stated --- viz. growing into a
human being with a soul equipped with all its capacities and responsibilities.
And when Allah (swt) commanded all the angels to prostrate before Adam (pbuh), everyone
obeyed and executed the command as ordained. Indeed, the angels always act as
commanded by the Lord as verse 6 of Surah Tahreem tells us:
“…
Who (the angels) flinch not (from executing) the commands they receive from
Allah. But do precisely what they are commanded.” [66:6]
The
prostration and bowing of all angels before Adam (pbuh) was, in fact, a sign or
symbolic expression of the angels’ acceptance of Adam (pbuh) as superior to them and
Allah’s vicegerent on earth. Bowing of angels, in a way, represents the
coronation ceremony of Adam’s (pbuh)
appointment as Allah’s deputy and his recognition as the cream of all created
beings.
to be continued . . . .
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