Prophet Adam (peace be upon him)

Adam (peace be upon him) is the first human being and the first prophet sent by Allah. He was created from clay — Allah fashioned him with His own hands and breathed His spirit into him. When Allah commanded the angels to prostrate before Adam in honor of this creation, all obeyed except Iblis, who refused out of arrogance and was thus expelled from the mercy of Allah. Allah says in the Quran (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:30): "And when your Lord said to the angels: 'I am going to place a successive authority on earth.' They said: 'Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?' Allah said: 'Indeed, I know that which you do not know.'" This verse establishes Adam's role as the first khalifah — a vicegerent entrusted with inhabiting and tending the earth. Allah taught Adam the names of all things, a sign of the special knowledge and intellect granted to humanity above other creation. Adam and his wife Hawwa (Eve) were placed in a garden of Paradise and were permitted to enjoy all its fruits except one tree. Deceived by the whispering of Iblis, they ate from it. Recognizing their error, they turned in sincere repentance: "Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers" (Surah Al-A'raf 7:23). Allah forgave them and sent them to earth as a test, with the promise that guidance would come. On earth, Adam and Hawwa became the parents of all humanity. Adam continued to receive revelation and call his descendants to the worship of Allah alone. He lived approximately 1,000 years — a long and blessed life during which he established the foundations of human civilization, family, and worship. His two sons Habil (Abel) and Qabil (Cain) are mentioned in the Quran in connection with the first act of murder in human history (Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:27–31). Adam is honored in Islam as Abu al-Bashar — the father of humanity — and as a prophet who received direct revelation from Allah. His story is a lesson in the mercy of Allah, the danger of arrogance as exemplified by Iblis, the importance of sincere repentance, and the dignity bestowed by Allah upon the human being.