Adam in Islam & The Other 124,000 Messengers and 240,000 Prophets sent to Mankind - Peace and Blessings

Upon Them All

"Surely, We have sent to you the revelation, like We had sent it to Nuh (Noah) and the prophets after him: We sent revelation to Ibrahim (Abraham), Ismail (Ishmael), Ishaq (Isaac), Yaquob (Jacob) and the Tribes (the generations of the twelve sons of Yaqob/Jacob), to Isa (Jesus), Ayub (Job), Yunus (Jonah), Haroon (Aaron), and Sulaiman (Solomon), and to Dawood (David), We gave the Zabur (Psalms).

And the messengers We have already told you before, and others We have not (told you)- And God spoke directly to Musa (Moses)-" Holy Quran (Sura An-Nisa Ayat 163/164)

Since Islam is the peaceful submission to Gods will (see the section on Belief for explanation), Thus, all the prophets followed Islam Quran (verses) 3:67 and 3:52, respectively, state that Abraham and Jesus (peace be upon them) were Muslims (see the section on Belief for explanation). The Quran states: We have sent you with the truth as a bearer of good news and as

a warner. And there were never any people, without a warner who did not live among them (in the past) (35:24) and the messengers We have already told you before, and other We have not (told you about) (4:164). In other words, the Quran has mentioned only some of the prophets sent to humanity. Twenty-five prophets are mentioned specifically (Naik, Preface).

Muslims are told by God to respect each one of these Prophets and Messengers even though they are only told the names of twenty-five of them. You can read about some of the prophets on website. Muslims believe that the very first prophet was Adam, and the very last prophet to come to spread the message of peace and belief in one God on Earth, was Muhammed. However, the Prophet Jesus holds a special status in Islam as he came before Muhammed to spread the world of Islam, AND, will again come again towards the end of the world, similarly to the Christian belief. You can learn more about the special status of Jesus (Isa) in Islam see the page entitled, Jesus in Islam (Isa) on this website.

Abu Dharr, a Companion of the Prophet (Muhammed) asked him: O Messenger of God (Allah), altogether how many messengers were sent? The Prophet replied: one hundred and twenty four thousand. (Mishkat al-Masabih, authenticated by Shaikh Nasirddun Albani, 3:1599, hadiths no. 5737) (Naik).

The above excerpts were taken from the preface of Dr. Zakir Naiks preface of Dr. Syed Vickar Ahameds English Translation of the Message of The Quran. Dr. Zakir Naik is the President of the Islamic Research Foundation, and this particular translation and preface were approved by the al-Azhar Islamic Research Academy in Cairo, Egypt and Pusat Islam, Center for Islam, in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.

Allah sent a prophet to every nation to reveal His message in terms that the people could understand, has answered this question most effectively. Now one might ask: How many prophets has Allah (God) sent to humanity? Although we cannot answer this question definitively, some Muslim scholars place the number at two hundred forty thousand (WAMY Series on Islam No. 7).

See this Prophetic Generation Tree compliments of the "WHY-ISLAM" website, it lists some of the Prophets we know of: http://whyislam.org/Portals/0/familyTree_600_enlarge.jpg

The numbers of messengers and prophets differ because the word Messenger has a different meaning than Prophet in Arabic. While every messenger of God was a prophet, not every prophet was a messenger. A messenger of God receives a new set of revelations and must teach the people of his nation about them. However, a prophet reiterates those previous revelations that the messengers brought. It is for this reason, for example, that Jesus (Isa PBUH) was a messenger and prophet. He both received new revelations from God and re-taught the revelations of the previous messengers such as Moses. Both messengers and prophets are considered to uphold all the positive qualities discussed on this page.

One might ask: How were the prophets chosen and which individual were so honored?... 1. He is the best person in his community as regards morality and intellectual ability. This is necessary, for a prophets life serves as a model for his followers 2. He is supported by miracles, which derive from the power and permission of Allah (God) and not of the prophet himself, to prove that he is not an imposer (WAMY).

Moses Egyptian contemporaries excelled in magic. Thus his major miracle was to defeat the best magicians that society could offer. Jesus contemporaries were skilled physicians, and so he raised the dead and cured those suffering from incurable diseases. Muhammads contemporaries were known for their eloquence and magnificent poetry. Therefore Muhammads major miracle was the Quran, which no poet could imitate or surpass, despite their repeated and vigorous efforts to do so (WAMY).

Prophets are necessary for conveying Gods instruction and guidance to mankind. Without this knowledge, we would be unable to answer the fundamental questions of our existence Why were we created? What happens after death? Is there an afterlife? Are we accountable for our actions? Is there any future reward or punishment for what we do? What about Allah (God), His angels, heaven, and hell? Each of these questions, and all others, are answered in the revelations brought by the prophet (WAMY).

The above excerpts were taken from the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY), detailed information on Islam in Falls Church, VA. It is very important to only trust in authenticated texts about Islam, as there are many motives out there to distort its meaning. Thus the reason that, any reliable teacher of Islam or Islamic Studies, will cite where their information comes from.

THE PROPHET ADAM (PBUH):

The story of the Prophet Adam (pbuh) is a complex and layered one. Running themes within the story line include: repentance, forgiveness, love, creation, substance, the oneness of God/Allah (known in Arabic as Tauheed), intentions, the sin of taking partners with God/Allah (known in Arabic as shirk), and an introduction to Satan/Iblis (one of the shatian).

The story of the Prophet Adam is fundamental to any of the three monotheistic faiths (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam). It is imperative that Muslims, in particular, know this story as it will help with readings of the Quran. The references back to Adam are woven tightly throughout the Quran since Adam was the first human ever created. Allah (glorified and exulted is He) often mentions Adams name when referring to the whole of mankind. It is said for example: the offspring of Adam. Additionally, to understand the workings of this created universe, one must understand the very name, Adam.

Linguistic scholars have found the name Adam to be a root within ancient Semitic languages (specifically Hebrew and Arabic) to mean: clay, red, dust, earth, and ground. It is NOT by chance that scriptures as ancient as Hebrew Bible referred to the first man as red clay or earthAdam. It is clearly stated in the Holy Quran and by the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) that mankind was made from soupy mud, angles from light, and the third type of being (jinn) from smoke (hot fire wind).

Surah 15 Ayats 26-28

We created man from sounding clay, from mud molded into shape;

And the Jinn race, We had created before, from the fire of a scorching wind.

Behold! thy Lord said to the angels: "I am about to create man, from sounding clay from mud molded into shape;

Hadith (Sayings of the Prophet Muhammed) . "Angels were created from light, Jinn were created from smokeless fire, and Adam was created from that which has been described to you (in the Quran and Sunnah)...(Narrated by Aisha and Sahih Muslim). . Proven by the Quran and further explained by science, it is now-a-days a common knowledge that, humankind is made up of the same elements as our beloved Earth (water, minerals, etc). It is also common knowledge that we become dust again when buried back into the Earth, that which we were made out of, similar to the phrase, ashes to ashes- dust to dust. Appropriately, the first human ever created by Allah, Adams name means clay, earth, dust. The fact that this name appears in the Quran over 1400 years ago and more anciently in the Hebrew Scriptures, before any scientific knowledge of the make-up of mankinds chemistry, should be more than proof to any intelligent mind in the existence of our Creator and Sustainer, God/Allah.

The Story of Adam and Huwa (Eve)

The Islamic story of Adam and Eve is similar to that of the Christian story. The key players are: God/Allah, Adam, Eve/Huwa, and Shatan/Iblis. Since almost everyone knows the story we will just re-brief about it, and share the differences within the Quranic version.

One of the first differences that jump out at you is the names Allah, Huwa, and Iblis. To learn more about this you can see our page on Isa and read about the Latinization of names: http://learnislamnz.webs.com/jesusinislamisa.htm. This small difference noted, we can say that more important and dramatic differences will come.

As it is stated in the Bible, Muslims also believe Allah made the Earth in seven days. In fact the Arabic word for seven is sabah, which is strikingly similar to Sabbath, or the final day of the creation according to the Hebrew and Christian Bible (which also means seventh day). The only difference here is that, according the Christian Bible on the seventh day, God rested while in the Quran He didnt rest but, Rose over his throne. What is the big difference? It is also stated in the Quran many times that God doesnt rest, so this would be a contradiction. Muslims believe that the Almighty God does not need to rest, as this is an attribute of creation and not the Creator. Allah is above sleep and many of our humanly needs such as sleep, eating, drinking, going to the bathroom, and sexual relations.

Moving on, back to the Garden of Paradise: there are now two humans living amongst all the plants and animals, Adam and Huwa. Allah tells these two that they can enjoy any part of the Garden that they desire, but must restrain from eating the fruit of one particular plant. This part is similar to the other two stories as well.

Adam decides to eat the forbidden fruit, and then separately Eve/Huwa decides to also eat the fruit. This is different than the Christian story, where Eve convinces Adam to eat the fruit. You might say they both ate the fruit, who cares? Well since they ate the fruit separately, they both committed sin against God individually, and you cannot blame one over the other. This is how some people mistakenly are able to say that women are the cause of evil or the reason of sin. But according to the Islamic story, Adam made the sin and ate the fruit and then separately Eve committed sin and ate the fruit.

Never-the-less, both Adam and Huwa are kicked out of paradise as punishment for their sin against Allah. Now they must dwell with another being on Earth (Arth in Arabic) named Iblis (Luthifer or Satan in the West), the bad guy of the story. This is another difference here, Iblis is not a fallen angel as depicted in Christianity, but another being all together called a jinn. Similarly to the Christian story, however, Iblis is still is being punished for thinking himself better than the humans. Since angels do not have free-will and worship only one God (like the plants and animals) Iblis could not have been an angel gone bad. He is a separate being called a jinn. Jinn were made out of smoke and are like the humans in the sense that they do have free will. Both humans and jinn can choose the righteous path, or the path to hellfire. See the following Ayat (verse) 18:50 in the Quran. . And (remember) when We said to the angels: Bow down to Adam: So they (all) bowed except Iblis (Satan). He was one of the (chief) jinns, and he (willfully) disobeyed the command of his Lord. Will you then take him and his progeny (and his klan) as (your) protectors rather than Me? While they (the klan of Iblis) are enemies to you! Evil will be the exchange for the evildoers! . It is said that Adam lived on Earth for around 950 years, and because of his repentance is still considered a prophet of God/Allah and the first Muslim (literally one who submits to Gods will: http://learnislamnz.webs.com/ourbeliefs.htm). The offspring of Adam and Huwa procreated the entire world, and for thousands of years until now, Iblis continues whispers sinful thoughts in the heads of humans. . Other Topics Regarding the Prophet Adam (pbuh):

1. .

Fitrah Created from Adams Sides (Innate Remembrance of Allah):

According to Islam, infants are born pure from sin. In fact, a pre-pubescent child does not sin until they know the difference between right and wrong. If a baby or child dies in this state of innocence, they go straight to heaven which is completely opposite from the theory of the infant baptisms of the Roman Catholic Church. This state of pureness is called Fitrah, and it is said that a baby or young child has an innate Fitrah, or love for God. .

Every new-born child is born in a state of fitrah (pureness and love for God). Then his parents make him a Jew, a Christian or a Magian, just as an animal is born intact. Do you observe any among them that are maimed (at birth)? (Saying of the Prophet Muhammed, Sahih Muslim). . Where does our connection to Allah as a pure infant come from? Why are we born with a desire and love for our Creator? Fitrah was developed on the day of Foreordainment during the days of both handholds. . According to the verses 7:172-173 of the Quran, Allah "took their offspring from the backs of the children of Adam." At the time of Adam, Allah foreordained that some children of Adam (humankind) will go to Paradise while others will go to Hell. Allah took a handful from Adams right side, with His right hand and proclaimed they were the people of Paradise. Then He took a handful of them from Adams left side, with His left hand and proclaimed they were the people of Hellfire. . This is also the reason that when frustrated, people from every nation around the world throw their hands into the air in frustration. We have a subconscious remembrance of this day, and it is a natural response of submission to Allahs will. Our arms and hands remember that we do not have control over the good and bad that happens in our lives, and everything is already written (pre-ordained) by the One on the throne above us.

2.

Legislative Will/Legal Wish:

This is referred to when Allah allows humans and jinn to make wrong choices and commit sin. This is also referred to when Allah allows humans and jinn to choose the correct path and come closer to Him (God). Allah wills the action, and therefore no matter what happens, the result is His will. BUT, if there was no choice between good deeds and sin, how would we comprehend right from wrong in this world? . Please see the following three verses that prove how, no matter if the people in these verses choose right or wrong, they are still under the pre-ordainment of Allah (glorified and exulted is He).

Quran 3:27 You cause the night to enter the day, and You cause the day to enter the night; and You bring the living out of the dead, and You bring the dead out of the living. And You give provision to whom You will without account.

Quran 6:123. And thus We (Allah) have set up in every town great ones of its wicked people to plot therein. But they plot not except against their ownselves, and they perceive (it) not.

Quran 21:73. And We (Allah) made them leaders, guiding (mankind) by Our Command, and We inspired in them the doing of good deeds, performing Salt (Iqmat-as-Salt), and the giving of Zakt and of Us (Alone) they were worshippers.

Additionally, Divine Decree is used as a pretext of disasters but not faults. One should strive to be like the Prophet Adam and not like Iblis (Satan). Adam was forgiven for his sin of eating the fruit because he repented and took responsibility for his actions. You cannot blame someone

after they repent, but that person still has to take responsibility for their sin. Iblis on the other hand said that Allah made him sin, and never took responsibility for his sin.

Iblis (Satan) said: "O my Lord! Because YOU MISLED ME, I shall indeed adorn the path of error for them (mankind) on the earth, and I shall mislead them all. Except Your chosen, (guided) slaves among them." . (Allah) said: "This is the Way which will lead straight to Me. Certainly, you shall have no authority over My slaves, except those who follow you of the Ghawin (those who go astray, criminals, polytheists, and evil-doers, etc)....(15:32-44).

1.

Adam Keeper of the Gate of the First Heaven:

Muslims are aware of the fact that there are seven heavens and each heaven has a gate. The gate keepers are prophets from the past generations, and Adam is the keeper of the first gate. During his Night Journey also known as al-Israa or al-Miraj, the Prophet Muhammad passed through these seven gates. In the follow hadith (saying of the Prophet Muhammad) we learn about the Prophet Adam as the keeper of the first gate:

When he asked for the gate to be opened, it was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel answered, 'Gabriel.' It was asked, 'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has Muhammad been called?' Gabriel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is welcomed. What an excellent visit his is!' The gate was opened, and when I went over the first heaven, I saw Adam there. Gabriel said (to me). 'This is your father, Adam; pay him your greetings.' So I greeted him and he returned the greeting to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious son and pious Prophet.' Then Gabriel ascended with me till we reached the second heaven. Gabriel asked for the gate to be opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel answered, 'Gabriel.' It was asked, 'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel answered in the affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is welcomed. What an excellent visit his is!' The gate was opened (Bukhari Volume 5, Book 58, Number 227). To learn more about Heavens gates and/or the Prophet Muhammads Night Journey please see the following two links:

The Last Article on this page: http://www.sunnah.org/history/miracles_of_Prophet.htm#NightJourney

http://www.newhorizonschool.org/pages/parents/resources/islamiced/islamicstories/israandmirag ev

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