Responding to the article by Ahmadsquran3 entitled "Adam"
By Ozzycda
It never ceases to amaze me how much misinformation and outright lies one person can put into a article. Yet this is what we have in this article that I will be responding to regarding the subject of Adam(peace be upon him) in Islam.
HE Wrote:
According to the Bible, Adam (Man) was created from dust just as the following Quranic verse re-iterates. If this is the case, why then did the angel Gabriel deceive Muhammad by telling him that he was created from Alaq, meaning a blood clot or a leech?
My Response:
So according to our friend there is a apparent contradiction. He says above that the Quran DOES say that Adam was created from dust and therefore is in line with the Bible. However he claims that Surah 96 is referring to the creation of Adam as well, that he was created from Alaqa and therefore is against the Bible, and is also contradicting the Quran itself. For this theory to even be fact, our friend would have to prove that the Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) or the the companions taught that Allah swt is actually referring to Adam in Surah 96.
Let us first look at the Surah and the relevant verses in their proper context:
Al-Alaq
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Read! In the Name of your Lord, Who has created (all that exists), (1) He has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood) (2) Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous, (3) Who has taught (the writing) by the pen. (4) He has taught man that which he knew not. (5)
So we can see from the above that Prophet Adam(peace be upon him) is not mentioned at all. It is referring in the generic sense that Allah created man from a clot(Alaqa). If this was truly referring to Adam then Adam would have to have been BORN, and gone through the embryological stages that a being goes through in its mother's womb, yet not a single Jew, Christian or Muslim believes that Adam was created in this fashion. So therefore based on LOGIC and theological understanding one could easily see that this chapter is NOT referring to Adam. Let us look at what the Tafsir of Ibn Kathir says on this subject:
The Honor and Nobility of Man is in His Knowledge
These Ayat inform of the beginning of man's creation from a dangling clot, and that out of Allah's generosity He taught man that which he did not know. Thus, Allah exalted him and honored him by giving him knowledge, and it is the dignity that the Father of Humanity, Adam, was distinguished with over the angels. Knowledge sometimes is in the mind, sometimes on the tongue, and sometimes in writing with the fingers. Thus, it may be intellectual, spoken and written. And while the last (written) necessitates the first two (intellectual and spoken), the reverse is not true. For this reason Allah says,
[اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الاٌّكْرَمُ - الَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ - عَلَّمَ الإِنسَـنَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ ]
(Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous. Who has taught by the pen. He has taught man that which he knew not.) There is a narration that states, "Record knowledge by writing.'' There is also a saying which states, "Whoever acts according to what he knows, Allah will make him inherit knowledge that he did not know.'
So again Adam is NOT mentioned as being the one who was created from a clot(Alaqa). In fact the Tafsir is clear on comparing man(as in all of humanity) with our mutual father ADAM as being distinguished but not being created in the same fashion as his progencey. So therefore the above claim made by our friend seems to run stale.
He wrote:
Either way, they do not correspond to the Biblical record nor to the science of biology, especially since the followers of Muhammad assert, that the Quran contains ALL knowledge that a human being needs to know.
My Response:
Well as I just proved above that the story of Adam DOES correspond to the Biblical record. However what is this statement about the verses do not correspond to science of biology? I would encourage all of you to look at the following information to see Science and the Quran:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw3do0TLv6o
http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Science/
http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Science/Embryo/
Also I have NEVER heard a Muslim scholar or layman say that the Quran is a science textbook or a biology textbook. To reference Dr. Zakir Naik "The Quran is not a book SCIENCE but a book of SIGNS." To make claims for the Muslim's attitude about the Quran shows a great amount of arrogance regarding the topic.
HE Wrote:
As usual in the Quran, his story is not 'told' in detail and what is 'recited' contradicts many important items that are described in the original story in the Hebrew Bible.
My Response:
Well if our friend is referring to his claims above, they have been refuted. If he is referring to OTHER supposed issues I would love to see them.
HE Wrote:
By the way, Adam's wife Eve, the 'Mother of Humaity' is not mentioned at all anywhere in the Quran.
My Response:
This is an amazing lie on the part of our friend. Lets look at what Quran and the scholars say about Adam and his WIFE. Notice are friend says that Eve is not mentioned at ALL in the Quran. Really? Lets take a look at the Quran and the Tafsirs:
Al-Araf
O Adam! Dwell thou and thy wife in the Garden, and enjoy (its good things) as ye wish: but approach not this tree, or ye run into harm and transgression." (19) Then began satan to whisper suggestions to them, in order to reveal to them their shame that was hidden from them (before): he said "Your Lord only forbade you this tree lest ye should become angels or such beings as live forever." (20) And he swore to them both, that he was their sincere adviser. (21) So by deceit he brought about their fall: when they tasted of the tree, their shame became manifest to them, and they began to sew together the leaves of the Garden over their bodies. And their Lord called unto them: "Did I not forbid you that tree and tell you that satan was an avowed enemy unto you?" (22) They said: "our Lord! we have wronged our own souls: if Thou forgive us not and bestow not upon us Thy Mercy we shall certainly be lost." (23)
Amazing the above verse says that Adam should dwell in the garden WITH HIS WIFE. Hmmm I wonder who that would be? Lets see what the Tafsir of Ibn Kathir says:
Shaytan's Deceit with Adam and Hawwa' and Their eating from the Forbidden Tree
Allah states that He allowed Adam and his wife to dwell in Paradise and to eat from all of its fruits, except one tree. We have already discussed this in Surat Al-Baqarah. Thus, Shaytan envied them and plotted deceitfully, whispering and suggesting treachery. He wished to rid them of the various favors and nice clothes that they were enjoying.
[وَقَالَ]
(He (Shaytan) said) uttering lies and falsehood,
[مَا نَهَـكُمَا رَبُّكُمَا عَنْ هَـذِهِ الشَّجَرَةِ إِلاَ أَن تَكُونَا مَلَكَيْنِ]
("Your Lord did not forbid you this tree save you should become angels...'') meaning, so that you do not become angels or dwell here for eternity. Surely, if you eat from this tree, you will attain both, he said. In another Ayah,
[قَالَ يـَادَمُ هَلْ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى شَجَرَةِ الْخُلْدِ وَمُلْكٍ لاَّ يَبْلَى]
(Shaytan whispered to him, saying: "O Adam! Shall I lead you to the Tree of Eternity and to a kingdom that will never waste away'') [20:120]. Here, the wording is similar, so it means, `so that you do not become angels' as in;
[يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ أَن تَضِلُّواْ]
((Thus) does Allah make clear to you (His Law) lest you go astray. ) [4:176] meaning, so that you do not go astray, and,
[وَأَلْقَى فِى الاٌّرْضِ رَوَاسِىَ أَن تَمِيدَ بِكُمْ]
(And He has affixed into the earth mountains standing firm, lest it should shake with you;) [16:15] that is, so that the earth does not shake with you.
[وَقَاسَمَهُمَآ]
(And he Qasamahuma), swore to them both by Allah, saying,
[إِنِّي لَكُمَا لَمِنَ النَّـصِحِينَ]
("Verily, I am one of the sincere well-wishers for you both.'') for I was here before you and thus have better knowledge of this place. It is a fact that the believer in Allah might sometimes become the victim of deceit. Qatadah commented on this Ayah, "Shaytan swore by Allah, saying, `I was created before you, and I have better knowledge than you. Therefore, follow me and I will direct you.'''
[فَدَلَّـهُمَا بِغُرُورٍ فَلَمَّا ذَاقَا الشَّجَرَةَ بَدَتْ لَهُمَا سَوْءَتُهُمَا وَطَفِقَا يَخْصِفَانِ عَلَيْهِمَا مِن وَرَقِ الْجَنَّةِ وَنَادَاهُمَا رَبُّهُمَآ أَلَمْ أَنْهَكُمَا عَن تِلْكُمَا الشَّجَرَةِ وَأَقُل لَّكُمَآ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَـنَ لَكُمَا عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ - قَالاَ رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَآ أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَـسِرِينَ ]
(22. So he misled them with deception. Then when they tasted of the tree, that which was hidden from them of their shame (private parts) became manifest to them and they began to cover themselves with the leaves of Paradise. And their Lord called out to them (saying): "Did I not forbid you that tree and tell you: Verily, Shaytan is an open enemy unto you'') (23. They said: "Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive us not, and bestow not upon us Your mercy, we shall certainly be of the losers.'') Ubayy bin Ka`b said, "Adam was a tall man, about the height of a palm tree, and he had thick hair on his head. When he committed the error that he committed, his private part appeared to him while before, he did not see it. So he started running in fright through Paradise, but a tree in Paradise took him by the head. He said to it, `Release me,' but it said, `No, I will not release you.' So his Lord called him, `O Adam! Do you run away from Me' He said, `O Lord! I felt ashamed before You.''' Ibn Jarir and Ibn Marduwyah collected this statement using several chains of narration from Al-Hasan from Ubayy bin Ka`b who narrated it from the Prophet . However, relating the Hadith to Ubayy is more correct. Ibn `Abbas commented on the Ayah,
[وَطَفِقَا يَخْصِفَانِ عَلَيْهِمَا مِن وَرَقِ الْجَنَّةِ]
(And they began to cover themselves with the leaves of Paradise.) "Using fig leaves.'' This statement has an authentic chain of narration leading to Ibn `Abbas. Mujahid said that they began to cover themselves with the leaves of Paradise, "Making them as a dress (or garment).'' Commenting on Allah's statement,
[يَنزِعُ عَنْهُمَا لِبَاسَهُمَا]
(Stripping them of their raiment) [7:27] Wahb bin Munabbih said, "The private parts of Adam and Hawwa' had a light covering them which prevented them from seeing the private parts of each other. When they ate from the tree, their private parts appeared to them.'' Ibn Jarir reported this statement with an authentic chain of narration. Abdur-Razzaq reported from Qatadah, "Adam said, `O Lord! What if I repented and sought forgiveness' Allah said, `Then, I will admit you into Paradise.' As for Shaytan, he did not ask for forgiveness, but for respite. Each one of them was given what he asked for.'' Ad-Dahhak bin Muzahim commented,
[رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَآ أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَـسِرِينَ]
("Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive us not, and bestow not upon us Your mercy, we shall certainly be of the losers.'') "These are the words that Adam received from his Lord.''
[قَالَ اهْبِطُواْ بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ وَلَكُمْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ مُسْتَقَرٌّ وَمَتَـعٌ إِلَى حِينٍ - قَالَ فِيهَا تَحْيَوْنَ وَفِيهَا تَمُوتُونَ وَمِنْهَا تُخْرَجُونَ ]
So we can see from the above that not only are the scholars aware of the name of the Adam's wife in Islamic Tradition we know that the Quran teaches and MENTIONS Eve the WIFE of Adam(peace be upon them both).
HE Wrote:
3: 59 This similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam: He created him from dust (Tturab) then said to him: "Be" and he was.
*** The reader should be made aware of the total falsities imbedded in the above verse.
Firstly, Jesus was definitely not created from dust since he was born from a woman as the Gospels - which are after all the primary sources - describe.
It is certainly not up to Muhammad's Quran - which was written over 635 years after the original events - to change the story, pervert it to suit its agenda and, adding insult to injury, claim that its version is the truth, based only upon the uncorroborated say so, of an unlearned and allegedly illiterate man, called Muhammad.
My Response:
Again our friend is making claims about the Islamic position that are not actually the Muslim point of view on these subjects. The Quran does not teach that Jesus was created from dust, this is clearly speaking of Adam. The comparison is not which material the prophet's were made out of, but the miracle that both Jesus and Adam were created by a supernatural fashion i.e. BE and they both were. My evidence for this is from Ibn Kathir:
The Similarities Between the Creation of Adam and the Creation of `Isa
Allah said,
[إِنَّ مَثَلَ عِيسَى عِندَ اللَّهِ]
(Verily, the likeness of `Isa before Allah) regarding Allah's ability, since He created him without a father,
[كَمَثَلِ ءَادَمَ]
(is the likeness of Adam), for Allah created Adam without a father or a mother. Rather,
[خَلَقَهُ مِن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ]
(He created him from dust, then (He) said to him: "Be!'' and he was.)
Therefore, He Who created Adam without a father or a mother is able to create `Isa, as well, without a father. If the claim is made that `Isa is Allah's son because he was created without a father, then the same claim befits Adam even more. However, since such a claim regarding Adam is obviously false, then making the same claim about `Isa is even more false.
Furthermore, by mentioning these facts, Allah emphasizes His ability, by creating Adam without a male or female, Hawa' from a male without a female, and `Isa from a mother without a father, compared to His creating the rest of creation from male and female. This is why Allah said in Surah Maryam,
[وَلِنَجْعَلَهُ ءَايَةً لِّلْنَّاسِ]
(And We made him a sign for mankind) [19: 21].
Allah said in this Ayah,
[الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ فَلاَ تَكُنْ مِّن الْمُمْتَرِينَ ]
((This is) the truth from your Lord, so be not of those who doubt.) meaning, this is the only true story about `Isa, and what is beyond truth save falsehood Allah next commands His Messenger to call those who defy the truth, regarding `Isa, to the Mubahalah (the curse).
So therefore Muhammad changed NOTHING 635 years after the fact, but rather it is Ahmadsquran3 that is changing the stance of Islam on this matter.
HE Wrote:
Secondly, according to the Bible - which is obviously the original source of the creation story that the Quran is plundering - although it is true that Adam was moulded from dust, he was non the less, not given life by the word of God, BE, but by God breathing life into his nostrils as described in:
Genesis 2:" 7 And God formed Man from the dust from the ground, and He blew into his nostrils the soul of life; and man became a living being"
My Response:
Ahmadsquran3 makes the claim that the Quran is in error because it states that Adam was created from the word BE and he was. He quotes Genesis to attempt to prove that Adam was given life not by being formed from dust but by God breathing life into him. Let us first discuss the concept of the WORD or BE being used in creation. I am surprised that our friend has forgotten the pattern by which God creates ANYTHING, by saying LET THERE BE and it was. Also with the teachings of Philo, later ripped off by early Christianity, the concept of the LOGOS or the WORD being used as a tool by God to create everything is a known fact in theology. Therefore there is nothing wrong with the Quran saying that WORD is BE during God's creation of anything.
But our friend is ALSO wrong about implying that the Quran does not teach that God breathed life into Adam's body. Let us see the verses below:
Al-Hijr
We created man from sounding clay, from mud moulded into shape; (26) And the Jinn race, We had created before, from the fire of a scorching wind. (27) Behold! Thy Lord said to the angels: "I am about to create man, from sounding clay from mud moulded into shape; (28) "When I have fashioned him (in due proportion) and breathed into him of My spirit, fall ye down in obeisance unto him." (29)
So the Quran as well as the Bible teaches that God breathed into him and this is what gave him life. Our friend is in error in telling Muslims they are wrong about this subject.
He Wrote:
Thirdly and moreover, since according to the Quran, the Torat was given to Moses by Allah, why then is its version different from that of the Quran?
How is it possible or even conceivable that the infallible Allah - if Allah is the God of Israel and Jesus - would give two contradictory versions of the same event? ***
My Response;
We find our friend using the authority of the Bible to prove the Quran wrong, yet he would have to assume that Muslims view the Bible as some sort of authority in our belief system. We do believe that the Torah WAS given to Moses(pbuh) but we believe that it was corrupted throughout time. So we do not believe that the current Torah is the same state it was in when God revealed it to Moses. In fact many Biblical scholars do not believe that the current Torah WAS from ONE person or source but by four different sources and peoples. See the following for that information:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URt8UcuOTxY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mnX80nwRJY&feature=related
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/texts/Bible/Origins_of_the_Bible/Authorship/Source_Criticism.shtml
So are Muslims alone in this belief? Nope not at all, in fact it has become scholarly FACT to assert the present Torah is NOT the Torah of Moses.
As I have proven above there is no contradiction or error and hence our friend's claims turn stale.
He Wrote:
96:1 Proclaim! (or Read!) in the name of thy Lord and Cherisher Who created 2 Created man out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood
***In fact, the Quran describes several more very unusual forms of creation none of which are recited in the Bible.
{Click on Creation of Man in Definitions}.
My Response:
He claims that the Quran describes several unusual form of creation. Really? Unusual? See my sources above to show how "unusual" these claims our of the Quran. He again gives authority to the Bible by saying these descriptions are not in the Bible so therefore they must be wrong. Well perhaps his issue is that he using the Bible's claims, or lack thereof, regarding Science to criticize the Quran. See this source below with regards to the Science in the Bible:
http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Bible/Sources/
He Wrote:
What is most disturbing, is the fact that the very first verse that was 'revealed' to Muhammad, by allegedly, the angel Gabriel, is a total lie **
My Response:
What is disturbing, as I said at the beginning of the article, is how many lies and misinformation can be put into one article. Now I hope the truth can be seen and falsehood can vanish as it always will vanish.
