A story
Prophet Adam and the Beautiful Garden
Long, long ago, before there were any people on the earth, Allah decided to make someone new. Allah had already made the bright sun and the silver moon. He had made the tall mountains and the deep blue seas. He had made the angels, who are made of light and who always obey Him.
One day, Allah told the angels something wonderful. He said that He would place a khalifah on the earth. A khalifah is someone who looks after the earth and takes care of it.
The angels wondered about this. They asked Allah why He would make someone who might cause trouble on the earth, while they praised Him all the time. Allah answered them gently and wisely. He said, "I know what you do not know." Allah knows everything, and every plan of His is good.
Then Allah made the first human being. He made him from clay, from the soil of the earth. The soil came from many places. Some was dark, some was light, some was red, and some was golden brown. That is why people today come in so many lovely colors. Then Allah breathed life into him, and he became a living man. His name was Adam, peace be upon him.
He felt thankful, and he said, "Alhamdulillah," which means "All praise is for Allah."
Allah then gave Adam a very special gift. He taught Adam the names of things. Adam learned the name of every thing around him. He learned the name of the tree and the river. He learned the name of the bird and the cloud.
Then Allah showed these things to the angels. He asked them to tell their names. The angels were humble and honest. They said, "Glory be to You. We know nothing except what You have taught us."
Then Allah told Adam to tell the names. Adam told the names of all the things, one by one, clearly and correctly. The angels saw that Allah had given Adam a special gift of knowledge.
Next, Allah commanded the angels to bow down to Adam. This was a bow of honor and respect, not of worship. All the angels bowed at once, because angels always obey Allah.
But someone else was there too. His name was Iblis. Iblis was not an angel. He was one of the jinn, made from fire. Iblis did not bow. He stood stiff and proud.
Allah asked him why he did not bow. Iblis said, "I am better than him. You made me from fire, and You made him from clay."
Iblis was full of pride. He thought he was better than someone else just because of what he was made from. Because of his pride and his disobedience, Allah sent Iblis away. But Iblis became angry and jealous. He promised that he would try to trick Adam and his children for as long as the world lasted.
Allah made a wife for Adam, so that he would not be alone. Her name was Hawwa, which in English is Eve. Now Adam and Hawwa could talk together, smile together, and thank Allah together.
Allah let them live in Jannah, a beautiful garden. Oh, what a garden it was! Rivers of clear water ran over smooth stones. Fruit hung low from the branches, sweet and ripe. Flowers of every color nodded in the soft breeze. Birds sang from the trees. Nobody was ever hungry there. Nobody was ever thirsty. Nobody was too hot or too cold.
Allah told Adam and Hawwa that they could eat from anywhere in the garden, as much as they liked. There was only one rule. There was one tree they must not go near.
"Do not go near this tree," Allah told them. One rule, in a whole garden full of good things. That was not hard at all.
But Iblis had not forgotten his promise. He came to them with sweet, tricky words. He whispered that the tree was special. He said that if they ate from it, they would live forever, or they would become like angels. He even swore that he was only giving them good advice.
Adam and Hawwa had never heard anyone tell a lie before. They did not know that someone could make a promise and not mean it. Little by little, the whispers worked. They forgot the rule, and they ate from the tree.
At once, they knew they had made a mistake. Their hearts felt heavy. They felt sorry and ashamed.
Now, here is the most important part of the story. When Iblis made a mistake, he became proud. He blamed others, and he would not say sorry. But when Adam and Hawwa made a mistake, they did something very different.
They turned to Allah straight away. They did not blame anyone else. They said sorry with their whole hearts. Allah taught Adam words to say, and Adam and Hawwa prayed: "Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves. If You do not forgive us and have mercy on us, we will surely be among the losers." This prayer is in the Quran (Surah Al-A'raf, 7:23).
And Allah, who is the Most Forgiving and the Most Merciful, forgave them. Allah loves it when we come back to Him and say sorry.
Then Allah sent Adam and Hawwa down to live on the earth. This was part of Allah's plan from the very beginning. Remember, Allah had told the angels that He would place a khalifah on the earth.
Allah made Adam a prophet. Adam taught his children to worship Allah alone. He taught them to be kind and to tell the truth. He told them about Iblis and his tricks, so that they could be careful.
And Adam taught them the lesson he had learned himself. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. What matters is what we do next. Be like Adam, not like Iblis. Do not be proud and do not blame others. Say sorry, try again, and ask Allah to forgive you.
Adam and Hawwa had many children. Their children had children too. That is how the whole human family began. Every person on the earth today, in every land and every color, is a child of Adam. So we are all one big family.
Adam, peace be upon him, lived a long life on the earth. He worshipped Allah and he was thankful every day. And whenever he looked at the rivers and the trees, he remembered the beautiful garden. He hoped that one day his good children would return there, by the mercy of Allah.
One day, Allah told the angels something wonderful. He said that He would place a khalifah on the earth. A khalifah is someone who looks after the earth and takes care of it.
The angels wondered about this. They asked Allah why He would make someone who might cause trouble on the earth, while they praised Him all the time. Allah answered them gently and wisely. He said, "I know what you do not know." Allah knows everything, and every plan of His is good.
Then Allah made the first human being. He made him from clay, from the soil of the earth. The soil came from many places. Some was dark, some was light, some was red, and some was golden brown. That is why people today come in so many lovely colors. Then Allah breathed life into him, and he became a living man. His name was Adam, peace be upon him.
He felt thankful, and he said, "Alhamdulillah," which means "All praise is for Allah."
Allah then gave Adam a very special gift. He taught Adam the names of things. Adam learned the name of every thing around him. He learned the name of the tree and the river. He learned the name of the bird and the cloud.
Then Allah showed these things to the angels. He asked them to tell their names. The angels were humble and honest. They said, "Glory be to You. We know nothing except what You have taught us."
Then Allah told Adam to tell the names. Adam told the names of all the things, one by one, clearly and correctly. The angels saw that Allah had given Adam a special gift of knowledge.
Next, Allah commanded the angels to bow down to Adam. This was a bow of honor and respect, not of worship. All the angels bowed at once, because angels always obey Allah.
But someone else was there too. His name was Iblis. Iblis was not an angel. He was one of the jinn, made from fire. Iblis did not bow. He stood stiff and proud.
Allah asked him why he did not bow. Iblis said, "I am better than him. You made me from fire, and You made him from clay."
Iblis was full of pride. He thought he was better than someone else just because of what he was made from. Because of his pride and his disobedience, Allah sent Iblis away. But Iblis became angry and jealous. He promised that he would try to trick Adam and his children for as long as the world lasted.
Allah made a wife for Adam, so that he would not be alone. Her name was Hawwa, which in English is Eve. Now Adam and Hawwa could talk together, smile together, and thank Allah together.
Allah let them live in Jannah, a beautiful garden. Oh, what a garden it was! Rivers of clear water ran over smooth stones. Fruit hung low from the branches, sweet and ripe. Flowers of every color nodded in the soft breeze. Birds sang from the trees. Nobody was ever hungry there. Nobody was ever thirsty. Nobody was too hot or too cold.
Allah told Adam and Hawwa that they could eat from anywhere in the garden, as much as they liked. There was only one rule. There was one tree they must not go near.
"Do not go near this tree," Allah told them. One rule, in a whole garden full of good things. That was not hard at all.
But Iblis had not forgotten his promise. He came to them with sweet, tricky words. He whispered that the tree was special. He said that if they ate from it, they would live forever, or they would become like angels. He even swore that he was only giving them good advice.
Adam and Hawwa had never heard anyone tell a lie before. They did not know that someone could make a promise and not mean it. Little by little, the whispers worked. They forgot the rule, and they ate from the tree.
At once, they knew they had made a mistake. Their hearts felt heavy. They felt sorry and ashamed.
Now, here is the most important part of the story. When Iblis made a mistake, he became proud. He blamed others, and he would not say sorry. But when Adam and Hawwa made a mistake, they did something very different.
They turned to Allah straight away. They did not blame anyone else. They said sorry with their whole hearts. Allah taught Adam words to say, and Adam and Hawwa prayed: "Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves. If You do not forgive us and have mercy on us, we will surely be among the losers." This prayer is in the Quran (Surah Al-A'raf, 7:23).
And Allah, who is the Most Forgiving and the Most Merciful, forgave them. Allah loves it when we come back to Him and say sorry.
Then Allah sent Adam and Hawwa down to live on the earth. This was part of Allah's plan from the very beginning. Remember, Allah had told the angels that He would place a khalifah on the earth.
Allah made Adam a prophet. Adam taught his children to worship Allah alone. He taught them to be kind and to tell the truth. He told them about Iblis and his tricks, so that they could be careful.
And Adam taught them the lesson he had learned himself. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. What matters is what we do next. Be like Adam, not like Iblis. Do not be proud and do not blame others. Say sorry, try again, and ask Allah to forgive you.
Adam and Hawwa had many children. Their children had children too. That is how the whole human family began. Every person on the earth today, in every land and every color, is a child of Adam. So we are all one big family.
Adam, peace be upon him, lived a long life on the earth. He worshipped Allah and he was thankful every day. And whenever he looked at the rivers and the trees, he remembered the beautiful garden. He hoped that one day his good children would return there, by the mercy of Allah.
