Adam born as a child or a grown man?
Adam born as a child or a grown man?
My 8 year old son asked a very interesting question while we were discussing Adam. He asked.. Was Adam born as a child or a grown man? Can anyone throw light o­n this matter with supporting evidences from Ginan or farman please? <BR><BR>p.s This question is not about the soul. It's about the first physical creation and existence of the human body. Kindly reply in that regard. Thanks.
And We created you, then fashioned you, then told the angels: Fall ye prostrate before Adam! And they fell prostrate, all save Iblis, who was not of those who make prostration.(007:011)
So, when I have made him and have breathed into him of My Spirit, do ye fall down, prostrating yourselves unto him.(015:029)
So the angels fell prostrate, all of them together(015:03)
And He taught Adam all the names, then showed them to the angels, saying: Inform Me of the names of these, if ye are truthful (002:031)
In my opinion based upon the above verses of the Glorious Quran, Adam is not the first man but symbolic of the first process or occurence of the self consciousness and intellect in the highest form of evolved creation. The dust or clay is symbolic of the fact that we share genes with the rest of creation. The fashioning is symbolic of the evolutionary process of life. The breathing of my spirit alludes to the infusion of intellect which enables man to be self conscious on the one hand and able to comprehend creation and the Creator on the other- 'and he taught Adam all names'.
This implies that the psychological state of Adam would have been quite mature in order to be able to accomodate the new consciousness and intellect and with it to take charge of his life.
In his much acclaimed book, The Language of God, Francis Collins one of the scientists at the forefront of the science of genetics, quotes the explanation of C.S. Lewis a distinguished scholar of myth and history on Adam and Eve as per the following excerpt from the book and which echoes the above interpretation of the creation of Adam.
Many believers find the story of Adam and Eve compelling as literal history, but no less an intellect than C. S. Lewis, a distinguished scholar of myth and of history, found in the story of Adam and Eve something resembling a moral lesson rather than a scientific textbook or a biography. Here is Lewis's version of the events in question:
For long centuries, God perfected the animal form which was to become the vehicle of humanity and the image of Himself. He gave it hands whose thumb could be applied to each of the fingers, and jaws and teeth and throat capable of articulation, and a brain sufficiently complex to execute all of the material motions whereby rational thought is incarnated. The creature may have existed in this state for ages before it became man: it may even have been clever enough to make things which a modern archaeologist would accept as proof of its humanity. But it was only an animal because all its physical and psychical processes were directed to purely material and natural ends. Then, in the fullness of time, God caused to descend upon this organism, both on its psychology and physiology, a new kind of consciousness which could say "I" and "me," which could look upon itself as an object, which knew God, which could make judgments of truth, beauty and goodness, and which was so far above time that it could perceive time flowing past. ... We do not know how many of these creatures God made, nor how long they continued in the Paradisal state. But sooner or later they fell. Someone or something whispered that they could become as gods. . . . They wanted some corner in the universe of which they could say to God, "This is our business, not yours." But there is no such corner. They wanted to be nouns, but they were, and eternally must be, mere adjectives. We have no idea in what particular act, or series of acts, the self-contradictory, impossible wish found expression. For all I can see, it might have concerned the literal eating of a fruit, but the question is of no consequence.
So, when I have made him and have breathed into him of My Spirit, do ye fall down, prostrating yourselves unto him.(015:029)
So the angels fell prostrate, all of them together(015:03)
And He taught Adam all the names, then showed them to the angels, saying: Inform Me of the names of these, if ye are truthful (002:031)
In my opinion based upon the above verses of the Glorious Quran, Adam is not the first man but symbolic of the first process or occurence of the self consciousness and intellect in the highest form of evolved creation. The dust or clay is symbolic of the fact that we share genes with the rest of creation. The fashioning is symbolic of the evolutionary process of life. The breathing of my spirit alludes to the infusion of intellect which enables man to be self conscious on the one hand and able to comprehend creation and the Creator on the other- 'and he taught Adam all names'.
This implies that the psychological state of Adam would have been quite mature in order to be able to accomodate the new consciousness and intellect and with it to take charge of his life.
In his much acclaimed book, The Language of God, Francis Collins one of the scientists at the forefront of the science of genetics, quotes the explanation of C.S. Lewis a distinguished scholar of myth and history on Adam and Eve as per the following excerpt from the book and which echoes the above interpretation of the creation of Adam.
Many believers find the story of Adam and Eve compelling as literal history, but no less an intellect than C. S. Lewis, a distinguished scholar of myth and of history, found in the story of Adam and Eve something resembling a moral lesson rather than a scientific textbook or a biography. Here is Lewis's version of the events in question:
For long centuries, God perfected the animal form which was to become the vehicle of humanity and the image of Himself. He gave it hands whose thumb could be applied to each of the fingers, and jaws and teeth and throat capable of articulation, and a brain sufficiently complex to execute all of the material motions whereby rational thought is incarnated. The creature may have existed in this state for ages before it became man: it may even have been clever enough to make things which a modern archaeologist would accept as proof of its humanity. But it was only an animal because all its physical and psychical processes were directed to purely material and natural ends. Then, in the fullness of time, God caused to descend upon this organism, both on its psychology and physiology, a new kind of consciousness which could say "I" and "me," which could look upon itself as an object, which knew God, which could make judgments of truth, beauty and goodness, and which was so far above time that it could perceive time flowing past. ... We do not know how many of these creatures God made, nor how long they continued in the Paradisal state. But sooner or later they fell. Someone or something whispered that they could become as gods. . . . They wanted some corner in the universe of which they could say to God, "This is our business, not yours." But there is no such corner. They wanted to be nouns, but they were, and eternally must be, mere adjectives. We have no idea in what particular act, or series of acts, the self-contradictory, impossible wish found expression. For all I can see, it might have concerned the literal eating of a fruit, but the question is of no consequence.
Last edited by kmaherali on Sat Jan 20, 2007 10:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Thanks for the compliments.rooh wrote:Great insight on the creation of Adam, Karim. Thanks alot !
Doesn't answer the question though. What was Adam created as ? I believe there is no proof of him being created as a child, but is there any proof of him being created as a grown man ?
As I said:
This implies that the psychological state of Adam would have been quite mature in order to be able to accomodate the new consciousness and intellect and with it to take charge of his life.
rooh, Since you are talking to your son who is young, you might want to consider reading him the passage right out of Quran and also expose him to the Bible story about Adam too. Yes both books have presented the event in a slightly different manner but the essence (of God is in everyone) is the same and as your son gets older he will time to time reflect on those passages.
-
RahmatHajikuttch
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2006 11:20 pm
I also agree with Kmaherali.
There is no need to study Bible stories because there are many book written by our Dai's, Pir's and great Scholar's so we first read these book and then read other book. Please remember that I am not against Bible but I am against Christians Peer or Jew rabbis who make fake stories about Prophets.
http://www.amaana.org/ikhwan/bernard.html
Read the page.
There is no need to study Bible stories because there are many book written by our Dai's, Pir's and great Scholar's so we first read these book and then read other book. Please remember that I am not against Bible but I am against Christians Peer or Jew rabbis who make fake stories about Prophets.
http://www.amaana.org/ikhwan/bernard.html
Read the page.