What did Ibn Kathir say about the creation of Adam?
The story of Adam's creation is the opening of human history. Ibn Kathir narrates it slowly, drawing on Qurʾan and authentic tradition, staying close to what revelation actually said.
10 passages from 7 books in the library
Ibn Kathir relates that Adam was uniquely created and honored by Allah, the first man and the father of humanity. The cited passages preserve the famous account of Adam and Moses disputing, where Moses said, 'Are you Adam whose sin expelled you from Paradise?' and Adam answered. Ibn Kathir notes the scholars' discussion of whether the Paradise Adam inhabited was the eternal Garden, and recounts his fall after he and his spouse covered themselves with its leaves, after which his Lord chose him, guiding and forgiving him through repentance.
Drawn from the classical sources below — in the scholars' own words.
The classical approach.
These passages are drawn from 7 books by Ibn Kathir and Imam al-Ghazali — part of the classical Sunni tradition that carries over a thousand years of reflection on the Qurʾān, the authentic Sunnah, and the consensus of the early community. Nothing below is a paraphrase. The words are the scholars' own, translated from the original Arabic manuscripts.
14th century · Bosra, Syria
Monumental history Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, the world's most widely read Qurʾanic commentary, and the classical Stories of the Prophets.
More on Ibn Kathir →
· Provenance →
-
"Allah said a man who comes after the people of paradise have entered paradise. It will be said to him enter paradise"
14th century · Bosra, Syria
Monumental history Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, the world's most widely read Qurʾanic commentary, and the classical Stories of the Prophets.
More on Ibn Kathir →
· Provenance →
-
"him, said, Adam and Moses argued. Moses said to Adam, O Adam, you are the one who led your"
-
"and Moses said to him, Are you Adam whose sin expelled you from Paradise? Adam said"
-
"Others have argued that the paradise Adam inhabited was not the eternal paradise."
-
"themselves with the leaves of paradise. And Adam disobeyed his Lord and erred. Then his Lord chose"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
-
"for Allah, one for Adam, one between Allah and Adam, and one between Adam and people."
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
-
"first approach Adam, peace be upon him, acknowledging his unique creation and status. However, Adam"
14th century · Bosra, Syria
Monumental history Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, the world's most widely read Qurʾanic commentary, and the classical Stories of the Prophets.
More on Ibn Kathir →
· Provenance →
-
"occurred. Nabuqadnezzar, the paradise created by intolerance, the paradise of Saba, the companions"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
-
"As Allah says, So whoever does an Adam's weight of good will see it, and whoever does an Adam's"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
-
"gardens and trees of paradise, forsaking adornment in this world for the adornment of paradise,"
Want a different angle?
Type your question below — JM Scholar will ground its answer in the same sources.