Creation of the Human and Transmission of the Soul into the Body:

Creation of the Human and Transmission of the Soul into the Body:

God Almighty began the creation of Adam in the first heaven (the heaven of souls). But in order for Adam and his offspring to become capable of “lowering” to the earth and connecting with the bodies, the wet clay had to be “raised” to the first heaven, and the soul of Adam pbuh and everyone else had to be created from it. This was necessary since the spirit was transmitted into this raised wet clay, which became the tool for connecting the spirit to the body. The spirit cannot touch the body because they are in-and from-two different worlds, and there are worlds between them as well. Therefore, there has to be a tool that exists at all levels of progression and in all worlds between the physical heaven and the first heaven. When the body is raised, it will have these levels and the ability to move within their boundaries.

In this way, the wet clay that was raised (which represents everything on the earth) has this range of movement between the bodily world and the spiritual world, or let us say between the bodily world (from the beginning of the first heaven all the way up to the second heaven), and the spiritual world (starting at the second heaven, which is also the spiritual heaven and the kingdom of heaven).

Furthermore, Adam’s creation began from wet clay and water of the earth in order for his soul, which was to be created in the first heaven, to carry the power and lust on the earth that would enable him to reproduce and live in every place on the earth, and to dominate it. As such, by the command of God Almighty, the angels took some dust and water from the earth and raised it to the first heaven, and the light (as in non-dense) body of Adam was molded from it therein and placed in the temporal paradise, in other words, the upper end of the first heaven, or more specifically, at the door of the heavenly kingdom (the second heaven). It is the first of the paradises of the kingdom that the angels traverse.

Abu Abdullah al-Sadiq pbuh said: “The angels would pass by Adam pbuh, in other words, his form, while he was wet clay lying in paradise and they would say, ‘Why were you created?’” (Al-Rawandi1969. Qisas Al-Anbiya [The Stories of the Prophets], 41. Arabic source, translated).

This means that he was lying in the paradise that exists in the first heaven. Al-Baqir pbuh said:

God created Adam, and he remained as a form that the cursed Iblis used to pass by and say: “Why were you created?” (Al-Qumi 1983. Tafsir Al-Qumi [Interpretation of Al-Qumi] vol 1, 41. Arabic source, translated).

{So We said, "O Adam, indeed this is an enemy to you and to your wife. Then let him not remove you from Paradise so you would suffer} Quran Chapter “Ta Ha” 20:117.

When the earth was ready to receive Adam pbuh, God’s vicegerent, God breathed the spirit of faith into the ideal body of Adam that was in the first heaven. Thus, the first human soul was formed, as in the saying of the Almighty, {When I have proportioned him}, as well as His saying, {And We created you}. This is at the level of the world of souls, or the first heaven.

Afterwards, He breathed the Holy Spirit into Adam as in His saying, {. . . And I breathed some of My Spirit into him}, and His saying {And giving you form}, meaning giving you form upon the image of God, as in the Old Testament:

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness.”

27 So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:26-27).

In the religious accounts:

Muhammad Ibn Muslim said: I asked Abu Jafar pbuh about the the meaning of God creating Adam in His image. He said: It is a recently created image that God selected and chose over all of the other different images. He attributed it to Himself, just as he attributed the Kaaba and the Spirit to Himself. {And I breathed some of My Spirit into him} (Al-Kulayni 1944. Al-Kafi [The Sufficient Book] vol 1, 134. Arabic source, translated. Also Al-Sadooq 1956, 103).

God commanded the angels to prostrate to him as in the Almighty’s saying: {“Fall down to him in prostration"}, and in His saying: {Then We said to the angels, "Prostrate to Adam"}. As such, there were those who prostrated and others who were arrogant and were expelled.

{“And when I have proportioned him and breathed some of My Spirit into him, then fall down to him in prostration”} Quran Chapter “The Rocky Tract” 15:29.

{And We created you, then We formed you, then We said to the angels, "Prostrate to Adam.” So they prostrated except for Iblis. He was not from the prostrating ones} Quran Chapter “The Heights” 7:11.

Afterwards, God Almighty created the soul of Eve pbuh from the soul of Adam pbuh.^[6] The Almighty said: {O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and transmitted from both of them many men and women. And fear God, through whom you ask one another, and the [severing of] ties. Indeed, God is always an Observer over you} Quran Chapter “The Women” 4:1.^[7]

Abu Abdullah al-Sadiq pbuh said, “God Almighty created Adam from wet clay and created Eve from Adam” (Al-Rawandi 1989. Qisas Al-Anbiya [The Stories of the Prophets], 42. Arabic source, translated).

Then he brought forth their offspring and tested all of them with the first test in the world of al-Tharr (the world of souls). The test had one question: {And when your Lord took from the children of Adam-from their backs-their descendants and made them swear to Him of their souls, [saying to them], "Am I not your Lord?" They said, "Yes, we have testified." Lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection, "Indeed, we were of this unaware"} Quran Chapter “The Heights” 7:172. The verse is clear, {made them swear on their souls}, meaning it was a world of souls. The one who comes first in the test-and wins the race-is the one who sees, hears, and answers first.

When this test ended, God wished for what He knew to be fulfilled: the lowering of Adam pbuh to the earth and his test therein. Therefore, Adam’s test pbuh was in the first heaven (the temporal paradise), and he failed it as was destined. {Adam and his wife ate of it, their shame became apparent to them, and they began to fasten the leaves of paradise over themselves. Adam disobeyed his Lord and erred} Quran Chapter “Ta Ha” 20:121. As a result, he was lowered to the earth, as was our mother Eve-may the prayers of God be upon them, and may God bestow their intercession upon us in this world and in the hereafter.

The Quranic text is clear: Adam and Eve were created and initially lived in the paradise of the first heaven, which is a temporal paradise, but not on the earth. Rather, it is in the first heaven: the world of souls.

The Almighty said, {We said, "O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in paradise and eat therefrom in abundance from wherever you will. But do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers"} Quran Chapter “The Cow” 2:35.

And the Almighty said, {"O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in paradise and eat from wherever you will but do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers"} Quran Chapter “The Heights” 7:19.

The Almighty also said, {So We said, "O Adam, indeed this is an enemy to you and to your wife. Then let him not remove you from paradise so you would suffer. ✶ Indeed, you will not be hungry therein or be unclothed. ✶ And indeed, you will not be thirsty therein or be hot from the sun." ✶ Then Satan whispered to him; he said, "O Adam, shall I direct you to the tree of eternity and possession that will not deteriorate?" ✶ Adam and his wife ate of it, their shame became apparent to them, and they began to fasten the leaves of paradise over themselves. And Adam disobeyed his Lord and erred} Quran Chapter “Ta Ha” 20:117-121.

The verses are clear: Adam pbuh was not earthly. He was not created on the earth to begin with. Instead, he was created in paradise, in the first heaven, which is not the eternal paradise: {Then let him not remove you from paradise so you would suffer}. This paradise Adam was created in is not like the earth where the human being can become hungry, unclothed, thirsty, visible, or harmed by the sun and the weather if he does not work and collect fruit, or plant and hunt, or raise animals, and take precautions to prevent harm. Therefore, it is something other than earthly.

Let us examine the distinct condition of Adam in these verses and whether or not it concurs with the condition of the earth and the bodies therein. The body of the earthly human, unless partially covered by clothes, is revealed, and it is certainly seen by him and others. If Adam had been wearing earthly clothes, they would not vanish once he disobeyed God. If Adam and Eve were on the earth and unclothed from the beginning, they would have noticed their condition then, rather than after the disobedience. If they were wearing clothes on the earth, the clothing would not vanish from their bodies just due to disobedience.

Therefore, the issue is not earthly, and neither is the story. As told by God in the Quran, it does not correspond with the condition of the earth and the people in it. However, if Adam and Eve had been in the temporal paradise in the first heaven during the disobedience, it would have been natural for the shame to become apparent to them only when they disobeyed, and not before. This is because the clothing that conceals the shame is the clothing of piety that is worn by the soul as a natural result of obeying God and opposing the desires and Satan. The clothing of piety is of greater importance and better than bodily clothing, because God looks at the soul and spirit of the human being and what it wears, rather than the body of the human and what is covering it.

{O Children of Adam! We have bestowed upon you clothing to conceal your shame, and as an adornment. But the clothing of piety, that is the best. That is from the signs of God, perhaps they will remember} Quran Chapter “The Heights” 7:26.

With disobedience, this clothing is removed and the shame of the human being is exposed before his Lord.^[8] In other words, Adam and Eve pbut were wearing clothes in paradise from the beginning. They were wearing the clothing of piety, and then it was removed from them. It is not that they were naked in the beginning and their initial condition was revealed to them. What was actually revealed to them was their condition after disobedience and the removal of the clothing of piety.

{“O Children of Adam! Do not let Satan tempt you as he removed your parents from paradise, stripping them of their clothing to show them their shame. Indeed, he and his tribe see you from where you do not see them. We have made the satans supporters of those who do not believe”} Quran Chapter “The Heights” 7:27.

The verse clearly states that the clothing of Adam was removed from him because of his disobedience. {Do not let Satan tempt you as he removed your parents from paradise, stripping them of their clothing to show them their shame}. This clothing was returned by seeking forgiveness: {Their shame became apparent to them, and they began to fasten the leaves of paradise over themselves}.

The verses clearly show that the fall of Adam pbuh and Eve, from the temporal paradise in the first heaven to the earth, cannot be said to be a fall from a paradise on this earth to the earth. {We said, “Go down from it, all of you; and when guidance comes to you from Me, whoever follows My guidance, there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.”} Therefore, it is a fall from the first heaven to the physical heaven, and to the earth specifically. Imam al-Sadiq pbuh clarified that Adam requested to return to the paradise he was in, and God granted his request. This clearly shows that it was the paradise he would enter once more, after the separation of his soul from his body through death, thus returning to the way he was before.

Abu Abdullah pbuh said: “When Adam pbuh circumambulated the House for one hundred years, he did not look at Eve. He cried about paradise until he had two great rivers of tears on his cheeks. Then Gabriel pbuh came to him and said, ‘May God prolong your life and may He bring you near to Him.’ When he said, ‘May God prolong your life’, Adam’s face beamed with joy, and he knew that God was satisfied with him. And when he said, ‘May He bring you near to Him’ Adam laughed, because ‘May he bring you near to Him’ means, ‘‘May He cause you to laugh.’ He stood by the door of the Kaaba clothed by the skins of camels and cows and said, ‘O God, undo my error, forgive my sin and return me to the home that you removed me from.’ Then God Almighty said, ‘I have undone your error, forgiven your sin, and I will return you to the home that I removed you from’” (Al-Sadooq 1960. Maani Al-Akhbar [The Meanings of the Reports], 269. Arabic source, translated).

This is the story of the creation of Adam pbuh from the wet clay that was raised to the first heaven and had the spirit breathed into it. Adam was created in the temporal paradise that is in the first heaven.^[9] Thus, we are heavenly, and our souls were created from the spirit breathed into the raised wet clay in order for us to be tested on this earth, and for the souls to be able to connect with the earthly bodies that are the expanse in which the soul is tested in this physical, material world.