Why Adam, peace be upon him, Was Called By This Name?
Selections from the Book The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him …
Written by Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi...
Episode (63)
Linguists have disagreed on the derivations of the name "Adam" in four opinions:
The First Group: They state that Adam was named because he was created from the word "adama" in Arabic which means earth's surface or soil.
The Second Group: They argue that the name is derived from the ''sumra'' in Arabic which means (Brown color) suggesting that Adam is related to the term for brown or tawny, indicating he had a brownish hue.
The Third Group: This group believes he is named for being composed of various elements and different forces, reflecting the complexity of his creation.
The Fourth Group: They assert that he was named due to the "soul" that was breathed into him, as mentioned in the verse: {and breathed into him of My [created] soul,} [Al-Hijr: 29].
Many scholars have favored the first opinion that Adam is derived from ''adama'' in Arabic (the surface of the earth), based on the Hadiths about Adam's creation from dust.
Dr. Abdel Halim Mahmoud favored one of these opinions, stating: As for the word Adam, people have become accustomed to saying that he was named Adam because his body was created from the surface of the earth (''adama'' in Arabic), or because his color tends toward a tan; they say in Arabic: "a man is Adam", meaning his color leans toward tan. However, the beautiful opinion regarding the naming is that he was named so due to the ''spirit'' that was blown into him, as mentioned in the verse: {and preferred them over much of what We have created, with [definite] preference.} [Al-Isra: 70]. This relates to the term ''Al-Eedam'' in Arabic which refers to what is used to flavor food.
Thus, the naming of Adam—according to this perspective that we accept—serves as a reference and guidance towards embodying the utmost perfection, through creation, intellect, understanding, wisdom, and all that is good and wholesome.
The earlier scholars did not provide a specific definition of Adam, peace be upon him, in technical terms. However, we find such definitions among some contemporary scholars, including the following:
Adam, peace be upon him, is the first human created by Allah and the first of the human race. From him and his wife, Allah Almighty created their children who populated the earth after him. He is the first name mentioned by Allah among those chosen above the worlds, as He said: {Indeed, Allah chose Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham and the family of ʿImran over the worlds –} [ Ali 'Imran: 33].
He is the first creature of humanity to appear on the surface of the earth in this existence; he is the father of all people, and all the inhabitants of the earth from humankind belong to him. There was no creature of the human kind before him at all.
- Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi, The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him, pp. 473-475.
- Adam, peace be upon him, between Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Ahmed Jaber, p. 19.
- Stories of the Prophets in the Universe, Abdel Halim Mahmoud, p. 51.
- The temporal connection between the prophets, Muhammad Wasfi, p. 5.
- Trials and their impact on the life of the believer, Abdullah Mirghani, p. 83.
For further information and review of the sources for the article, see:
The Book of The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him on the official website of Sheikh Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi:
