Was our beloved mother Eve created from the rib of Adam, peace be upon him?
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 (76)
We did not find in the Hadiths of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, that she was created from Adam's rib, but rather from a rib.
We have learned from the verses of the Holy Quran that Eve was created—like Adam—from the same human soul, but the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, informed us that woman was created from a rib. So, what is meant by this rib?
The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Take my advice with regard to women: Act kindly towards women, for they were created from a rib, and the most crooked part of a rib is its uppermost. If you attempt to straighten it; you will break it, and if you leave it alone it will remain crooked; so act kindly toward women.”
Some scholars have taken the rib mentioned in the Hadith at face value, recalling the Israeli narratives that spoke of Eve being created from Adam. They said: The Hadith clearly states that Eve was created from a rib, so why do you oppose this and not affirm it?
The Israeli narratives and the legends of the Old Testament state that while Adam was alone and asleep in Paradise, God took a rib from his left side and created Eve from that rib in an instant, making her a living woman with all feminine features. She sat beside Adam, and when he woke up and saw her, he asked her: "Who are you?" She replied: "I am Eve". He asked: "What does that mean?" She said: "I am your wife; God created me from your rib and made me for you". Adam then touched his ribs and found one missing, feeling a longing for Eve because she was a part of him.
These are Israeli narratives found in the Scriptures of the Old Testament, which have been transmitted by Muslim narrators. However, there is nothing in the Holy Quran or the authentic Sunnah that supports them, and therefore we refrain from making a judgment on them; we neither affirm them nor deny them, and knowledge belongs to Allah alone.
The previous authentic Hadith does not explicitly indicate that Eve was created from Adam's rib, and it does not specifically refer to our mother Eve; rather, it speaks about women in general.
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used the term "rib" as a metaphor rather than in its literal sense; this was to emphasize the importance of treating women well, given the perceived weaknesses associated with women. It was essential to treat them kindly and gently because the treatment of women at that time was often harsh, to the extent that they were buried alive and did not inherit. Even more troubling, women themselves were treated as inheritances. Therefore, the Prophet's words came from a place of concern for women and a call to care for them.
Moreover, the Hadiths that include the term "rib" do not specify "Adam's rib", so we say that the meaning here is metaphorical rather than literal, akin to notions of hardship, labor, inclination, and injustice, and similar concepts.
The Hadith of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, brings the emotional and reactive nature of women to our minds. The Prophet presents this eloquent and expressive imagery by depicting it in the form of a rib. It is well-known that a rib is curved, and that the most curved part of the rib is at the top. It is impossible to straighten the rib and remove its curvature; anyone who tries to do so will break it. Therefore, one must interact with the rib based on its curvature. Likewise, this is how Allah created women in general.
- Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi, The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him, pp. 558-560.
- Adam, peace be upon him, from the inspiration of the Qur’an, Aqil Hussein Aqil, p. 261.
- Biography of Adam, Al-Khalidi, p. 112.
- Sahih Al-Bukhari, No.: 3331, and Sahih Muslim, No.: 1468.
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:
