Muslims believe that Adam is the father of mankind, that he was sent down from Paradise to the earth, and that he was the one who built the Sacred House in Makkah. But which land did he descend upon? This question has echoed through both ancient and modern books related to the history of the first human—Adam (peace be upon him). So, what is the Islamic perspective?
It is important to note that some narrations found in Islamic literature were influenced by Isrā’īliyyāt (narratives originating from Jewish and Christian sources) and older scriptures. Here are a few notable Islamic narrations:
Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Khuzaymah
It is narrated from Abu Ḥāzim, the freedman of Ibn ʿAbbās, from Ibn ʿAbbās, from the Prophet ﷺ who said:
“Adam came to the Sacred House a thousand times on foot from India, never riding in any of them.”
(A thousand times means he walked there a thousand times.)
Al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān by Imām al-Qurṭubī
In his famous tafsīr, Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī, he states:
“Adam descended in Sarandīb in India, on a mountain called ‘Bodh’. With him came the breeze of Paradise, which clung to its trees and valleys, filling the place with fragrance. That is why perfume is brought from the scent of Adam (peace be upon him). The clouds would pass over his head and touch it, causing him to go bald—thus baldness was inherited by his children.”
Al-Baḥr al-Muḥīṭ by Abū Ḥayyān al-Andalusī
In his tafsīr of the verses of Ḥajj in Sūrat al-Baqarah, he says regarding Mount ʿArafāt:
“As for the identification of the place of acquaintance (ʿArafāt), it was said that it is where Adam and Ḥawwāʾ met, for his descent was in the valley of Sarandīb and hers was in Jeddah. Allah commanded him to build the Kaʿbah, and he obeyed. They met in that place.”
Al-Kāmil fī al-Tārīkh by Ibn al-Athīr
Among the books that addressed this matter is Al-Kāmil fī al-Tārīkh by Ibn al-Athīr. Under the chapter titled The Mention of the Creation of Adam (peace be upon him), he writes:
“It was said that Allah, the Exalted, caused Adam and his wife Ḥawwāʾ to descend from Heaven before sunset on the very Friday he was created. According to ʿAlī, Ibn ʿAbbās, Qatādah, and Abū al-ʿĀliyah: he descended in India, on a mountain called Nūd, in the land of Sarandīb; and Ḥawwāʾ descended in Jeddah.”
Ibn ʿAbbās further said:
“He went in search of her, and wherever he placed his foot became a village, and between his steps were barren lands. He traveled until he reached Jamʿ (Muzdalifah), and Ḥawwāʾ drew near to him—hence the name Muzdalifah. They recognized each other at ʿArafāt—thus it was named ʿArafāt. They gathered at Jamʿ—thus it was named Jamʿ. The serpent was made to descend in Isfahan and Iblīs in Maysān.”
He also adds:
“When Adam descended on Mount Nūd, his feet reached the ground while his head touched the heavens; he could hear the glorification of the angels, who feared him. So, he asked Allah to reduce his height, and it was decreased to sixty cubits.”
Muqaddimah of Ibn Khaldūn
Ibn Khaldūn wrote in his famous introduction:
“As for mosques other than the known three—Al-Ḥarām, Al-Nabawī, and Al-Aqṣā—we know of none on earth except what is said regarding the Mosque of Adam (peace be upon him) in Sarandīb, among the Indian isles. However, nothing authentically established can be relied upon in that regard.”
The Journey of Ibn Baṭṭūṭah
Ibn Baṭṭūṭah reached the island of Sarandīb eight centuries ago. He wrote:
“Since arriving at this island, my only intention has been to visit the noble footprint—the footprint of Adam (peace be upon him). The locals call him ‘Bābā’, and they call Ḥawwāʾ ‘Māmā’.”
Note: Sarandīb is the ancient name for the island of Ceylon in India. After its independence from India in 1948, it was known as Ceylon, but in 1972 it was renamed Sri Lanka, located in the Indian Ocean south of the Indian subcontinent.
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