The Islamic Story of Creation: How Allah Created the World
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, according to Islamic teachings, God, or Allah, is the sole creator of the universe and everything within it. The Quran and hadith provide details about how Allah beautifully and perfectly created the heavens, earth, jinn, angels, and mankind over several stages. Here is a summary of the Islamic story of creation according to the holy scriptures:
Stage 1: Before Creation
Before anything was created, there was only Allah. He alone existed without any partner or associate. Allah has always existed and will always exist, as He is the Ever-Living and Sustainer of all that exists. In Islamic theology, there was no space, time, or matter before creation. Only Allah, in His divine essence and attributes, occupied this pre-creation phase as the absolute and necessary being.
Stage 2: Creation of the Heavens and the Earth
The first act of creation was when Allah decided to create the cosmos. He commanded, “Be!” and it was. With this single word, Allah created the heavens and the earth. He separated land from the sea and caused vegetation and fruits to spring forth abundantly on the earth to provide sustenance. Allah set the laws of nature and physical laws that would govern all creation. Next, Allah created the mountains to stabilize the earth and prevent landquakes. The heavens, too, were given shape through layers upon layers. Thus, the foundational infrastructure of the universe came into existence through the divine fiat and will of Allah.
Stage 3: Creation of Angels
Angels, also known as the heavenly army of Allah, were the second creation. They were created from light and given a pure nature, totally devoted to obeying Allah and carrying out his commands. As divine spiritual beings, angels do not have free will. Some of the notable archangels include Jibreel (Gabriel), who conveyed revelations to prophets; Mikael (Michael), the protector; Izrafil, who will blow the horn to signal the Day of Judgment; and Malik, the keeper of Jahannam (Hell). Angels constantly glorify and praise Allah.
Stage 4: Creation of Jinn
Right after creating angels, Allah created the Jinn kind from smokeless and scorching fire as an intelligent species with free will like humans. Both good and evil jinn exist. Iblis (Satan) was originally from among the jinn who disobeyed Allah due to extreme arrogance and pride, and that is why he was cursed and made the leader of all evil jinn. Jinn can be invisible to humans but have the ability to harm them if they desire. They will also be judged on the Day of Judgment.
Stage 5: Creation of Man
On the sixth day of creation, Allah decided to create Adam, the first man. He fashioned Adam from clay and breathed his spirit into him. Then all the angels were commanded to bow down before newly created Adam out of respect as per Allah’s instructions. All except Iblis refused due to extreme arrogance and pride, and that is when he was expelled out of Jannah (Paradise) for disobeying Allah.
Allah placed Adam and his wife Hawwa (Eve) in Jannatul Firdaus, the highest part of Paradise, as its first inhabitants with an eternal place to reside. They were free to consume any fruits in the garden except for one tree. Unfortunately, Iblis deceived them into eating the forbidden fruit, and as a result, they were sent down to Earth to live as mortals. However, Allah also assigned them the role of representing Him on Earth as His vicegerents (caliphs) and multiplying.
Stage 6: Children of Adam Procreate
After being banished from Paradise, Adam and Eve lived on Earth and eventually had children. These original human offspring married each other since there were no others at the time. As time passed, their descendants continued to increase and spread all over the world into different communities and tribes, each with distinct languages, skin colors, and ethnicities. This fulfilled Allah’s command to them to “be fruitful and multiply throughout the earth.”
Stage 7: Sending of Prophets
As human civilization developed, many people started deviating from the natural state of Islam or submission to Allah. To guide mankind back to the straight path, Allah began sending prophets to different nations as a mercy. These prophets included Adam, Idris, Nuh, Hud, Saleh, Ibrahim, Ismail, Ishaaq, Ya‘qub, Yusuf, Ayub, Shu‘aib, Musa, Harun, Dawud, Sulaiman, Alyasa‘, Yahya, ‘Isa, and lastly Muhammad (peace be upon them all). They all conveyed the same essential message of monotheism and righteousness.
The Perfect Creation
Through the stages of creation elaborated in the Quran and authentic hadith, Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala displayed His perfect wisdom, power, and artistry. He created life where there was nothing, balance where there was void, and order where there was chaos. This magnificent cosmos, from the smallest subatomic particle to the majestic stars and galaxies, stands as a testimony for believers to regard Allah as the one and only Creator and Sustainer deserving of all praise and worship. Truly, He is the most praiseworthy, and there is no god besides Him, the Lord of all the worlds.
Summary : islam story of creation
I hope this summary provides a good understanding of the Islamic perspective on how the magnificent creation we live in came to be through Allah’s infinite power, mercy, and fathomless knowledge. He created everything for a wise purpose and with perfection, down to the finest details. As Muslims, we believe the miracles of creation constantly testify to the greatness, glory, and oneness of our Creator and strive to recognize His signs in all that exists.