“And We did raise among every people a Messenger”
Jalees Ahmad, Al Hakam
Prophet Adamas, who lived 6000 years ago, was a noble man and prophet of Allah. He is commonly said to be the first man on Earth; however, this deeply-seated notion entertained by several is in fact incorrect. Man existed even before Prophet Adamas. Adamas was, in actuality, the first prophet of God sent to the world to guide mankind.
The above-mentioned view has been supported by various scholars as well as modern-day science. Science has proven that man has lived and existed for a long, long period predating the advent of Prophet Adamas. In fact, the world has passed through many phases and cycles of creation.
Hazrat Muhyiddin Ibn Arabirh, a well-known Muslim scholar, philosopher, and Sufi, in his writings, explained and stated that once, in a dream, he saw himself performing a circuit around the Holy Kaba. There, in the dream, Ibn Arabirh saw someone, in a vision, who claimed to be one of his ancestors. Ibn Arabirh asked him how long it had been since his demise; to which the man replied that his demise was more than 40000 years ago. Hearing this, Ibn Arabirh stated that this period predated that of Adam’s time. To this, the man replied, ‘Which Adam?’ He asked if he was referring to the Adam closer to his time, or another Adam.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh, in a question-and-answer session, dated 23 July 1984, upon being asked if Prophet Adamas was the first man, said:
“The answer, in short, to that is no. He was not the first man. There were men before him which were the people whom he addressed as a prophet. […]” Huzoorrh further elaborated on the tribe Adamas was sent to and said that his tribe had developed to an extent whereby, in the sight of Allah, they were capable of receiving and understanding God’s divine message. “They were in fact the most developed people of that age, and they had reached a point of sophistication and of a culture where they were capable of receiving Allah’s message and ultimately paying due heed to it – though, in the beginning, they didn’t, but ultimately. […] So, the first man capable of receiving revelation from Allah was Adamas; but [he was] not the first man.”
In Islam, we understand that Man was not created suddenly. According to the Holy Quran, man was created through a gradual process. In the same fashion, man’s intellect and mental faculties also underwent a gradual process. In light of this, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states:
“The Quran shows that human beings were in existence before Adamas but that they were not yet able to bear the responsibility of revealed Law. They lived in caves and in mountain fastnesses. It is for this reason that the Quran has called them by the name of Jinn, which means literally those that dwell out of sight.” (Introduction to the Study of the Holy Quran, p. 308)
Adamas, the Khalifa
The Holy Quran, concerning the creation of Adam, states:
وَاِذۡ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلۡمَلٰٓئِكَةِ اِنِّيۡ جَاعِلٌ فِي الۡاَرۡضِ خَلِيۡفَةً
“And when thy Lord said to the angels: ‘I am about to place a vicegerent in the earth.’” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.31)
Here, we must understand that this verse does not mean that all those who lived before Adam were wiped off the face of the earth. In fact, Allah the Almighty is stating the dawn of a new era of prophethood.
Once, the Promised Messiahas was asked about Prophet Adamas being the first man, as stated in the Bible. Answering the question, Huzooras said:
“I do not believe this, nor do I follow the Torah in this matter, that this world had its beginning six or seven thousand years ago with the birth of Adam, and that there was nothing before that as if God was idle. Nor do I propose that the entire human race, which is present in different regions of the world at this time, is the progeny of that same last Adam. I believe that the human race was present even before this Adam, as is evident from the words of the Holy Quran. God said that:
اِنِّيۡ جَاعِلٌ فِي الۡاَرۡضِ خَلِيۡفَةً
“Khalifa means ‘Successor’. From this, it becomes clear that the creation existed even before Adamas. Therefore, I cannot say if people of America and Australia, etc., are from the progeny of this last Adam or from the progeny of some other Adam.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 10, p. 551)
Referring to the word Khalifa used in the aforementioned verse of the Holy Quran, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, in Tafsir-e-Kabir, states under the above-quoted verse:
“In my opinion, the word Khalifa is also used because Adamas was about to issue the commands and prohibitions of God Almighty in the world and it was being pointed out that now a prophet of God Almighty is about to be appointed in the world.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 1, p. 275)
In another place, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra has explained, “Adamas was not the first human being, but was the first human being whose intellect was capable of accepting and bearing the responsibility of revelation. The Quran nowhere states that God desired to create man and therefore created Adamas. The Quran expressly states that God decided to appoint a ‘Vicegerent upon earth and appointed Adamas.’” (Introduction to the Study of the Holy Quran, p. 309)
Adam was created on a Friday
In a hadith of the Holy Prophetsa, whilst narrating about the importance and significance of Friday, he said:
خَيْرُ يَوْمٍ طَلَعَتْ عَلَيْهِ الشَّمْسُ يَوْمُ الْجُمُعَةِ فِيهِ خُلِقَ آدَمُ
“The best day on which the sun has risen is Friday; on it Adam was created.” (Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Jumuah, Hadith 854)
Once, during one of his morning walks, the Promised Messiahas said:
“Adam was born in the late afternoon on the sixth day. At that time, the cycle of Jupiter was coming to an end and Saturn’s cycle was about to begin. Since the effects of Saturn promote bloodshed and carnage, in view of the fact that Adam would be born in a cycle subjected to the influences of Saturn, the angels said:
اَتَجۡعَلُ فِيۡهَا مَنۡ يُّفۡسِدُ فِيۡهَا
“‘Wilt Thou place therein such as will cause disorder in it?’
“It is a matter of principle that just as humans are aware of the inherent nature of earthly influences and plants, in the same manner, heavenly creatures possess a knowledge about heavenly influences.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 3, pp. 10-11)
The Angels’ response upon Adam being appointed a Khalifa
When Allah the Almighty told the angels that He was going to raise a prophet on the earth, they asked:
قَالُوۡۤا اَتَجۡعَلُ فِيۡهَا مَنۡ يُّفۡسِدُ فِيۡهَا وَيَسۡفِكُ الدِّمَآءَ ۚ وَنَحۡنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمۡدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ
“‘Wilt Thou place therein such as will cause disorder in it, and shed blood? – and We glorify Thee with Thy praise and extol Thy holiness.’” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.31)
Some have raised the allegation that the angels, here, have acted against God and questioned why God created Adam. However, it must be borne in mind that angels cannot do anything out of their own accord. They do as they are commanded by Allah, as stated in the Holy Quran:
وَيَفۡعَلُوۡنَ مَا يُؤۡمَرُوۡنَ
“And do as they are commanded.” (Surah al-Tahrim, Ch.66: V.7)
Let it be clear that the angels did not object, they simply mentioned some facts before God. Further elaborating on this matter, we read, in the Five Volume Commentary:
“The angels saw the darker side of the picture only, but God saw the brighter side. Adam was, in the sight of God, a trumpet through which His clarion call was going to be sounded to the people. The dead were going to be quickened and the slumberers awakened from their sleep. Henceforward, there were to come into being men who would know their God and manifest His attributes and lead pious and righteous lives.” (Five Volume Commentary, Vol. I, p. 92)
Adam was given knowledge of divine attributes
Since time immemorial, it has been the practice of Allah the Almighty when He sends a prophet to the world for the reformation of mankind, the prophet is equipped with divine knowledge and help, for his work is left incomplete without these blessings.
In Surah al-Baqarah, Allah Almighty reminds us:
وَعَلَّمَ اٰدَمَ الۡاَسۡمَآءَ كُلَّهَا
“And He taught Adam all the names.” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.32)
All prophets who walked the earth came with the same message, that is, to spread the oneness of God. Thus, before one is able to spread the message of tawhid, it is first necessary to introduce the One God to the world. It is through understanding God and His attributes that man becomes capable of understanding His message.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra has explained that from the Holy Quran there are certain asma’ (names) that are necessary for the fulfilment of man’s religion and morals and which no one can teach except God Almighty. Thus, the asma’ that are mentioned in this place are surely the ones that are meant and alluded to in the following verse:
وَ لِلّٰهِ الۡاَسۡمَآءُ الۡحُسۡنٰي فَادۡعُوۡهُ بِهَا ۪ وَ ذَرُوا الَّذِيۡنَ يُلۡحِدُوۡنَ فِيۡۤ اَسۡمَآئِهٖ ؕ سَيُجۡزَوۡنَ مَا كَانُوۡا يَعۡمَلُوۡنَ
“And to Allah [alone] belong [all] perfect attributes. So call on Him by these. And leave alone those who deviate from the right way with respect to His attributes. They shall be repaid for what they do”. (Surah al-A’raf, Ch.7: V.181)
Huzoorra further explained that the verse states that Allah was the possessor of all good names, i.e., attributes. So, remember Allah by these names, and leave out those who adopt the wrong path in His names and attributes, and act out of doubt and strife. Huzoorra said that it was clear from this verse:
Without acquiring the correct knowledge of the names and attributes of God, one could not acquire the knowledge of God and inherit His bounties.
The correct knowledge of asma’, i.e. attributes, could be understood from His teaching. Those who rely solely on their thoughts and intellect surely make mistakes and cannot acquire the correct knowledge of His divine names. Therefore, since Adam was sent for the establishment of religion and the relationship between mankind and Allah, it was necessary for him to be taught the attributes of Allah so that his nation would recognise and establish a connection with Allah through those attributes. (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 1, pp. 312-313)
“Submit to Adam”
In the Holy Quran, when we read about Hazrat Adamas, we are also reminded of the incident where the angels were told to submit to him. This episode has been mentioned in various places in the Holy Quran. The first we read about this is in Surah al-Baqarah:
وَاِذۡ قُلۡنَا لِلۡمَلٰٓئِكَةِ اسۡجُدُوۡا لِاٰدَمَ فَسَجَدُوۡۤا
“And [remember the time] when We said to the angels: ‘Submit to Adam,’ and they [all] submitted.” (Surah al-Baqarah Ch.2: V.35)
This verse does not mean that the angels were commanded to prostrate, as worship, before Adam, as the only being worthy to prostrate towards is Allah Himself, as it has been established in Surah Ha Mim al-Sajdah:
وَمِنۡ اٰيٰتِهِ الَّيۡلُ وَالنَّهَارُ وَالشَّمۡسُ وَالۡقَمَرُ ؕ لَا تَسۡجُدُوۡا لِلشَّمۡسِ وَلَا لِلۡقَمَرِ وَاسۡجُدُوۡا لِلّٰهِ الَّذِيۡ خَلَقَهُنَّ اِنۡ كُنۡتُمۡ اِيَّاهُ تَعۡبُدُوۡنَ
“Prostrate not yourselves before the sun, nor before the moon, but prostrate yourselves before Allah, Who created them, if it is Him Whom you [really] worship.” (Surah Ha Mim al-Sajdah, Ch.41: V.38)
The meaning of this verse is that the angels were commanded to assist Adam and help him in his mission. To assist believers is one of the tasks of angels as explained by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra in his book, Malaikatullah.
Regarding this, the Five Volume Commentary has explained:
“The word سجدة has been used here in the sense of ‘obedience’, and ‘submission’. Thus, the verse means that God bade the angels to serve Adam, that is, assist him in his mission. In this way, the angels are ordered to serve all the Prophets of God, their chief duty being to help the cause of a Prophet and to draw the hearts of men towards him.” (Five Volume Commentary, Vol. I, p. 101)
The Promised Messiahas, alluding to the true purport of prostrating to man, has explained:
“Remember, this injunction to prostrate does not relate to the occasion when Adam was created. It is a separate commandment to the angels to the effect that whenever a human being attains the true and ideal human station and harmony, and the spirit of God comes to reside in him, they should always hasten to make their obeisance to him. That is, they should visit him with heavenly light and invoke the blessings of the Lord on him.” (Taudih-e-Maram, p. 42)
Iblis refuses to submit
Iblis, who was from among the jinn, was also commanded to submit to Adam. Out of sheer ignorance and uppity, he denied this command of Allah and expressed “‘I am better than he. Thou hast created me of fire while him hast Thou created of clay.’” (Surah al-A’raf, Ch.7: V.13) He also said, “‘Shall I submit to one whom Thou hast created of clay?’” (Surah Bani Isra’il, Ch.17: V.62)
It must be remembered that opponents of prophets are always prone to act like Iblis. They oppose their prophet because they feel that they are better and superior to them in all ways. Their arrogance, and thinking that they were better, became their downfall. This arrogance stems from their ignorance.
Adam and the meaning of “jannah” and the “tree”
The story of Adam and Eve is one we are all familiar with. Hazrat Adamas was commanded by Allah to keep away from one tree. This episode has been mentioned in the Holy Quran on various occasions, yet many have stumbled in understanding its true purport. The Holy Quran states:
وَ قُلۡنَا يٰۤاٰدَمُ اسۡكُنۡ اَنۡتَ وَ زَوۡجُكَ الۡجَنَّةَ وَ كُلَا مِنۡهَا رَغَدًا حَيۡثُ شِئۡتُمَا ۪ وَ لَا تَقۡرَبَا هٰذِهِ الشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُوۡنَا مِنَ الظّٰلِمِيۡنَ
“And We said: ‘O Adam, dwell thou and thy wife in the garden, and eat therefrom plentifully wherever you will, but approach not this tree, lest you be of the wrongdoers.’” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.36)
This has been mentioned elsewhere in the Holy Quran also:
وَ يٰۤاٰدَمُ اسۡكُنۡ اَنۡتَ وَ زَوۡجُكَ الۡجَنَّةَ فَكُلَا مِنۡ حَيۡثُ شِئۡتُمَا وَ لَا تَقۡرَبَا هٰذِهِ الشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُوۡنَا مِنَ الظّٰلِمِيۡنَ
“‘And O Adam, dwell thou and thy wife in the garden and eat therefrom wherever you will, but approach not this tree lest you be among the wrongdoers.’” (Surah al-A’raf, Ch.7: V.20)
Here, at first glance, one may think, as the majority of Muslims do, that Adam was told to stay in jannah which the righteous people shall inherit; however, with a deep study of the Holy Quran, we know that this is not the case. Firstly, we know that this place cannot be referring to heaven – or the abode of the afterlife – as God had already stated “‘I am about to place a vicegerent in the earth.’” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V. 31) Thus, establishing that Adam was here on earth. Further to this, the Holy Quran has clearly stated that when one enters heaven, one will not be “ejected therefrom.” (Surah al-Hijr, Ch15: V.49) And, thus, to say Adam was made to leave or exit jannah will go against the teachings of the Holy Quran.
Commenting on this, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra writes that the garden where Hazrat Adam was made to dwell was an earthly garden and not a heavenly one. Huzoorra explains that the Holy Quran states that the entry of Satan into the garden, where Adam was, has been proven; therefore, it is contrary to reason that Satan was in and placed in paradise along with Adamas, as we know that only God’s righteous servants shall inherit and dwell in it. For Satan to be there is illogical. Thus, this must mean that the garden where Adam was, was an earthly garden, not heaven. (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 1, p. 336)
With regards to the meaning of “tree” الشَّجَرَةَ, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra explained that the word shajarah – which literally meaning tree – is used in the Holy Quran as a metaphor for a good and bad word. God Almighty states:
اَلَمۡ تَرَ كَيۡفَ ضَرَبَ اللّٰهُ مَثَلًا كَلِمَةً طَيِّبَةً كَشَجَرَةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ
That is, do you not see how Allah sets forth the similitude of a good word, it is like a pure tree. Then, He further states: وَ مَثَلُ كَلِمَةٍ خَبِيۡثَةٍ كَشَجَرَةٍ خَبِيۡثَةِ (Surah Ibrahim, Ch.14: V.27). That is, the case of an evil word is like that of an evil tree. (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 1, p. 339)
Huzoorra further states that shajarah can refer to all evils that were forbidden to Prophet Adamas. But in terms of the content of this verse, the forbidden tree will mean that Adam was told to avoid Iblis and his followers because Iblis was to mislead Hazrat Adamas and his descendants. (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 1, p. 339)
Alluding to Iblis, who refused to submit to Adam, and Satan, who caused Adam to slip, the Five Volume Commentary states:
“It must be noted here that the being whom the Quran has represented as having refused to submit to Adam is called Iblis, while the person who tempted him is called Satan. This distinction is observed not only in the verse under comment, but in all the relevant verses throughout the Quran. This shows that, so far as this narrative is concerned, Satan and Iblis were two different persons. In fact, the word Shaitan (Satan) is applied not only to evil spirits but also to certain human beings also who, on account of their evil nature and wicked deeds, become, as it were, fiends incarnate. Just as a man can advance in virtue and piety so as to become like an angel, similarly, he may become morally so depraved and degenerate as to be called a devil. Thus, the Shaitan, who tempted Adam and caused him to slip, was not an invisible evil spirit but a wicked man of flesh and blood, a devil from among human beings, a manifestation of Satan, and an agent of Iblis. He was a member of the family, which Adam had been bidden to avoid.” (Five Volume Commentary, Vol. II, p. 971)
Satan’s whisper
When Adam and his wife were in the garden, the Holy Quran states that Satan “whispered evil suggestions to them so that he might make known to them what was hidden from them of their shame, and said, ‘Your Lord has only forbidden you this tree, lest you should become angels or such [beings] as live forever.’” (Surah al-A‘raf, Ch.7: V.21)
In an attempt to steer Adam away from the right path and God’s command, Satan swore he was a sincere counsellor for him. The Holy Quran states that when Adam was caused to slip, he immediately realised his mistake and began covering himself by committing good deeds. Allah the Almighty says to them, “‘Did I not forbid you that tree and tell you: verily, Satan is to you an open foe?’” (Surah al-A‘raf, Ch.7: V.23)
The Holy Quran states that Adam’s act was a misjudgement and not purposeful. “And verily, We had made a covenant with Adam beforehand, but he forgot, and We found in him no determination [to disobey].” (Surah TaHa, Ch.20: V.116)
Commandment to migrate
The episode of Adam being commanded to leave the garden in which he was has been mentioned in the Holy Quran several times.
Allah Almighty states:
فَاَزَلَّهُمَا الشَّيۡطٰنُ عَنۡهَا فَاَخۡرَجَهُمَا مِمَّا كَانَا فِيۡهِ ۪ وَ قُلۡنَا اهْبِطُوۡا بَعۡضُكُمۡ لِبَعۡضٍ عَدُوٌّ
“But Satan caused them both to slip by means of it and drove them out of [the state] in which they were. And We said: ‘Go forth; some of you are enemies of others.’” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.37)
When Satan caused Adam to slip, Allah the Almighty commanded him to leave. A common misconception has crept into the minds of some people who say that it was only Adam and Eve who were told to leave; however, again, with a study of the Holy Quran, we find that this is simply not the case.
The Holy Quran states:
قَالَ اهْبِطَا مِنۡهَا جَمِيۡعًۢا بَعۡضُكُمۡ لِبَعۡضٍ عَدُوٌّ ۚ فَاِمَّا يَاۡتِيَنَّكُمۡ مِّنِّيۡ هُدًي فَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ هُدَايَ فَلَا يَضِلُّ وَ لَا يَشۡقٰي
“He said, ‘Go forth, both of you, from here, some of you being enemies of others. And if there comes to you guidance from Me, then whoso will follow My guidance, will not go astray, nor will he come to grief.’” (Surah Ta Ha, Ch.20: V.124)
Commenting on this verse, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra has explained that in this verse, Allah says, “Go forth, both of you, from here, some of you being enemies of others.” Here, both Adam and Eve are not meant, because in that case, the meaning of the verse would be that Adam and Eve would be enemies to each other, and this is obviously false and incorrect. The word “both”, in actuality, alludes to two groups, one that belonged to Adam and the other that belonged to Satan. Another point that supports this is the usage of the word جَمِيۡعًا which is never used if it is just referring to two people. Huzoorra states that the word جَمِيۡعًا was used because there were many people with Hazrat Adamas and many with Satan. The word كُمۡ has also been used which, in Arabic grammar, is used for a group of three or more. This denotes that those who were told to leave or go forth were actually a group, rather than just two people. (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 5, pp. 476-77)
Further commenting on this episode, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states:
“And we said that some of you will be enemies of others, that is, do not consider this enmity to end here. This enmity will continue in the future, and in the time of every prophet, Satan will try to attack in the same way.” (Tafsir-r-Kabir, Vol. 1, p. 342)
The above-quoted verse also states that Allah’s guidance shall descend from time to time. As Prophet Adamas was the first prophet, a new era was being ushered in and God’s grace and bounty were descending with it.
Adam’s sons: Cain and Abel
The story of the two sons of Adam, Cain and Abel, has been mentioned in the Holy Quran, though their names have not been recorded, they have been mentioned in the Torah.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira said that, although these names were not mentioned in the Holy Quran, there was no reason to deny them either. (Haqaiqul Furqan [2005], Vol. 2, p. 93)
The Bible states that Cain was a farmer and Able a keeper of sheep.
The Holy Quran relates the story of Adam’s sons: Cain and Abel. The Quran states: “They each offered an offering, and it was accepted from one of them and was not accepted from the other.”
The Holy Quran does not mention what the offering was.
Cain said to Abel, “‘I will surely kill thee.’” Hearing this, Abel replied: “‘Allah accepts only from the righteous.’” (Surah al-Ma’idah, Ch.5: V.28)
He further said:
“‘If thou stretch out thy hand against me to kill me, I am not going to stretch out my hand against thee to kill thee. I do fear Allah, the Lord of the Universe. I wish that thou shouldst bear my sin as well as thy sin, and thus be among the inmates of the Fire, and that is the reward of those who do wrong.’” (Surah al-Ma’idah, Ch.5: V.29-30)
Here, Abel alludes to the fact that those who do wrong are the inmates of the Fire. They cannot attain any bliss in this world or the hereafter. However, Cain, incited by his nafs to kill his brother, murdered him.
The Holy Quran states that after he murdered Abel, a raven appeared before him and scratched the ground, “That He might show him how to hide the corpse of his brother.” (Surah al-Ma’idah, Ch.5: V.32)
Seeing the raven, Cain said, “‘Woe is me! Am I not able to be even like this raven so that I may hide the corpse of my brother?’ And then he became regretful.” (Surah al-Ma’idah, Ch.5: V.32)
The Holy Ka‘bah
Alluding to the Holy Ka‘bah, the Quran states: “Surely, the first House founded for mankind is that at Becca, abounding in blessings and a guidance for all peoples.” (Surah Aal-e-Imran, Ch.3: V.97)
Some traditions point towards Hazrat Adamra having originally built the Holy Ka‘bah. And from then, it served as the centre of worship for his progeny. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh, alluding to this, states:
“Allah the Almighty observes اِنَّ اَوَّلَ بَيۡتٍ وُّضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ that the first House founded for all mankind was built in Mecca. From various traditions [of the Holy Prophetsa] and Quranic verses, I have reached the conclusion that when ‘our Adamas’ was born and raised to Prophethood, the world was populated in only a small region. […] God Almighty, in His perfect Wisdom, vouchsafed the revelation to Adamas and had His House rebuilt for all the peoples of that time and linked all the descendants of that Adam to it. […] The progeny of Adam who had dispersed to become separate and distinct nations and who enjoyed the company of their exclusive Prophets, lost all interest in the House of Allah founded for all mankind. They neglected the House of Allah to such an extent that, in consequence of vicissitudes of life, lack of maintenance, and for not being inhabited, even the traces of this House, the Ka‘bah, were obliterated.” (Twenty-three Great Objectives of Building the House of Allah, pp. 97-98)
Later, Hazrat Abrahamas, as recorded in the Holy Quran, rebuilt the Ka‘bah on its foundations. (See article: The father of prophets: A brief look into the life of Prophet Abrahamas) After some time had passed, the Holy Ka‘bah turned into a house of idols where people would gather to worship their idols, numbering up to 360.
It was with the advent of the Holy Prophetsa that the house founded for mankind was restored to its intended condition and became the centre of worship.
After Prophet Adam
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh has explained that in the time of Hazrat Adamas “people had not spread into the world and divided into various nations. Thus, spiritually, the Ka‘bah was the centre for all mankind. Thereafter the progeny of Adamas began spreading in the world and inhabited far-off places. Their mutual connections were severed. God Almighty started sending Prophets to each people for their spiritual uplift and progress, thus spiritually they no longer remained one people, rather they dispersed and disintegrated and the progeny of Adam was split into various nations.” (Twenty-three Great Objectives of Building the House of Allah, p. 98)
Sethas, the son of Adam
Sethas was one of the sons of Adam, who was raised as a prophet after Adam. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra explains:
“According to Islamic traditions, in the genealogy of Adam, the first prophet was Adam, who was the father. The second prophet was Seth, who was the son of Adam. The third was Enoch, who was the fifth great-grandson of Adam, and the fourth prophet was Noah, who was the grandson of the fifth great-grandson [of Adam].” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 5, p. 304)
The Promised Messiahas writes:
“I bear witness that the True God, who revealed Himself to Adam and then to Seth, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and all the Prophets and to our Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is Ever-Living, Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining.” (The Honour of Prophets, p. 53)