There are 3 creatures allah created before humans: Angels, Jins and Al-Nisnaas. Let’s discuss angels and jinn shortly before moving on to al-nisnas.
Angels (Malaikah): We Muslims believe that angels are celestial beings created by God before humans. They are tasked with carrying out God’s commands, serving as messengers, and communicating with humans. Angels are considered to be pure and obedient creatures without free will, meaning they cannot disobey God’s orders.
Jinn: Jinn are another creation of God, distinct from angels and humans. Unlike humans, who are made from clay according to Islamic tradition, jinn are created from smokeless fire. They possess free will like humans and can choose to obey or disobey God. While some jinn are good and follow God’s commands, others may be rebellious or mischievous. If you want to know more about the jins read this blog:
Al-Nisnas:
Men in Arabic is Al-Nas, while here we have Nisnas, which refers to either a creation similar to human being in appearance but different in other aspects, or another species (as we have in some other Hadiths) which lived with Jinn before the creation of Adam.
These al-nisnaas roamed earth before humans, they were hominoid creatures, but were not actually humans and likely represented earlier species like Homo habilis or Homo neanderthalensis. and also they didn’t have a fully developed intellect as we humans have but they had free will! The fossils of ancient human like figures of homo genus which are found today are probably of al-nisnaas. As they had free will but lacked a fully developed intellect due to which was one of the reason why they disobey Allah and killed each other often and used to shed each others blood they created a havoc on earth together with some of bad jins and out of anger Allah sent a torment on them and they went extinct!
As mentioned in the Quran:
And [mention, O Muḥammad], when your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.” They said, “Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we exalt You with praise and declare Your perfection?” He [Allāh] said, “Indeed, I know that which you do not know.” (Al-Baqarah)
Ibn `Abbas (ra) said, “Two thousand years before [mankind] was created, there were jinn on [the earth], and they caused corruption on the earth and shed blood. Then, Allah sent against them a troop of angels who overcame them and then cast them away to the islands in the seas. So, when Allah said, (translated), “‘I am placing a viceregent upon the earth,’ they said, ‘Will You place therein one who will cause corruption therein and shed blood,'” [2 (Al-Baqarah), 30] i.e. just as those jinn did? Then, Allah said, (translated), “I know that which you do not know.” Thus, jinn were created before mankind, as attested to clearly by the Qur’an also. Their origin is from fire. “And verily, We created mankind . . . and the jinn We had created before from smokeless fire.” [15 (Al- Hijr), 26-27]
Being Before Adam (a):
There is a dicourse of Allama Tabatabai on Struggle for Existance and Survival of the fittest, it is a very nice read. He therein discusses the probability of there being humans before adam(as).
Al-Mizan verses 2:30-33, Traditions
As-Sàdiq (a.s.) said: “The angels could not know what they said (Wilt Thou place in it such as shall make mischief in it and shed blood), if they had not (earlier) seen someone who had made mischief in it and shed blood.” (At-Tafsir, al-‘Ayyàshi)
The author says: This tradition may be pointing to an earlier creature that inhabited the earth before the mankind, as some other traditions say. It is not against what we have said that they understood it from the very words of Allàh: Verily, I am going to make in the earth a vicegerent; rather the tradition and our explanation are complementary. The tradition, without putting it in the framework of our explanation, would show that the angels too, like Iblis, had committed the folly of unauthorized analogy — a very objectionable practice.
Zuràrah said: “I visited Abù Ja’far (a.s.) and he asked (me): ‘What do you have of Shi‘ah traditions?’ I said: ‘I do have a large number of it; and I was thinking of kindling a fire to burn them in it.’ He said: ‘Hide it (somewhere), you will (naturally) forget what you are not familiar with.’” (Zuràrah said): “Then, I thought about the mankind (and asked him about them). He said: ‘How did the angels get their knowledge when they said, Wilt Thou place in it such as shall make mischief in it and shed blood?’” Zuràrah further reports that whenever Abù ‘Abdillàh (a.s.) mentioned this tradition, he sai: “It ia shattering blow against al -Qadariyyah (i.e. those who say that man is completely independent of Allàh in his actions).” Abù ‘Abdillàh (a.s.) further said: “Adam (a.s.) had, in the heaven, a friend from among the angels. When Adam got down from the heaven to the earth, the angel felt lonely; he complained (of it) to Allàh and sought His permission. Allàh allowed him and he came down to him (Adam); he found him (Adam) sitting in a desolate region. When Adam saw him, he put his hand on his head and cried aloud.” Abù ‘Abdillàh (a.s.) said: “They narrate that (it was such a loud cry that) all the creatures heard it. The angel told him: ‘O Adam! I do not see but that you have disobeyed your Lord and put on yourself a burden beyond your strength. Do you know what Allàh had told us about you, and (what) we had said in His reply?’ (Adam) said: ‘No.’ (The angel) said: ‘Allàh told us, “I am going to make in the earth a vicegerent”. We said: “Wilt Thou place in it such as shall make mischief in it and shed blood?” Thus, He created you to place you in the earth. Could it be right for you to stay in the heaven? Abù ‘Abdillàh (a.s.) said: “Allàh in this way consoled Adam for three days.” (ibid.)
The author says: The tradition shows that the Garden of Adam was in the-heaven. Other traditions on this subject will be given later.
In the same book, Abu ’l-‘Abbàs is quoted as saying that he asked Abù ‘Abdillàh (a.s.) about the words of Allàh, And He taught Adam the names, all of them, (and enquired) as to what Allàh had taught him. (The lmàm) said: “The earths, the mountains, the canyons and the valleys.” Then he looked at the rug which he sat upon and said: “And this rug is among the things which He taught him.”
It is reported in the same book that al-Fudayl ibn al-Abbas asked Abù ‘Abddlàh (a.s.) what were the names which Allàh taught Adam. He replied: “The names of the valleys and the vegetables and the trees and the mountains of the earth.”
The same book narrates from Dàwùd ibn Sarhàn al -Attàr that he said: “I was with Abù ‘Abdillàh (a.s.); he called for the table – spread and we took our meals. Then he called for the washbowl and hand-towel. I said to him: ‘May I be your ransom! The words of Allàh: And He taught Adam the names, all of them – was (this) wash-bowl and hand-towel among them?’ He (a.s.) said: ‘The mountain-passes and the valleys.’ Saying this he pointed by his hand this and that way.”
As-Sàdiq (a.s.) said: “Verily, Allàh taught Adam the names of His proofs, all of them; then He presented them – and they were the spirits – to the angels, and said: ‘Tell Me the names of these if you are right in your claims that you have more right, than Adam, to the vicegerency in the earth because of your glorifying and extolling (Me).’ They said: ‘Glory be to Thee! we have no knowledge but that which Thou hast taught us; surely Thou, Thou (alone), art the Knowing, the Wise.’ Allàh, Blessed and High is He! said: ‘O Adam! inform them of their names.’ When he informed them of their names, they knew of their (i.e. those spirits) high rank before Allàh, Great is His name! They realized that they (i.e. those spirits) were more deserving to be the vicegerents of Allàh in His earth, and (to be) His proofs over His creatures. Then Allàh removed them (the spirits) from their sight, and subjugated them with their (i.e. those spirits) obedience an d love; and told them, ‘Did I not say to you that I surely know the unseen (secrets) of the heavens and the earth and (that) I know what you manifest and what you were hiding?’” (Ma‘àni ’l-akhbàr)
The author says: The meaning of this tradition may be understood from the commentary given earlier; and it may also be realized that there was no contradiction between this tradition and the preceding ones. It was explained earlier that the verse 15:21 (And there is not a thing but with Us are the treasure of it . . .) that every thing originally exists in the treasures of the unseen; the things that are with us came into being on descending from there. The name given to a thing in this existence is in tact the name of that which is hidden in the treasures of the unseen. You may say that Allàh taught Adam every thing that was in His treasures of the unseen – unseen that was hidden from the heavens and the earth. The same idea may be conveyed in these words: Allàh taught Adam the names of all things – the things that were unseen secrets hidden from the heavens and the earth. The sum total of both statements is the same.
It is not out of place here to point to the traditions of at-tinah (= the substance, of which a thing is made). Such a tradition, narrated in Bihâru ’l-anwàr, is as follows:
Jàbir ibn ‘Abdillàh said: I said to the Apostle of Allàh (s.a.w.a.): ‘What was the first thing which Allàh created?’ He said: ‘The light of your prophet, O Jàbir! Allàh created it, then created from it every good; then He caused it to stand before Him in the station of “nearness”, so long as Allàh wished. Then He divided it into parts; and He created the Throne from one part, and the Chair from another part, and the bearers of the Throne and the occupiers of the Chair from yet another part; and He placed the fourth part in the station of love, as long as Allàh wished. Then He divided it into parts; and He created the Pen from one part, and the Tablet from another part, and the Garden from yet another part; and He placed the fourth part in the station of fear, as long as Allah wished. Then He divided it into portions, and He created the angels from one portion, and the sun from another portion, and the moon from yet another portion, and He placed the fourth portion in the station of hope, as long as Allâh wished. Then He divided it into portions, and He created the understanding from one portion, and the knowledge and forbearance from another portion, and the (divine) protection and help from yet other portion, and He placed the fourth portion in the station of modesty as long as Allâh wished. Then He looked at it with awe-inspiring eye, and that Light started perspiring, and one hundred and twenty-four thousand drops dropped from it; and Allah created from each drop the soul of a prophet and apostle. Then the souls of the prophets began breathing, and Allah created from their breasts the souls of (His) friends and the martyrs and the good ones.’ “
The author says: There are numerous traditions of the same type; and on deep pondering they support what we have written earlier; some of them will be discussed later on. You should not reject such traditions outright, thinking that they were forged by the Sufis. The wonders of the creation are unfathomable; the scientists and the philosophers have spent, and are spending, their lives in discovering some of its secrets; but every solved enigma brings in its wake a lot of fresh previously untaught of enigmas. Do not forget that this is the unfathomability of this physical world – the smallest in range, the narrowest in scope, the lowest in rank. How can we pass judgment about other worlds beyond this one – the worlds of light, spaciousness and abundance?
An Hadith In Bihar ul-Anwar:
“Allah created us at a time when there was neither sky nor earth, nor Arsh nor Paradise nor Hell. We glorified Allah at the time when no (form of) glorification existed. We revered Him at a time when there was no (idea of) reverence. When Allah intended to create the creation, He split my ‘light’ and created the ‘throne’ (Arsh) from it. The ‘light’ of the ‘throne’ is from my ‘light’ and my ‘light’ is from the ‘light’ of Allah. Hence, I am superior to the ‘throne’.
Then Allah split the ‘light’ of Ali (a.s.) and created the angels from it. The ‘light’ of the angels is from the ‘light’ of Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a.s.). The ‘light’ of Ali Ibn Abi Taalib is from the ‘light’ of Allah and hence Ali is superior to the angels.
Then Allah split the ‘light’ of my daughter Fatima (s.a.) and created the heavens and the earths from it. The ‘light’ of the earths and the skies is from the ‘light’ of my daughter Fatima (s.a.). The ‘light’ of Fatima (s.a.) is from the ‘light’ of Allah and Fatima (s.a.) is superior to the earth and the skies.
Then Allah split the ‘light’ of Hasan (a.s.) and created the sun and moon from it. The ‘light’ of the sun and the moon is from the ‘light’ of Hasan. The ‘light’ of Hasan is from the ‘light’ of Allah and Hasan (a.s.) is superior to the sun and the moon.
Then Allah split the ‘light’ of Hussain (a.s.) and created paradise and the wide-eyed houries from it. The ‘light’ of paradise and the houries is from the ‘light’ of Husain (a.s.). The ‘light’ of Husain (a.s.) is from the ‘light’ of Allah and Husain (a.s.) is superior to paradise and the houries.”
– The Messenger of Allah (SAW) in Behaarul Anwaar, vol. 25, pp. 16-17
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