Title: Was Adam (pbuh) the First Man? Question: I have few questions regarding Hazrat Adam (a.s) and Bi Bi Hawa. 1. Is he the first man on earth? 2. Was Hawa really born from his rib, are there any ayahs to support this fact? Or ahadis? 3. Was incest the practice which Hawa's children went through for increasing the population? 4. How can one prove scientifically that Adam was the first adult grown up man in earth. Answer: According to the information in the Qur'an, indeed Adam was the first man on earth. As for Hawa (i.e. Eve) it should be appreciated that there is no direct reference to her being created from Adam's ribs. There are, however, some ahadith (i.e. traditions) that analogize women and crooked ribs. This, in fact, does not deal with the material of which women were created from but rather addresses the tenderness of women and how they should be treated gently. There are varying opinions regarding the issue of incest during the time of Adam and Eve, however, one should keep in mind that it would have been a natural process of life and the continuation of the human race. Lastly, I cannot answer any scientific questions as they are beyond my scope of knowledge. It could be that one may never achieve this discovery, however, this should have no bearing on one's beliefs and the spirituality one tries to inculcate the self with. I hope I have clarified the issue. God knows best. Ronnie Hassan October 7, 2004