How Creation Began: The Islamic Narrative from Throne to Adam

A camera can capture light, but what about the moment before light existed? The Islamic story of creation takes us to that precise instant when nothing existed except the Divine presence. Before time, before space, before any conceivable creation—there was only Allah.

This isn't about equipment specs or production techniques. This is about documenting what cannot be filmed: the narrative of existence itself, as preserved in Islamic tradition. From absolute nothingness to the first conscious human, the journey unfolds in five distinct phases.

The First Creations: Before Matter Existed

The Throne (Al-'Arsh) came first—the greatest of all creations, resting upon primordial water. Then came the Pen (Al-Qalam) and the Preserved Tablet (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz). These four entities existed before any physical universe.

To grasp the Throne's magnitude, consider this comparison from Islamic texts: The Kursi, which itself encompasses all heavens and earth, is like a small ring thrown into a vast desert compared to the Throne. The mind cannot truly comprehend such scale.

Here, divine predestination takes form. By Allah's command, the Pen wrote everything destined to occur—every fate, every minor and major event until the Day of Judgment. All recorded in the Preserved Tablet before physical creation began.

Then came a pause. Fifty thousand years passed between these first creations and what followed.

The Physical Universe: From Unity to Separation

Initially, heavens and earth were one joined entity—a single, interconnected mass. The Quran describes the pivotal moment: the divine separation that formed the universe. From this cosmic splitting emerged the heavens and earth as distinct entities.

The primeval matter of the sky was smoke, rising from that eternal water upon which the Throne rested. Both heaven and earth responded willingly to their Creator's command, submitting to divine order.

Earth wasn't left empty. Before humans, conscious beings inhabited it—the Jinn, created from fire, invisible to human eyes. Like humans would be, they possessed free will and bore responsibilities. They were Earth's first inhabitants to face a true test.

Despite their collective failure—spreading corruption and bloodshed—one among them stood apart: Iblis. His devotion and knowledge elevated him to stand among the angels, an exceptional position for one of Jinn origin.

The Divine Announcement: A New Succession

The moment that changed everything came as a divine announcement in the highest assembly. Allah informed the angels of His intention to create a new vicegerent on Earth.

The angels' question wasn't objection but inquiry based on witnessed experience. They had seen the Jinn's corruption and bloodshed. Why create another being potentially capable of the same?

The divine response was decisive: "I know what you do not know." There existed divine wisdom beyond angelic perception. Allah knew that from this new creation would come prophets and righteous souls. He also knew the pride hidden in Iblis's heart.

The Material Formation: Clay to Form

After the announcement began the actual creation process—a deliberate, staged formation of the first human body. When Gabriel and Michael went to Earth, mercy overtook them, and they returned empty-handed. But when the Angel of Death was sent, he executed the divine command directly, gathering earth from all regions—white, black, red, from easy and difficult terrains.

The transformation progressed methodically:

• Earth mixed with water became clay
• Clay aged and became cohesive (teen lazib)
• Color and smell changed, becoming dark and altered (hama masnoon)
• Finally, it dried completely into sounding clay like pottery (salsal)

A complete physical form, solid and hollow, ready but lifeless.

For forty years, Adam's body remained in this state—a complete human form without life. During this extended period, Iblis circled this body, observing with growing envy and resentment building in his heart.

The Moment Before Animation

The scene was set for the crucial moment. A complete but inanimate body. An enemy lurking, his jealousy growing. Only one divine command remained for humanity's story to begin.

What would happen when that final command was issued? What would be the reaction when spirit was breathed into this new creation, and the first and greatest test began?

The Islamic narrative of creation isn't just theology—it's the ultimate origin story, one that positions humanity within a cosmic drama that began before time itself. Every human carries within them that handful of earth from various terrains, that divine breath, and that capacity for both elevation and downfall.

In documentary work, we often speak of capturing authentic moments. But some narratives transcend what any lens can capture. They exist in the realm of transmitted knowledge, preserved through generations, forming the foundation of how billions understand their existence.

The creation story reminds us that observation isn't limited to what the eye sees. Sometimes, the most profound truths come from narratives that bridge the seen and unseen, the documented and the believed.

Based on the documentary exploration: "The Islamic Story of Creation: From the Throne to Adam" - now available on the EYEnTRUE YouTube channel.