The Height of Adam

Question:

In saheeh Al Bukhari hadith, Rasulullah states Adam was created 30m in height. I cannot understand and imagine this can you please explain?


Answer:

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) who said:

“Allah created Adam and he was sixty cubits tall. Then He said, ‘Go and greet those angels and listen to how they greet you, for that will be your greeting and the greeting of your progeny.’ He said, ‘Al-salaamu ‘alaykum (Peace be upon you).’ They said, ‘Al-salaamu ‘alaykum wa rahmat-Allaah (Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allaah).’ So they added the words ‘wa rahmat Allaah.’ And everyone who enters Paradise will be in the form of Adam. People kept on growing smaller until now.” 

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3336; Muslim, 7092 

According to a version narrated by Muslim: 

“Everyone who enters Paradise will be in the form of Adam who was sixty cubits tall. People kept growing smaller until now.” 

With regard to the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “People kept growing smaller until now,” al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said in Fath al-Baari (6/367): “This means that in every generation people grew shorter than the previous generation, and continued to grow shorter until the time of this ummah, then they stayed like that.” 

The Muslim is obliged to believe in every idea for which there is evidence in the Qur’aan or saheeh Sunnah from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Imam al-Shaafa’i (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

“I believe in Allah and in that which came from Allah in the sense meant by Allah. I believe in the Messenger of Allah and in what came from the Messenger of Allah in the sense meant by the Messenger of Allah.”  

See al-Irshaad Sharh Lam’at al-I’tiqaad, p. 89. 

So the believer is required to believe with firm faith in everything that we are told by Allah and by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), if it is proven to be soundly reported from him (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He must believe in it with firm faith that leaves no room for the slightest doubt. He must accept it in general and specific terms, whether he understands it or not and whether he finds it strange or not, because not understanding something that is proven in a sound report does not mean that it did not happen. All that means is that he cannot comprehend this particular issue. Allah has commanded us to believe in everything that He tells us and everything that His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) tells us. Allah says: 

“Only those are the believers who have believed in Allaah and His Messenger, and afterward doubt not but strive with their wealth and their lives for the Cause of Allaah. Those! They are the truthful”

[al-Hujuraat 49:15] 

Part of faith is belief in the unseen (al-ghayb). The hadeeth we are discussing here comes under this heading. Allaah praises those who believe in the unseen, as He says: 

“Alif-Laam-Meem. [These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur’aan and none but Allaah (Alone) knows their meanings.]

This is the Book (the Qur’aan), whereof there is no doubt, a guidance to those who are Al-Muttaqoon [the pious believers of Islamic Monotheism who fear Allaah much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden) and love Allaah much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)].

Who believe in the Ghayb[the unseen]”

[al-Baqarah 2:1-3] 

You should note that Allah is Able to do all things. Just as He is able to create man in the form that he appears in now, He is also Able to create man in a larger or smaller form. 

If this is difficult for you to understand, then think of the dwarves that we see, who are child-sized men. If this can happen, then why could the opposite not happen, namely a man being sixty cubits tall? In the history of mankind there have been giants as the archaeologists tell us. 

The basic principle here is to accept the absolute power of Allaah and to accept what He tells us and what His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) tell us, and to say what those who are well versed in knowledge say: 

“We believe in it; the whole of it (clear and unclear Verses) are from our Lord”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:7]. 

We ask Allaah to show us the truth as true and help us to follow it, and to show us falsehood as false and help us to avoid it. 

And Allah knows best.

SOURCE:
Islamqa,
Fatwa no. 20612 

Why should the wife obey her husband?

Question:

Why is it that when people get married the women has to do what the man says?

Women have to obey their husbands, how do you prove this? I don't believe in this law and some other laws in Islam...


Answer:

What the Muslim has to do when he learns the ruling of Islam is to submit to it and believe in it even if he does not know the wisdom behind it. Allah says: 

“It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed into a plain error”

[al-Ahzaab 33:36] 

He should be certain that there is the utmost wisdom behind all the rulings of Islam, but that wisdom may be hidden and he may not understand it. In that case he should realize that this is due to his lack of knowledge and the shortcomings of human intellect, which is not free of defects. 

When a man and a woman come together in marriage and live together, there are bound to be differences in opinion between them, and one party must have the final say in order to resolve the issue, otherwise the differences will multiply and disputes will increase. So there has to be someone in charge, otherwise the marriage will founder. 

Hence Islam made the husband the protector and maintainer of the wife and gave him the responsibility of heading the household, because he is more perfect in rational thinking than her in most cases. This means that it is obligatory for her to obey him. Allah says: 

“Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has made one of them to excel the other, and because they spend (to support them) from their means” 

[al-Nisaa’ 4:34] 

Among the reasons for that are the following: 

1 – Men are more able to bear this responsibility, just as women are more able than men to take care of the children and the household affairs. So each of them has his or her natural role and position. 

2 – In Islam, men are obliged to spend on their wives; the wife does not have to work or earn a living. Even if she has an independent income or she becomes rich, the husband is still obliged to spend on her as much as she needs. Because he bears the responsibility of spending, he is made the protector and maintainer of his wife and is put in charge (of the household). 

Hence we see chaos in the societies which go against that: men do not shoulder the responsibility of spending on their wives, and wives are not obliged to obey their husbands; they go out of the home whenever they want and leave the marital nest empty and neglect their children. A woman has to work hard even if that is at the expense of her house and family. 

We should also take note of the following points: 

1 – The woman will be rewarded by Allah for her obedience to her husband. 

2 – This obedience should not involve disobeying Allah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 

“There is no obedience to any created being if it involves disobedience towards the Creator.” 

3 – Just as the husband has the right to be obeyed, Islam also tells him to treat his wife kindly. Allah says: 

“And they (women) have rights (over their husbands as regards living expenses) similar (to those of their husbands) over them (as regards obedience and respect) to what is reasonable”

[al-Baqarah 2:228] 

So he should not mistreat or oppress her, or issue harsh commands to her. Rather he should deal with her in a wise manner, and tell her to do things which are in her interests, his interests and the interests of the household, in a kind and gentle manner. 

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 

“The best of you is the one who is best to his wife, and I am the best of you to my wives.”

 

SOURCE:

Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

Fatwa no. 13661

Yahoo!Answers