The Greatest Master Muhyiddin Ibn al-Arabi

Muhammad the Messenger, may Allah grant him abundant blessings and peace, once revealed:

When Allah Most High created Adam and breathed His merciful Spirit into Him, Adam sneezed and called out: "Alhamdulillah, all life praises only Allah." By Divine Permission, Adam continued to praise ceaselessly.

His Lord responded: My Mercy and Love are upon you, O Adam! Go now to the gatherings where the angels are seated and greet them with the words "salaam alaykum", peace be upon you.

The angels responded to Adam: "And may the Peace and Mercy of Allah be also upon you."

The noble father of humanity returned to his Lord, who revealed:This shall be the greeting and response among your descendants throughout time.

Then Allah mystically unveiled His two Divine Hands: Choose one of them, O Adam.

"I choose the Right Hand of my Lord, even though both His hands are one blessed Right Hand."

Allah then opened His Divine Hand, revealing to Adam his vast posterity.

"O Lord, who are all these human beings?"

These are your descendants, O Adam.

The destined life span of each was inscribed on the forehead between the eyes.

Among them was a person shining with a bright light, among the brightest of all. Adam asked: "O Lord, who is this?"

He is your descendant David, to whom I have given forty years of life.

"O Lord, please lengthen his life."

These years are what I have divinely appointed for him.

"O Lord, give him sixty years of my life."

That is your free decision, O Adam.

Adam dwelt in Paradise as long as Allah ordained and then left Paradise, as Allah also ordained. While living on earth, Adam kept count of his years. When Israfil, the Angel of Death, came to him, Adam cried out: "You are sixty years early. I was given a thousand years."

"True, but you gave sixty of your years to your descendant David."

Adam forgot his vow and denied the Angel of Death. Following this event, the posterity of Adam also became forgetful of their vows. Since that day, human beings are divinely commanded to rely upon documents and witnesses.

*This hadith comes from the transmission of the intimate companion Abu Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him.