To which Adam did the angels prostrate to?

Translation of a letter from Amir ul Mu’mineen (aya), Hazrat Khalifatul Masih al Khamis, Mirza Masroor Ahmad (may Allah be his helper)

In a letter dated January 6, 2023, Huzur (aya) gave the following guidance regarding a question.

“Asalamulaykum Warahmatullah Wabarakatuhu, your letter was received in which you asked a question concerning Hazrat Adam (as) and the angels prostrating to him, that was this [event] in relation to the Prophet Adam or the Adam before him who was the originator of the human race?

In my view, here it speaks in relation to that Adam (as) who was a Prophet and was already present in the era beforehand. And the meaning of this is that those people who reject the Anbiya’ possess the attributes of Satan, and this is why the last Surahs of the Noble Quran also teach the prayer on how to seek refuge from the evil of Hasd (jeolousy), Fasaad (discord), and Waswasah’ (whisperings of Satan). And the words of the Noble Quran, “all of you all together” also demonstrate that, “all of Adam’s companions, and everyone else must leave, you cannot stay in the Garden”¹. Apart from this, the Adam being spoken of here is that Prophet Adam, as the world originated billions of years ago, and throughout this time thousands of Adams have passed.

Therefore, Hazrat Masih Maud (as) relates in one place,

“We also accept that before this Adam (as) [the Prophet] humanity existed, as it is understood from the words of the Holy Quran where God Almighty states اِنِّیۡ جَاعِلٌ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ خَلِیۡفَۃً ². Khalifa means Successor. It is clearly understood from this that creation existed before Adam. Thus, concerning the peoples of America, Australia etc. we cannot say whether they are among the progeny of this last Adam [the Prophet] or from the progeny of some other Adam. Concerning your question a narration of Muhydeen Ibn Arabi Sahib is present. He writes that [in a vision] I went to do Hajj and there I met a man who I thought was Adam. I asked him, ‘Are you Adam?’, and he responded, ‘Concerning which Adam do you ask? There have been thousands of Adam.’ ”

[Al Hakam Vol 12, No 35, May 30 1908, p. 5]

This vision of Hazrat Ibn Arabi (rh)³ concerning the Khana Kaa’ba also makes it manifest that thousands of Adams have passed in this world and the structure of the Khana Kaa’ba is a very ancient structure, which has continuously passed through many cycles. And so, the era of our Adam as Hazrat Masih Maud (as) also writes – is that its length is 7 thousand years, out of which 6 thousand years have already passed, and the 7th millennium is now passing, and just like this, cycles have continuously passed till now.

May Allah Almighty increase you in knowledge and wisdom, and may He be your Protector and Helper. Ameen

Wasalam, this humble one, Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih al Khamis”

1. Holy Quran 7:25: He said, ‘Go forth, some of you being enemies of others. And for you there is an abode on the earth and a provision for a time.
2. Holy Quran 2:31: ‘I am about to place a Khalifa in the earth,’
3. Ibn Arabi (rh). Al-Futuhat al Makkiyah Vol 6. p. 369 | Dar ul Kutub al Ilmiyyah