Is the description of the height of Adam and Eve in Hadiths authentic?
Is the description of the height of Adam and Eve in Hadith 308 of Rawdat al-Kafi authentic?
The authenticity of the narrations regarding the height of Adam (a) and Eve at the time of their descent to Earth has been rejected by scholars. Some narrations state that the height of Adam and Eve was extraordinarily tall, causing them hardship. Their complaint to God led to the shortening of their stature.
Scholars consider these narrations weak due to the presence of Maqatil ibn Sulayman in the chain of transmission, who is regarded as unreliable in Hadith evaluation.
The Text and Translation of the Hadith
One of the narrations about the height of Adam and Eve upon their descent to Earth is as follows:
«عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ اَلْحَسَنِ بْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ مُقَاتِلِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ كَمْ كَانَ طُولُ آدَمَ حِينَ هُبِطَ بِهِ إِلَى اَلْأَرْضِ وَ كَمْ كَانَ طُولُ حَوَّا ؟ قَالَ: وَجَدْنَا فِي كِتَابِ عَلِيٍّ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ إِنَّ اَللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَمَّا أَهْبَطَ آدَمَ وَ زَوْجَتَهُ حَوَّا عَلَيْهِمَا اَلسَّلاَمُ إِلَى اَلْأَرْضِ كَانَتْ رِجْلاَهُ بِثَنِيَّةِ اَلصَّفَا ، وَ رَأْسُهُ دُونَ أُفُقِ اَلسَّمَاءِ، وَ أَنَّهُ شَكَا إِلَى اَللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ مَا يُصِيبُهُ مِنْ حَرِّ اَلشَّمْسِ، فَأَوْحَى اَللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إِلَى جَبْرَئِيلَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ إِنَّ آدَمَ قَدْ شَكَا مَا يُصِيبُهُ مِنْ حَرِّ اَلشَّمْسِ، فَاغْمِزْهُ غَمْزَةً وَ صَيِّرْ طُولَهُ سَبْعِينَ ذِرَاعاً بِذِرَاعِهِ، وَ اغْمِزْ حَوَّا غَمْزَةً فَصَيِّرْ طُولَهَا خَمْسَةً وَ ثُلُثَيْنِ ذِرَاعاً بِذِرَاعِهَا؛ Ali b. Ibrahim from his father Ibrahim b. Hashim from Hasan b. Mahbub from Maqatil b. Sulayman narrated: I asked Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a), "What was the height of Adam and Eve when they descended to Earth?" The Imam replied, "We found in the book of Ali (A) that when Allah, the Almighty, sent Adam (a) and his wife Eve (a) to Earth, Adam's feet were on Mount Safa while his head was below the horizon of the sky. Adam complained to Allah about the heat of the sun, so Allah commanded Gabriel (a) to press him, reducing his height to seventy cubits by his own cubit. Gabriel also pressed Eve, shortening her height to thirty-five and two-thirds cubits by her own cubit."»
Authenticity and Status
The authenticity of the narrations regarding the height of Adam and Eve at the time of their descent to Earth has been rejected by scholars.[1] The narration claims that Adam and Eve were extraordinarily tall upon their descent, causing them distress from the sun's heat, which led to their height being reduced.[2]
However, this narration is considered weak due to the presence of Maqatil b. Sulayman in the chain of transmission, who is regarded as an unreliable narrator. al-Shaykh al-Tusi described Maqatil b. Sulayman as a "Batari"[Note 1].[3] Mulla Salih al-Mazandarani (d. 1081 AH) commented on this narration: "Maqatil b. Sulayman is a Batari from Ahl al-Sunnah and weak. His statements are unreliable, and we are not obliged to justify his reports."[4]
Sources
- ↑ Al-Mazandarani, Mulla Muhammad Salih b. Ahmad, Sharh al-kafi l-usul wa l-rawda, edited by Mirza Abu l-Hasan Sha'rani, Tehran, al-Maktaba al-Islamiyya, 1382 AH, Vol. 12, p. 316.
- ↑ Al-Kulayni, Muhammad b. Ya'qub, al-Kafi, Tehran, Dar al-Kutub al-Islamiyya, 1362 AH, Vol. 8, p. 233, Hadith 308.
- ↑ Al-Tusi, Muhammad b. Hasan, Rijal al-Tusi, Qom, Islamic Publications Institute, 1415 AH, No. 1618, p. 146.
- ↑ Al-Mazandarani, Mulla Muhammad Salih b. Ahmad, Sharh al-kafi l-Usul wa l-Rawda, edited by Mirza Abu l-Hasan Sha'rani, Tehran, Al-Maktaba al-Islamiyya, 1382 AH, Vol. 12, p. 316.
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