In the Beginning

A long time ago there was nothing except Allah. There were no stars and there was no Earth. There were no animals and there was no sky. Allah existed alone.

Then Allah created the angels from light which constantly praise Him and do good. The main angels have names like Jibreel, Izrael, Izrafil, and Michael. Allah next created the jinns from fire. Some jinns are good and some are mischievous, but all the jinns know that Allah is their creator and that He is All-Powerful.

After the angels and the jinns, Allah created Heaven. Heaven has rivers flowing underneath the ground with rich green carpets to relax on, and majestic fruit trees overhanging in abundance. Heaven is too beautiful to put down in words--it is paradise.

Allah created Hell with columns of fire burning within it. It is like a bottomless pit with nothing at the end except boiling water. Hell is too horrible to put down in words for it is a terrible place.

He went on to create the stars that you see at night--some twinkling and some constant. In our part of the universe, known as the Milky Way, Allah made the Earth, the Sun, and the Moon. In order to establish Time Allah made the Earth spin around the Sun and the Moon encircle the Earth. From this spinning, the Earth gets the Night and the Day and from the position of the Moon in the sky we can keep track of the months.

Next, Allah molded the Earth to create deep oceans and high mountains. He created the clouds to rain on the mountains to form rivers which rush toward the sea. Then, surrounding the Earth, Allah put air which blows from one place to another in a cool breeze or a violent windstorm. All this is under Allah's control.

Allah next created life. He said, "Be," and upon the land plants started to grow, gathering their energy from the Sun. The plants got their water from the rain and their food from the air. When Allah said "Be" again animals started to crawl on the Earth and swim in the oceans. He made a great variety of animals. From the tiny worm to the huge whale: all are within Allah's realm.

Allah created all this in six days. But each of these days is like a thousand years to us.

In the Garden of Bliss Allah created a being that was different from any other that he had yet created. From clay Allah molded the first man--Adam. Adam was not like the angels or the animals because he had a free will. Allah loved Adam so much that he told the angels and the jinns to bow down to Adam to show their respect to him. They all bowed except Satan--he was a naughty jinn. Allah then ordered Satan out of the Garden but Satan asked Allah to let him exist until the Last Day. Allah let him exist and said that anyone who follows Satan shall be thrown into hell-fire on the Day of Judgement along with Satan himself. From then until the Day of Judgement Satan will always try to make people think bad thoughts and tempt them.

In the Garden of Bliss Allah also created Eve to be the companion to Adam. Together they strolled through the beautiful Garden and ate from the fruit trees that were there. Allah told them not to eat from the Tree of Eternity. He warned Adam and Eve about Satan and not to follow him, but Satan whispered to Adam to take a bite from the fruit on the special tree. When Adam and Eve ate this fruit, they immediately became sorry for breaking Allah's command. Allah ordered Adam and Eve out the Garden and placed them on Earth. Allah said He shall give guidance to Adam and his descendents through different prophets. If people follow Allah's guidance, they have nothing to fear and shall go to Heaven in the Hereafter.