Mawdoo`(Fabricated) Hadeeth: No: 12 The hadeeth related from the Messenger , "I was a Prophet while Adam was between clay and water" and the hadeeth, "I was a prophet when there was no Adam and no clay"

Ibn Taymiyyah said, "This has no basis. Neither from the point of view of transmission or intellect, for not a single scholar of Ahaadeeth mentions it and it’s meaning is invalid. For Adam was never in a state in which he was between clay and water, for clay consists of water and mud, rather he was in a state between the spirit and body.

Then these misguided people think that the Prophet was physically present at that time, and that his person was created before all persons, and they support this with hadeeth which are lies (against the Prophet), for example the Ahaadeeth that he used to be Light surrounding the Throne…" [‘Radd alaa al-Bakree’ of ibn Taymiyyah (pg. 9)]

As-Suyootee said, "maudu" and endorsed the above words of ibn Taymiyyah. [‘Dhail al-Mawdoo’aat’ of as-Suyutee (pg. 203)]And he also says about the second Ahaadeeth mentioned above, "this is something added by the general masses" [ ‘ad-Durural Muntathiraa’ (pg. 155 no. 331)]

Az-Zarkashee (d.794) said, "as-Suyootee made clear that these two Ahaadeeth have no basis, and that the second was something added by the general masses. And ibn Taymiyyah preceded him in this, and ruled that the wordings were rejected and that they were lies, and as-Sakhaawee endorsed this in his ‘Fataawaa’…" ‘Sharh al-Muwaahib’ of az-Zarkaanee (1/33)]

as-Sakhaawee said, "as for what is common on the tongues, ‘I was a Prophet while Adam was between clay and water’" then we have not found it with this wording not to speak of the addition, ‘I was a Prophet when there was no Adam and no clay.’" [ ‘al-Maqaasid al-Hasanah’ (pg. 386 no. 837)]

In the above words of ibn Taymiyyah, he refers to the following authentic Ahaadeeth, "I was a prophet while Adam was between the spirit and body" narrated by at-Haakim and others [See ‘Silisilah as-Saheehah’ of al-Albaanee (no. 1756) for detailed documentation.]

But this Ahaadeeth is explained by the narration of at-Tirmidhee in which the Prophet was asked, "when was the Prophethood made obligatory for you" to which he replied, "while Adam was between the spirit and the body" [At-Tirmidhee chpt. ‘The virtues of the Prophet ’ (vol. 10 of the commentary of al-Mubaarakfooree.)]

Meaning when Adam was is the state in which the soul was about to enter the body. [ ‘Tuhfatul Ahwadhee bi Sharh Jaami at-Tirmidhee’ (vol. 10, chpt. ‘The virtues of the Prophet (SAW)’) of al-Mubaarakfooree (d.1311)]

And by the Ahaadeeth related in the Saheehs of al-Haakim and ibn Hibbaan, "I was written as a Prophet in the presence of Allaah while Adam was intertwined in his clay."

As for the hadeeth, ‘I was the first Prophet to be created and the last to be sent’ narrated by Abu Nu’aym in ‘ad-Dalaa’il’ (pg. 6) and others then this is weak (da’eef) as declared by al-Munaawee and adh-Dhahabee (d.748) and al-Albaanee. [‘Silsilah ad-Da’eefah’ (2/115 no.661) for detailed documentation.]