Fiqh al-Ḥadīth-oriented analysis of the purport of the traditions about the first creature (awwal makhlūq)

There exists in hadith collections a set of traditions based on which water (mā’), pen (qalam), wisdom (‘aql), Prophet Muhammad’s light (nūr rasūlallāh), the Infallible Imams’ souls (arwāḥ al-a’immah), divine decree (mashiyyah) and the letters of the alphabet (ḥurūf al-mu‘jam) have been introduced as awwal makhlūq (the first creature), a fact that caused apparent contradiction between these traditions. There are two approaches with respect to these hadiths among the scholars of hadith which are called jam‘ (reconciliation) and naqd (criticism). The term jam‘ denotes that these cases are real names, while the term naqd denotes that the context of one tradition is approved while the purport of the rest is rejected, however, many indications like the literal meaning of the term awwal (the first) by which the creatures mentioned in the hadiths have been described, as well as its Qur’anic-narrative application make it difficult to accept either of the approaches. Therefore, in the present study a novel reconciliation for this kind of hadiths has been suggested. By introducing such various creatures under the title of awwal makhlūq (or awwal mā khalaq allāh) in traditions, their nobleness and significance as well as the necessity of the Muslims’ attention to the instances of awwal makhlūq are meant and not the introduction of the first creature.