Creation of human beings on earth
26-4-2001 | IslamWeb
Question:
Please I want to know whether Nabi Adam (A.S) was the first human being on the earth? What is the history of earth before him? What is the approximate time of human beings on the earth? What is the Islamic attitude (hukm) of the person who says that Nabi Adam (A.S) is not the first man?
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
The Prophet Adam 
is the father of all mankind. He is the origin of every man and woman in this world. There is much evidences from the Quran and Sunnah proving this reality.
Allah Says (what means): {O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife [Hawwa (Eve)],} [Quran 4:1]. Allah also Says (what means): {It is He Who has created you from a single person (Adam), and (then) He has created from him his wife [Hawwa (Eve)], in order that he might enjoy the pleasure of living with her.} [Quran 7:189].
Imam Ibn Katheer 
when interpreting the verse said: Allah created all human beings from Adam . He Created Hawwa (Eve) from Adam and then reproduced all humans through them, as Allah confirmed it in the verse: {O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa [i.e. one of the Muttaqoon} [Quran 49:13].
The Sunnah also addresses Adam as Abu Al-Bashar (father of human beings) Abu An-Naas (father of mankind) Abul-Khalq (father of all creatures). These attributes are mentioned in the Hadith of al-Sfa'ah (intercession). The Prophet said: “On the Day of Resurrection the Believers will assemble and say, 'Let us ask somebody to intercede for us with our Lord.' So they will go to Adam and say, 'You are the father of all the people, and Allah created you with His Own Hands.”
In another narration they say to Adam : “You are the father of all mankind”. [Al-Bukhari and Ibn Majah]. In another narration they say to him "You are the father of all creatures, Allah Created you with His Hand”. [Muslim]
Imams Ahmad and Tirmithi narrated that the Prophet said: “All people are sons of Adam and Allah Created Adam from soil”. Abu Dawood reported that the Prophet said: “All of you are sons of Adam and Adam is made from soil”.
Adam is the father of all humans, this matter is necessarily known in the Sharee’ah and is doubtless. Whoever denies this fact he should be asked three times to repent; if he repents from this false claim he will be left in peace otherwise he should be killed for his apostasy.
Allah sent downAdam and Hawa (Eve) to the earth. Where there any living nations on earth before the descendance of Adam and Eve? There is no sound and clear evidence about this subject. But the fact is that there was no human being on earth before Adam. This is the consensus of all the Muslim scholars. It is narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas 
that Jinn were the inhabitants of the earth before Adam . When they committed much mischief in the earth then Allah sent the Devil and his companions they expelled them to the Islands in oceans and above mountains. After that Allah sent down Adam .
There is no way to know the age of mankind on this earth. It is only Allah Who Knows such matters.
Allah knows best.