Adam and Joseph

Purpose 

To understand the story of Adam through the story of Joseph 

Full Text 

12:1  الر تِلْكَ آيَاتُ الْكِتَابِ الْمُبِين

Alif Laam Ra. These (are the) Verses (of) the Book [the] clear.

12:2  إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُون

Indeed, We, We have sent it down, (as) a Quran in Arabic so that you may understand.

12:3  نَحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ أَحْسَنَ الْقَصَصِ بِمَا أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ وَإِن كُنتَ مِن قَبْلِهِ لَمِنَ الْغَافِلِين

We relate to you the best of the narrations in what We have revealed to you (of) this the Quran, although you were, from before it, surely among the unaware.

12:4  إِذْ قَالَ يُوسُفُ لِأَبِيهِ يَا أَبَتِ إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كَوْكَبًا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ رَأَيْتُهُمْ لِي سَاجِدِين

When said Yusuf to his father, "O my father! Indeed, I I saw one ten (i.e eleven) star(s) and the sun and the moon; I saw them to me prostrating."

...

12:111  لَقَدْ كَانَ فِي قَصَصِهِمْ عِبْرَةٌ لِّأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ مَا كَانَ حَدِيثًا يُفْتَرَىٰ وَلَٰكِن تَصْدِيقَ الَّذِي بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَتَفْصِيلَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُون

Verily, (there) is in their stories a lesson for men (of) understanding. Not (it) is a narration invented, but a confirmation (of that) which (from) between his hands and a detailed explanation (of) all things, and a guidance and mercy for a people who believe.

[Al-Quran 12:1-4, ... 111]

The Quran, Surah Yusuf (Joseph) 

Surah Yusuf claims that it is the best of narrations [Q12:3], and a detailed explanation of all things [Q12:111]. This last ayat of the surah also includes the phrase [تَصْدِيقَ الَّذِي بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ]. The word يَدَيْ is alternately translated as before and hands.   

Confirmation of ... Between His Hands 

قَالَ يَا إِبْلِيسُ مَا مَنَعَكَ أَن تَسْجُدَ لِمَا خَلَقْتُ بِيَدَيَّ أَسْتَكْبَرْتَ أَمْ كُنتَ مِنَ الْعَالِين

He said, "O Iblis! What prevented you that you (should) prostrate to (one) whom I created with My Hands? Are you arrogant or are you of the exalted ones."

[Al-Quran 38:75]

Allah created Adam with His Hands. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph are all descendants of Adam. Comparing the narratives of Joseph and Adam, there are many parallels and overlaps, lending a clearer perspective. 

The story of Adam is mentioned in several places across The Quran (Q2:30-39, Q3:33, Q3:59, Q7:11-33, Q15:28-50, Q17:61-65, Q18:50-51, Q20:115-124, Q38:71-88). The first narrative begins in Surah Al-Baqarah at Q2:30. So, starting at the very beginning with the purpose of responsibility: 

وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً قَالُوا أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ قَالَ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُون

And when said your Lord to the angels, "Indeed, I (am) going to place in the earth a vicegerent, they said, "Will You place in it (one) who will spread corruption in it and will shed [the] blood[s], while we, [we] glorify (You) with Your praises and we sanctify [to] You." He said, "Indeed, [I] know what not you know."
[Al-Quran 2:30]

وَكَذَٰلِكَ يَجْتَبِيكَ رَبُّكَ وَيُعَلِّمُكَ مِن تَأْوِيلِ الْأَحَادِيثِ وَيُتِمُّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ يَعْقُوبَ كَمَا أَتَمَّهَا عَلَىٰ أَبَوَيْكَ مِن قَبْلُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْحَاقَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيم

And thus will choose you your Lord and will teach you of (the) interpretation (of) the narratives and complete His Favor on you and on (the) family (of) Yaqub as He completed it on your two forefathers from before - Ibrahim and Ishaq. Indeed, your Lord (is) All-Knower, All-Wise."
[Al-Quran 12:6]

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The following links study the ayaat about Adam across The Quran, comparing them with the ayaat in Surah Yusuf 

• Surah al-Baqarah begins with the khilafat Q2 30-39 || Q12   
• Surah Aal-e-Imran focuses on the chosen ones & The Deen Q3 33-34, 59-60 || Q12 
• Surah al-Araf details the refusal, the need for gratitude and taqwa Q7 10-36 || Q12  
• Surah al-Hijr is about the transition to The Age of Man Q15 23-50 || Q12  
• Surah Bani Israel begins with the vision, yet honours Adam and his progeny Q17 60-70 || Q12 
• Surah al-Kahf informs us of our sworn enemies Q18 50-51 || Q12  
• Surah Ta Ha is about the covenant taken from Adam Q20 115-124 || Q12  
• Surah Saad focuses on events in the future Q38 71-88 || Q12 

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Surah Yusuf concludes thus: 

12:105  وَكَأَيِّن مِّنْ آيَةٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ يَمُرُّونَ عَلَيْهَا وَهُمْ عَنْهَا مُعْرِضُون

And how many of a Sign in the heavens and the earth they pass over it, while they (are) from them the ones who turn away.

12:106  وَمَا يُؤْمِنُ أَكْثَرُهُم بِاللَّهِ إِلَّا وَهُم مُّشْرِكُون

And not believe most of them in Allah except while they associate partners with Him.

12:107  أَفَأَمِنُوا أَن تَأْتِيَهُمْ غَاشِيَةٌ مِّنْ عَذَابِ اللَّهِ أَوْ تَأْتِيَهُمُ السَّاعَةُ بَغْتَةً وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُون

Do they then feel secure (against) that comes to them an overwhelming [of] punishment (of) Allah, or comes to them the Hour suddenly while they (do) not perceive?

12:108  قُلْ هَٰذِهِ سَبِيلِي أَدْعُو إِلَى اللَّهِ عَلَىٰ بَصِيرَةٍ أَنَا وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَنِي وَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِين

Say, "This (is) my way; I invite to Allah, with insight, I and whoever follows me. And Glory be (to) Allah and not I am of the polytheists."

12:109  وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ إِلَّا رِجَالًا نُّوحِي إِلَيْهِم مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَىٰ أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَدَارُ الْآخِرَةِ خَيْرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُون

And not We sent from before you, but men We revealed to them from (among) (the) people (of) the townships. So have not they traveled in the earth and seen how was (the) end (of) those who (were) from before them? And surely the home (of) the Hereafter (is) best for those who fear Allah. Then will not you use reason?

12:110  حَتَّىٰ إِذَا اسْتَيْأَسَ الرُّسُلُ وَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ كُذِبُوا جَاءَهُمْ نَصْرُنَا فَنُجِّيَ مَن نَّشَاءُ وَلَا يُرَدُّ بَأْسُنَا عَنِ الْقَوْمِ الْمُجْرِمِين

Until when gave up hope the Messengers, and thought that they certainly were denied, then came to them Our help, and was saved whom We willed. And not (can) be repelled Our punishment from the people (who are) criminals.

12:111  لَقَدْ كَانَ فِي قَصَصِهِمْ عِبْرَةٌ لِّأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ مَا كَانَ حَدِيثًا يُفْتَرَىٰ وَلَٰكِن تَصْدِيقَ الَّذِي بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَتَفْصِيلَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُون

Verily, (there) is in their stories a lesson for men (of) understanding. Not (it) is a narration invented, but a confirmation (of that) which (from) between his hands and a detailed explanation (of) all things, and a guidance and mercy for a people who believe.
[Al-Quran 12:105-111]

....

List of comparison   

1. Allah created Adam before, and Joseph is from his descendants 
2. Allah created Adam with both His Hands to appoint Adam Khalifa of the Earth  
3. Joseph was destined to be appointed in charge of the storehouse of the earth in the Kingdom of Egypt 
4. Allah taught knowledge Himself to Adam
5. Joseph was given judgment and knowledge when he reached maturity 
6. All angels were ordered to prostrate to Adam
7. Allah showed a dream to Joseph in which the Sun, the Moon and eleven planets were prostrating to Joseph
8. Jacob interpreted the vision that Allah will choose Joseph to complete His Favour upon him 
9. All angels prostrated to Adam except Iblis 
10. Iblis thought Allah was in error, as he considered himself better than Adam
11. Joseph's brothers thought their father Jacob was in error, and sought their father's face 
12. Allah warned Adam of Iblis' jealousy and enmity 
13. Jacob warned Joseph to not to share the dream with his brothers, lest they plot against him, and he warned him also of Iblis' enmity 
14. Iblis deceived Adam into disobeying Allah
15. Aziz's wife was not able to get Joseph to sin 
16. Iblis plotted against Adam, and continues to plot against his progeny 
17. Joseph's brothers plotted against Joseph 
18. Iblis' deception caused Adam to be removed from Allah's presence 
19. Joseph's brothers caused him to be removed from his father's presence 
20. Adam realised his fault, Allah granted Adam words to repent, and Adam repented [Q2:37; Q7:23; Q20:122] 
21. Allah promised to send revelation for guidance ... 
22. Joseph was given a revelation when he was thrown in the well [Q12:15] 
23. Adam was sent down from The Garden to this Earth
24. Joseph was brought from Canaan to Egypt 
25. Joseph kept his duty to Allah, and the trust of his lord, and did not let himself be seduced [Q12:23]
26. Aziz' wife caused Joseph to be imprisoned 
27. Allah made Adam the Khalifa of this Earth
28. Joseph was made in charge of the storehouses of the Earth in the Kingdom of Egypt 
29. Adam died on this Earth and is buried here 
30. Joseph died in Egypt and requested his bones to be taken to Canaan when Allah liberates the Bani Israel from the Pharaoh (which they did)
31. The Garden is promised as inheritance to all believers who do reform 
32. The land of Canaan was promised to Abraham and his descendants who kept their covenant  
33. The meek will inherit the Earth in the Days of Allah 

Last updated on: April 24, 2022 

No Duality, No Trinity, No Divine Family

  قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ

اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ

لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ

وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ

Say, "He (is) Allah, the One.

Allah, the Eternal, the Absolute.

Not He begets and not He is begotten.

And not is for Him equivalent any [one]."

[Al-Quran 112]

مَّا يَفْتَحِ اللَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ مِن رَّحْمَةٍ فَلَا مُمْسِكَ لَهَا وَمَا يُمْسِكْ فَلَا مُرْسِلَ لَهُ مِن بَعْدِهِ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيم

Whatever mercy God grants to people, no one can prevent, whatever He withholds, no one can release, for He is the Almighty, the Wise.

[Al-Quran 35:2, Translation: Safi Kaskas]

Worship: The Purpose of Creation

Worship is defined as reverence for a deity or deities. It is an act of religious devotion, of loving service, and may or may not involve immediate spiritual and/or material benefits for the worshipper. It is a means of connection to the divine. The Quran states that the purpose of creation of humans and jinns is to worship Allah  ﷻ :

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُون

مَا أُرِيدُ مِنْهُم مِّن رِّزْقٍ وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَن يُطْعِمُون

إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الرَّزَّاقُ ذُو الْقُوَّةِ الْمَتِين

فَإِنَّ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا ذَنُوبًا مِّثْلَ ذَنُوبِ أَصْحَابِهِمْ فَلَا يَسْتَعْجِلُون

فَوَيْلٌ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِن يَوْمِهِمُ الَّذِي يُوعَدُون

  And I created not jinn and humankind but that they worship Me.
I want no provision from them nor want I that they feed Me.
Truly, God, He is The Provider, The Possessor of Strength, The Sure.
And, truly, the impiety of those who did wrong is like the impiety of their companions. So let them not seek to hasten the Judgment.
Then, woe to those who disbelieved in that Day of theirs that they are promised.

[Al-Quran, Surah adh-Dhariyat 51:56-60, Translation: Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar]

No Image, No Idol, No other gods  

 وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَٰذَا الْبَلَدَ آمِنًا وَاجْنُبْنِي وَبَنِيَّ أَن نَّعْبُدَ الْأَصْنَام

رَبِّ إِنَّهُنَّ أَضْلَلْنَ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ النَّاسِ فَمَن تَبِعَنِي فَإِنَّهُ مِنِّي وَمَنْ عَصَانِي فَإِنَّكَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيم

  And when Abraham said: My Lord! Make this land that which is safe and cause me and my children to turn away from worshipping idols.

My Lord! Truly, they caused to go astray many among humanity; so whoever heeded me, truly, he is of me. And whoever rebelled against me, then Thou art, truly, Forgiving, Compassionate.

[Al-Quran, Surah Ibrahim 14:35-36, Translation: Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar]

As nobody has seen Allah ﷻ, there is no image, no drawing, no sculpture, no figure that can represent Him. The Ten Commandments given through Moses (Musa عليه السلام)  begin as:

Excerpt from Exodus 20 

And God spoke all these words:

2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

3 “You shall have no other gods before[a] me.

4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. 

Association of Partners

Allah ﷻ has no consort, no offspring, and neither is Allah ﷻ the offspring of anyone else. Association of any person with Allah ﷻ as a deity is an unforgivable sin. A person who dies a polytheist is promised eternal punishment.   

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ افْتَرَىٰ إِثْمًا عَظِيمً

Indeed, Allah (does) not forgive that partners be associated with Him, but He forgives from other than that for whom He wills. And whoever associates partners with Allah, then surely he has fabricated a sin - tremendous.

[Al-Quran 4:48, Translation: Sheikh, Katri, and more]

Duality

وَقَالَ اللَّهُ لَا تَتَّخِذُوا إِلَٰهَيْنِ اثْنَيْنِ إِنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ فَإِيَّايَ فَارْهَبُون

وَلَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلَهُ الدِّينُ وَاصِبًا أَفَغَيْرَ اللَّهِ تَتَّقُون

 And Allah has said, “Do not take two gods, He is only One God, so fear Me alone.”

And whatever is in the skies and the earth is His and His is the law (that prevails) forever. Will you then fear (someone) other than Allah?

[Al-Quran, Surah an-Nahl 16:51-52, Translation: Mir Aneesuddin]

Ascribing partners to Allah ﷻ, worshipping someone other than Allah ﷻ, is a sin as ancient as humans themselves: 

1. In the creation of the human nafs, her mate, and then their mating and conceiving, we learn that when Allah ﷻ granted them a healthy baby, they immediately started ascribing partners to Allah ﷻ (Q7:189-191). More on this at Polytheism: The Sin committed by The First Human Couple. 
2. In the story of Adam عليه السلام, whom Allah ﷻ created with His Own Hands, to appoint as Khalifa of Earth, and taught him all the names, made the angels prostrate to Adam عليه السلام; yet we see Adam عليه السلام taking the council of his arch-enemy Iblis, and obeying Iblis in disobedience to Allah ﷻ. More on this at Adam's Attempt to Improve upon Allah's Creation. 

Iblis, the devil/satan, is the sworn enemy of Adam عليه السلام and his progeny. Allah ﷻ demonstrated that to Adam عليه السلام, and has continuously warned the children of Adam عليه السلام since then: 

أَلَمْ أَعْهَدْ إِلَيْكُمْ يَا بَنِي آدَمَ أَن لَّا تَعْبُدُوا الشَّيْطَانَ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِين

وَأَنِ اعْبُدُونِي هَٰذَا صِرَاطٌ مُّسْتَقِيم

وَلَقَدْ أَضَلَّ مِنكُمْ جِبِلًّا كَثِيرًا أَفَلَمْ تَكُونُوا تَعْقِلُون

Had I not enjoined on you, O children of Adam! that you should not serve the devil, (as) he is your open enemy,

and that you should serve Me, this is the straight path?

And he had indeed led astray a large group of people from among you, then were you not having sense?

[Al-Quran, Surah an-Nahl 36:60-62, Translation: Mir Aneesuddin]

    

Trinity

لَّقَدْ كَفَرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ ثَالِثُ ثَلَاثَةٍ 

وَمَا مِنْ إِلَٰهٍ إِلَّا إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ 

وَإِن لَّمْ يَنتَهُوا عَمَّا يَقُولُونَ لَيَمَسَّنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيم

Certainly, ungrateful were those who said: Truly, God is the third of three.• 

There is no god but One God. 

And if they refrain not themselves from what they say, there will afflict those who were ungrateful among them a painful punishment.

[Al-Quran, Surah al-Ma`idah 5:73, Translation: Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar]

Reading in context, Q5:73 is a direct objection to the mainstream Christian belief of Jesus (Isa عليه السلام) being a god (Q5:72 & Q5:17). It is also part of a larger set of ayaat objecting to the People of The Book (Jews and Christians) not adhering to The Book (the scripture revealed to them), and taking liberties with beliefs, and subsequent sinful actions they indulged in.   

All across the world, ancient and modern, polytheistic religions have a triune belief system, as opposed to the strictly monotheistic belief in Allah ﷻ as the only deity, as repeated across The Quran, and prior revealed scriptures. The Quran specifically mentions three names that the Arabs worshipped: 

أَفَرَأَيْتُمُ اللَّاتَ وَالْعُزَّى

وَمَنَاةَ الثَّالِثَةَ الْأُخْرَى

أَلَكُمُ الذَّكَرُ وَلَهُ الْأُنثَى

تِلْكَ إِذًا قِسْمَةٌ ضِيزَى

إِنْ هِيَ إِلَّا أَسْمَاءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُم مَّا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَانٍ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهْوَى الْأَنفُسُ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَهُم مِّن رَّبِّهِمُ الْهُدَى

أَمْ لِلْإِنسَانِ مَا تَمَنَّى

Saw you, then, al-Lat and al-Uzza
and Manat, the third, the other?
Have you males and has He, females?
That, then, is an unfair division.
They are but names that you named, you and your fathers, for which God caused not to descend any authority. They follow nothing but opinion and that for which their souls yearn. And, certainly, drew near them the guidance from their Lord.
Or will the human being have what he coveted?

[Al-Quran, Surah an-Najm 53:19-24, Translation: Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar]

Divine Family

 37:149  فَاسْتَفْتِهِمْ أَلِرَبِّكَ الْبَنَاتُ وَلَهُمُ الْبَنُون

37:150  أَمْ خَلَقْنَا الْمَلَائِكَةَ إِنَاثًا وَهُمْ شَاهِدُون

37:151  أَلَا إِنَّهُم مِّنْ إِفْكِهِمْ لَيَقُولُون

37:152  وَلَدَ اللَّهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُون

37:153  أَصْطَفَى الْبَنَاتِ عَلَى الْبَنِين

37:154  مَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُون

37:155  أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُون

37:156  أَمْ لَكُمْ سُلْطَانٌ مُّبِين

37:157  فَأْتُوا بِكِتَابِكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِين

37:158  وَجَعَلُوا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ الْجِنَّةِ نَسَبًا وَلَقَدْ عَلِمَتِ الْجِنَّةُ إِنَّهُمْ لَمُحْضَرُون

37:159  سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يَصِفُون

37:160  إِلَّا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ الْمُخْلَصِين

37:161  فَإِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُون

37:162  مَا أَنتُمْ عَلَيْهِ بِفَاتِنِين

37:163  إِلَّا مَنْ هُوَ صَالِ الْجَحِيم

 37:149  So [Prophet] inquire [of the idolaters], "Why do they think their Lord has daughters while they have sons"?

37:150  Or, maybe they witnessed the creation of the angels as females?"

37:151  No indeed, It is out of their [invented] falsehood that they say,

37:152  "God has begotten," and they are liars.

37:153  Has He chosen daughters over sons?

37:154  What is [wrong] with you? How do you reach your judgments?

37:155  Will you not be reminded [of the warning against such thinking]?

37:156  Or do you have a clear authority [for what you allege]?

37:157  Then, produce your Book, if you are truthful.

37:158  They also claimed a lineage between Him and the jinn, but the jinn know that they will be brought before Him for [judgment].

37:159  May God be exalted in His glory above all they describe,

37:160  except for God's devout worshipers [who don't make such claims].

37:161  So you [who deny the truth] and whatever you worship,

37:162  cannot tempt [anyone] away from Him

37:163  except for him who will burn in Hell.

[Al-Quran, Surah as-Safaat 37:149-163, Translation: Safi Kaskas]

The Quran clearly refutes all claims of any divine family. Allah ﷻ is One and He ﷻ is the Only Deity, the Only God. There exists no pantheon of divine beings! 

The Quran also clearly warns of the eternal consequence of association of partners with Allah ﷻ. 

Desires

25:41  وَإِذَا رَأَوْكَ إِن يَتَّخِذُونَكَ إِلَّا هُزُوًا أَهَٰذَا الَّذِي بَعَثَ اللَّهُ رَسُولً

25:42  إِن كَادَ لَيُضِلُّنَا عَنْ آلِهَتِنَا لَوْلَا أَن صَبَرْنَا عَلَيْهَا وَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ حِينَ يَرَوْنَ الْعَذَابَ مَنْ أَضَلُّ سَبِيلً

25:43  أَرَأَيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ إِلَٰهَهُ هَوَاهُ أَفَأَنتَ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِ وَكِيلً

25:44  أَمْ تَحْسَبُ أَنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ يَسْمَعُونَ أَوْ يَعْقِلُونَ إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا كَالْأَنْعَامِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ سَبِيلً

25:41  And whenever they see you [Prophet] they ridicule you, [saying], "Is this the one God sent as a messenger?

25:42  He would almost have misled us from our gods had we not stood firmly by them." But soon, when they see the punishment, they will know who is the most misguided.

25:43  Have you seen the one who has taken his own whims as his god? Are you responsible for him?

25:44  And do you think that most of them hear or understand? They are just like cattle; indeed, they are [even] more lost.

[Al-Quran, Surah al-Furqan 25:41-44, Translation: Safi Kaskas]

...

Fate & Destiny: Eternal Consequences

وَكُلَّ إِنسَانٍ أَلْزَمْنَاهُ طَائِرَهُ فِي عُنُقِهِ وَنُخْرِجُ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ كِتَابًا يَلْقَاهُ مَنشُورًا

اقْرَأْ كِتَابَكَ كَفَىٰ بِنَفْسِكَ الْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكَ حَسِيبًا 

And [for] every person We have imposed his fate upon his neck, and We will produce for him on the Day of Resurrection a record which he will encounter spread open. 

[It will be said], "Read your record. Sufficient is your nafs against you this Day as accountant." 

[Al-Quran 17:13-14, Translator: Sahih International (edited to retain word nafs in italics)]

Photos credits in Our Record in Our Neck 

Everything a person says or does, is exactly being recorded in real time. An eternal compensation depends upon it. In the mortal life of this world, the children of Adam عليه السلام are already experiencing the temporary consequence of Adam عليه السلام's breaking of his covenant. Its a memory, and a physical reality, that should serve to make us wiser. 

Fate of The World

 مَا أَصَابَ مِن مُّصِيبَةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي أَنفُسِكُمْ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مِّن قَبْلِ أَن نَّبْرَأَهَا إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِير

No disaster befalls in the earth nor among yourselves, but it is (recorded) in a book before We bring it into existence, that is certainly easy for Allah.

[Al-Quran, Surah al-Hadeed 57:22-23, Translation: Mir Aneesuddin]

The Quran is also very clear that everything that happens to a person, his or her fate, is already written beforehand by Allah ﷻ, and is fastened to the neck of the person. No good or harm can happen to a person except that Allah ﷻ has already decreed it, or allowed it to happen. So, the worship of anyone other than Allah ﷻ is a  falsehood, a going astray! 

We cannot change Allah ﷻ 's Plan. The fate of this world is also already decreed. That humans have not believed in the truth, an evil trial awaits. A moving creature is going to emerge from the Earth. Many people will believe in the Beast, as it will be of immediate, worldly benefit to worship the falsehood, even though it will be at the cost of the Hereafter! Very few will be able to hold on to faith in Allah ﷻ, The One True God. 

Like the mighty ancients of long ago, our technologically advanced civilisation is also expected to meet its demise at The Promised Hour. And then The Judgement, the eternal recompense. 

 

List of posts about Allah ﷻ 

... 

Last updated on: November 17, 2022

The Serpent & The Snake: a Clear Sign

  قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ

اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ

لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ

وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ

Say, "He (is) Allah, the One.

Allah, the Eternal, the Absolute.

Not He begets and not He is begotten.

And not is for Him equivalent any [one]."

[Al-Quran 112]

The Quran uses separate words for serpents and snakes:

Screenshot from corpus.quran.com

Screenshot from corpus.quran.com

Stick, Snake, Serpent 

The Quran explicitly mentions that the first clear sign that Allah ﷻ gave to Moses (Musa عليه السلام) was the snake and the serpent. In His conversation with Moses (Musa عليه السلام), Allah ﷻ asked him to throw his stick, and it turned into a snake. When Allah ﷻ sent him to the Pharaoh to show him the clear sign, it turned into a serpent. In both cases, when Moses (Musa عليه السلام) picked up the creature, it turned back into a stick. 

 

Like unto the Pharaoh

The Quran is replete with lessons from the confrontations between Moses (Musa عليه السلام) and the Pharaoh, and so is the Torah / Bible. The Quran explicitly states that we have been sent a Messenger witness upon us, just as a Messenger was sent to the Pharaoh (Q73:15). Pharaoh disobeyed and was ruined (Q73:16). A terrible day is approaching which we will not be able to ward off, if we disbelieve and do not heed to the Message and the Messenger (Q73:17-18).  

From Adam's story in the scriptures, we are familiar with the evil Satan who caused Adam's fall. 

Serpents feature not only in Egyptian mythology, but also is several mythologies all over the world. In fact, serpents and snakes are perhaps the oldest and most widespread mythological symbols in the world. In Surah al-Mulk (The Kingdom), we read: 

أَفَمَن يَمْشِي مُكِبًّا عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِ أَهْدَىٰ أَمَّن يَمْشِي سَوِيًّا عَلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيم

But then, is he that goes along with his face close to the ground better guided than he that walks upright on a straight way

[Al-Quran 67:22, Translation: Muhammad Asad]

Snakes & Jinn 

The Quran mentions snakes not just in relation to Moses (Musa عليه السلام)' stick, but throughout the text. Since we do not translate the word الْجِنِّ as the snake, but rather just transliterate as the jinn, thus we do not realise that the subject has been mentioned in detail. The noun jinn (جِنّ) occurs twenty-two times, and the active participle jānn (جَآنّ) occurs seven times in The Quran. We even have a surah titled al-Jinn.  

[Related post: جَانٌّ (Snake || Jinn) ] 

Adam's Fall

The Jewish and Christian scriptures mention the serpent and the snake in the story of Adam. According to The Quran, Adam was expelled from The Garden when he heeded to his sworn enemy, Iblis, the snake, and disobeyed Allah ﷻ . The disobedience was in pursuit of a change of state. The devil was able to persuade Adam to try to achieve immortality and a kingdom that never decays. In obeying the snake, Adam degraded himself instead. As discussed in several previous posts, Adam lost his natural clothing by taking the medicine prescribed by Iblis even though Allah ﷻ had prohibited eating from that particular tree. We have repeatedly been warned about taking instructions from Satan: 

أَلَمْ أَعْهَدْ إِلَيْكُمْ يَا بَنِي آدَمَ أَن لَّا تَعْبُدُوا الشَّيْطَانَ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِين

وَأَنِ اعْبُدُونِي هَٰذَا صِرَاطٌ مُّسْتَقِيم

Children of Adam, did I not make a covenant with you not to worship Satan, who is clearly your enemy,

and that you worship [only] Me? This is a straight path.

[Al-Quran 36:60-61, Translation: Safi Kaskas]

Mythology 

In the mythological pantheons of gods and goddesses, the concept of a divine family keeps emerging, with different names, but many similarities. The Quran, Surah al-Jinn, quotes the jinns (snakes) themselves stating that the divine family is a lie: 

وَأَنَّهُ تَعَالَىٰ جَدُّ رَبِّنَا مَا اتَّخَذَ صَاحِبَةً وَلَا وَلَدً

وَأَنَّهُ كَانَ يَقُولُ سَفِيهُنَا عَلَى اللَّهِ شَطَطً

وَأَنَّا ظَنَنَّا أَن لَّن تَقُولَ الْإِنسُ وَالْجِنُّ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبً

And exalted be the glory of our Lord! He never had a spouse nor a child.

But the fools among us had been saying outrageous things about God

although we had thought that no human or jinn would dare tell a lie about God.

[Al-Quran 72:3-5, Translation: Safi Kaskas]

In Surah an-Nisa`, the unforgivable sin of association of partners with Allah ﷻ is explained: 

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَالًا بَعِيدً

إِن يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ إِلَّا إِنَاثًا وَإِن يَدْعُونَ إِلَّا شَيْطَانًا مَّرِيدً

لَّعَنَهُ اللَّهُ وَقَالَ لَأَتَّخِذَنَّ مِنْ عِبَادِكَ نَصِيبًا مَّفْرُوضً

 Allah forgiveth not (The sin of) joining other gods with Him; but He forgiveth whom He pleaseth other sins than this: one who joins other gods with Allah, Hath strayed far, far away (from the right)

(The Pagans), leaving Him, call but upon female deities: They call but upon satan the persistent rebel

Allah did curse him, but he said: "I will take of Thy servants a portion Marked off

[Al-Quran 4:116-118, Translation: Yusuf Ali]

Wikipedia, and other resources on the internet, contain details about the symbolism and belief systems which revere the serpent, and snakes: 

Excerpt from Serpent (symbolism) [Quote dated December 31, 2020]: 

The serpent, or snake, is one of the oldest and most widespread mythological symbols. The word is derived from Latin serpens, a crawling animal or snake. Snakes have been associated with some of the oldest rituals known to mankind^[1][2] and represent dual expression^[3] of good and evil.^[4]

Excerpt from Snake worship [Quote dated January 3, 2021]:

Snake worship is devotion to serpent deities. The tradition is present in several ancient cultures, particularly in religion and mythology, where snakes were seen as entities of strength and renewal.

Excerpt from Snakes in mythology [Quote dated January 2, 2021]:

In most cultures, snakes were symbols of healing and transformation, but in some cultures snakes were fertility symbols. 

In Surah an-Nisa`, we further read: 

لَّعَنَهُ اللَّهُ وَقَالَ لَأَتَّخِذَنَّ مِنْ عِبَادِكَ نَصِيبًا مَّفْرُوضً

وَلَأُضِلَّنَّهُمْ وَلَأُمَنِّيَنَّهُمْ وَلَآمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُبَتِّكُنَّ آذَانَ الْأَنْعَامِ وَلَآمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلْقَ اللَّهِ وَمَن يَتَّخِذِ الشَّيْطَانَ وَلِيًّا مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ فَقَدْ خَسِرَ خُسْرَانًا مُّبِينً

 يَعِدُهُمْ وَيُمَنِّيهِمْ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ إِلَّا غُرُورً

Allah did curse him, but he said: "I will take of Thy servants a portion Marked off

"I will mislead them, and I will create in them false desires; I will order them to slit the ears of cattle, and to deface the (fair) nature created by Allah." Whoever, forsaking Allah, takes satan for a friend, hath of a surety suffered a loss that is manifest

Satan makes them promises, and creates in them false desires; but satan's promises are nothing but deception

[Al-Quran 4:118-120, Translation: Yusuf Ali]

The Quran contains examples of some diseases and mentions some cures. However, the few cases of fertility issues it mentions about the pious people, the common theme is that they await patiently for Allah ﷻ 's blessing. They do not seem to be actively seeking fertility treatments. More on these at: Disease & Cure. Quoting Prophet Abraham from Surah ash-Shu`ara`:

Healers & The Symbol of Modern Medical Science  

Shamans are believed to be religious healers.

Excerpt from Shamanism [Quote dated December 31, 2020]: 

Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner who is believed to interact with a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance.^[1][2] The goal of this is usually to direct these spirits or spiritual energies into the physical world, for healing or some other purpose.^[1]

On the Alternative Medicine page of Wikipedia, there is criticism of a list of methods that are not based on modern medical science. However, the snake is the symbol of modern medicine as well. 

Excerpt from Serpent (symbolism) [Quote dated December 31, 2020]: 

Modern medicine[edit]

See also: Caduceus as a symbol of medicine

The Star of Life features a Rod of Asclepius.

Snakes entwined the staffs both of Hermes (the caduceus) and of Asclepius, where a single snake entwined the rough staff. On Hermes' caduceus, the snakes were not merely duplicated for symmetry, they were paired opposites. (This motif is congruent with the phurba.) The wings at the head of the staff identified it as belonging to the winged messenger Hermes, the Roman Mercury, who was the god of magic, diplomacy and rhetoric, of inventions and discoveries, and the protector both of merchants and that allied occupation, to the mythographers' view, of thieves. It is however Hermes' role as psychopomp, the escort of newly deceased souls to the afterlife, that explains the origin of the snakes in the caduceus, since this was also the role of the Sumerian entwined serpent god Ningizzida, with whom Hermes has sometimes been equated.

In Late Antiquity, as the arcane study of alchemy developed, Mercury was understood to be the protector of those arts too and of arcane or occult "Hermetic" information in general. Chemistry and medicines linked the rod of Hermes with the staff of the healer Asclepius, which was wound with a serpent; it was conflated with Mercury's rod, and the modern medical symbol—which should simply be the rod of Asclepius—often became Mercury's wand of commerce. Another version is used in alchemy where the snake is crucified, known as Nicolas Flamel's caduceus. Art historian Walter J. Friedlander, in The Golden Wand of Medicine: A History of the Caduceus Symbol in Medicine (1992), collected hundreds of examples of the caduceus and the rod of Asclepius and found that professional associations were just somewhat more likely to use the staff of Asclepius, while commercial organizations in the medical field were more likely to use the caduceus.

Excerpt from The spread of the cult of Asclepius in the context of the Roman army ...  [copied November 20, 2022]:

Asclepius was one of the most popular healing deities of the Greco-Roman world. Originally from Greece, the cult of this mythical son of Apollo was officially invited to Rome in 293 BCE and became firmly rooted in Roman society as a patron deity of health [1–5]. The uniqueness of Asclepius’ cult, when compared to other Graeco-Roman cults, lies in 1) the promise of a close relationship between the god and his supplicant, because the supplicant expected to meet the god in their dreams during the temple rituals of incubation; 2) the patients’ deep expectation of being healed; and 3) a non-exclusive membership for people across socio-economic groups [1, 3, 6]. A potential fourth point argued here is that the cult of Asclepius could have had a special appeal among Roman soldiers, as they were often in the need of medical care due to combat wounds or inhospitable environments at the border provinces of the Empire. 

...

Serpent on a Pole

Moses (Musa عليه السلام) is dated to have walked the Earth approximately a thousand years before Asclepius. So, this symbol of serpent on a pole was not original to Asclepius in particular, or even to the Greeks in general.  

The first of the clear signs sent to the Pharaoh was a serpent. After the Exodus, a serious problem involving snakes and serpent happens. The following is an excerpt is from The Bible, Numbers 21:4-9: 

The Bronze Serpent

4Then they set out from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, in order to bypass the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient on the journey 5 and spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you led us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!”

6So the LORD sent venomous snakes among the people, and many of the Israelites were bitten and died.

7Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Intercede with the LORD so He will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses interceded for the people.

8Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live.” 9So Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. If anyone who was bitten looked at the bronze snake, he would live.

Later on, it seems the people started revering the serpent on the pole. Hezekiah destroyed it. We find the following in The Bible, 2 Kings 18:4

3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. 4 He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He also demolished the bronze snake called Nehushtan that Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had burned incense to it.

5 Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. No king of Judah was like him, either before him or after him. 6 He remained faithful to the LORD and did not turn from following Him; he kept the commandments that the LORD had given Moses.

7 And the LORD was with Hezekiah, and he prospered wherever he went. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to serve him.

Jesus (Isa عليه السلام) preached the worship of the one true God whom Moses (Musa عليه السلام) worshipped. Jesus (Isa عليه السلام) also endorsed The Torah and attested to its truth. Jesus (Isa عليه السلام) also attested to himself being a human, a servant and a worshipper of Allah ﷻ, and not a god or a relative of God. The Quran confirms that Allah ﷻ does not have any family or relations, and also informs us clearly that Jesus (Isa عليه السلام) was not crucified, but rather someone else. In Surah an-Nisa` we read: 

4:157  And [for] their saying, "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah ." And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain

4:158  Rather, Allah raised him to Himself. And ever is Allah Exalted in Might and Wise

4:159  And there is none from the People of the Scripture but that he will surely believe in Jesus before his death. And on the Day of Resurrection he will be against them a witness

As the Christians believe that Jesus (Isa عليه السلام) was crucified, and they have a passage in John comparing the raising of the serpent by Moses (Musa عليه السلام) to the raising of the son of man, thus there is speculative literature about what the comparison means. This is perhaps a better example of a Christian comparison of the Moses (Musa عليه السلام)' serpent on a pole with the Rod of Asclepius.  

Listening Posts & Space Travel

يَا مَعْشَرَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنسِ إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتُمْ أَن تَنفُذُوا مِنْ أَقْطَارِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ فَانفُذُوا لَا تَنفُذُونَ إِلَّا بِسُلْطَان

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَان

يُرْسَلُ عَلَيْكُمَا شُوَاظٌ مِّن نَّارٍ وَنُحَاسٌ فَلَا تَنتَصِرَان

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَان

O company of the jinn and humankind, in case you are able to penetrate through the regions of the heavens and the earth, then penetrate (them)! You will not penetrate except with an all-binding authority
Then to whichever of your Lord's boons do you (both) cry lies
Against you (both) will be sent flares of fire, and (molten) brass; then you will not vindicate yourselves
Then to whichever of your Lord's boons do you (both) cry lies

[Al-Quran 55:33-36, Translation: Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali]

The space race to gather more and more information, and the dreams of travelling to and colonising other planets, is not only a modern initiative, but we find mentions of such things in ancient mythologies as well. From The Quran, we know that Pharaoh commissioned the building of something which would allow him access to the heavens (skies) to meet the Lord of Moses (Musa عليه السلام) [Q28:36-42, Q40:35-37]. More on this at: Pyramids || The Mighty Ancients!    

From Surah al-Jinn (The Snakes), we also learn that those who lie about Allah ﷻ among humans and snakes have been collaborating, and trying to gather information earlier also: 

وَأَنَّا ظَنَنَّا أَن لَّن تَقُولَ الْإِنسُ وَالْجِنُّ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبً

وَأَنَّهُ كَانَ رِجَالٌ مِّنَ الْإِنسِ يَعُوذُونَ بِرِجَالٍ مِّنَ الْجِنِّ فَزَادُوهُمْ رَهَقً

وَأَنَّهُمْ ظَنُّوا كَمَا ظَنَنتُمْ أَن لَّن يَبْعَثَ اللَّهُ أَحَدً

وَأَنَّا لَمَسْنَا السَّمَاءَ فَوَجَدْنَاهَا مُلِئَتْ حَرَسًا شَدِيدًا وَشُهُبً

وَأَنَّا كُنَّا نَقْعُدُ مِنْهَا مَقَاعِدَ لِلسَّمْعِ فَمَن يَسْتَمِعِ الْآنَ يَجِدْ لَهُ شِهَابًا رَّصَدً

وَأَنَّا لَا نَدْرِي أَشَرٌّ أُرِيدَ بِمَن فِي الْأَرْضِ أَمْ أَرَادَ بِهِمْ رَبُّهُمْ رَشَدً

وَأَنَّا مِنَّا الصَّالِحُونَ وَمِنَّا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ كُنَّا طَرَائِقَ قِدَدً

وَأَنَّا ظَنَنَّا أَن لَّن نُّعْجِزَ اللَّهَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَن نُّعْجِزَهُ هَرَبً

 And we had thought that mankind and the jinn would never speak about Allah a lie

And there were men from mankind who sought refuge in men from the jinn, so they [only] increased them in burden

And they had thought, as you thought, that Allah would never send anyone [as a messenger]

And we have sought [to reach] the heaven but found it filled with powerful guards and burning flames

And we used to sit therein in positions for hearing, but whoever listens now will find a burning flame lying in wait for him

And we do not know [therefore] whether evil is intended for those on earth or whether their Lord intends for them a right course

And among us are the righteous, and among us are [others] not so; we were [of] divided ways

And we have become certain that we will never cause failure to Allah upon earth, nor can we escape Him by flight

[Al-Quran 72:5-12, Translation: Sahih International]

The Moving Creature from The Earth

وَإِذَا وَقَعَ الْقَوْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَخْرَجْنَا لَهُمْ دَابَّةً مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ تُكَلِّمُهُمْ أَنَّ النَّاسَ كَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا لَا يُوقِنُون

And when the saying fell on them, We will bring out a moving creature for them from the earth that will speak to them, that: Humanity had not been certain of Our signs.

[Al-Quran 27:82, Translation: Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar]

Surah an-Naml (The Ant) recounts the story of Moses (Musa عليه السلام)' staff becoming a snake, then goes on to mention Solomon's army which includes birds and snakes, and their ability to speak with each other. Then, the Queen Ant warning her ants; the Hoopoe who goes on a reconnaissance mission; the Sun-worshipping Queen of Saba; Solomon's warning letter demanding submission to the true religion; the throne of Saba being transported in the blink of an eye to Solomon's court; the Queen of Saba realising how she had been wronging her nafs, and consequently accepting the true religion; and then it flashes back to the Samood: the nine groups in the city plotting to kill their Messenger of Allah ﷻ : 

وَكَانَ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ تِسْعَةُ رَهْطٍ يُفْسِدُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا يُصْلِحُون

And there had been nine groups of persons in the city who make corruption in the earth and make not things right.

[Al-Quran 27:48, Translation: Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar]

The surah continues with a brief mention of the destruction of the Samood; and then an overview of the impurity-loving people to whom Messenger Lot had been sent to, and how they were also destroyed. 

After a few pertinent questions establishing Allah ﷻ as the only true ilah (god), the surah foretells the emergence of the moving creature from the Earth who will speak with humans! 

The Book of Revelation also mentions a creature will emerge from the Earth: 

The Beast out of the Earth

11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[a] That number is 666.

Note: 666 or 616 Wikipedia 

Many mythologies expect the return of the serpent as the saviour of the world. 

The Abrahamic faiths expect the false messiah (the Anti-Christ || the Dajjal) to appear during end times. It is going to be a time of great tribulation.    

Abrahamic faiths also await the true Messiah as the saviour. While the Jews still await a Messiah from the line of David, Christians and Muslims believe that Jesus (Isa عليه السلام) is the promised Messiah who will return to Earth. He will defeat the false messiah, and usher in the peaceful Days of Allah ﷻ when the humble shall inherit the Earth. 

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Last updated on: November 20, 2022