Ever wondered about The First Journey of Mankind? Well, as Muslims and followers of the Quran, we know someone who traveled from the heavens to the earth for the first time. This is uniquely documented in the Holy Quran.
This is the story of our father and the beloved messenger of Allah, Adam (A.S), who was granted respect and knowledge in comparison to the Angels. But his travel from the heavens wasn’t the travel we know today; it was solely to remind him of obedience to his creator, Allah.
Note: This article was inspired by a book’s content by Shaikh Dr. Nasir Bin Al-Musfir which anyway is a great book to read for Muslim Travelers. All these narrations might not be accurate and the source which we have taken the content from is the book (انيس المسافر وسلوة الحاضر). To understand better you can look at the Arabic text from the book, or we recommend you read Qur’an with translation and Tafseer for a detailed look upon Adam (A.S) story and the concept of traveling we referred here. Alla knows the best.
Adam (A.S)’s Travel from Heavens to Earth

The father of humanity was the first to begin travel. His first journey traveled from heaven to earth, from survival to extinction, and from comfort to hardship. He traveled from bliss and the neighborhood of the Generous Lord, to constant toil. He traveled from rivers, trees, and shadows, to deserts, valleys, and mountains. Traveling is the beginning of fatigue and misery, and the cost and hardship that were written upon Adam and his descendants due to the guilt of sin and disobedience, the consequence of sin, and the distress of disobedience.
All this is mentioned in the brief story of the prophet Adam (A.S) story in the holy Qur’an. Allah (S.W.T) said:
وَقُلْنَا يَـٰٓـَٔادَمُ ٱسْكُنْ أَنتَ وَزَوْجُكَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ وَكُلَا مِنْهَا رَغَدًا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمَا وَلَا تَقْرَبَا هَـٰذِهِ ٱلشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُونَا مِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ (٣٥) فَأَزَلَّهُمَا ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ عَنْهَا فَأَخْرَجَهُمَا مِمَّا كَانَا فِيهِ ۖ وَقُلْنَا ٱهْبِطُوا۟ بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّۭ ۖ وَلَكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مُسْتَقَرٌّۭ وَمَتَـٰعٌ إِلَىٰ حِينٍۢ (٣٦) فَتَلَقَّىٰٓ ءَادَمُ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ كَلِمَـٰتٍۢ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ (٣٧) قُلْنَا ٱهْبِطُوا۟ مِنْهَا جَمِيعًۭا ۖ فَإِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُم مِّنِّى هُدًۭى فَمَن تَبِعَ هُدَاىَ فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ( ٣٨)
And We said, “O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise and eat therefrom in [ease and] abundance from wherever you will. But do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers.”
But Satan deceived them—leading to their fall from the ˹blissful˺ state they were in,1 and We said, “Descend from the heavens ˹to the earth˺ as enemies to each other.2 You will find in the earth a residence and provision for your appointed stay.”
Then Adam was inspired with words ˹of prayer˺ by his Lord,1 so He accepted his repentance. Surely He is the Accepter of Repentance, Most Merciful.
We said, “Descend all of you! Then when guidance comes to you from Me, whoever follows it, there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve.
Surah Al Baqarah: 35-38
When Adam responded to Satan’s advice – may God curse him – and disobeyed the command of his master, he was sentenced to leave Paradise immediately, to the abode of annihilation and disappearance, so he descended from it to the earth, the world that’s going to end, the world of humiliation. Hence started the journey of mankind toward the earth and later on thousands of destinations in search of understanding, their food/Rizq, work, and many more reasons.
Adam’s (A.S) Travels on Earth

It is narrated that Adam – peace be upon him – landed somewhere in Asia and Eve in Arab and that they were still alive. Allah knows the exact locations they were sent to. But Most commonly narrated by scholars like Hasan Al Basri and Ibn Abi Hatim and many others (R.A) that Eve is said to have landed in Jeddah, the snake in Isfahan and Iblīs in south India, but Adam, or the prophet Adam as known in Islamic sources, consistently found himself in Sarandib, sometimes encompassed within al-Hind.
For years they traveled the earth and at the end they met and got to know each other in Arafat. It is narrated that Adam – peace be upon him – descended from Paradise with the Black Stone and a handful of Paradise leaves and spent the night in India, where the myrrh tree remained. Both for Adam and Eve, the struggles of traveling ended at At Safa and Eve at Marwa.
Adam’s (A.S) journey – peace be upon him – and his landing from Paradise took place on a Friday. He said, “The best day on which the sun rises is Friday, on which Adam was created, on which he was entered into Paradise, and on which he was expelled from it.” [Narrated by Muslim].
Adam (A.S) later traveled for Hajj, as found in some of the narratives that are narrated, and it was also narrated in the hadith that God took the covenant with him through Numan on the day of Arafat. On the authority of Ibn Abbas, on the authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, he said: God took the covenant from the back of Adam, peace be upon him, with Numan on the day of Arafat. [Sahihah: 1623].
It was also the same time when Kaabah’s foundation was built by Prophet Adam (A.S) along with the placing of Hajar-Al-Aswad the black stone which he brought from Paradise.
Ibn Jarir mentioned the authority of Ibn Abbas: God said, “O Adam, I have a sanctuary near my throne, so go and build me a house in it and circumambulate it as my angels circumambulate my throne.”
This wasn’t the travel like us for enjoyment, leisure, or sightseeing but it was the struggle to find each other, to seek refuge of Allah from Satan, and to repent to Allah, and to out of the guilt of disobedience.
He taught us to Repent
The father of humanity, Allah’s mighty and beloved prophet Adam (A.S), has set an example of how to seek repentance from Allah after committing sins and wronging oneself. He, for years, asked for forgiveness from Allah, sought His mercy, and Allah finally forgave him and blessed him with all the benefits of this world.
Adam repented to his Lord and turned to Him, so He turned to him and to his wife. They said, “Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy on us, we will surely be among the losers.” As for Satan, he came out of it condemned and defeated, cursed, because he refused to prostrate to Adam with the angels, And arrogance and self-admiration took hold of him.
Till the day of resurrection, the story of Adam’s (A.S) repentance will serve as an example and inspiration for mankind who make mistakes. No matter how sinful you’ve become seek forgiveness from your Lord, he will forgive you. Indeed, Allah is most merciful and most forgiving.
He taught us to Travel
After our father Adam, peace be upon him, traveled first time on the face of planet Earth he prescribed travel for us, and today we travel exactly like him for the sake benefits that Allah has kept us on this planet. From him, we learned traveling for different purposes and primarily we have been guided about the purpose of this world and why everyone is living on earth as a traveler. After he lived a thousand years, he traveled again to the same place from which he came to his Lord, Glory be to Him.
Indeed, in the creation of Adam (A.S), the father of Humanity, the blessed one, and Allah’s beloved prophet, There are signs for the believers.
So, The answer to your question about The First Journey of Mankind is undoubtedly the story of Adam (A.S).