6. Was Adam the first human being or Homo sapiens on earth?

This episode discusses the scriptural evidence for whether or not Adam (a) was the first human being. This question is crucial because it helps us to understand the existence of previous hominids. Unlike other traditions, the Twelver-Shi’I hadith corpus includes traditions that explicitly mention the existence of non-Adamic human-like creatures, called the nasnas. However, these traditions also mention their extinction.
References:
Qur’anic references: Q.2:30, Q.2:65, Q.7:166, Q.17:70, Q.36:71 Q.7:27 (This verse comes after God’s address to Adam and Eve for their disobedience. At first glance, one could argue that Banī Adam meant Adam and Eve, but with the third person reference to ‘your parents,’ it becomes clear this is an address to all of mankind.)
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