What is the first creation of Allah the Almighty?

According to Islamic creed (ʿAqīdah), Allah is the Creator of everything. He exists beyond time, space, and creation. He is not dependent on anything.

What was Allah's first creation? One of the attributes of Allah, the Most Just of Judges (Ahkam al-Hakimeen), is Mureed — the One who wills. Whatever He wills happens exactly as He wills it. As the Qur’an says: "When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, 'Be,' and it is."
Thus, whatever Allah willed to create, He created it in the time He chose.

For example, Allah created the heavens, the earth, and all that is between them in six days, starting from Sunday and ending on Friday. Each day's creation was according to divine wisdom — not all at once, but with a specific order.

This leads to a common question: What was the very first thing Allah created?
There are various narrations (hadith) regarding this:

1. One hadith says: "The first thing Allah created was my soul (Ruh)."
2. Another says: "The first thing Allah created was my light (Nur)."
3. Another narration says: "The first creation was the Pen (Qalam)."
4. One narration says: "The first thing Allah created was the Intellect (‘Aql)."
5. Yet another says: "The first thing Allah created was the Throne (‘Arsh)."

Let’s explore these narrations and scholars’ interpretations in detail:

1. The Pen (Qalam) as the First Creation:

The Prophet ﷺ said: "The first thing Allah created was the Pen. He then said to it: 'Write.' The Pen asked, 'What shall I write, my Lord?' Allah said: 'Write down everything that will happen until the Day of Judgment.'" — (Tirmidhi: 2155, Abu Dawood: 4700 — Authentic Hadith)

This narration is widely accepted among Islamic scholars because it is authentically transmitted.

2. Hadith from Jabir ibn Abdullah (RA):

He asked the Prophet ﷺ, “O Messenger of Allah, may my parents be sacrificed for you! Please tell me what Allah created before all other things.”
The Prophet ﷺ replied: “O Jabir, verily, before anything else, Allah created the light (Nur) of your Prophet from His own light. That light then traveled wherever Allah willed, by His divine power. At that time, there was no Tablet (Lawh), no Pen (Qalam), no Paradise or Hell, no angel, no heavens, or earth — nothing.”

3. Reconciling the Hadiths:

Commentators like Imam Qastallani said:
The hadith about the Pen refers to it being the first creation after the creation of the Prophetic Light (Nur Muhammad) and water, and the Throne (‘Arsh). So, the actual order is: Nur Muhammad → Water → Throne → Pen. (Source: Mawahib al-Ladunniyyah, Vol. 1, p. 74)

4. The Qur’an and the Pen:

Though the Qur’an doesn’t explicitly say, “The first thing Allah created was the Pen,” it does swear by the Pen:

“Nun. By the Pen and what they write...” — (Surah Al-Qalam, Ayah 1)
This implies the Pen holds great significance and was created for a noble purpose — such as writing destiny (Taqdeer).

5. The Light (Nur) of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as First Creation:

Scholars’ statements:

• Imam Abhari (RA):Said the term first creation is relative, depending on comparison.
• Mulla Ali Qari (RA):Said all seemingly conflicting hadiths can be harmonized — the Prophetic Light (Nur Muhammad) was the first of all lights, while the Pen was the first among objects related to writing.
• Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (RA):Clarified: The Prophetic Light was the first of all creation, followed by water, then the Throne.
• Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani (RA):Harmonized narrations by explaining that all these terms — Nur, Ruh, Pen, ‘Aql — refer to one being: the soul of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, described in various ways due to his multiple qualities.

Example:

“First what Allah created was my Light.”
“First was my Soul.”
“First was the Pen.”
“First was the Intellect.”
All refer to the same source — the noble spirit of the Prophet ﷺ.

• Allama Husayn ibn Muhammad Diyarbakri (RA):
  Explained that the same person (the Prophet ﷺ) is referred to differently depending on perspective — just like a man can be called a father, husband, or son.

6. Imam Nawawi, Ibn Kathir, and Others:

• These scholars state: "The first creation is the Pen, based on authentic hadith, and this is the most accepted view among the scholars."

• Imam Qastallani (RA): Discussed whether the Pen or the Throne came first. Some scholars say the Throne was created before the Pen, based on hadith from Sahih Muslim:

"Fifty thousand years before the creation of the heavens and earth, Allah wrote the destinies of creation, and His Throne was upon water."

7. Types of “Pens”:

Multiple types of Pens exist in creation:

1. The Pen that wrote destiny in al-Lawh al-Mahfuz.
2. The Pen that wrote Adam (AS)’s and his descendants' destinies.
3. The Pen that writes provisions, deeds, and outcomes when the soul is blown into the womb.
4. The pens used by Kiraman Katibin (the noble recording angels).

8. Conclusion:

Based on authentic hadith, the first creation was the Pen, with which destiny (Taqdeer) was written. However, in spiritual interpretations, the Light (Nur) of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is considered the first creation — from which other creations followed. Thus, among all types of creation, the Pen was the first of its kind, and the Prophetic Light was the first among souls and lights. Those who deny this truth either lack knowledge or have deficiencies in faith.
May Allah grant us the ability to understand the truth. Ameen.