Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "The believers will be assembled on the Day of Resurrection and they will say, 'Let us look for someone to intercede for us with our Lord so that He may relieve us from this place of ours.' So they will go to Adam and say, 'You are Adam, the father of mankind, and Allah created you with His Own Hands and ordered the Angels to prostrate before you, and He taught you the names of all things; so please intercede for us with our Lord so that He may relieve us.' Adam will say, to them, 'I am not fit for that,' and then he will mention to them his mistake which he has committed.' "
Oneness, Uniqueness of Allah (Tawheed)
Sahih al-Bukhari 7516
Hadith Text
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "The believers will be assembled on the Day of Resurrection and they will say, 'Let us look for someone to intercede for us with our Lord so that He may relieve us from this place of ours.' So they will go to Adam and say, 'You are Adam, the father of mankind, and Allah created you with His Own Hands and ordered the Angels to prostrate before you, and He taught you the names of all things; so please intercede for us with our Lord so that He may relieve us.' Adam will say, to them, 'I am not fit for that,' and then he will mention to them his mistake which he has committed.'"
Commentary on the Hadith
This profound narration establishes the principle that intercession on the Day of Judgment belongs solely to Allah's permission. The believers' initial approach to Adam (عليه السلام) demonstrates human nature seeking relief through esteemed personalities.
Adam's response highlights crucial theological principles: even the noblest of creation recognizes his own imperfections before Allah. His reference to "his mistake" serves as a reminder that all humans, including prophets, are servants subject to Allah's ultimate authority.
The enumeration of Adam's honors - creation by Allah's Hands, angelic prostration, and knowledge of names - emphasizes that these distinctions do not qualify one for intercession without divine permission. This reinforces Tawheed al-Uluhiyyah (Oneness of Worship) by demonstrating that no created being can independently grant salvation or relief.
The hadith ultimately directs believers to recognize that true intercession comes only through Allah's mercy and permission, typically granted to His final Messenger Muhammad (ﷺ), thereby affirming the completeness of Islamic monotheism.