Allah told the angels that He would place a successor (khalifah) on earth. The angels asked whether He would place there one who would cause corruption, and Allah answered that He knows what they do not. He created Adam from clay, breathed into him of the spirit He created, and taught him the names of all things — knowledge the angels did not have.
Allah commanded the angels to prostrate to Adam in honour. All of them obeyed except Iblis, who refused out of pride, saying he was better because he was created from fire. He was expelled and asked to be given respite until the Day of Resurrection, vowing to mislead Adam's descendants.
Adam and his wife lived in the Garden and were told they could eat freely, but not to approach one tree. Shaytan whispered to them until they ate from it. When they realised their mistake they did not argue or blame others; they turned to Allah with the words He taught them: "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" (7:23).
Allah accepted their repentance — He is the Accepting of repentance, the Most Merciful — and sent them down to the earth to live there for a time, promising guidance: whoever follows it will have no fear and will not grieve.
The Quran also tells of two of Adam's sons (5:27–31), one of whom killed the other out of envy, a reminder of how quickly envy can lead to the gravest sin.