It is narrated from Muslim bin Yasar al-Juhani that Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked about this verse: {وَاِذْ اَخَذَ رَبُّکَ مِنْ بَنِیْ آدَمَ مِنْ ظُھُوْرِھِمْ ذُرِّیَّتَھُمْ}. He said: I myself heard that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about this verse, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Indeed, Allah Almighty created Adam (peace be upon him), touched his back with His right hand, and from it brought forth his offspring and said: I have created these for Paradise and with the deeds of the people of Paradise. Then He touched his back and brought forth more offspring and said: I have created these for the Fire and with the deeds of the people of Hell. A man said: O Messenger of Allah! Then what is the use of deeds? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: When Allah Almighty creates a servant for Paradise, He uses him for the deeds of the people of Paradise, until he dies upon the deeds of the people of Paradise, and thus He admits him to Paradise. And when Allah Almighty creates a servant for the Fire, He uses him for the deeds of the people of Hell, until he dies upon the deeds of the people of Hell, and He admits him to Hell.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Allah Almighty took a firm covenant from Adam (peace be upon him) at Nu'man, that is, the place of Arafah. He brought forth from his back all his progeny that He was to create, then spread them before him like ants, and then spoke to them face to face and said: "Am I not your Lord?" They said: "Yes, indeed, we bear witness." (This was) lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection: "We were unaware of this," or lest you should say: "Our forefathers had already associated partners (with Allah) before us, and we were their descendants after them; will You then destroy us for what the followers of falsehood did?"

Sayyiduna Ubayy bin Ka’b (may Allah be pleased with him) says regarding the statement of Allah Almighty: And when your Lord took from the children of Adam, from their loins, their descendants, and made them testify against themselves. Its detail is that Allah Almighty gathered them, made them souls, then formed their images and gave them the power of speech, so they spoke. Then Allah Almighty took a firm covenant from them and, making them witnesses over themselves, said: Am I not your Lord? I make the seven heavens, the seven earths, and your father a witness over you, so that you may not say on the Day of Resurrection that we had no knowledge of this. Know well that there is no deity nor Lord besides Me, so do not associate anything with Me. Soon I will send My messengers to you, they will remind you of My covenant, and I will also send down My books upon you. They said: We bear witness that You alone are our Lord and deity, we have no Lord besides You. Thus, all of them acknowledged. Then Allah Almighty raised Adam (peace be upon him) over them; he saw among them the rich, the poor, the handsome, and the less beautiful, and said: O my Lord! Why did You not make them equal among themselves? Allah Almighty said: I desire that gratitude be shown to Me. He also saw among them the Prophets, they appeared like lamps and had light upon them, they were distinguished with the covenant and pledge of Prophethood and Messengership. This is mentioned in the statement of Allah Almighty: And when We took from the Prophets their firm covenant... ‘Isa son of Maryam. ‘Isa (peace be upon him) was also among those souls. Then Allah Almighty sent that soul to Lady Maryam (peace be upon her), and it entered into her through her mouth.