I.
It is essential to understand that Allah, may He be Exalted, does whatever He wills; He is not to be questioned about what He does, whereas they will be questioned, and no one has the right to question the Lord about what He does and ask why He did it?
Imam Is-haq ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
It is not permissible to indulge in discussing issues pertaining to Allah in the same way as it is permissible to indulge in discussing issues pertaining to created beings, because Allah, may He be Exalted, says:
{He is not questioned about what He does, but they will be questioned} [Al-Anbiya’ 21:23].
And it is not permissible for anyone to have his own interpretation of Allah’s attributes and actions in the same way as it is permissible to have his own understanding and interpretation of issues pertaining to created beings.
End quote from Al-Istiqamah by Ibn Taymiyah, 1/78.
That is not only just because He is the Almighty, the Subduer, Who does whatever He wills; rather it is also because all His actions are based on wisdom, justice and mercy: {How could He Who created not know His own creation, when He is the Knower of subtleties, the All-Aware?} [Al-Mulk 67:14].
II.
This atheist says that God did not create Hawwa’ except a long time after Adam.
It should be said to him: How do you know that?
This is a matter of the unseen that you did not witness, and your knowledge of history has not reached such a level that you could know about it, and neither has the knowledge of other people like you.
If anything has reached you of the stories of the prophets, then first of all you should believe what they say about the oneness, might and majesty of God, and what they have said about unseen matters that was revealed to them, and what they said about Paradise and Hell. Then after that you can think about it, and if you still think that your question is appropriate, then you can ask it.
Otherwise, we ask you for evidence to prove that what you say about this claim is true; produce your evidence, if you are telling the truth.
As for us, this type of question is not something that we would ask in the first place, because of what we said earlier about the most important principle of this religion, which is that we should surrender completely to the Lord of the Worlds.
However, we say to you: what appears to be the case is that there was not such a lengthy time as you claim between the creation of Adam and the creation of Hawwa’, and that Allah created her for him before He caused him to dwell in paradise.
Al-Bukhari (3331) and Muslim (1468) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Deal kindly with women, for woman was created from a rib, and the most crooked part of a rib is its upper part. If you try to straighten it you will break it, and if you leave it alone it will remain crooked. So deal kindly with women.”
Al-Hafiz said: “woman was created from a rib” – Ibn Is-haq also narrated it and added that she was created from a left rib, before [Adam] was admitted to paradise, and it was replaced with flesh.
End quote from Fat-h al-Bari, 6/368.
Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Allah commanded Adam (peace be upon him) to dwell, he and his wife, in Paradise, and He said: {And We said: O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise and eat therefrom in [ease and] abundance from wherever you will. But do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers} [Al-Baqarah 2:35].
And He says in Surat al-A`raf: { And O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise and eat from wherever you will but do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers } [Al-A`raf 7:19].
And He, may He be Exalted, says:
{And [mention] when We said to the angels, "Prostrate to Adam," and they prostrated, except Iblees; he refused.
So We said, "O Adam, indeed this is an enemy to you and to your wife. Then let him not remove you from Paradise so you would suffer.
Indeed, it is [promised] for you not to be hungry therein or be unclothed.
And indeed, you will not be thirsty therein or be hot from the sun} [Ta-Ha 20:116-119].
The context of these verses indicates that the creation of Hawwa’ came before Adam was admitted to Paradise, because Allah says: {O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise } [al-Baqarah 2:35]. This was stated clearly by Ibn Is-haq, and it is the apparent meaning of these verses.
End quote from Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah, 1/81.
III.
What reason is there that there cannot be a purpose and wisdom that the questioner is not able to discern through his reasoning and that we cannot find anywhere? Does the knowledge and reason of humanity encompass everything in the universe, Its upper and lower realms, and what it contains of secrets?
Is it the case that everything that science has failed to discover and find out about its nature and secrets until now, does not exist and there is no hope that we could ever attain that knowledge?
Then what need do scientists have for their knowledge, laboratories, research and observations?
Moreover, what is there to say that there could be another benefit in that [namely Adam not having his wife with him straight away], which is that if Adam felt lonely for a while, he would appreciate the comfort he found in his wife after Allah created her for him?
What is there to say that his wife not being there could not motivate Adam to feel his desperate need for his Lord, and call upon Him and ask Him to meet his need and give him someone to comfort him in his loneliness? This is the servitude that Allah loves from His creation.
Glory be to the One Who possesses perfect wisdom and ultimate proof.
And Allah knows best.