The Creation Before Adam and the Meaning of the Verse on Corruption

Question:
May Allah reward you. A questioner asks: Was there any creation on earth before our father Adam (peace be upon him)? And what is the meaning of the statement of Allah the Exalted: ?

Answer:
There is nothing in the Book or the Sunnah indicating that a people inhabited the earth before Adam (peace be upon him). However, statements have come from some of the exegetes among the Companions and the Tabi'un. Some of them said that humans were the first to inhabit this earth, and that Adam (peace be upon him) was the first of them, with no one before him, whether from the jinn, the humans, or anyone else. 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd held this view. Others said that the verse mentioning the statement of Allah the Exalted: , was about the jinn, and that they were the first to inhabit the earth, corrupt in it, and shed blood. This is the view of Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him). And Allah the Exalted knows best.