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I was told Prophet Adam (PBUH) was very tall...

Is that true and how tall?

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In the hadith below it says 60 cubits tall. That’s about 90 feet.

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet said, "Allah created Adam, making him 60 cubits tall. When He created him, He said to him, "Go and greet that group of angels, and listen to their reply, for it will be your greeting (salutation) and the greeting (salutations of your offspring." So, Adam said (to the angels), As-Salamu Alaikum (i.e. Peace be upon you). The angels said, "As-salamu Alaika wa Rahmatu-l-lahi" (i.e. Peace and Allah's Mercy be upon you). Thus the angels added to Adam's salutation the expression, 'Wa Rahmatu-l-lahi,' any person who will enter Paradise will resemble Adam (in appearance and figure). People have been decreasing in stature since Adam's creation. (Sahih al-Bukhari 3326)

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Yes, there are sahih hadiths that mention that.

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "Allah created Adam, making him 60 cubits tall. When He created him, He said to him, "Go and greet that group of angels, and listen to their reply, for it will be your greeting (salutation) and the greeting (salutations of your offspring." So, Adam said (to the angels), As-Salamu Alaikum (i.e. Peace be upon you). The angels said, "As-salamu Alaika wa Rahmatu-l-lahi" (i.e. Peace and Allah's Mercy be upon you). Thus the angels added to Adam's salutation the expression, 'Wa Rahmatu-l-lahi,' Any person who will enter Paradise will resemble Adam (in appearance and figure). People have been decreasing in stature since Adam's creation.

حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ، عَنْ هَمَّامٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ آدَمَ وَطُولُهُ سِتُّونَ ذِرَاعًا، ثُمَّ قَالَ اذْهَبْ فَسَلِّمْ عَلَى أُولَئِكَ مِنَ الْمَلاَئِكَةِ، فَاسْتَمِعْ مَا يُحَيُّونَكَ، تَحِيَّتُكَ وَتَحِيَّةُ ذُرِّيَّتِكَ‏.‏ فَقَالَ السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ‏.‏ فَقَالُوا السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ‏.‏ فَزَادُوهُ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ‏.‏ فَكُلُّ مَنْ يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ عَلَى صُورَةِ آدَمَ، فَلَمْ يَزَلِ الْخَلْقُ يَنْقُصُ حَتَّى الآنَ ‏"‏‏.‏

[Sahih Bukhari], with other versions here and here.

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It is true Adam was 90ft tall. Allah initially made humans very tall, and mankind has been decreasing in height ever since.

The Prophet said, "Allah created Adam, making him 60 cubits tall. When He created him, He said to him, "Go and greet that group of angels, and listen to their reply, for it will be your greeting (salutation) and the greeting (salutations of your offspring." So, Adam said (to the angels), As-Salamu Alaikum (i.e. Peace be upon you). The angels said, "As-salamu Alaika wa Rahmatu-l-lahi" (i.e. Peace and Allah's Mercy be upon you). Thus the angels added to Adam's salutation the expression, 'Wa Rahmatu-l-lahi,' Any person who will enter Paradise will resemble Adam (in appearance and figure). People have been decreasing in stature since Adam's creation.

(Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 55, Number 543)

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There are two branches of thought regarding the hadith of Adam's height (i.e. "Allah created Adam, making him 60 cubits tall."); while some scholars consider it wholly authentic, other scholars (including Sunni scholar Ramzi Noanea in his book الإسرائيليات وأثرها في كتب التفسير) consider it to be Isra'iliyat as similar narrations can be found in the Talmud.

Of special note is the fact that this hadith was narrated through Abu Hurairah, who was known to be Jewish before he accepted Islam and thus presumably knowledgeable in the Israi'iliyat stories. He is considered an unreliable narrator by many scholars (predominantly Shi'a), due in part to the abnormally high number of narrations attributed to him and his own admittance to speaking of his own volition.

For reference, a few of Jewish sources regarding the height of Adam (as can be found in this related question) follow:

The Talmud (Chagiga 12A) says that Adam was created as tall as one end of the heavens to the other (also described as from earth to the heavens), but after he sinned G-d made him smaller.

Rashi (Baba Batra 75A) explains that when G-d made Adam smaller, he shrunk him to 100 Cubits.

Further Reading:

Some of references mentioned in above links:

  • سیوطی، جلال الدین، تفسیر درالمنثور، ج 1، ص 48 و ابن کثیر، قصص الأنبیاء من القرآن و الأثر، ص 53

  • نجمی، محمد صادق، سیری در صحیحین، ص 150

  • جزائری نعمت الله، قصص الأنبیاء، ترجمه‌ی فاظمه‌ی مشایخ، ص 50

  • تین، آیه‌ی

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