وَقُلْنَا يَا آدَمُ اسْكُنْ أَنْتَ وَزَوْجُكَ الْجَنَّةَ وَكُلَا مِنْهَا رَغَدًا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمَا وَلَا تَقْرَبَا هَٰذِهِ الشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُونَا مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ

فَأَزَلَّهُمَا الشَّيْطَانُ عَنْهَا فَأَخْرَجَهُمَا مِمَّا كَانَا فِيهِ

وَقُلْنَا اهْبِطُوا بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ

وَلَكُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ مُسْتَقَرٌّ وَمَتَاعٌ إِلَىٰ حِينٍ

"And We said, "O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise, and eat at pleasure wherever you like, but do not go near this tree or you shall join the transgressors." Then, Satan caused them to slip from it, and brought them out of where they had been. And We said, "Go down, you all, some of you enemies of some; and on the earth there will be for you a dwelling place and enjoyment for a time." [2: 35-36]

This is a continuation of the story of Adam (عليه السلام). When his superiority over the angels and his fitness for the role of viceregent had been announced to the angels and been acknowledged by them, and Iblis had been condemned as an infidel and expelled from Paradise on account of his pride and his defiance of divine authority, Adam (عليه السلام) and Hawwa (Eve) (عليها السلام), his wife, received a command from Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) to live in Paradise and enjoy its blessings. But they were also instructed not to eat the fruit of a particular tree. Now, having been disgraced because of Adam (عليه السلام), Iblees or Satan had an account to settle with him, and as soon as he got the opportunity, he tricked them into eating from this tree. Because of this error on their part, they too were ordered to leave Paradise, and to go down and live on the earth. They were at the same time warned that their existence on the earth would no longer be full of perpetual bliss as it had been in Paradise, but that there would be dissension and enmity among men, their progeny, which would spoil the joy of earthly life.

Since these events took place after Adam (عليه السلام) had been created and the angels had been commanded to prostrate themselves before him, some scholars have concluded from it that the creation of Adam (عليه السلام) and the prostration of the angels took place somewhere outside Paradise, and that he was sent there later on. But the words of the Holy Qur'an do not exclude the other interpretation that both the events took place in Paradise, but that he had not been told at that time where he was to live, which was done later.

When Adam (عليه السلام) and Hawwa (عليها السلام) were sent to live in Paradise, they were allowed to eat whatever they liked 'at pleasure' - the Arabic word in the text being 'Raghadan', which signifies provision for which one does not have to work, and which is never exhausted nor falls short. Thus, their life was totally free from all care.

They were commanded not to go near a certain tree - which was an emphatic way of asking them not to eat its fruit. The tree has not been given a specific name either in the Holy Qur'an or in the Hadith. Some commentators say that it was wheat, others say that it was a fig-tree or a grape-vine. But it is not really necessary to make specific what the Holy Qur'an has left vague. (See Qurtubi)

[Note: Even the Bible does not name the tree. As to the apple being the fruit concerned, it is only a popular misunderstanding arising from the fact that the Latin word "Malum" means an "apple" as well as a "sin, or evil."]

According to the Holy Qur'an, it was Satan who 'caused them to slip' (azallahuma). It clearly shows that the error and disobedience of Adam (عليه السلام) and Hawwa (عليها السلام) was not of the kind which technically constitutes a sin, but arose out of a misunderstanding produced by Satan. They ate the forbidden fruit, because Satan had cleverly deceived them.

[Note: We may note that in the previous episode the Holy Qur'an used the name Iblis - a word which comes from the root Balas, 'to be disappointed', and hence signifies "one who has lost all hope of receiving the grace of Allah." In the present episode he has been called Al-Shaytaan - a word which comes from the root Shatn, "to be far away", and hence sigflifies "one who has been removed far away from the mercy of Allah." Iblis is a proper name, while Shaytan is the name of a genus. When the Holy Qur'an speaks of Al-Shaytan, it always refers to Iblis. But the common noun Shaytan, or its plural Shayateen refers to the genus, which includes men and jinns both. It would be interesting to add that the root Shayt means 'the excess of anger and rage', and may possibly be the basis of the word Shaytaan.]

A question arises here as to how Satan got into Paradise for seducing Adam (عليها السلام) and Hawwa' (عليها السلام) when he had already been expelled from there for refusing to prostrate himself. There are many possible ways in which he can have played his trick. Possibly he never met them, but planted the suggestion in their minds from afar - a thing which Satan can always do, and of which we have a specimen in the work of the hypnotists. It is equally possible that Satan, being one of the jinns whom Allah has given certain unusual powers denied to man, assumed the shape of a snake or of something else, and thus succeeded in entering Paradise. Perhaps it was because of this disguise that Adam (عليه السلام) did not remember Allah's warning that Satan was his enemy. According to the Holy Qur'an, Satan assured them on oath that he was one of their well-wishers (7:21). It apparently suggests that he did actually meet them, and speak to them face to face.

The Holy Qur'an says that Satan "brought them out" of the state in which they had been living. In actual fact, they were 'brought out' under a divine command, but since Satan served as a means and as an intermediary, the action has been attributed to him.

[Note: The words of the Holy Qur'an do not in the least imply that Satan had any power whatsoever to act on his own. So, any Manichean dualism is totally out of the question.]

In commanding Adam (عليه السلام) and Hawwaa' (عليها السلام) to go down from Paradise, Allah also said, 'Some of you (shall be the) enemies of some.' If Satan had not been turned out of the skies till then, he is included in this address, the implication being that the enmity between Satan on the one hand, and Adam 9عليه السلام) and Hawwa' (عليها السلام) and their progeny on the other, would continue on the earth too. But if Satan, as scme scholars maintain, had already been expelled, then the addressces are Adam (عليه السلام) and Hawwa' (عليها السلام) and their progeny; the implication would now be that Adam (عليه السلام) and Hawwa' (عليها السلام) would have to undergo a double punishment, firstly that of being banished from Paradise, secondly that of seeing enmity arise among their children which must make life unpleasant for parents. (Bayan al-Qur'an)

They were also told that the earth would be a temporary dwellingplace for them, and that they would have to leave it too, which also meant that they would not find real peace of mind there.

Adam (عليه السلام) and Hawwa' (عليها السلام) in Paradise

(1) In allowing Adam (عليه السلام) and Hawwa' (عليها السلام) to eat at pleasure, and in forbidding them to go near the tree, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) used, according to the text of the Holy Qur'an, the verbs for the dual number, thus including both in the address. But in asking them to live in Paradise Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) did not address both of them, but said: "You and your wife." This form of address yields two legal principles: (a) the husband is responsible for providing a dwelling-place for his wife (b) for the purpose of dwelling the wife is dependent on the husband, and she must live in the house in which her husband lives.

(2) In this context the Arabic word 'uskun (live) suggests that their stay in Paradise was to be temporary, not permanent which is a usual condition for the ownership of a house. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) did not say that Paradise had been given to them, but only asked them to live there, for Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) knew that certain things were going to happen on account of which they would have to leave this dwelling-place. Moreover, the right to 'own' a dwelling-place in Paradise is earned through 'Iman (faith) and good deeds, which one can acquire only after the Day of Judgment. The Fuqahaa' (jurists) have derived from it the principle that, if a man asks someone to live in his house, the other man does not thereby acquire the ownership of the house nor the right to a permanent stay. (Qurtubi)

(3) In allowing Adam (عليه السلام) and Hawwa' (عليها السلام) to eat at pleasure, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) used the verb for the dual number, and said: 'eat both of you.' This indicates that in the matter of food the wife is not subservient to her husband, but can eat whatever she needs or likes, as can the husband.

(4) Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) also allowed them to eat from wherever they liked. This shows that man has the right to move freely from one place to another according to his needs or wishes.

(5) Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) did not want them to eat the fruits of a certain tree, but as a precautionary measure He commanded them not to approach it even. It is from here that the Fuqaha' have derived one of the basic principles of Islamic law, which requires that the things or actions which are likely to serve as means to sin or as its instruments are equally forbidden. That is to say, there are certain things which are not forbidden in themselves, but when there is a danger that in making use of them a man would become involved in an unlawful activity, they too have to be forbidden.

The Prophets (عليهم السلام) are innocent of all sins

(6) As we have seen here, Adam (عليه السلام) had been forbidden to eat the fruit of a certain tree, and had also been warned against the machinations of his enemy, Satan, and yet he had eaten the forbidden fruit. It is seemingly a sin, while the Holy Qur'an, the Hadith and rational arguments too establish the innocence and sinlessness of all the prophets (عليهم السلام).

There is an absolute consensus of the four great Imams of Islamic law and of all the authentic scholars on the doctrine that each and every prophet (عليهم السلام) is innocent of and protected against all sins, major or minor. Some people have suggested that prophets (عليهم السلام) are not protected against minor sins, but the majority of authentic scholars does not agree with this opinion. (Qurtubi) It is necessary for prophets (عليهم السلام) to be thus protected, because they are sent down to be the guides of men - if a guide can go against the commandments of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) and commit a sin, major or even minor, people would no longer be ready to trust his word or deed. If one cannot have trust and faith even in the prophets, how can the work of spiritual guidance be possible? Hence the necessity of prophets (عليهم السلام) being sinless.

The Holy Qur'an does, however, relate certain incidents which tend to suggest that a certain prophet committed a sin, and drew upon himself the displeasure of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى). The story about Adam (عليه السلام) eating the forbidden fruit is one such instance. According to the consensus of the authentic scholars, in all cases a prophet comes to commit an error through a misunderstanding or just forgetfulness, and it is never a deliberate and wilful transgression of divine commandment. As is wellknown, a Mujtahid is one who possesses the necessary qualifications for finding out through analogical deduction the rule for a case regarding which no specific commandment is present in the Holy Qur'an or the Hadith; he makes a mistake in determining the rule, he still receives a reward from Allah (عليه السلام) for having made the effort. The mistake made by a prophet is always of this nature, or is due to oversight andhence pardonable, and cannot be called a 'sin' in the technical sense. Moreover, a prophet, being under the protection of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى), can never show oversight or forgetfulness in things which are directly concerned with his prophetic and legislative function, but only in personal matters. (see al-Bahr al-Muhit)

The station of the prophets (عليهم السلام), however, is so exalted, that even a little oversight on the part of a great man is considered to be a great error. That is why such slips on the parts of certain prophets (عليهم السلام) have been described in the Holy Quran as 'sins', and Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) has shown his displeasure too, although they are not 'sins' in their nature.

As for the error committed by Adam (عليه السلام) commentators have advanced several explanations:-

(a) A certain tree was pointed out to Adam (عليه السلام) as being forbidden. But it was not this particular tree alone that was intended, but all the trees of this kind. The hadeeth too relates a similar case. Holding a piece of silk and some gold in his hand, the Holy Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said that those two things were forbidden to the men in his Ummah. Obviously the ban does not apply to these very pieces of silk and gold alone, but to silk and gold as such. But it is quite possible for someone to imagine that only the particular pieces which the Holy Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) held in his hand were forbidden. Similarly, Adam (عليه السلام) thought that the prohibition applied only to the particular tree which had been pointed out to him. Satan exploited this misunderstanding, and assured him on oath that, being a well-wisher, he could never advise him to do something which was wrong or harmful, and that the forbidden tree was quite different, and not the one from which he was asking him to pluck a fruit.

(b) Satan may have suggested to Adam (عليه السلام) that the prohibition was valid only upto a period after he had been created, just as infants are denied heavy food till they have grown up, and that since Adam (عليه السلام) had now grown stronger, the ban too had been lifted.

(c) It is equally possible that, when Satan told him that if he ate this fruit, the eternal bliss of Paradise would be guaranteed for him, Adam (عليه السلام) forgot the prohibition. This verse of the Holy Qur'an seems to give credence to such a possibility: "Adam forgot, and We did not find him steadfast." (20:115)

Anyhow, the essential point is that Adam (عليه السلام) did not deliberately and wilfully disobey Allah (سبحانه وتعالى); all that he did was an act of oversight or the kind of mistake which a Mujtahid can make. The error was not, properly speaking, a sin, but Adam (عليه السلام) being so close to Allah (سبحانه وتعالى), and in view of his station of a prophet, even this lapse was regarded as very serious, and described as a 'sin' in the Holy Qur'an. But the Holy Qur'an tells us that when he repented and prayed for pardon, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) forgave him. [Ma'ariful Qur'an]

» Posted by Seifeddine-M on 16th January 2011

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