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Allah the Almighty recounted this third lesson Adam learned in
Paradise: Indeed We made a covenant with Adam before, but he forgot, and We
found on his part no firm will power. Remember when We said to the angels
"Prostrate yourselves to Adam." They prostrated (all) except Iblis, who refused.
then We said: "O Adam! verily, this is an enemy to you and to your wife. so let
him not get you both out of Paradise, so that you be distressed in misery.
Verily, you have (a promise from Us) that you will never be hungry therein nor
naked. And you will suffer not from thrist therein nor from the sun's heat."
then Satan whispered to him, saying "O Adam! Shall I lead you to the Tree of
Eternity and to a kingdom that will never waste away?" Then they both ate of
that tree, and so their private parts appeared to them, and they began to stick
on themselves the leaves from Paradise for their covering. Thus did Adam disobey
his Lord, so he went astray. Then his Lord chose him, and turned to him with
forgiveness and gave him guidance.
Allah said:
"Get you down (upon the earth), both of you, together from
Paradise, some of you are an enemy to some others. THen if there comes to you
guidance from Me, then whoever follows My Guidance shall neither go astray, nor
fall into distress and misery. But whosoever turns away from My Reminder
(neither believes in this Quran nor acts on its orders etc). Verily, for him is
a life of hardship and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection."
He will say: "O my Lord! Why have you raised me up blind, while I had sight
before." Allah will said: "like this, Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses,
lessons, signs, revelations, etc). came unto you, but you disregarded them (you
left them, did not think deeply in them, and you turned away from them), and so
this Day, you will be neglected in the Hellfire, away from Allah's Mercy.)"
And thus do We requite him who transgresses beyond bounds (commits the great
sins and disobeys his Lord (allah) and believes not in His Messengers, and His
revealed Books, like this Quran etc), and believes not in the Ayat (proofs,
evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc). of his Lord, and the
torment of the Hereafter is far more severe and more lasting. (
20:115-127)
Some people believe that the reason why mankind does not dwell in
Paradise is that Adam was disobedient and that if it had not been for this sin,
we could have been there all along. These are naive fictions because when Allah
wanted to create Adam, He said to the angels, "I shall make a vicegerent on the
earth." He did not say, "I shall make a vicegerent in Paradise."
Adam's descent on earth, then, was not due to degradation but
rather it was dignified descent. Allah knew that Adam and Eve would eat of the
tree and descend to earth. He knew that Satan would rape their innocence. That
experience was essential for their life on earth; it was a cornerstone of their
vicegerency. It was meant to teach Adam, Eve, and their progeny that it was
Satan who had caused them to be expelled from Paradise and that the road to
Paradise can only be reached by obedience to Allah and enmity to Satan.
Could it be said that Adam and the rest of mankind were
predestined to sin and to be expelled from Paradise and sent to the earth? In
fact, this fiction is as naive as the first one.
Adam complete free will, and he bore the consequences of his deed.
He disobeyed by eating of the forbidden tree, so Allah dismissed him from
Paradise. His disobedience does not negate his freedom. On the contrary it is a
consequence of it.
The truth of the matter is that Allah knew what was going to
happen, as He always know the outcome of events before they take place. However
Allah does not force things to happen. He grants free will to His human
creatures. On that He bases His supreme wisdom in populating the earth,
establishing the vicegerents, and so on.
Adam understood his 3rd lesson. He knew now in a practical way
that Iblis was his enemy, the cause of his losing the blessing of living in
Paradise, and the cause of his distress. Adam also understood that Allah
punishes disobedience and that the way of Paradise has to be through submission
to the will of Allah. And he learned from Allah Almighty to ask for
forgiveness.
Allah accepted Adam's repentance and forgave him. He then sent him
to the earth as His first messenger.
Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger (PBUH) said: "Adam and
Moses argued with each other. Moses said to Adam: 'Your sin expelled you from
Paradise.' Adam said: ' You are Moses whom Allah selected as His messenger and
as the one to whom He spoke directly. Yet you blame me for a thing which had
already been written in my fate before my Creation?" Allah's Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH) said twice, "So Adam outclassed Moses." (Sahih Bukhari).
Umar Ibn Al Khattab also narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
said: "Moses (PBUH) said: 'My Lord! May I see Adam who removed us and himself
from the Paradise?" so Allah made him see Adam and he said to him: "Are you
Adam?" Adam said: "yes." And he said "Were you the one in Whom Allah breathed
His spirit and before whom He bowed His angels and to whom He taught the names
of all things?" Adam answered: "yes." so Moses said: "What made you remove us
and yourself from Paradise.?"
Adam said: "Who are you?" Moses said: I am Moses." Adam said: "So
you are Moses the prophet of the Children of Israel. Were you the one Allah
spoke to directly?" Moses answered "yes." Adam said: "Why do you blame me for a
matter which Allah had predestined?" So Allah’s Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said
twice. "Adam outclassed Moses." (Sahih al Bukhari).
there are many traditions concerning the place of Adam's descent
upon earth. Ibn Abi Hatim narrated that Ibn Abbas said: "Adam descended on land
'Dihna' between Mecca and taif." AL Hassan said that Adam descended in India and
Eve in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Iblis Bodistiman (Iraq), and the serpent in
Ashahan (Iran). This last was also reported by Ibn Hatim.
Ass'ady related that Adam descended with the Black Stone (a large
black stone set into the wall of the ka'ba in Mecca. It is said to have come
from Paradise) in India, and he had a handful of the seeds of Paradise. He sowed
them in India and they grew into the fragrant tree therein.
Ibn Umar said that Adam descended on As-Safa and Eve on Al Marwa (
names of two mountains in the vicinity of the sacred house in Mecca. Part of the
rites of pilgrimage (hajj) includes pacing between these two hills in
commemoration of H's search for water). This was also reported by Ibn Hatim.
Abdul Razzaq reported that Abi Musa Al-shari said that when Allah ordered Adam
to descend from Paradise to earth, He taught him the making of everything and
provided him with the crops from Paradise.
Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: "The
best of days on which the sun has risen is Friday. One this day Adam was
created, and on this day he was descended to earth." (al Bukhari)
Adam knew he bade farewell to peace and he left Paradise. On earth
he had to face conflict and struggle. No sooner had one ended than another
began. He also had to toil to sustain himself. He had to protect himself with
clothes and weapons and protect his wife and children from the wild beasts.
Above all he had to struggle with the spirit of evil. Satan, the cause of his
expulsion from Paradise, continued to beguile him and his children in an effort
to have them thrown into the eternal hellfire. The battle between good and evil
is continuous, but those who follow Allah's guidance and should fear nothing
while those who disobey Allah and follow Iblis will be damned along with him.
Adam grasped all of this and with the knowledge of this suffering
he started his life on the earth. The only thing that allowed his grief was that
he was master of the earth and had to make it yield to him. He was the one who
had to perpetuate, cultivate and construct and populate the earth. He was also
the one who had to procreate and raise children who would change and improve the
world.
The pinnacle of earthly bliss was reached when Adam and Eve
witnessed the birth of their 1st children, a set of twins. Adam was a devoted
father and Eve a contented mother. The twins were Cain (Qabil) and his sister.
Later Eve gave birth to a second set of twins, Abel (Habil) and his sister. The
family enjoyed the bounties and fruits of the earth provided by their Lord. The
children grew up to be strong and healthy young adults. Cain tilled the land
while Abel raised cattle.
The time arrived when the two young men desired life partners.
This was part of Allah’s plan for mankind, to multiply and form nations with
different cultures and colors. Allah revealed to Adam that he should marry each
son to the twin sister of the other. Adam instructed his children according to
Allah's command, but Cain was displeased with the partner chosen for him, for
Abel's twin sister was not as beautiful as his own.
It appears that since the beginning of time, physical beauty has
been a factor in the attraction between man and women. This attraction caused
Cain to envy his brother Abel. He rebelled against Allah's command by refusing
to accept his father's advice.
At first glance Cain's rebellion might appear strange, but we
should remember that although man has a pure nature, the potential for dichotomy
exists. In other words, he had both good and bad qualities. He can become
greedy, covetous,possessive, selfish and even destructive. Man is, therefore
capable of seeking self-satisfaction even if it leads to failure in this life
and in the hereafter. The path to goodness lies in harnessing the enemy within
him, his baser self by controlling evil thoughts and deeds and practicing
moderation in his desires and actions. His reward then will be the delights of
this world and the hereafter. Thus Allah tests us through our divided nature.
Adam was in a dilemma. He wanted peace and harmony in his family,
so he invoked Allah for help. Allah commanded that each son offer a sacrifice,
and he whose offering was accepted would have right on his side. Abel offered
his best camel while Cain offered his worst grain. His sacrifice was not
accepted by Allah because of his disobedience to his father and the insincerity
in his offering.
This enraged Cain even further. Realizing that his hopes marrying
his own beautiful sister were fading, he threatened his brother. "I will kill
you! I refuse to see you happy while I remain unhappy!"
Abel feeling sorry for his brother, replied, "It would be more
proper for you, my brother to search for the cause of your unhappiness and then
walk in the way of peace. Allah accepts the deeds only from those who serve and
fear Him, not from those who reject His Commands."
Abel was intelligent, obedient, and always ready to obey the will
of Allah. This contrasted sharply with his brother who was arrogant, selfish and
disobedient to his Lord. Abel did not fear his brother's threats, but neither
did he want his brother to be hurt, Allah had blessed Abel with purity and
compassion.
Hoping to allay the hatred seething in his brother Abel said, " My
brother, you are deviating from the right path and are sinful in your decisions.
It is better that you repent to Allah and forget about your foolish threat. But
if you do not then I will leave the matter in the hands of Allah. You alone will
bear the consequence of your sin, for the Fire is the reward of the
wrong-doers."
This brotherly plea did nothing to lessen the hatred in Cain's
heart, nor did he show fear of Allah's punishment. Even familial considerations
were cast aside. Cain struck his brother with a stone killing him instantly.
This was the 1st death and the 1st criminal act committed by man on earth.
When Abel had not appeared for some time, Adam began to search for
him but found no trace of his beloved son. He asked Cain about Abel's
whereabouts. Cain insolently replied that he was not his brother's keeper nor
his protector. From these words his father understood that Abel was dead and
Adam was filled with grief.
Meanwhile Cain did not know what to do with his brother's corpse.
He carried it on his back wandering from place to place trying to hide it. His
anger had now subsided and his conscience was saddled with guilt. He was tiring
under the burden of the corpse which had started to have a stench. As a mercy,
and to show that dignity could be retained even in death, Allah sent two ravens
that began fighting, causing the death of one. The victorious bird used its beak
and claws to dig a hole in the ground, rolled its victim into it and covered it
with sand.
Witnessing this, Cain was overcome with shame and remorse. "Woe
unto me!" he exclaimed. "I was unable to do what this raven has done, that is to
hide my brother's corpse." Cain then buried his brother. This was also the 1st
burial of man.
Allah the Almighty revealed: And (O Muhammad) recite to them
(the Jews) the story of the two sons of Adam (Abel and Cain) in truth; when each
offered a sacrifice to Allah, it was accepted from the one but not from the
other. The latter said to the former; "I will surely kill you."
the former said: "Verily Allah accepts only from those who are Al
Muttaqeen (the pious). If you do stretch your hand against me to kill me I shall
never stretch my hand against you to kill you, for I fear Allah; the Lord of the
Alameen (mankind, jinn, and all that exists). Verily I intend to let you draw my
sin onyourself as well as yours then you will be one of the dwellers of the
Fire, and that is the recompense of the Zalimeen (polytheists, and wrongdoers)."
So the self of the other (latter one) encouraged him and made fair
seeming to him the murder of his brother; he murdered him and became one of the
losers. Allah sent a crow who scratched the ground to show him to hide the dead
body of his brother. He (the murderer) said: "Woe to me! Am I not even able to
be as this crow and to hide the dead body of my brother?" Then he became one of
those who regretted. ( 5:27-31).
Ibn Abbas, Ibn Masud and a group of the companions of the Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) related that inter-marriage of the male of one pregnancy with
the female of another had been in practice among Adam's children. Abel wanted to
marry Cain's sister, but Cain wanted her for himself because she was very
beautiful. Adam ordered him to give her in marriage to his brother but he
refused. SO Adam ordered both of them to offer a sacrifice, then went to Mecca
to perform the pilgrimage. After Adam had left, they offered their sacrifices;
Abel offered a fat lamb, he was a shepherd, while Cain offered a bundle of worst
grain. fire descended and devoured Abel's sacrifice, leaving that of Cain so he
became angry and said: "I will surely kill you so that you will not marry my
sister." Abel replied, "Allah accepts from those who fear Him."
According to Abu Ja'afar al Baqer, Adam was watching their
offering and was sure that Abel's sacrifice would be accepted. Cain complained
to Adam that the acceptance was due to his supplication for Abel and that he had
not done the same for him, so he promised his father to settle the matter
between himself and his brother. One night, Abel was late returning from tending
his flock. Adam sent Cain to see what happened to him. When he found him, he
glared at him saying: "yours was accepted, and mine was not." Abel replied,
"Allah only accepts from the Allah-fearing." Cain became angry on hearing this
and hit him with a piece of iron that was with him and thus killing him. In
another version it was said that he killed him with a rock to the head while he
was sleeping.
Adam was utterly grief stricken by the loss of his two sons. One
was dead, the other was won over by the devil. Adam prayed for his son and
turned to mundane matters for he had to toil for his sustenance. At the same
time he was a prophet advising his children and grandchildren, telling them
about Allah and calling them to believe in Him. He told them about Iblis and
warned them by recounting his own experience with the devil and of how the devil
had tempted Cain to kill his brother.
Years and years passed, Adam grew old and his children spread all
over the earth. Muhammad Ibn Ishaq related that when Adam's death drew near, he
appointed his son Seth to be his successor and taught him the hours of the day
and night along with their appropriate acts of worship. He also foretold to him
the floor that would come.
Abu Dhar narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: "Allah
sent down 104 psalms, of which 50 were sent down to Seth."
Abdullah Ibn Al Iman Ahmad Ibn Hanbal narrated that Ubai Ibn Kab
said: "When Adam's death was near, he said to his children: "O my children,
indeed I feel an appetite for the fruits of Paradise."
So they went away searching for what Adam had requested. They met
with the angels, who had with them his shroud and what he was to be embalmed
with. They said to them: "O Children of Adam, what are you searching for? What
do you want? Where are you going?"
They said: "Our father is sick and has an appetite for the fruits
of Paradise."
the angels said to them: "Go back, for your father is going to
meet his end soon."
So they returned (with the angels) and when Eve saw them she
recognized them. She tried to hide herself behind Adam. He said to her. "Leave
me alone. I came before you; do not go between me and the angels of my Lord.' So
they took his soul, embalmed and wrapped him, dug the grave and laid him in it.
They prayed on him and put him in his grave, saying: 'O Children of Adam, this
is your tradition at the time of death.""
Before his death Adam reassured his children that Allah would not leave man
alone on the earth, but would sent His prophets to guide them. the prophets
would have different names, traits and miracles, but they would be united in one
thing; the call to worship Allah alone. This was Adam's bequest to his children.
Adam finished speaking and closed his eyes. Then the angels entered his room and
surrounded him. When he recognized the Angel of Death among them, his heart
smiled peacefully.
After Adam's death, his soth Seth (Shiith) took over the responsibilities of
prophethood, according to a hadith narrated by Abu Dhar. Abu Dhar narrated that
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: "Allah sent down one hundred and four psalms, of
which fifty were sent down to Seth." (Sahih al Bukhari) When the time of his
death came Seth's son Anoush succeeded him. He in turn, was succeeded by his son
Qinan, claim that Mahlabeel was the King of the Seven Regions, that he was the
first one to cut down trees to build cities and large forts and that he built
the cities of Babylonia. He reigned for a period of forty years. When he died
his duties were taken ov er by his son Yard, who on his death, bequeathed them
to his son Khonoukh, who is Idris (pbuh) according to the majority of the
scholars.
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