Allah said: "What prevented
you (O Iblis) that you did not postrate when I commanded you?"
Iblis said: "I am better than
him (Adam), You created me from fire and him You created from clay."
Allah said: "O Iblis get down
from this (Paradise), it is not for you to be arrogant here. Get out for you are
of those humiliated and disgraced."
Iblis said: "Allow me respite
till the Day they are raised up (Day of Resurrection)."
Allah said: "You are of those
allowed respite."
Iblis said: "Because You have
sent me astray, surely I will sit in wait against them (human beings) on Your
Straight Path. Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from
their right and from their left and You will not find most of them as thankful
ones (they will not be dutiful to You)."
Allah said: "Get out from
Paradise, disgraced and expelled. Whoever of them (mankind) will follow you,
then surely I will fill Hell with you all."
"And O Adam! Dwell you and
your wife in Paradise, and eat thereof as you both wish, but approach not this
tree otherwise you both will be of the Zalimeen (unjust and wrongdoers)."
Then Satan whispered
suggestions to them both in order to uncover that which was hidden from them of
their private parts before, he said:" Your Lord did not forbid you this tree
save you should become angels or become of the immortals." Satan swore by Allah
to them both saying: "Verily I am one of the sincere well wishers for you both."
So he misled them with
deception. Then when they tasted of the tree, that which was hidden from them of
their shame (private parts) became manifest to them and they began to stick
together the leaves of Paradise over themselves (in order to cover their shame).
Their Lord called out to them saying "Did I not forbid you that tree and tell
you, Verily Satan is an open enemy unto you?"
They said: "Our Lord! We have
wronged ourselves. If You forgive us not, and bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we
shall certainly be of the losers." Allah said: "Get down one of you an enemy to
the other (i.e. Adam, Eve, and Satan etc). On earth will be a dwelling place for
you and an enjoyment, for a time." He said: "therein you shall live, and therein
you shall die, and from it you shall be brought out (resurrected)." (7:11-25 Qur'an).
There are old traditions
about the angels before the creation of Adam. According to Ibn Qatadah, it was
said that the angels were informed about the creation of Adam and his progency
by the jinn who lived before Adam. Abdullah Ibn Umar said that the jinn had
existed for about 2000 years before Adam and then shed blood. Therefore Allah
sent on them an army of angels that drove them out to the depths of the seas.
Ibn Abi Hatim narrated from Ali jafar Al Baqer that the angels were informed
that man would cause wickedness and shed blood on earth. It was also said that
they knew that no one would be created on earth who would not be wicked and shed
blood.
Whether or not these
traditions are correct, the angels did understand that Allah would create a
vicegerent on earth. Allah the Almighty announced that HE was going to create a
human being out of clay, that HE would mold him and blow His spirit into him and
then the angels should prostrate before him.
Abi Musa al Sha'arai narrated
that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Allah created Adam from a
handful of dust taken from different lands, so the children of Adam have been
created according to the composition of the land. Therefore from mankind we have
white, red, black and yellow ones; we have good and evil, ease and sorrow, and
what comes in between them." (Sahih al Bukhari).
Ibn Masud and other
companions of the Prophet (PBUH) said that Allah the Almighty sent Gabriel onto
the earth to said that Allah the Almighty sent Gabriel onto the earth to get Him
clay therefrom. The earth said: "I seek refuge in Allah from your decreasing my
quantity or disfiguring me." So Gabriel returned and did not take anything. He
said: "My Lord, the land sought refuge in You and it granted."
So Allah sent Michael for the
same purpose, and the land sought refuge with Allah and it was granted. So he
went back and said to Allah what Gabriel has said before him.
Then Allah sent the Angel of
Death, and the land sought refuge in Allah, the angel said: "I also seek refuge
with Allah from returning without carrying out His command." So he took clay
from the face of the earth and mixed it. He did not take from one particular
place, but rather he took white, red, and black clay from different places.
The Angel of Death ascended
with it, Allah soaked the clay till it became sticky. Then Allah said to the
angels: "Truly, I am going to create man from clay. So when I have fashioned
him and breathed into him (his) soul created by Me, then you fall down prostrate
to him." (Chapter 38:71-72 Quran).
So Allah shaped Adam into a
human being, but he remaineda figure of clay for 40 years. The angels went past
him. They were seized with fear by what they saw, and Iblis felt fear most. He
used to pass by the figure of Adam, buffeting it, which would make a sound like
pottery. Allah told us: "He created man (Adam) from sounding clay like the
clay of pottery." ( 55:Quran).
When the time drew near to
breathe the spirit into Adam, as Allah decreed, He commanded the angels: "When I
breathe My spirit into him prostrate before him." Allah breathed His spirit into
Adam and when it reached his head Adam sneezed. The angels said: "Say all praise
belongs to Allah." Adam repeated: "All praise belongs to Allah." Allah said to
him: "Your Lord has granted you mercy." When the spirit reached his eyes, Adam
looked at the fruits of Paradise. When it reached his abdomen Adam felt an
appetite for food. He jumped hurriedly before the spirit could reach his legs,
so that he could eat from the fruits of Paradise. Allah, therefore, said:
"Man is created of haste." ( 21:37 Quran). And then: The angels
prostrated themselves all of them together. Except Iblis, he refused to be among
the prostrators. ( 15:31-32 Quran).
Abu Hurairah narrated that
the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: "Allah created Adam from dust after He mixed
the clay and left him for some time until it became sticky mud, after which
Allah shaped him. After that Allah left him till it became like potter's clay.
Iblis used to go past him saying 'You have been created for a great purpose.'
After that Allah breathed His spirit into him. The first thing into which the
spirit passed was his eye and then his nose. He sneezed. Allah said: "May your
Lord have mercy upon you, O Adam! Go to those angels and see what they would
say.' So Adam went and greeted them. they replied saying: "Peace be upon you and
the mercy and blessings of Allah." Allah said: "O Adam! This is your greeting
and that of your offspring." (Sahih al Bukhari).
Allah the Almighty revealed:
Remember when your Lord brought forth from the children of Adam, from their
loins, their seed (or from Adam's loin his offspring) and made them testify as
to themselves saying: "Am I not your Lord?" They said: "Yes! We testify." lest
you should say on the Day of Resurrection. "Verily we have been unaware of
this." Or lest you should say: "It was only our father aforetime who took others
pas partners in worship along with Allah and we were merely their descendants
after them; will you then destroy us because of the deeds of men who practiced
al batil (polytheism) and committing crimes and sins, invoking and worshipping
others besides Allah?"
Thus do We explain the Ayah
(proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations etc) in detail so that
they may turn unto the truth. (7:172-174 Quran).
Adam's progeny declared: "Our
Lord, we bear witness that You are our Lord; we have no other Lord but Allah.
Allah raised their father Adam, and he looked at them and saw those of them who
were rich and those who were poor, and those who had good forms and those who
did not. Adam said: "O Allah! I wish You to make Your servants equal." Allah
replied "I love being thanked." Adam saw among the prophets like lamps among his
progeny.
Almighty Allah declared: Remember when We took from the Prophets their covenant, and from you (o
Muhammad), and from Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus son of Mary. We took from
them a strong covenant. ( 33:7 Quran).
In another verse Allah the
Exalted commanded: "So set you (O Muhammad) your face towards the religion of
pure Islamic Monotheism Hanifan (worship none but Allah Alone) Allah's Fitrah
(Allah's Islamic Monotheism), with which He has created mankind. No change let
there be in khalqillah (the Religion of Allah--Islamic Monotheism), that is the
straight religion, but most men know not." (Ch 30:30 Quran).
Another version of the story
relates that Allah took a handful of the dust of the earth and mixed into it the
colors, white, black, yellow and red. That is the reason why men are born
different colors. When Allah mixed the dust with water, it turned into potter's
clay that makes a sound. It was fermented and had a smell. Iblis passed by,
wondering what was going to be made of that clay. From the clay Allah created
Adam. he molded his form with His own hands and blew His spirit into him. Adam's
body quivered as life was imbued into it. Verily His Command, when He intends
a thing is only that He says to it, "BE!" and it is! ( 37:82 Quran).
Allah the Almighty declared: Verily the likeness of Jesus, in Allah's Sight is the likeness of Adam, He
created him from the dust then He said to him. "Be!" --and he was. (3:59 Quran).
Adam opened his eyes and saw
all the angels prostrating before him except one being who was standing at a
distance Adam did not know what kind of creature it was that did not prostrate
before him nor did he know its name. Iblis was standing with the angels so as to
be included in the command given to them but he was not one of them. He was a
jinn, and as such he was supposed to be inferior to the angels. What is clear is
that this prostration was to show respect and did not mean that the angels were
worshipping Adam. Prostrating in worship is done only for ALLAH.
Almighty Allah recounted the
story of Iblis's refusal to prostate before Adam: Remember when your Lord
said to the angels, "I am going to create a man (Adam) from sounding clay of
altered black smooth mud. So when I have fashioned him completely and breathed
into him (Adam) the soul which I created for him then fall you down prostrating
yourselves unto him." SO the angels prostrated themselves all of them together,
except Iblis, he refused to be among the prostrators. Allah said: "O Iblis! What
is your reason for not being among the prostrators?" Iblis said: "I am not the
one to prostrate myself to a human being, whom You created from sounding clay of
altered black smooth mud." Allah said: "Then get out from here for verily you
are Rajim (an outcast or cursed one). Verily the curse shall be upon you till
Day of Recompense (Day of Resurrection). (15:28-35 Quran).
In another surah Almighty
Allah recounted it thus: Surely
We created you (your father Adam) and then gave you shape (the noble shape of a
human being), then We told the angels, "Prostrate to Adam and they prostrated
except Iblis he refused to be of those who prostrate.
Allah said: "What prevented
you Iblis that you did not prostrate when I commanded you?" Iblis said: "I am
better than him (Adam), You created me from fire and him You created from clay."
Allah said: "Get down from this Paradise, it is not for you to be arrogant here.
Get out, for you are of those humiliated and disgraced." Iblis said: Allow me
respite till the Day of Resurrection)." Allah said: "You are of those allowed
respite." (7:11-15 Quran).
Ibn Jarir reported that
Muhammad Ibn sirin said that the first one to reach a conclusion by reasoning
was Iblis and that the sun and moon were not worshiped except through this
method.
This means that Iblis tried
to compare himself to Adam. He believed that he was more honorable than Adam.
Therefore he abstained from prostrating even though Allah had commanded him to
do so, just as He had commanded the angels. If an analogy is made we see that
Iblis is vain. For indeed clay is better than fire because in it can be found
the qualities of calmness, clemency, perseverance and growth; whereas in fire
can be found heedlessness, insignificance, haste, and incineration.
Iblis tried in vain to
justify his refusal: "Shall I prostrate to one whom You created from clay?"
Iblis said: "See? those whom You have honored above me, if You give me respite
(keep me alive) to the Day of Resurrection, I will surely seize and mislead his
offspring (by sending them astray) all but a few!" (17:62 Quran).
Adam was following what was
happening around him and had feelings of love, awe, and astonishment. Deep love
of Allah,Who had created and glorified him and Who had made His angels prostrate
before him. Awe of the Creator's wrath when He excluded Iblis from His mercy.
Adam was surprised by this creature, Iblis who abhorred hiwithout even knowing
him and who imagined himself better than Adam without having proved that he was
worthier. What a strange creature Iblis was, and how strange was his excuse for
not prostrating!
He imagined that fire is
better than clay, but how did he get such an idea? Such knowledge is exclusive
to Allah Who fire and clay and Who knows which is the better of the two.
From the dialogue Adam
realized that Iblis was a creature characterized by cunning and ingratitude. He
then knew that Iblis was his eternal enemy. He was greatly astonished at Iblis's
audacity and Allah's tolerance. Immediately after his creation Adam witnessed
the large amount of freedom that Allah gives to His commissioned creatures.
Allah knew that Iblis was not
going to obey Him in prostrating before Adam. Allah could have totally
annihilated him or turned him into a handful of dust or stifled the refusal in
his mouth. Yet, Allah gives His commissioned creatures absolute freedom even to
the extent that they can refuse Allah the Almighty's commands. He grants them
the freedom of denial, disobedience, and even disagreement with Him.
His kingdom will not diminish
if the disbelievers do not believe in Him nor will it be extended if many people
believe in Him. On the contrary, the disbelievers will lose, and the believers
will gain but Allah is above all of that.
There were many traditions
about Iblis at the time of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Ibn Masud, Ibn Abbas and a
group of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said that Iblis had been
the head of the angels in the worldly heavens. Ibn Abbas said in one narration
that his name had been Azazil and in another narration he said it had been Al
Harith. Ibn Abbas also said that Iblis was a jinn and that they had once been
the keepers of Paradise, with Iblis the most honorable and the most learned and
the most pious of them. Another tradition says that he had been one of the
famous four possessors of wings (angels), before Allah transformed him into the
accursed Satan.
Allah Almighty recounts
Iblis's disobedience in another surah:
Remember when your Lord said to the
angels: "Truly I am going to create man from clay. So when I have fashioned him
and breathed into him (his) soul created by Me, then you fall down prostrate to
him." So the angels prostrated themselves all of them; except Iblis, he was
proud and was one of the disbelievers.
Allah said: "The truth is,
and the truth I say, that I will fill Hell with you and those of them (mankind)
that follow you together." (38:71-85 Quran).
After this lesson about
freedom Adam learned another lesson, one about knowledge. Adam realized that
Iblis was the symbol of evil in the universe and that the angels were the symbol
of good. However he did not yet know anything about himself. Then Allah made him
perceive his true identity and the reason for his creation, and the secret of
his glorification.
Allah the Exalted said: He
taught Adam all the names of everything. (2:31 Quran).
Almighty Allah granted Adam
the power to know the natures of all things and to summarize them by names; that
is a bird, that is a star, that is a tree, etc Allah implanted in Adam an
insatiable need for and love of knowledge and a desire to bequeath knowledge to
his children. This was the reason for his creation and the secret of his
glorification.
After Adam had learned the
names of all things, along with their properties and uses, Allah presented them
to the angels and said: "Tell Me the names of these if you are truthful."
(2:31 Quran) the angels admitted their inability:
"Glory be to You, we
have knowledge except what You have taught us. Verily it is You the All Knower,
the All Wise." ( 2:32)
Allah Almighty then turned to
Adam: "O Adam! Inform them of their names, " and when he had informed them of
their names, He said: "Did I not tell you that I know the unseen in the heavens
and the earth, and I know what you reveal and what you have been hiding?" (2:33
Quran).
Allah wanted the angels to
know that He knew of their astonishment when He had told them about the creation
of Adam and that He also knew of their confusion which they had not revealed, as
well as what Iblis had concealed of his disobedience and ingratitude.
The angels realized that Adam
was the creature who knew what they did not know and that his capacity to learn
was his noblest quality. His knowledge included knowledge of the Creator which
we call faith or Islam, as well as the knowledge he would need to inhabit and
master the earth. All kinds of worldly knowledge which are included in this.
Adam knew the names of
everything. Sometimes he talked to the angels, but they were preoccupied with
worshipping Almighty Allah. Therefore Adam, felt lonely. One day he slept and
when he awoke he found near his head, a woman gazing at his face with beautiful
tender eyes.
The angels asked him her name
He replied: "Eve (Hawa)." (means living things). They asked: "Why did you call
her Eve?" Adam said: "Because she was created of me and I am a living being."
Ibn Abbas and a group of
companions of the Prophet (PBUH) narrated that when Iblis was sent out of
Paradise and Adam was accommodated therein, Adam was alone in Paradise and did
not have a partner from whom he could get tranquility. He slept for some time
and when he woke up, he saw a woman whom Allah had created from his ribs. So he
asked her, "Who are you? She replied, "A woman" He asked: "Why have you been
created?" She said :"So that you could find tranquility in me." The angels,
trying to find out the extent of his knowledge, asked him: "What is her name O
Adam?" He replied, "Eve" They asked "Why was she so named?" He replied, "
Because she was created from something living."
Muhammad Ibn Ishaaq and Ibn
Abbas related that Eve was created from the shortest left rib of Adam while he
was sleeping and after awhile she was clothed with flesh. that is why Allah the
Exalted said: O Mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a
single person (Adam) and from Him (Adam) He created his wife (Eve), and from
them both He created many men and women. (Ch 4:1) Allah also said: It is
he Who has created you from a single person (Adam) and then He created from him
his wife (Eve), in order that he might enjoy the pleasure of living with her. (
7:189).
Abu Hurairah narrated that
the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: "O Muslims! I advise you to be gentle with
women, for they are created from a rib, and the most crooked portion of the rib
is its upper part. If you try to straighten it, it will break and if you leave
it, it will remain crooked, so I urge you to take care of the women." (Sahih
Bukhari).
Allah commanded Adam to dwell
in Paradise: "O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in the Paradise and eat both of
you freely with pleasure and delight of things therein as wherever you will, but
come not near this tree or you both will be of the Zalimeen (wrong doers).(2:35)
The location of this Paradise
is unknown to us. The Quran did not reveal it, and the commentators had five
different opinions. Some said that it was the paradise of our refuge and that
its place was heaven. Others regreted that statement because if it was the
paradise of refuge Iblis would have been forbidden admission and disobedience
would have been forbidden as well. Still others said that it was another
paradise that was created by Allah for Adam and Eve. A fourth group said it was
a paradise on the earth located in a high place. Another group of commentators
accept what was in the Quran without questioning where this paradise was
located. We agree with this last opinion as the lesson we learn from its
location is immaterial compared to the lesson we leafrom the events that took
place there.
Adam and eve were admitted to
Paradise and there they lived the dream of all human beings. Allah permitted
them to approach and enjoy everything except one tree, that might have been the
Tree of Pain or the Tree of Knowledge. Allah forbade them they were give abode
in Paradise. "But come not near this tree or you both will be of the wrong
doers." (2:35)
Adam and Eve understood that
they were forbidden to eat the fruit of that tree. Adam was however a human
being and man tends to forget. His heart changes and his will weakens. Iblis
summoned all the envy within him and took advantage of Adam's humanity to
exploit him. He started to whisper to him day after day, coaxing him: "Shall I
guide you to thTree of Immortality and the Eternal Kingdom?" He said to them:
"Your Lord did not forbid you this tree save you should become angels or become
of the immortals." He (Satan) swore by Allah to them both saying: "Verily I am
one of the sincere well wishers for you both." (7:20-21)
Adam asked himself: "What
will happen if I eat from this tree? It might truly be the Tree of Immortality."
His dream was to live forever in the pure innocence of Paradise."
Years went by, and Adam and
Eve were preoccupied with thoughts of that tree. Then one day they decided to
eat of its fruit. They forgot that Allah had warned them not to approach it and
that Iblis was their sworn enemy. Adam stretched out his hand, picked one of the
fruits and offered it to Eve. They both ate of the forbidden tree.
Allah Almighty told us:
"So he (Satan) misled them with deception." (Ch 7:22) Allah said: "Thus did Adam
disobey his Lord so he went astray." (20:121).
According to the old
Testament, Eve was tempted by the serpent to eat of the forbidden tree. She ate
because of the words of the serpent and fed Adam some of it. At that moment,
their eyes were opened to the fact that they were naked, and they took the
leaves of the fig tree to cover themselves. Wahb Ibn Munabah said that their
clothing (before their sin) was made of light on the private parts of both of
them.
This story in the Old
Testament is a falsification and deception. Allah the Almighty revealed: O
Children of Adam! Let not Satan deceive you, as he got your parents (Adam and
Eve) out of Paradise stripping them of their rainments; to show them their
private parts. Verily he and Qabiluhu (his soldiers from the jinn or his tribe)
see you from where you cannot see them. Verily, We made the devils (protectors
and helpers) for those who believe not." (Ch 7:27)
Adam had hardly finished
eating when he felt his heart contract, and he as filled with pain, sadness and
shame. The surrounding atmosphere had changed and the internal music had
stopped. He discovered that he and his wife were naked, so they both started
cutting tree leaves with which to cover themselves.
Allah the Almighty addressed
him: "Did I not forbid you that tree and tell you: Verily Satan is an open
enemy unto you?" They said: "Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive
us not, and bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we shall certainly be of the losers."
Allah said; "Get down, one of you an enemy to the other (Adam, Eve, and Satan
etc). On earth will be a dwelling place for you and an enjoyment, for a time."
He said: "Therein you shall live and therein you shall die, and from it you
shall be brought out (resurrected)." (7:22-25).
Again there are old stories
about these events. Al Hafez Ibn Asaker narrated that Allah commanded two angels
to remove Adam from His holy proximity. So Gabriel stripped him of the crown on
his head, and Michael took the diadem from his forehead. Adam thought that his
punishment had been hastened and bowed down crying; "Forgiveness! Forgiveness!"
so Allah asked: "Are you running away from Me?" Adam replied, "No, my Lord, but
I am shy of You."
Abdul Rahman Ibn Amru AL Awza
iy said that Adam spent 100 years in Paradise. In another narration it was said
he spent 60 years. Ibn Asaker reported that Adam wept for 60 years for his loss
of Paradise and 70 years for his mistake, and he wept for another 70 years when
his son was killed.
