Stories of the Prophets
Adam (AS) – Part 2
(August 28, 2020)
الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على سيد المرسلين وعلى آله وأصحابه أجمعين
Who is Satan?
As mentioned before, Satan is a creature from the world of the Jinn. The Jinn are a creation of Allah made from fire. They are separate and different from both the angels and mankind; however, like mankind, they possess the power of reason and can choose between good and evil. The Jinn existed before the creation of Adam (AS), and Satan (Iblees) was the most righteous among the jinn, so much so that he was elevated to a high position to be in the company of the angels.
Being envious and jealous of Adam (AS), Satan had vowed to Allah that he would misguide and deceive Adam and his descendents. The Qur’an reports him as saying:
لَأَقْعُدَنَّ لَهُمْ صِرَاطَكَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ () ثُمَّ لَآَتِيَنَّهُمْ مِنْ بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ وَعَنْ أَيْمَانِهِمْ وَعَنْ شَمَائِلِهِمْ وَلَا تَجِدُ أَكْثَرَهُمْ شَاكِرِينَ
“Surely I will sit in wait against them on Your Straight Path. Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left, and then You will find most of them ungrateful.” (al-A’raf, 7:16-17)
Satan did not say to Adam and Eve “go eat from that tree” nor did he out rightly tell them to disobey Allah. He whispered into their hearts and planted disturbing thoughts and desires. He said to Adam and Eve,
مَا نَهَاكُمَا رَبُّكُمَا عَنْ هَذِهِ الشَّجَرَةِ إِلَّا أَنْ تَكُونَا مَلَكَيْنِ أَوْ تَكُونَا مِنَ الْخَالِدِينَ
“Your Lord has forbidden you this tree so that you do not become angels or immortal.” (al-A’raf, 7:20)
Upon hearing this Adam turned toward Satan. This was his mistake. At this juncture, let’s not forget that Adam was a Prophet, He did not sin intentionally rather he forgot. Allah says:
وَلَقَدْ عَهِدْنَا إِلَى آَدَمَ مِنْ قَبْلُ فَنَسِيَ وَلَمْ نَجِدْ لَهُ عَزْمًا
“And indeed, We once made a covenant with Adam, but he forgot, and ˹so˺ We did not find determination in him.” (Ta Ha 20:115)
The minds of Adam and Eve became filled with thoughts of the tree, and one day they decided to eat from it. They behaved as all human beings do. They became preoccupied with their own thoughts and the whisperings of Satan and they forgot the warning from Allah.
Islam in no way indicates that Eve was the weaker of the two, or that she tempted Adam to disobey Allah. Eating the fruit of the tree was a mistake committed by both Adam and Eve. They bear equal responsibility. It was not the original sin spoken about in Christian traditions. Islam has no concept of original sin. Each person bears responsibility for his own deeds. Allah says in the Qur’an:
وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ
“And no bearer of burdens shall bear another’s burden.” (Fatir, 35:18)
Every human being is responsible for his or her actions and is born pure and free from sin. The descendents of Adam are not being punished for the sins of their original parents. Together, Adam and Eve realized their disobedience, felt remorse and begged for Allah’s forgiveness. Allah, in his infinite mercy and wisdom, forgave them both.
Hence, there is no need for God, a son of God, or even a Prophet of God to sacrifice himself for mankind’s sins in order to buy forgiveness. Islam refuses this view entirely. The foundation of Islam rests on knowing with certainty that nothing should we worshipped but Allah alone. Forgiveness emanates from the One True Allah; so, when a person seeks forgiveness, he must turn to Allah submissively with true remorse and beg forgiveness, promising not to repeat the sin.
In the light of Islam’s understanding of original sin and forgiveness, we can see that Islam teaches that ‘Isa (AS) did not come to atone for the sins of mankind; rather, his purpose was to reaffirm the message of the Prophets before him.
When Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden tree, their private parts were exposed and they felt the need to cover themselves and they sought repentance for their crime. Allah says:
فَتَلَقَّى آَدَمُ مِنْ رَبِّهِ كَلِمَاتٍ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ
“Adam then received words from His Lord, so He forgave him; He is the Forgiver, the Merciful. “ (a-Baqarah, 2:37).
The Qur’an tells us that Adam subsequently received from his Lord some words. What were these words? These were the words used to seek repentance from Allah for the very first time in the history of mankind.
This supplication is very beautiful and can be used when seeking repentance and asking Allah’s forgiveness. This was the first time anyone was taught how to seek repentance. They said:
رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَا أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ
“O Allah surely we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy on us we will be from amongst the losers!”(al-A’raf, 7:23)
Mankind has a long history of committing mistakes and forgetting. Even so, how was it possible for Adam to have committed such a mistake? The reality was that Adam did not have any experience with the whisperings and ploys of Satan. Adam had seen the arrogance of Satan when he refused to follow the commands of Allah. He knew that Satan was his enemy but had no familiarity with how to resist Satan’s tricks and schemes. Allah said:
فَدَلَّاهُمَا بِغُرُورٍ
“So he (Satan) misled them with deception.” (al-A’raf, 7:22)
Allah tested Adam so that he could learn and gain experience. In this way Allah prepared Adam for his role on earth as a caretaker and a Prophet of Allah. From this experience, Adam learned the great lesson that Satan is cunning, ungrateful and the avowed enemy of mankind. Adam, Eve and their descendants learned that Satan caused their expulsion from heaven. Obedience to Allah and enmity towards Satan is the only path back to Heaven. Allah said:
قَالَ اهْبِطُوا بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ وَلَكُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ مُسْتَقَرٌّ وَمَتَاعٌ إِلَى حِينٍ () قَالَ فِيهَا تَحْيَوْنَ وَفِيهَا تَمُوتُونَ وَمِنْهَا تُخْرَجُونَ
“He (Allah) said, ‘Get you down all of you! You are each other’s enemies. On earth you will have a place to stay and livelihood for a time. (He further said): There you will live; there you will die; and from there you will be raised up again.” (al-A’raf, 7:24-25)
Adam and Eve left heaven and descended upon earth. Their descent was not one of degradation; rather it was dignified. When Allah said: “Get you down, all of you” He used the word for plural indicating that he was not speaking to Adam and Eve alone but that He was referring to Adam, his wife and his descendants – mankind. We, the descendants of Adam, do not belong to this earth; we are here for a temporary time, as is indicated by the words: “for a time.” We belong to the hereafter and are destined to take our place in either Heaven or Hell. May Allah grant us Jannah as our permanent abode, ameen. Allah also said to Adam and Eve:
قُلْنَا اهْبِطُوا مِنْهَا جَمِيعًا فَإِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُمْ مِنِّي هُدًى فَمَنْ تَبِعَ هُدَايَ فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
“We said, ‘Go down, all of you, from here: then when guidance comes to you from Me, anyone who follows My guidance will have no fear, nor will they grieve.’” (al-Baqarah, 2:38)
The Qur’an is there for our guidance. Those who are discontent in their lives, it is because they have no spirituality and they are far from Allah. You need to believe. People who are atheists and don’t have belief in Allah (SWT) are void of peace and contentment in their lives. Without spirituality man cannot enjoy his life. Allah says they will have a straightened and narrow life full of difficulty.
وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَن ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَى
“But whoever turns away from My reminder, will lead a straitened existence and on the Day of Judgment We shall raise him up blind.” (Ta Ha, 20:124)
The Freedom of Choice
The experience that Adam and Eve went through was an essential lesson for Adam and Eve. If they were to live on earth, they needed to be aware of the tricks and schemes of Satan. They also needed to understand the dire consequences of sin, and the infinite mercy and forgiveness of Allah. Allah knew that Adam and Eve would eat from the tree. He knew that Satan would lure them and deceive them.
It is important to understand that, although Allah knows the outcome of events before they happen and allows them, he does not force things to happen. Adam had free will and bore the consequences of his deeds. Mankind has free will and thus is free to disobey Allah; but there are consequences. Allah praises those who obey his commands and promises them great reward, and He condemns those who disobey him and warns them against doing so.
Where did Adam and Eve descend?
Adam and Eve didn’t just fall on the earth but were placed on the earth. There are many reports on the subject of where on earth Adam and Eve descended, although none of them come from the Qur’an or Sunnah. We thus understand that the location of their descent is something that is of no importance. There is no benefit in its knowledge even if were to have it. There is a tradition that says: “nazala fil hind” He landed in the Indian subcontinent, precisely, what is known today as Sri Lanka. In fact in a very green beautiful area there, there is a mountain there known as Adams Peak. Whether it was exactly there we don’t know but that is what historians have suggested.
Hawwa (Eve) was placed in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Jeddah having been named after her, it means ‘grandmother’ in Arabic. After coming on the earth Adam wondered where Hawwa would be, so he began looking for her. Historians say they were finally reunited at ‘Arafah in Saudi Arabia on the Mount of Mercy which is there. Allah knows best. There is no authentic narration to support this. One can only just imagine the emotions at that moment when they saw each other.
We learn from a Hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari that Adam’s descent took place on a Friday. The hadith says: “The best day on which the sun rises is Jumu’ah. It was on this day that Adam (AS) was created, the day on which he was granted entry into paradise, the day when he was taken out from it, and the day on which the Day of Judgment will take place.” (Ahmad, Tirmidhi) The day Adam (AS) was removed from paradise is also significant because that became the cause for man’s existence in this world, which itself is a great blessing.
Life on Earth
Adam and Eve left Paradise and began their life on earth. Allah had prepared them in many ways. He gave them the experience of struggling against the whisperings and schemes of Satan. He taught Adam the names of things and instructed him of their properties and usefulness. Adam took up his position as caretaker of the earth and a Prophet of Allah.
Adam, the first Prophet of Allah was responsible for teaching his wife and offspring how to worship Allah and seek His forgiveness. Adam established the laws of Allah and set about trying to support his family and learning to make use of the earth and to take care of it. His task was to perpetuate, cultivate, construct and populate. He was to raise children who would live according to Allah’s instructions and care for and improve the earth.
Adam was taught the names of everything. The powers of reasoning and free will were given to him. He learned how to categorize things and understand their usefulness. Thus, Allah taught Adam language skills. He taught Adam how to think, to apply knowledge to solve problems, make plans and decisions and to achieve goals. We, the children of Adam, have inherited these skills in order that we can exist in the world and worship Allah in the best manner.
Eve gave birth 20 times, each time to a set of twins, a boy and a girl. Each set was of different colors and looks. Adam and Eve’s first two children, Qabil and his sister, were twins; Habil and his sister, another set of twins, soon followed. As time passed, Habil became a shepherd and Qabil became a farmer.
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 Qabil was displeased with the partner chosen for him, for Habil’s twin sister was not as beautiful as his own.
Satan (Shaytan) put the thought in Qabil’s mind, that why should he marry Habil’s sister who was not as good looking as his own sister and why should Habil get to marry his (Qabil’s) sister who was so beautiful. It appears that since the beginning of time, physical beauty has been a factor in the attraction between men and women. This attraction caused Qabil to envy his brother Habil. He refused to marry Habil’s sister.
Adam was upset. He 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. Habil offered his best camel, while Qabil offered his worst grain. Qabil’s sacrifice was not accepted by Allah because of his disobedience to his father and the insincerity of his offering. In those days when a sacrifice was accepted a fire would come down and consume it. And if it was not, no fire would come. So Habil’s sacrifice was consumed by the fire and Qabil’s was not.
When Habil’s sacrifice was accepted, Qabil was furious. Realizing that his hopes of marrying his own beautiful sister were fading, he threatened his brother that he would kill him. The Qur’an says:
وَاتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ ابْنَيْ آَدَمَ بِالْحَقِّ إِذْ قَرَّبَا قُرْبَانًا فَتُقُبِّلَ مِنْ أَحَدِهِمَا وَلَمْ يُتَقَبَّلْ مِنَ الْآَخَرِ قَالَ لَأَقْتُلَنَّكَ قَالَ إِنَّمَا يَتَقَبَّلُ اللَّهُ مِنَ الْمُتَّقِينَ () لَئِنْ بَسَطْتَ إِلَيَّ يَدَكَ لِتَقْتُلَنِي مَا أَنَا بِبَاسِطٍ يَدِيَ إِلَيْكَ لِأَقْتُلَكَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ
“And relate to them the true story of Adam’s two sons: when they offered an offering, and it was accepted from one of them, but it was not accepted from the other. He (Qabil) said, “I will kill you.” He (Habil) said, “Allah accepts only from the righteous. If you extend your hand to kill me, I will not extend my hand to kill you; for I fear Allah, Lord of the Worlds.” (al-Ma’idah, 5:27-28)
فَطَوَّعَتْ لَهُ نَفْسُهُ قَتْلَ أَخِيهِ فَقَتَلَهُ فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ
“Then his soul prompted him to kill his brother, so he killed him, and became one of the losers.” (al-Ma’idah, 5:30)
This was the first murder in humankind. The minute Habil was dead Qabil began to regret. And that is how Shaytan’s operates. All along he makes the sin tempting and the minute we execute it, he runs away leaving us feeling terrible, full of regret. That is why if one is a true believer, then after committing a sin he or she will feel bad and regretful.
Qabil didn’t know what to do with the corpse of his brother, so he carried it and took it far away to a place and left it there. When Qabil returned to Adam, Adam enquired him about Habil. Qabil replied said that he had no idea. Adam knew something was wrong. The next day Qabil went to where the corpse of his brother lay. He was filled with so much guilt but didn’t know what to do. The corpse had begun to decay and beginning to let off a stench. Due to his feeling of guilt and remorse Allah sent two crows. One killed the other and then dug a hole in the ground and buried it. Witnessing this, Qabil was overcome with shame and remorse. He then buried his brother. This was also the first burial of man.
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Resources and References:
Imam Ibn Kathir – Stories of the Prophets
Mufti Menk – Lessons from the Stories of the Prophets in the Qur’an (https://muslimahlifestyle.com/lessons-stories-prophets-quraan-mufti-menk-creation-of-aadam-as/)
Anwar Al-Awlaki – The Lives of the Prophets (https://www.kalamullah.com/anwar-alawlaki.html)
Aisha Stacey – The Religion of Islam (islamreligion.com)
