20:121 Taa-Haa (Taa-Haa)

تفسير الآيتين 120 و121 :ـولكنه نهاه عن أكل شجرة معينة فقال: { وَلَا تَقْرَبَا هَذِهِ الشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُونَا مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ } فلم يزل الشيطان يسول لهما، ويزين أكل الشجرة، ويقول: { هَلْ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى شَجَرَةِ الْخُلْدِ } أي: الشجرة التي من أكل منها خلد في الجنة. { وَمُلْكٍ لَا يَبْلَى } أي: لا ينقطع إذا أكلت منها، فأتاه بصورة ناصح، وتلطف له في الكلام، فاغتر به آدم، وأكلا من الشجرة فسقط في أيديهما، وسقطت كسوتهما، واتضحت معصيتهما، وبدا لكل منهما سوأة الآخر، بعد أن كانا مستورين، وجعلا يخصفان على أنفسهما من ورق أشجار الجنة ليستترا بذلك، وأصابهما من الخجل ما الله به عليم.

"فأكلا منها فبدت لهما سوآتهما" قال ابن أبي حاتم حدثنا علي بن الحسين بن أشكاب حدثنا علي بن عاصم عن سعيد بن أبي عروبة عن قتادة عن الحسن عن أبي بن كعب قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم " إن الله خلق آدم رجلا طوالا كثير شعر الرأس كأنه نخلة سحوق فلما ذاق الشجرة سقط عنه لباسه فأول ما بدا منه عورته فلما نظر إلى عورته جعل يشتد في الجنة فأخذت شعره شجرة فنازعها فناداه الرحمن يا آدم مني تفر فلما سمع كلام الرحمن قال يا رب لا ولكن استحياء أرأيت إن تبت ورجعت أعائدي إلى الجنة؟ قال نعم " فذلك قوله فتلقى آدم من ربه كلمات فتاب عليه وهذا منقطع بين الحسن وأبي بن كعب فلم يسمعه منه وفي رفعه نظر أيضا وقوله" وطفقا يخصفان عليهما من ورق الجنة" قال مجاهد يرقعان كهيئة الثوب وكذا قال قتادة والسدي وقال ابن أبي حاتم حدثنا جعفر بن عون حدثنا سفيان عن ابن أبي ليلى عن المنهال عن سعد بن جبير عن ابن عباس وطفقا يخصفان عليهما من ورق الجنة" قال ينزعان ورق التين فيجعلانه على سوآتهما.

The Story of Adam and Iblis

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "Verily, man was named Insan only because he was given a covenant, but he forgot it (Nasiya)." `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported the same from Ibn `Abbas. Mujahid and Al-Hasan said that he forgot means, "He abandoned it." Concerning Allah's statement,

وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَـئِكَةِ اسْجُدُواْ لاًّدَمَ

(And when We said to the angels: "Prostrate yourselves to Adam.") He, Allah mentions how Adam was honored and what respect was given to him. He mentions how He favored him over many of those whom He created. A discussion of this story has already preceded in Surat Al-Baqarah, Surat Al-A`raf, Surat Al-Hijr and Surat Al-Kahf. It will also be mentioned again at the end of Surah Sad. In this story, Allah mentions the creation of Adam and that He commanded the angels to prostrate to Adam as a sign of honor and respect. He also explains the enmity of Iblis for the Children of Adam and for their father, Adam, before them. Due to this Allah says,

فَسَجَدُواْ إِلاَّ إِبْلِيسَ أَبَى

(They prostrated themselves (all) except Iblis; he refused.) This means that he refrained from prostrating and became arrogant.

فَقُلْنَا يـَادَمُ إِنَّ هَـذَا عَدُوٌّ لَّكَ وَلِزَوْجِكَ

(Then We said: "O Adam! Verily, this is an enemy to you and to your wife...") here wife refers to Hawwa'.

فَلاَ يُخْرِجَنَّكُمَا مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ فَتَشْقَى

(So let him not get you both out of Paradise, so that you will be distressed.) meaning, `Do not be hasty in doing something that will get you expelled from Paradise, or else you will be fatigued, discomforted and worried, seeking your sustenance. But here, in Paradise, you live a life of ease with no burdens and no difficulties.'

إِنَّ لَكَ أَلاَّ تَجُوعَ فِيهَا وَلاَ تَعْرَى

(Verily, you will never be hungry therein nor naked.) The reason that Allah combined hunger and nakedness is because hunger is internal humiliation, while nakedness is external humiliation.

وَأَنَّكَ لاَ تَظْمَؤُا فِيهَا وَلاَ تَضْحَى

(And you (will) suffer not from thirst therein nor from the sun's heat.) These two characteristics are also opposites. Thirst is the internal heat and being parched from lack of water, while the suns heat is the external heat.

فَوَسْوَسَ إِلَيْهِ الشَّيْطَـنُ قَالَ يـَادَمُ هَلْ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى شَجَرَةِ الْخُلْدِ وَمُلْكٍ لاَّ يَبْلَى

(Then Shaytan whispered to him, saying: "O Adam! Shall I lead you to the Tree of Eternity and to a kingdom that will never waste away") It has already been mentioned that he caused them to fall through deception.

وَقَاسَمَهُمَآ إِنِّي لَكُمَا لَمِنَ النَّـصِحِينَ

(And he swore by Allah to them both: "Verily, I am one of the sincere well-wishers for you both.") 7:21 It has already preceded in our discussion that Allah took a promise from Adam and his wife that although they could eat from every fruit, they could not come near a specific tree in Paradise. However, Iblis did not cease prodding them until they both had eaten from it. It was the Tree of Eternity (Shajarat Al-Khuld). This meant that anyone who ate from it would live forever and always remain. A Hadith has been narrated which mentions this Tree of Eternity. Abu Dawud At-Tayalisi reported from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet said,

«إِنَّ فِي الْجَنَّةِ شَجَرَةً يَسِيرُ الرَّاكِبُ فِي ظِلِّهَا مِائَةَ عَامٍ مَا يَقْطَعُهَا، وَهِيَ شَجَرَةُ الْخُلْد»

(Verily, in Paradise there is a tree which a rider can travel under its shade for one hundred years and still not have passed it. It is the Tree of Eternity.) Imam Ahmad also recorded this narration. Concerning Allah's statement,

فَأَكَلاَ مِنْهَا فَبَدَتْ لَهُمَا سَوْءَتُهُمَا

(Then they both ate of the tree, and so their private parts became manifest to them,) Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ubayy bin Ka`b said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«إِنَّ اللهَ خَلَقَ آدَمَ رَجُلًا طُوَالًا كَثِيرَ شَعْرِ الرَّأْسِ، كَأَنَّهُ نَخْلَةُ سَحُوقٍ،فَلَمَّا ذَاقَ الشَّجَرَةَ سَقَطَ عَنْهُ لِبَاسُهُ، فَأَوَّلُ مَا بَدَا مِنْهُ عَوْرَتُهُ، فَلَمَّا نَظَرَ إِلَى عَوْرَتِهِ جَعَلَ يَشْتَدُّ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، فَأَخَذَتْ شَعْرَهُ شَجَرَةٌ فَنَازَعَهَا، فَنَادَاهُ الرَّحْمَنُ: يَا آدَمُ مِنِّي تَفِرُّ، فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ كَلَامَ الرَّحْمَنِ قَالَ: يَا رَبِّ لَا، وَلَكِنِ اسْتِحْيَاءً، أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ تُبْتُ وَرَجَعْتُ أَعَائِدِي إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ؟ قَالَ: نَعَم»

(Verily, Allah created Adam as a tall man with an abundance of hair on his head. He looked like a clothed palm tree. Then, when he tasted (the fruit of) the tree, his clothes fell off of him. The first thing that became exposed was his private parts. So when he noticed his nakedness, he tried to run back into Paradise. However, in the process a tree caught hold of his hair (i.e. his hair was tangled in a tree), so he ripped his hair out. Then, the Most Beneficent called out to him saying, "O Adam, are you fleeing from me" When he heard the Words of the Most Beneficent, he said, "No my Lord, but I am ashamed. If I repent and recant would You let me return to Paradise" Allah replied, "Yes.") This is the meaning of Allah's statement,

فَتَلَقَّى ءَادَمُ مِن رَّبِّهِ كَلِمَاتٍ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ

a(Then Adam received from his Lord Words. And his Lord pardoned him.) 2:37 However, this narration has a break in the chain of transmission between Al-Hasan and Ubayy bin Ka`b. Al-Hasan did not hear this Hadith from Ubayy. It is questionable as to whether this narration can be correctly attributed to the Prophet . Allah said,

وَطَفِقَا يَخْصِفَانِ عَلَيْهِمَا مِن وَرَقِ الْجَنَّةِ

(And they began to cover themselves with the leaves of the Paradise for their covering. ) Mujahid said, "They patched the leaves on themselves in the form of a garment." Qatadah and As-Suddi both said the same. Concerning Allah's statement,

فَأَكَلاَ مِنْهَا فَبَدَتْ لَهُمَا سَوْءَتُهُمَا وَطَفِقَا يَخْصِفَانِ عَلَيْهِمَا مِن وَرَقِ الْجَنَّةِ وَعَصَى ءَادَمُ رَبَّهُ فَغَوَى - ثُمَّ اجْتَبَـهُ رَبُّهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ وَهَدَى

(Thus Adam disobeyed his Lord, so he went astray. Then his Lord chose him, and turned to him with forgiveness, and gave him guidance.) Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet said,

«حَاجَّ مُوسَى آدَمَ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: أَنْتَ الَّذِي أَخْرَجْتَ النَّاسَ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ بِذَنْبِكَ وَأَشْقَيْتَهُمْ؟ قَالَ آدَمُ: يَا مُوسَى، أَنْتَ الَّذِي اصْطَفَاكَ اللهُ بِرِسَالَاتِهِ وَبِكَلَامِهِ، أَتَلُومُنِي عَلَى أَمْرٍ كَتَبَهُ اللهُ عَلَيَّ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْلُقَنِي أَوْ قَدَّرَهُ اللهُ عَلَيَّ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْلُقَنِي؟ قال رسول اللهصلى الله عليه وسلّم: فَحَجَّ آدَمُ مُوسَى»

(Musa argued with Adam and he said to him, "Are you the one who got mankind expelled from Paradise because of your sin and you caused them grief!" Adam replied, "Are you the one whom Allah chose for His Divine Messages and His direct Speech Are you blaming me for a matter that Allah wrote upon me before He created me") Then, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, (Thus, Adam defeated Musa.) This Hadith has various routes of transmission in the Two Sahihs as well as the Musnad collections.

So both of them Adam and Eve ate of it and their shameful parts were exposed to them that is the front private part of each became visible to the other as well as the other’s behind — both of these parts are called saw’a ‘shame’ because its exposure ‘shames’ yasū’u that person; and they began to piece together they took to sticking onto themselves leaves of the Garden to cover themselves up therewith. And Adam disobeyed his Lord and so he erred by his eating from the tree.

فَوَسْوَسَ إِلَيْهِ الشَّيْطَانُ قَالَ يَا آدَمُ هَلْ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَىٰ شَجَرَ‌ةِ الْخُلْدِ وَمُلْكٍ لَّا يَبْلَىٰ ﴿120﴾ فَأَكَلَا مِنْهَا فَبَدَتْ لَهُمَا سَوْآتُهُمَا وَطَفِقَا يَخْصِفَانِ عَلَيْهِمَا مِن وَرَ‌قِ الْجَنَّةِ ۚ وَعَصَىٰ آدَمُ رَ‌بَّهُ فَغَوَىٰ (Then the Shaitan instigated him...And 'Adam disobeyed his Lord and erred- 120, 121.) Here it is pertinent to ask that when Allah had specifically told Sayyidna 'Adam and Sayyidah Hawwa' (علیہما السلام) to abstain from a particular tree or to eat any part of its yield, and had also warned them to beware of shaitan's machinations who was their sworn enemy who would do his best to seduce them and thus cause their expulsion from Paradise, why then, despite all the warnings and admonitions, did Sayyidna 'Adam (علیہ السلام) let himself fall into the trap laid out for him by the shaitan. His action clearly constituted disobedience of the commands of Allah and were, therefore, acts of sin. There is consensus among scholars that the prophets of Allah are immune from all sins - minor or major, and Sayyidna 'Adam (علیہ السلام) was a prophet of Allah! So how may one explain his action of eating the fruit of the forbidden tree when Allah had warned him in such clear terms? An answer to all these questions will be found in the commentary of Surah Al-Baqarah which also explains the use of the words عِصٰی (to disobey) and غَوٰی (to err) in reference to Sayyidna 'Adam (علیہ السلام) . According to the divine Islamic law the action of Sayyidna 'Adam (علیہ السلام) did not constitute a sin but because he was a prophet of Allah and in His high favour therefore this minor lapse on his part has been described as عِصیَان (disobedience) for which he was admonished by Allah. A further point here is that the word غَوٰی has two meanings: One is "to be deprived" and the other is "to err", or "to go astray". Al-Qushairi and Al-Qurtubi have adopted the first meaning of the word and have explained this verse by saying that as a punishment for his lapse Sayyidna 'Adam (علیہ السلام) was deprived of the comforts which were available to him in the Paradise and as a result his life became harsh and bitter.

It is incumbent on Muslims to show reverence to the prophets of Allah when referring to them

Qadi Abu Bakr Ibn Al-` Arabi (رح) when discussing the word عَصٰی (disobeyed) etc. in reference to Sayyidna 'Adam (علیہ السلام) in his book Ahkam-ul-Qur'an has made an important observation which is reproduced below in his own words:

لا یجوز لاحدنا الیوم ان یخبر بذلک عن اٰدم الَّا اذا ذکرناہ فی اثناء قولہٖ تعالیٰ عنہ او قول نَبِیّہ، فامّا ان یبتدیء ذالک من قبل نفسہٖ فلیس بجایٔز لنا فی ابایٔنا الاذنین الینا المماثلین لنا فکیف فی ابینا الاقدام الاعظم الاکرم النّبی المقدّم الذی عذرہ اللہ سبحانہ و تعالیٰ و تاب علیہ وغفرلہ (تفسیر قرطبی و ذکرہ فی البحر المحیط ایضاً )

Today it is not permissible for any of us to use the word عِصیَان (disobedience) in relation to Sayyidna 'Adam (علیہ السلام) except when it has been used with reference to this verse or to a Hadith of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . When indeed it is not desirable to use this word in relation to our own not-too-distant ancestors, who were like us, how can it be permissible in relation to Sayyidna 'Adam (علیہ السلام) who is the father of all mankind and more deserving of respect than our own ancestors? Besides he is a revered prophet of Allah whose excuse He accepted and forgave him for his lapse. For such a person the use of the word of (disobedience) is totally forbidden.

The same views have been expressed by Qushairi Abu Nasr.

And Adam disobeyed his Lord, so went astray. Then his Lord chose him, so He turned toward him and guided. One of the pirs of the Tariqah was asked, “Given all the good fortune, rank, standing, and proxim- ity that Adam the chosen had with the Real, what wisdom is there in the call that went out concern- ing him, 'And Adam disobeyed'?” The Pir answered with the tongue of wisdom and the tasting of recognition: “The seed of love had been thrown into the earth of Adam's heart. Then the canal of his eyes was opened for the water of remorse, and the sun of And the earth will shine with the light of its Lord [39:69] shone forth on that good clay, receptive to the seed of pain. The tree of love grew up, and the air of But he forgot [20:115] nurtured it in the field of paradise. The sun of We found in him no resoluteness [20:115] dried it. Then He cut it down with the scythe of Then his Lord chose him. Then, with the wind of So He turned toward him and guided, He made it pure. Then He wanted to cook it with fire, so He heated an oven with the harshness of And Adam disobeyed and cooked that food of pas- sion in the oven. The flavor of that food had still not reached Adam's taste buds when he let loose the tongue of need and said, 'Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves' [7:23].” It has also been said that Adam had two existences. The first existence was in this world, not paradise, and the second was in paradise. The command came, “O Adam, come out of paradise and go into this world. Gamble away your crown, belt, and cap in the road of passion! Put up with pain and trial. Then tomorrow We will bring you back to this precious homeland and this domicile of subsistence with a hundred thousand robes of gentleness and every sort of honor, as the leader of the witnesses and in the presence of the one-hundred-twenty some thousand center points of prophecy, the possessors of purity and the sources of limpidness.” Tomorrow, you will see Adam go into paradise with his children. The angels of the Dominion will look with wonder and say, “This is that solitary man who moved out of paradise a few days ago in poverty and indigence!” “O Adam, bringing you out of paradise was a curtain over this business and a covering over the mysteries, for your loins were the ocean of the one-hundred-twenty some thousand center points of prophethood's pearls.