FALL The (of Adam). Is known amongst Muslim writers as zallatu Adam, or the fall or slip of Adam. The term zallah, or “a slip” or “error”, being applied to prophets, but not zamb, ” a sin”, which they say prophets do not commit.
The following is the account of Adam’s “slip”, as given in the Qur’an, Surah ii, 33:-
“And we said, ‘O Adam! Dwell thee and they wife in the Garden, and eat ye plentifully therefrom wherever ye list; but to this tree come not nigh, lest ye become of the transgressors.’
“But Satan made them slip (azallahuma) from it, and caused their banishment from the place in which they were. And we said, ‘Get ye down, the one of you an enemy to the others and there shall be for you in the earth a dwelling-place, and a provision for a time.'”
Surah vii 18-24:-
“‘And, O Adam! Dwell thou and thy wife in Paradise, and eat ye whence ye will, but to this tree approach not, lest ye become of the unjust doers.”
“Then Satan whispered them to show them their nakedness, which had been hidden from them both. And he said, ‘This tree hath your Lord forbidden you, only lest ye should become angels, or lest ye should become immortals.”
“And be aware to them both. ‘Verily I am unto you one who counselleth aright.’
“So he beguiled them by deceits and when they had tasted of the tree, their nakedness appeared to them, and they began to sew together upon themselves the leaves of the garden. And their Lord called to them ‘Did I not forbid you this tree, and did I not say to you, “Verily, Satan is your declared enemy?”
“They said, ‘O our Lord! With ourselves have we dealt unjustly; if tho forgive us not and have pity on us, we shall surely be of those who perish.”
“He said, ‘Get ye down, the one of you an enemy to the other; and on earth shall be your swelling, and your provision for a season.”
“He said, ‘On it shall ye live, and on it shall ye die, and from it shall ye be taken forth.'”
Surah xx 114-120:-
“And of old We made a covenant with Adam; but he forgot it; and we found no firmness of purpose in him.
“And when We said to the angels, ‘Fall down and worship Adam,’ they worshiped all save Iblis, who refused; and We said, ‘O Adam! This truly is a for to thee and to thy wife. Let him not therefore drive you out of the garden, and ye become wretched.”
“For to thee is it granted that thou shalt not hunger therein, neither shalt thou be naked.”
“And the thou shalt not thirst therein, neither shalt thou parch with heat.”
“But Satan whispered him: said he, ‘O Adam! Shall I show thee the tree of Eternity, and the Kingdom that faileth not?”
“And they both ate thereof, and their nakedness appeared to them, and they began to sew of the leaves of the Garden to cover them, and Adam disobeyed his Lord and went astray.”
“Afterwards his Lord chose him for himself, and was turned towards him, and guided him.”
The Muslim Commentators are much perplexed as to the scene of the fall of Adam. From the text of the Qur’an it would appear that the Paradise spoken of was in heaven and not on earth, and the tradition, that when Adam was cast forth he fell on the island of Ceylon, would support this view. But al-Baizawi says some say the Garden of Eden was situated either in the country of the Philistines or in Faris, and that Adam was cast out of it and sent in the direction of Hindustan. But this view he rejects, and maintains that the Garden of Eden was in the heavens, and that the fall occurred before Adam and Eve inhabited this earth of ours. [EDEN.]
The Muslim commentators are silent as to the effects of Adam’s fall upon the human race.
The following is the account of Adam’s “slip”, as given in the Qur’an, Surah ii, 33:-
“And we said, ‘O Adam! Dwell thee and they wife in the Garden, and eat ye plentifully therefrom wherever ye list; but to this tree come not nigh, lest ye become of the transgressors.’
“But Satan made them slip (azallahuma) from it, and caused their banishment from the place in which they were. And we said, ‘Get ye down, the one of you an enemy to the others and there shall be for you in the earth a dwelling-place, and a provision for a time.'”
Surah vii 18-24:-
“‘And, O Adam! Dwell thou and thy wife in Paradise, and eat ye whence ye will, but to this tree approach not, lest ye become of the unjust doers.”
“Then Satan whispered them to show them their nakedness, which had been hidden from them both. And he said, ‘This tree hath your Lord forbidden you, only lest ye should become angels, or lest ye should become immortals.”
“And be aware to them both. ‘Verily I am unto you one who counselleth aright.’
“So he beguiled them by deceits and when they had tasted of the tree, their nakedness appeared to them, and they began to sew together upon themselves the leaves of the garden. And their Lord called to them ‘Did I not forbid you this tree, and did I not say to you, “Verily, Satan is your declared enemy?”
“They said, ‘O our Lord! With ourselves have we dealt unjustly; if tho forgive us not and have pity on us, we shall surely be of those who perish.”
“He said, ‘Get ye down, the one of you an enemy to the other; and on earth shall be your swelling, and your provision for a season.”
“He said, ‘On it shall ye live, and on it shall ye die, and from it shall ye be taken forth.'”
Surah xx 114-120:-
“And of old We made a covenant with Adam; but he forgot it; and we found no firmness of purpose in him.
“And when We said to the angels, ‘Fall down and worship Adam,’ they worshiped all save Iblis, who refused; and We said, ‘O Adam! This truly is a for to thee and to thy wife. Let him not therefore drive you out of the garden, and ye become wretched.”
“For to thee is it granted that thou shalt not hunger therein, neither shalt thou be naked.”
“And the thou shalt not thirst therein, neither shalt thou parch with heat.”
“But Satan whispered him: said he, ‘O Adam! Shall I show thee the tree of Eternity, and the Kingdom that faileth not?”
“And they both ate thereof, and their nakedness appeared to them, and they began to sew of the leaves of the Garden to cover them, and Adam disobeyed his Lord and went astray.”
“Afterwards his Lord chose him for himself, and was turned towards him, and guided him.”
The Muslim Commentators are much perplexed as to the scene of the fall of Adam. From the text of the Qur’an it would appear that the Paradise spoken of was in heaven and not on earth, and the tradition, that when Adam was cast forth he fell on the island of Ceylon, would support this view. But al-Baizawi says some say the Garden of Eden was situated either in the country of the Philistines or in Faris, and that Adam was cast out of it and sent in the direction of Hindustan. But this view he rejects, and maintains that the Garden of Eden was in the heavens, and that the fall occurred before Adam and Eve inhabited this earth of ours. [EDEN.]
The Muslim commentators are silent as to the effects of Adam’s fall upon the human race.
Based on Hughes, Dictionary of Islam
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