Tafsir Surah Al-A'raf ayah 21 | Learn Quran Tafsir

Shaytan's Deceit with Adam and Hawwa' and Their eating from the Forbidden Tree

Allah says;

وَيَا ادَمُ اسۡكُنۡ أَنتَ وَزَوۡجُكَ الۡجَنَّةَ فَكُلَ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ شِيۡتُمَا وَلَا تَقۡرَبَا هَـذِهِ الشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُونَا مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ

فَوَسۡوَسَ لَهُمَا الشَّيۡطَانُ لِيُبۡدِيَ لَهُمَا مَا وُورِيَ عَنۡهُمَا مِن سَوۡءَاتِهِمَا

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 wrongdoers.Then Shaytan whispered suggestions to them both in order to uncover that which was hidden from them of their private parts (before);

Allah states that He allowed Adam and his wife to dwell in Paradise and to eat from all of its fruits, except one tree.

We have already discussed this in Surah Al-Baqarah.

Thus, Shaytan envied them and plotted deceitfully, whispering and suggesting treachery. He wished to rid them of the various favors and nice clothes that they were enjoying.

وَقَالَ

He (Shaytan) said,

uttering lies and falsehood,

مَا نَهَاكُمَا رَبُّكُمَا عَنۡ هَـذِهِ الشَّجَرَةِ إِلاَّ أَن تَكُونَا مَلَكَيۡنِ

Your Lord did not forbid you this tree save you should become angels...

meaning, so that you do not become angels or dwell here for eternity.

أَوۡ تَكُونَا مِنَ الۡخَالِدِينَ

or become of the immortals.

Surely, if you eat from this tree, you will attain both, he said.

In another Ayah,

قَالَ يـَادَمُ هَلۡ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى شَجَرَةِ الۡخُلۡدِ وَمُلۡكٍ لاَّ يَبۡلَى

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. (20:120)

Here, the wording is similar, so it means, `so that you do not become angels,' as in;

يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمۡ أَن تَضِلُّواۡ

(Thus) does Allah make clear to you (His Law) lest you go astray. (4:176)

meaning, so that you do not go astray,

and,

وَأَلۡقَى فِى الاٌّرۡضِ رَوَاسِىَ أَن تَمِيدَ بِكُمۡ

And He has affixed into the earth mountains standing firm, lest it should shake with you; (16:15)

that is, so that the earth does not shake with you

وَقَاسَمَهُمَا

And he Qasamahuma,

swore to them both by Allah, saying,

إِنِّي لَكُمَا لَمِنَ النَّاصِحِينَ

Verily, I am one of the sincere well-wishers for you both.

for I was here before you and thus have better knowledge of this place.

It is a fact that the believer in Allah might sometimes become the victim of deceit.

Qatadah commented on this Ayah,

Shaytan swore by Allah, saying, `I was created before you, and I have better knowledge than you. Therefore, follow me and I will direct you.

Allah says;

فَدَلاَّهُمَا بِغُرُورٍ فَلَمَّا ذَاقَا الشَّجَرَةَ بَدَتۡ لَهُمَا سَوۡءَاتُهُمَا وَطَفِقَا يَخۡصِفَانِ عَلَيۡهِمَا مِن وَرَقِ الۡجَنَّةِ وَنَادَاهُمَا رَبُّهُمَا أَلَمۡ أَنۡهَكُمَا عَن تِلۡكُمَا الشَّجَرَةِ وَأَقُل لَّكُمَا إِنَّ الشَّيۡطَأنَ لَكُمَا عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ

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 cover themselves with the leaves of Paradise.

Ubayy bin Ka`b said,

Adam was a tall man, about the height of a palm tree, and he had thick hair on his head. When he committed the error that he committed, his private part appeared to him while before, he did not see it. So he started running in fright through Paradise, but a tree in Paradise took him by the head. He said to it, `Release me,' but it said, `No, I will not release you.' So his Lord called him, `O Adam! Do you run away from Me!'

He said, `O Lord! I felt ashamed before You.'

Ibn Jarir and Ibn Marduwyah collected this statement using several chains of narration from Al-Hasan from Ubayy bin Ka`b who narrated it from the Prophet. However, relating the Hadith to Ubayy is more correct.

Ibn Abbas commented on the Ayah,

وَطَفِقَا يَخۡصِفَانِ عَلَيۡهِمَا مِن وَرَقِ الۡجَنَّةِ

(And they began to cover themselves with the leaves of Paradise).

Using fig leaves.

This statement has an authentic chain of narration leading to Ibn Abbas.

Mujahid said that they began to cover themselves with the leaves of Paradise,

Making them as a dress (or garment).

Commenting on Allah's statement,

يَنزِعُ عَنۡهُمَا لِبَاسَهُمَا

(Stripping them of their raiment) (7:27) Wahb bin Munabbih said,

The private parts of Adam and Hawwa' had a light covering them which prevented them from seeing the private parts of each other. When they ate from the tree, their private parts appeared to them.

Ibn Jarir reported this statement with an authentic chain of narration.

Abdur-Razzaq reported from Qatadah,

Adam said, `O Lord! What if I repented and sought forgiveness!'

Allah said, `Then, I will admit you into Paradise.' As for Shaytan, he did not ask for forgiveness, but for respite. Each one of them was given what he asked for.

قَالَا

They said:

رَبَّنَا ظَلَمۡنَا أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمۡ تَغۡفِرۡ لَنَا وَتَرۡحَمۡنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الۡخَاسِرِينَ

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.

Ad-Dahhak bin Muzahim commented,

These are the words that Adam received from his Lord.

Sending Them All Down to Earth

Allah tells;

قَالَ اهۡبِطُواۡ بَعۡضُكُمۡ لِبَعۡضٍ عَدُوٌّ

(Allah) said:Get down, one of you an enemy to the other.

It was said that,

اهۡبِطُواۡ

(Get down), was addressed to Adam, Hawwa, Iblis and the snake.

Some scholars did not mention the snake, and Allah knows best.

The enmity is primarily between Adam and Iblis, and Hawwa follows Adam in this regard.

Allah said in Surah Ta Ha,

اهۡبِطَا مِنۡهَا جَمِيعاً

Get you down (from the Paradise to the earth), both of you, together... (20:123)

If the story about the snake is true, then it is a follower of Iblis.

Some scholars mentioned the location on earth they were sent down, but these accounts are taken from the Israelite tales, and only Allah knows if they are true. If having known these areas was useful for the people in matters of religion or life, Allah would have mentioned them in His Book, and His Messenger would have mentioned them too.

Allah's statement,

وَلَكُمۡ فِي الَارۡضِ مُسۡتَقَرٌّ وَمَتَاعٌ إِلَى حِينٍ

On earth will be a dwelling place for you and an enjoyment for a time.

means, on earth you will have dwellings and known, designated, appointed terms that have been recorded by the Pen, counted by Predestination and written in the First Record.

قَالَ فِيهَا تَحۡيَوۡنَ وَفِيهَا تَمُوتُونَ وَمِنۡهَا تُخۡرَجُونَ

He (Allah) said:Therein you shall live, and therein you shall die, and from it you shall be brought out (resurrected).

This Ayah is similar to Allah's other statement,

مِنۡهَا خَلَقۡنَـكُمۡ وَفِيهَا نُعِيدُكُمۡ وَمِنۡهَا نُخۡرِجُكُمۡ تَارَةً أُخۡرَى

Thereof (the earth) We created you, and into it We shall return you, and from it We shall bring you out once again. (20:55)

Allah states that He has made the earth a dwelling place for the Children of Adam, for the remainder of this earthly life. On it, they will live, die and be buried in their graves; and from it, they will be resurrected for the Day of Resurrection. On that Day, Allah will gather the first and last of creatures and reward or punish each according to his or her deeds.

Al-A'raf: 21

Ayah

Translation

Tafsir

Al-A'raf: 21