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فَوَسۡوَسَ لَهُمَا الشَّيۡطٰنُ لِيُبۡدِىَ لَهُمَا مَا وٗرِىَ عَنۡهُمَا مِنۡ سَوۡاٰتِهِمَا وَقَالَ مَا نَهٰٮكُمَا رَبُّكُمَا عَنۡ هٰذِهِ الشَّجَرَةِ اِلَّاۤ اَنۡ تَكُوۡنَا مَلَـكَيۡنِ اَوۡ تَكُوۡنَا مِنَ الۡخٰلِدِيۡنَ ٢٠ وَقَاسَمَهُمَاۤ اِنِّىۡ لَـكُمَا لَمِنَ النّٰصِحِيۡنَۙ ٢١ فَدَلّٰٮهُمَا بِغُرُوۡرٍ ۚ فَلَمَّا ذَاقَا الشَّجَرَةَ بَدَتۡ لَهُمَا سَوۡءٰتُهُمَا وَطَفِقَا يَخۡصِفٰنِ عَلَيۡهِمَا مِنۡ وَّرَقِ الۡجَـنَّةِ ؕ وَنَادٰٮهُمَا رَبُّهُمَاۤ اَلَمۡ اَنۡهَكُمَا عَنۡ تِلۡكُمَا الشَّجَرَةِ وَاَقُلْ لَّـكُمَاۤ اِنَّ الشَّيۡطٰنَ لَـكُمَا عَدُوٌّ مُّبِيۡنٌ ٢٢ قَالَا رَبَّنَا ظَلَمۡنَاۤ اَنۡفُسَنَا وَاِنۡ لَّمۡ تَغۡفِرۡ لَـنَا وَتَرۡحَمۡنَا لَـنَكُوۡنَنَّ مِنَ الۡخٰسِرِيۡنَ ٢٣
But Satan whispered to them to make apparent to them that which was concealed from them of their private parts. He said, "Your Lord did not forbid you this tree except that you become angels or become of the immortal." And he swore [by Allāh] to them, "Indeed, I am to you from among the sincere advisors." So he made them fall, through deception. And when they tasted of the tree, their private parts became apparent to them, and they began to fasten together over themselves from the leaves of Paradise. And their Lord called to them, "Did I not forbid you from that tree and tell you that Satan is to you a clear enemy?" They said, "Our Lord, we have wronged darkened ourselves nafs, and if You do not forgive cover us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers."
[Al-Quran 7:20-23, Translation: Saheeh International, edited in italics]
Literally translated, Adam and his wife said to their Sustainer (رَبَّنَا) that:
- they had darkened their nafs (ظَلَمۡنَاۤ اَنۡفُسَنَا)
- and if He did not cover them (وَاِنۡ لَّمۡ تَغۡفِرۡ لَـنَا)
- and have mercy upon them (وَتَرۡحَمۡنَا) *
- they would surely be among those who suffer loss (لَـنَكُوۡنَنَّ مِنَ الۡخٰسِرِيۡنَ)
* the word (تَرۡحَمۡنَا) shares the same root (ر ح م) as the womb, so I think it implies an encompassing, affectionate covering, to protect their nafs from further harm, so that they do not lose it completely
In the ayaat quoted above, Satan is tempting them with the promise of transforming into angels (from bashr to malak), and/or immortality. In Surah Ta Ha, we read the temptation in the following words:
اِنَّ لَـكَ اَلَّا تَجُوۡعَ فِيۡهَا وَلَا تَعۡرٰىۙ ١١٨ وَاَنَّكَ لَا تَظۡمَؤُا فِيۡهَا وَلَا تَضۡحٰى ١١٩ فَوَسۡوَسَ اِلَيۡهِ الشَّيۡطٰنُ قَالَ يٰۤاٰدَمُ هَلۡ اَدُلُّكَ عَلٰى شَجَرَةِ الۡخُلۡدِ وَمُلۡكٍ لَّا يَبۡلٰى ١٢٠ فَاَكَلَا مِنۡهَا فَبَدَتۡ لَهُمَا سَوۡاٰ تُہُمَا وَطَفِقَا يَخۡصِفٰنِ عَلَيۡهِمَا مِنۡ وَّرَقِ الۡجَـنَّةِ وَعَصٰۤى اٰدَمُ رَبَّهٗ فَغَوٰىۖ ١٢١ ثُمَّ اجۡتَبٰهُ رَبُّهٗ فَتَابَ عَلَيۡهِ وَهَدٰى ١٢٢ قَالَ اهۡبِطَا مِنۡهَا جَمِيۡعًاۢ بَعۡضُكُمۡ لِبَعۡضٍ عَدُوٌّ ۚ فَاِمَّا يَاۡتِيَنَّكُمۡ مِّنِّىۡ هُدًى ۙ فَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ هُدَاىَ فَلَا يَضِلُّ وَلَا يَشۡقٰى ١٢٣ وَمَنۡ اَعۡرَضَ عَنۡ ذِكۡرِىۡ فَاِنَّ لَـهٗ مَعِيۡشَةً ضَنۡكًا وَّنَحۡشُرُهٗ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيٰمَةِ اَعۡمٰى ١٢٤
Indeed, it is [promised] for you not to be hungry therein or be unclothed. And indeed, you will not be thirsty therein or be hot from the sun." Then Satan whispered to him; he said, "O Adam, shall I direct you to the tree of eternity and possession that will not deteriorate?" And they [i.e., Adam and his wife] ate of it, and their private parts became apparent to them, and they began to fasten over themselves from the leaves of Paradise. And Adam disobeyed his Lord and erred. Then his Lord chose him and turned to him in forgiveness and guided [him]. [Allāh] said, "Descend from it [i.e., Paradise] - all, [your descendants] being enemies to one another. And if there should come to you guidance from Me - then whoever follows My guidance will neither go astray [in the world] nor suffer [in the Hereafter]. And whoever turns away from My remembrance - indeed, he will have a depressed [i.e., difficult] life, and We will gather [i.e., raise] him on the Day of Resurrection blind."
[Al-Quran 20:118-124, Translation: Saheeh International]
Comparing 7:20 and 20:120
- Immortality (الۡخٰلِدِيۡنَ) matches to the Tree of Eternity (شَجَرَةِ الۡخُلۡدِ)
- Angels (مَلَـكَيۡنِ) matches to possession or kingdom that will not deteriorate (مُلۡكٍ لَّا يَبۡلٰى)
Adam was a bashr, not a malak (angel). Q21:34 is quite clear that no bashr (بَشَرٍ) has been granted immortality (الۡخُـلۡدَ). So, in pursuit of eternal life or immortality, the other way around was to try to become angels. The quality that is mentioned in lieu of becoming angels is a kingdom that will not deteriorate (مُلۡكٍ لَّا يَبۡلٰى). That implies that:
- Adam had a nafs that was not in the dark /not darkened, so it was emitting light or reflecting light
- his possession / kingdom was prone to or in a state of decay
We know that radioactive elements emit radiation as well as decay. If radioactivity stops, the isotope becomes stable and stops radiating. Imagine a human who had his/her own internal source of nuclear energy to energise, a radioactive core, and it almost stopped when they tried to change their nafs. After all, humans were created in the best of forms, yet reduced to the lowest of the low (Q95).
Moreover, in Surah Hadeed, we read:
يَوۡمَ تَرَى الۡمُؤۡمِنِيۡنَ وَالۡمُؤۡمِنٰتِ يَسۡعٰى نُوۡرُهُمۡ بَيۡنَ اَيۡدِيۡهِمۡ وَبِاَيۡمَانِهِمۡ بُشۡرٰٮكُمُ الۡيَوۡمَ جَنّٰتٌ تَجۡرِىۡ مِنۡ تَحۡتِهَا الۡاَنۡهٰرُ خٰلِدِيۡنَ فِيۡهَاؕ ذٰلِكَ هُوَ الۡفَوۡزُ الۡعَظِيۡمُۚ ١٢
يَوۡمَ يَقُوۡلُ الۡمُنٰفِقُوۡنَ وَالۡمُنٰفِقٰتُ لِلَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوا انْظُرُوۡنَا نَقۡتَبِسۡ مِنۡ نُّوۡرِكُمۡۚ قِيۡلَ ارۡجِعُوۡا وَرَآءَكُمۡ فَالۡتَمِسُوۡا نُوۡرًاؕ فَضُرِبَ بَيۡنَهُمۡ بِسُوۡرٍ لَّهٗ بَابٌؕ بَاطِنُهٗ فِيۡهِ الرَّحۡمَةُ وَظَاهِرُهٗ مِنۡ قِبَلِهِ الۡعَذَابُؕ ١٣
يُنَادُوۡنَهُمۡ اَلَمۡ نَكُنۡ مَّعَكُمۡؕ قَالُوۡا بَلٰى وَلٰـكِنَّكُمۡ فَتَنۡتُمۡ اَنۡفُسَكُمۡ وَ تَرَبَّصۡتُمۡ وَارۡتَبۡتُمۡ وَغَرَّتۡكُمُ الۡاَمَانِىُّ حَتّٰى جَآءَ اَمۡرُ اللّٰهِ وَ غَرَّكُمۡ بِاللّٰهِ الۡغَرُوۡرُ ١٤
فَالۡيَوۡمَ لَا يُؤۡخَذُ مِنۡكُمۡ فِدۡيَةٌ وَّلَا مِنَ الَّذِيۡنَ كَفَرُوۡاؕ مَاۡوٰٮكُمُ النَّارُؕ هِىَ مَوۡلٰٮكُمۡؕ وَبِئۡسَ الۡمَصِيۡرُ ١٥
On the Day you see the believing men and believing women, their light proceeding before them and on their right, [it will be said], "Your good tidings today are [of] gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein you will abide eternally." That is what is the great attainment.
On the [same] Day the hypocrite men and hypocrite women will say to those who believed, "Wait for us that we may acquire some of your light." It will be said, "Go back behind you and seek light." And a wall will be placed between them with a door, its interior containing mercy, but on the outside of it is torment.
They [i.e., the hypocrites] will call to them [i.e., the believers], "Were we not with you?" They will say, "Yes, but you afflicted yourselves nafs and awaited [misfortune for us] and doubted, and wishful thinking deluded you until there came the command of Allāh. And the Deceiver [i.e., Satan] deceived you concerning Allāh.
So today no ransom will be taken from you or from those who disbelieved. Your refuge is the Fire. It is most worthy of you, and wretched is the destination."
[Al-Quran 57:12-15, Translation: Saheeh International]
Also, in Surah at-Tahreem, we read:
يٰۤاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا تُوۡبُوۡۤا اِلَى اللّٰهِ تَوۡبَةً نَّصُوۡحًا ؕ عَسٰى رَبُّكُمۡ اَنۡ يُّكَفِّرَ عَنۡكُمۡ سَيِّاٰتِكُمۡ وَيُدۡخِلَـكُمۡ جَنّٰتٍ تَجۡرِىۡ مِنۡ تَحۡتِهَا الۡاَنۡهٰرُ ۙ يَوۡمَ لَا يُخۡزِى اللّٰهُ النَّبِىَّ وَالَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا مَعَهٗ ۚ نُوۡرُهُمۡ يَسۡعٰى بَيۡنَ اَيۡدِيۡهِمۡ وَبِاَيۡمَانِهِمۡ يَقُوۡلُوۡنَ رَبَّنَاۤ اَ تۡمِمۡ لَـنَا نُوۡرَنَا وَاغۡفِرۡ لَـنَا ۚ اِنَّكَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ قَدِيۡرٌ ٨
O you who have believed, repent to Allāh with sincere repentance. Perhaps your Lord will remove from you your misdeeds and admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow [on] the Day when Allāh will not disgrace the Prophet and those who believed with him. Their light will proceed before them and on their right; they will say, "Our Lord, perfect for us our light and forgive cover us. Indeed, You are over all things competent."
[Al-Quran 66:8, Translation: Saheeh International, edited in italics]
After all, this life to act out, and its consequent reckoning has been created to reward every Nafs for what it earns. Surah Ta Ha quotes what Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى told Moses (Musa عليه السلام):
اِنَّنِىۡۤ اَنَا اللّٰهُ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّاۤ اَنَا فَاعۡبُدۡنِىۡ ۙ وَاَقِمِ الصَّلٰوةَ لِذِكۡرِىۡ ١٤ اِنَّ السَّاعَةَ اٰتِيَـةٌ اَكَادُ اُخۡفِيۡهَا لِتُجۡزٰى كُلُّ نَفۡسٍۢ بِمَا تَسۡعٰى ١٥ فَلَا يَصُدَّنَّكَ عَنۡهَا مَنۡ لَّا يُؤۡمِنُ بِهَا وَاتَّبَعَ هَوٰٮهُ فَتَرۡدٰى ١٦
Indeed, I am Allāh. There is no deity except Me, so worship Me and establish prayer for My remembrance. Indeed, the Hour is coming - I almost conceal it - so that every soul (Nafs) may be recompensed according to that for which it strives. So do not let one avert you from it who does not believe in it and follows his desire, for you [then] would perish.
[Al-Quran 20:14-16, Translation: Saheeh International, edited in italics]
Teleology: A purpose-built Universe?
It will be well worth to look into radioactivity, on Earth, and in Space, to get a fresh perspective on the literal reading of The Quran, so that we truly begin to understand what is being said, in sha Allah, truly submitting sincerely.
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Last updated on: February 26, 2024
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