The Tree of Life

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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

[The Quran, 7:20-21]

فَوَسۡوَسَ اِلَيۡهِ الشَّيۡطٰنُ قَالَ يٰۤاٰدَمُ هَلۡ اَدُلُّكَ عَلٰى شَجَرَةِ الۡخُلۡدِ وَمُلۡكٍ لَّا يَبۡلٰى‏ ١٢٠

[The Quran, 20:120]

The Quran informs us that Allah taught Adam all the names, and that Allah forbid him from eating from a particular tree in that garden. 

So, Adam was taught all the names. He knew about everything and everyone. When asked to name them, he successfully named them. He passed the knowledge test which the angels failed. 

Adam was forbidden from a tree in that garden, and warned to not let Satan Iblis make them slip out of the comfort they were in. Adam disobeyed, which resulted in the loss of the nur illuminating his nafs. He was consequently removed from the garden, as he had made a legal mistake, and his nafs was no longer in the state of nur. 

As the English translation of the Bible puts it, paraphrased: of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat; for in the day you eat from it, you will surely die. 

The Quran and The Bible inform us that, after eating from that forbidden tree, they started covering themselves with the leaves of the garden.   

Satan Iblis had convinced Adam that it was the Tree of Immortality and Ever-lasting Kingdom. 

The Bible informs that Adam was expelled from that garden lest he ate from the Tree of Life as well: 

21 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 22 And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” 23 So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side[e] of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

[Genesis 3 21-24] 

So, now, in our fallen state, in our world, across the ages, we see two things: 

1. sexual immorality 
2. diseases and the search for cures  

The plots in most of mythology, legends, stories, etc. is pursuing love and happiness, and defying death and disease. 

Adam had the best job, the most luxurious residence, his soulmate as his wife, all angels at his command, direct access to God, yet he fell for the one thing he didn't have: immortality and a kingdom that never decays. 

Why immortality? Why did he wish to live forever? Why not embrace death when it came to him, and move on from this stage of existence to the next? The Hereafter will come after the life and the death in this world. Everything in this world is meant to decay and disappear. Nothing is meant to last forever. Then why try to live here forever?  

Do we also suffer from this problem? The desire for that which is not? Perpetually trying to achieve what isn't? Instead of being grateful for what is, yearn for what isn't? Is that the role of Satan in our lives: making us feel incomplete and ungrateful? 

Secular societies indulge in sexual liberties which the scriptures do not permit. They cherish their freedom. 

Secular science views death as a disease. They wish and strive to eradicate it. They strive for perpetual health and life. 

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