ADAM’S WRONGDOING IN THE LIGHT OF THE BENEFICENT QUALITIES OF THE TREE OF ETERNITY AND MERCIFULNESS OF ALLAH

Abstract

The conventional view is that God had prohibited Adam from eating of the Tree of Eternity. However, he forgot the promise and, prodded by the Satan, he ate. He thus fell and then repented his wrongdoing. In this view, Ayat 20:115: “And We had already taken a promise from Adam before, but he forgot; and We found not in him determination,” draws attention of Prophet Mohammad to the wrongdoing of eating of the Tree mentioned in 7:22 and 20:121. This view leaves unexplained why would God, being beneficent and merciful, prohibit Adam from eating of the Tree of Eternity. We provide an alternative exegesis to resolve this issue. We suggest that the earlier promise mentioned in 20:115 was that of eating of the Tree. However, Adam forgot and did not eat of it. Then, God gave him a “negative order” to prompt him to eat of it. Adam still did not eat. Then, Satan assured Eve that God actually wanted them to eat of the Tree. Thereupon Adam and Eve ate of it and their wrongdoing of not eating of the Tree earlier became apparent to them. They repented for their mistake of not-eating of the Tree and God chose Adam and guided him. Both alternatives are fraught with difficulties. The conventional alternative does not explain why Merciful God would prohibit eating of the Tree of Eternity. Our alternative is challenged by interpreting the words of God as a “negative order.” There is a need to consider both alternatives dispassionately.