Ramadan Lecture Series 1445 A.H.
Presented by Al-Sayyid Abdul Malik Badruddin Al-Houthi
Lecture Eight
Tuesday, 9 Ramadan 1445 A.H. (19 March 2024 A.D.)
The Story of Adam (PBUH)
(Part Two)
Adam's Appointment as Vicegerent on the Earth & the Test and Its Results!
I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the outcast.
In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
Praise is to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. I believe that there is no god but Allah, the Sovereign and the Manifest Truth, and that Muhammad, our master, is His servant, Messenger, and Last Prophet.
O Allah! Confer Your salat and blessings upon Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad as You conferred Your salat and blessings upon Ibrahim and the Family of Ibrahim. You are Owner of Praise, Owner of Glory! And be pleased with Muhammad's good companions and all Your righteous servants and mujahidin.
O Allah! Guide us and grant us acceptance, for You are the Hearing, the Knowing; accept our repentance, for You are the Relenting and the Merciful.
Brothers and sisters, peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
The story of Adam's creation, the beginning of human existence, and the position of Iblis is mentioned in many surahs of the Holy Quran. It is detailed more in Surah Al-Baqarah, Al-A'raf, Al-Hijr, Al-Isra, Taha, and Sad. In each surah, the story is presented within a specific context, and the blessed Quranic verses shed light on important aspects related to that context. This allows one to get a complete picture from different angles and benefit from many lessons. We have already started with the story mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah.
In yesterday's lecture, we briefly discussed what happened before the creation of humans. Allah (Glory be to Him) created the heavens and the earth, created the angels, and spread numerous creatures on the earth, which He prepared in multiple phases for human life since its formation, creation, and existence. He also created the jinn before creating humans. A long time had passed between the creation of the heavens and the earth and the moment when He created humans and brought them into existence. Allah (the Almighty) has said, {'Has there come upon man a period of time when he was not a thing mentioned?'}.
Allah created the angels in enormous numbers and assigned them diverse duties, and He made them dwell in the heavens. They are as He has said about them in the Holy Quran, {'Rather, they are honoured servants. They cannot precede Him in word, and they act by His command'}. The angels are different from humans in their creation and nature, and they are not like the jinn. Allah (Glory be to Him) created them without the ability of reproduction found in humans: They cannot reproduce and have offspring and do not have social ties among themselves based on kinship. Allah (Glory be to Him) created them in immense numbers, and thus their state is not like that of humans: male and female with the ability to reproduce and have offspring. Indeed, their state is different from that. In the Holy Quran, Allah (Glory be to Him) has refuted the misconceptions of the pre-Islamic era about them, where people used to believe that the angels were girls and they would insult them and Allah (Glory be to Him) by saying that they were females and daughters of Allah. Allah is exalted above what they say: {'And they described the angels, who are servants of the Merciful, as females. Did they witness their creation? Their testimony will be recorded, and they will be questioned'}.
Allah also created the jinn before creating humans, as He (the Almighty) has said, {'And the jinn We created before from scorching fire'}. Therefore, the jinn also differ in their composition and creation from humans. We will discuss this matter in detail in other parts of the story in Surah Al-Hijr.
The creation and preparation of the earth for humanity before their creation!
Since the creation of the earth, Allah prepared for humans: Even though humans were created much later, the earth was meant and arranged by Allah from the very beginning to be prepared for humans when the time for their creation would come. So Allah prepared it in a remarkable way to suit human life and humans' role based on which He would make them vicegerents on the earth. That is why Allah (Glory be to Him) says, {' the One Who made for you the earth a bed and the sky a canopy and sent down from the sky water and brought forth thereby fruits as provision for you'], {'It is He Who created for you all of that which is on the earth'}, {'We have indeed established you on the earth and provided you with a means of livelihood'}, and {'He created the heavens without pillars that you see and has cast into the earth firmly set mountains, lest it should shift with you'}. Even in the creation of mountains on the earth, they were made as anchors for the earth so that it would not be disturbed in its movement as it is compressed by the immense amount of water: the waters of oceans and seas. In His divine wisdom and planning, Allah did not neglect humans when creating and forming the earth
{‘And He dispersed therein from every creature. And We sent down rain from the sky and made grow therein of every noble kind’}: the diverse plants in immense numbers that hold incredible benefits for humans. Some serve as nutrition, others as medicine, and still others contribute to clothing, among many other benefits, including the oxygen that humans breathe.
Furthermore, He (the Almighty) says, {‘It is Allah Who made for you the earth a place of settlement and the sky a canopy and formed you and perfected your forms and provided you with good things’}, and He also says, {‘Say, "Do you indeed disbelieve in He Who created the earth in two days and attribute to Him equals? That is the Lord of the worlds." And He placed on it firmly set mountains’}. The purpose of them, as we read in the previous blessed verse, is to stabilise the earth for humans: {‘lest it should shift with you’}—so that it would be stable for them, not in a consistent state of disturbance and shaking. {‘And He placed on it firmly set mountains over its surface}—massive mountains—{and He blessed it and determined therein its sustenance for four equal days—for those who ask’}. Allah has determined the provisions and needs of humans on the earth, as well as the needs of all living creatures, which He made it His duty to provide for after creating and spreading them on the earth.
Moreover, Allah has said, {‘ the One Who has made for you the earth a cradle and made for you upon it roads’}. Allah has indeed made the earth a cradle for humans, providing everything necessary for their lives and making it stable for them. Although the earth is one of those moving celestial bodies, its movement is not felt by humans and does not affect their lives nor cause disturbances. Allah (Glory be to Him) says, {‘ the One Who has made for you the earth a cradle and made for you upon it roads that you might be guided.’} He also says, {'He is the One Who has made the earth subjugated for you, so walk on its shoulders and eat out of His provision, and to Him is the resurrection'}.
Many are the verses in the Holy Quran that illustrate for us that Allah prepared the earth since the beginning of its creation and through the phases of its formation and, preparation and that {‘He blessed it.’} This is a great, important expression of the blessings, goodness, and extensive, diverse benefits that Allah has bestowed upon humanity on this earth. The same applies to His saying that He {‘determined therein its sustenance’} by providing what humans need and fulfilling their requirements, as well as the needs of all creatures on the earth.
The angels’ lack of knowledge about the nature of man’s role and the concept of vicegerency!
In regard to the creation of humans, as the earth was inhabited by non-human species and creatures before the creation of humans—the being that would play a fundamental role on the earth that is significantly different from the role of other creatures, considering the vast role Allah intended for them and the many things on the earth He subjugated for them, along with their extensive movement and the various changes that occur in their lives on it—Allah (Glory be to Him) had informed the angels about the creation of humans long time before their actual creation. Also, He informed them about the future of humans, although we do not really know the details or the extent of what He informed them regarding that. From what Allah informed them, they knew that some humans would cause corruption on the earth, shed blood, and commit terrible crimes. Therefore, when the appointed time came for Allah's plan to create humans, He also informed the angels that the time for creating them had come. Actually, since the angels have many roles related to humans, it is part of Allah's wisdom to inform them about humans, their lives, and their future, establishing a relationship with them from the beginning of human creation. This is because there are tasks entrusted to the angels related to guarding humans, recording and observing their deeds, conveying revelations, and many other divine matters and many details that are beyond the scope of discussion.
The angels were in a state of amazement. However, their amazement, inquiry, and proposal to take on the task of being vicegerents on the earth were not expressions of objection to Allah (the Almighty), for, as we mentioned about them based on the Holy Quran, {‘Rather, they are honoured servants. They cannot precede Him in word, and they act by His command’}. However, it was difficult and hard for the angels due to their faith and reverence for Allah to accept the idea that there would be a creature on the earth who would disobey Allah (Glory be to Him) and commit such terrible, heinous crimes of corruption and bloodshed. They looked at the role of vicegerent only from a single perspective. Therefore, they imagined that they themselves could take on the task of vicegerent on the earth. That is because they understood that the role of any creature created by Allah (Glory be to Him) would be to worship Him—that is, their responsibility and role would be to worship Allah, the Almighty. Their understanding of worship was limited to the forms they were familiar with: glorifying, revering, and sanctifying Allah. However, they lacked detailed knowledge about humans regarding their role as vicegerent and the specifics of their lives.
However, what the essence of faith and submission to Allah (Glory be to Him) requires is that they should not have had any inquiries or found it astonishing: Even though the wisdom behind appointing humans as vicegerents may be hidden from them, they believe that Allah (Glory be to Him) is the Most Just of Judges and the Knower of the unseen and the seen and nothing is hidden from Him in the heavens or the earth. Therefore, submission to Allah (Glory be to Him) entails submitting without questions and following this important and great principle, which is the principle of faith, because Allah is the Knowing and the Wise, and He is the One Who had originally informed them of what would be committed by some humans.
But by the mercy, wisdom, and grace of Allah (Glory be to Him), He clarified to them the wisdom behind that, which led them to absolute conviction. This also has to do with guiding them, as this was a great and significant lesson for the angels. Everyone is in need of the guidance of Allah (Glory be to Him), as there is no creature, no being that Allah created, who can do without the guidance of Allah. Indeed, everyone is in need of the guidance of Allah. Through this test which involved teaching the names to Adam and asking the angels about those names, Allah led the angels to absolute conviction and full submission to the matter. This lesson also held significance for their future, and undoubtedly, they greatly benefited from it.
Humans: Earthly beings appointed as Allah's vicegerents on the earth and honoured with this role
Allah created Adam as the father of humankind (PBUH), and with his creation, human life began. He created him from the clay of the earth and its elements, and Allah breathed into him from His soul. The soul is a mysterious secret: Allah (Glory be to Him) said about it,{'Say, "The soul is of the affair of my Lord"'}. The soul is what brings a human being to life. When Allah breathes His soul into a human, this gives life to him, and he remains alive as long as the soul resides within him. When the soul is taken away from a human, he dies. Thus, the life of the human body is dependent on the soul that Allah breathes into it. And life ends when the soul departs from the body. After that, Allah (Glory be to Him) created Hawwa from Adam (PBUH), so Adam and Hawwa are the first humans, from whom humankind multiplied.
Humans are earthly beings created by Allah from the clay of the earth and its elements, and He appointed them as vicegerents on the earth. From the beginning of their creation, their mission has been to fulfil their role as vicegerents on the earth. The widely-held belief among many intellectuals and scholars that humans are exiled to this earth as a punishment is actually incorrect. This is because Allah has intended for humans to be His vicegerents on the earth from the beginning of their creation. This mission and role is so great to the extent that the angels themselves offered to undertake this mission. It is neither a diminishment of the status of humans nor a punishment for them. Furthermore, the earth is a unique and marvellous planet. The presence of humans on it is not a punishment or calamity, but rather a blessing. In the Holy Quran, Allah has reminded us repeatedly about the earth as a blessing, considering it one of His blessings. This is not to mention what He has entrusted to us of the enormously diverse, abundant blessings in it. And here we, humans, continue to discover more and more of these blessings, from one generation to the next. In each generation, humans make discoveries on how to benefit from the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon them on this earth. They expand further and further and have reached a very astonishing level in this era in terms of what they have discovered of Allah's blessings, what He has made accessible for them, and the ways these blessings can be utilised, which allows humans to benefit from these blessings in numerous, diverse, marvellous ways. This is a well-known matter, and the Holy Quran speaks about it extensively.
In addition, the way Allah formed the human being is a blessing in itself, as He created the human body in the best form. He distinguished humans from other creatures with astonishing characteristics in their composition, creation, stature, shape, and beauty. This is a well-known fact. Allah also endowed humans with faculties, potentials, capabilities, and talents that are suitable for their great mission and extensive role as vicegerents on the earth.
Teaching Adam all the names & the challenging test for the angels!
After creating Adam (PBUH), Allah taught him the names and acquainted him with their meanings. Allah (Glory be to Him) says, {'And He taught Adam the names—all of them. Then He showed them to the angels and said, "Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful"'}. Allah taught Adam the names of those objects on the earth because he needed to know the objects that were given those names, what they mean to him, and how he could benefit from them:
- He taught him about water—its name, how to benefit from it, and its necessity;
- He taught him about trees and plants—the world of plants is vast; however, he would know about them, learn in detail about some of them, and understand their properties, benefits, what he could consume, and more;
- Allah taught him about minerals and how to benefit from them; and
- regarding the earth, Allah taught him what mountains, plains, valleys, and deserts are.
He learned what he needed to know in relation to his mission as vicegerent on the earth. This includes several titles, which Allah told him about, for he was in need to know them, so would his descendants. Referring to the names of those objects, {'Then He showed them to the angels and said, "Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful"'}—if you are truthful that you are more suited to the role of vicegerent on the earth and that Adam and humans are not the right choice for this role, as you believe.
{'They said, "Glory be to You! We have no knowledge except what You have taught us"'}. They immediately recognised their ignorance of the knowledge that Allah presented to them and realised that they were not the ones suited to that specific task. This is because they are not fit, even in their creation, to benefit from what is on this earth. Human beings are creatures that need food, drink, and clothing. Given their physical body, internal organs, and structure, humans are connected to the earth and to all it contains, whereas the angels are completely opposite in their nature. Therefore, they did not have knowledge about those things, nor their benefits, their names, or how to benefit from them. They acknowledged this and immediately realised that they should not raise any questions. It was enough for them to remember what they believed in because they believed that Allah is the Knower of the unseen and the seen, the Knowing, the Wise, and the Most Just of Judges. Thus, when Allah chose human beings to be the vicegerent on the earth, He (Glory be to Him) knew best that human beings were indeed the most suitable for this task and role. In the end, the angels could not but sanctify and glorify Allah (Glory be to Him) and acknowledged their own ignorance of that: {'They said, "Glory be to You! We have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, it is You Who is the Knowing, the Wise"'}.
The lesson to be learned is that those created by Allah should always remember the principle they believe in: Considering our belief that Allah is the Knowing and the Wise, whenever we have issues with anything regarding Allah's practice or law, then we should attribute the matter to our ignorance and remember that He is the Knowing and the Wise.
{'He said, "O Adam, inform them of their names." And when he had informed them of their names …'}. Their ignorance revealed that they were not suitable for this task. Through Adam informing them of these names and their realisation that Adam knew those names, they understood the competence and suitability of Adam and his descendants for the task.
{'He said, "Did I not tell you that I know the unseen of the heavens and the earth? And I know what you reveal and what you have concealed"'}. Perhaps—Allah knows best—this concern existed within the angels themselves for some time. That might be the case ever since they were first informed about humans, their role as vicegerents on the earth, and the actions of some humans among them. So they kept that concern hidden until the time came for the creation of the first human to fulfil this role. It was at that moment that they revealed their concern, so their concern was addressed in a way that guided them. This enlightened them and greatly increased them in guidance due to their tremendous faith, marking a great lesson for them.
Allah's command to prostrate to Adam and Iblis’ defiance!
Another command came from Allah (the Almighty) after this test, through which the angels reached absolute conviction regarding two matters: recalling Allah’s wisdom and knowledge and recognising that He had chosen the most suitable being for vicegerency on the earth, Adam (PBUH), and that Adam and his descendants would be well suited to this task. In fact, if they had not learned that lesson, if doubt or questioning had persisted within them, it would have been a strange situation. {'And when We said to the angels, "Prostrate before Adam," so they prostrated, except for Iblis. He refused and was arrogant and became of the disbelievers'}. After that test, which revealed the facts to the angels, Allah commanded them to prostrate to Adam. The prostration was an expression of honour for him and an act of worship and submission to Allah. Indeed, it is an act of worship and submission to Allah because it was done in obedience to His command. Indeed, their prostration to Adam represented a state of submission to Allah; it was in compliance with His command and in obedience to Him. Thus, it served as an act of worship to Allah (Glory be to Him) and an act of honour for Adam (PBUH). So the angels obeyed the command of Allah (Glory be to Him) without hesitation or questioning, as they had no more questions. What had happened before served as a profound lesson for them, one that was entirely sufficient for them. This was why they prostrated without any hesitation.
However, a strange and different position emerged; the position of Iblis. Allah said about him in Surah Al-Kahf, {'He was of the jinn'}: In his creation, he is not one of the angels. He was of the jinn, but his worship and efforts to draw closer to Allah (Glory be to Him) allowed him to reside in the heavens among the angels, joining them in worshipping Allah and staying with them. That is why he was considered one of them: Whatever was addressed or commanded to them would apply to him. Nonetheless, he showed a different position: a position of disobedience to Allah (Glory be to Him). That disobedience occurred before any disobedience came from the side of humans.
The disobedience of Iblis and his position contain many lessons, many of which we are going to highlight as part of the discussion of the blessed verses in Surah Al-A'raf, Surah Al-Hijr, and the rest of the surahs that discuss this story in detail, as they have focused on this topic. That is because every context in which this story is mentioned gives more attention to a particular point. For example, in Surah Al-Baqarah, the story is discussed briefly; but in Surah Al-A'raf, Surah Al-Isra, and Surah Sad, the story is discussed in more detail.
{'He refused}—he refused to prostrate and disobeyed the command of Allah—{and was arrogant'}: His disobedience stemmed from arrogance; he was driven by arrogance. In fact, his disobedience in itself was an act of arrogance. So its root cause was arrogance, and it was a true act of arrogance (We seek refuge in Allah). This is because he considered himself too great to submit to this divine command to prostrate to Adam, disdaining Adam on the one hand and believing that his own status is above being commanded with such a thing on the other hand. Therefore, he insulted Allah (Glory be to Him) and accused Him, so he became a disbeliever because of that: {'… and became of the disbelievers'}. He became a disbeliever due to that flaw he kept within him, his act of accusing Allah (the Almighty) in His wisdom and justice, his disdain for Adam (PBUH), and his disobedience and rejection to the command of Allah, the Almighty. All of this is considered disbelief because the rejection of the command of Allah (Glory be to Him) is one of the categories of disbelief: In his disobedience, Iblis based his rejection to obey Allah's command on his accusation against Allah regarding His justice and wisdom. Therefore, it was a heinous act. Indeed, his disobedience was heinous and terrible.
The beginning of Adam’s vicegerency on the earth & the training test!
After the act of disobedience by Iblis—as it will come in other surahs how Allah expelled him from the heavens—and following the prostration test, as well as the teaching and informing of names, the beginning of Adam's vicegerency on the earth commenced. Allah created for him Hawwa (Peace be upon them). {'And We said, "O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in the garden and eat therefrom in abundance from wherever you will. But do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers"'}. At the beginning of vicegerency on the earth, Allah settled them in a garden. This garden was not the one of the Hereafter that comes after judgment and reward; rather, by His wisdom and mercy, Allah wanted Adam and Hawwa to begin their vicegerency and journey in life in a state of bliss and stability in this world, where they would not have to face hardship, toil, struggle, or exhaustion from the very start of their lives. He did not want to breathe life into man and then give him the sickle or the hoe and send him to work and toil on this earth. Rather, Allah intended for them both, Adam and Hawwa, not to begin their life in hardship but in a stable environment, where their needs were abundantly met. He wanted them to begin their lives in a state of comfort and fulfilment until they had offspring, leading to the expansion of humanity across the earth. Allah provided them with that expansive garden, filled with everything they needed for life: food, nourishment, clothing, drinks, etc.
{'And eat therefrom in abundance from wherever you will'}. Food there was available to them in abundance and provided in a comfortable manner, so they did not need to make any effort. {'From wherever you will'}—this is because that garden was expansive. Therefore, they could go in any direction, to any place they desire, and eat therefrom.
{'But do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers'}. This marked the beginning of their training to practise commitment to responsibility. Humans' responsibility is tied to their actions on this earth with what Allah has permitted for them and what He has not permitted (what is allowed and what is forbidden) and the practical obligations they have. Therefore, their journey with responsibility began with this matter. Allah prohibited them from eating from one specific tree, just one tree while permitting them to enjoy all other things in that garden, which were greatly abundant and could allow them to live in prosperity and have more than they need. So what Allah did not permit for them, which was specifically eating from that tree, was a test for them and a training for them to practise commitment to responsibility.
{'And eat therefrom in abundance from wherever you will. But do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers.'} This is so because they would be eating something that Allah had not permitted them to eat: He is the Owner of the heavens, the Owner of the earth, and the Owner of humanity. A person may approach only those things that Allah permitted, but anything He has not permitted is not for humans to approach. This is because Allah is the true Owner of the earth and everything in it, as well as the heavens and humanity.
{'Lest you be among the wrongdoers'}—by doing so, they would transgress and go beyond what was made theirs because that tree was excluded: That tree was not made theirs, and it was not permitted for them to eat from it like the rest of what was in that garden. So this would be a wrongdoing, and there would also be consequences that would result from the injustice to oneself.
Therefore, Allah (Glory be to Him), when He placed them in that garden, warned them and prohibited them from eating from that tree, even from approaching it. This expression is important: {'But do not approach this tree.'} That is because getting close to it, touching it, and focusing on it would create psychological interaction and curiosity to eat something from it. Thus, staying away from it was the right thing.
Moreover, Allah warned them from Satan and that he would seek to get them out from that garden, as we will see in Surah Al-A'raf and other surahs. In fact, this was what Satan focused on. After what happened to him and his expulsion from the heavens due to his disobedience and arrogance, he became extremely enraged and full with very intense enmity and hatred towards Adam and Hawwa, as well as their descendants—a feeling that will persist until the end of time, until the end of humanity. This reflects a very astonishing animosity! So he started to make them the focus of his conspiracy and targeting and sought to drive them out of that garden. He focused on that tree: {'But Satan caused them to slip from it and brought them out of the state they were in'}.
Satan focused on that tree, aiming to deceive both of them and whisper doubts about it: Why were they forbidden from this tree? Why did Allah prohibit them from eating from it while allowing them to eat from the rest of the trees in the garden? What is its secret? As soon as this questioning and curiosity began, Satan whispered to them, presenting completely deceptive explanations: {'Your Lord has forbidden this tree to you only to prevent you from becoming angels or immortals'};{'… saying, "O Adam! Shall I show you the Tree of Immortality and such power as will never disappear?"'}. Satan attempted to deceive them by presenting a false perception of that tree, claiming that it held a strange and wondrous secret and an immensely significant secret: the secret of immortality that can protect humans from death and allow them to live eternally without experiencing death, the secret of kingship, and the secret of elevation—{'… only to prevent you from becoming angels'}. Through these claims, he attempted to create within them the desire and motivation to eat from it. This reveals to us, from the very beginning, the method that Satan follows to target humans: How he gains access to humans, and how he initially attempts to mislead humans by presenting a false perception and a misleading concept that aligns with a desire or interest within the human person to influence him.
The factors leading to the fall of Adam and Hawwa in the test!
Satan continued his efforts to ensnare them, continuously tempting them to eat from the tree. He whispered to them repeatedly until he went as far as swearing to them that he was their sincere advisor. According to narrations of the Prophet (PBUHF) and in Islamic literature, when Satan swore to them, this encouraged Adam and Hawwa, as they could not imagine that there would be a creature who would dare commit such a transgression by swearing a false oath—a dipping and sinful oath! They also forgot how Satan had acted with arrogance from the very beginning. On the one hand, the state of forgetfulness and astonishment, and on the other hand, the intense desire resulting from that misguided perception of the tree's secret, converged, ultimately leading Adam and Hawwa to eat from the tree. So Allah said about Adam in Surah Taha: {'However, he forgot, and We did not find in him a firm resolve'}. In fact, Adam forgot and lost his resolve, as his desire grew stronger, and false perceptions took hold of him. Therefore, their act of eating from the tree was not comparable to the audacity displayed by Satan (May Allah curse him) in his disobedience to Allah’s command to prostrate to Adam. Satan’s disobedience was driven by audacity and arrogance and questioned the wisdom and justice of Allah. As for Adam and Hawwa, their action was driven by forgetfulness, astonishment, and submission to their desires and the influence that Satan continued to exert through significant deception and manipulation until he made them fall into his trap and disobey the command by eating from the tree. So there were motives, influences, and factors, such as forgetfulness, that came together and led to the consequences they reached. The result was painful for them: {'But Satan caused them to slip from it and brought them out of the state they were in'}. Satan was the cause of their expulsion because Allah had warned them that eating from that tree would lead to their removal from the garden. And indeed, that was exactly what happened: When they ate from it, they were expelled from the garden, and their expulsion was attributed to Satan, as he was the cause of that and the one who sought to bring about that outcome. So he {'brought them out of the state they were in'}. They had a blissful, stable life where their needs were met effortlessly, without hardship, or toil.
{'And We said, "Go down as enemies to one another, and you will have upon the earth a place of settlement and provision for a time"'}. The command came from Allah to them all: Adam, Hawwa, and Satan as well. From the moment Satan committed this crime of temptation, his first act of leading others astray, he was named Satan because this a Satanic act: to mislead people from the path of truth through deception. He uses deception to divert people from the truth. Indeed, this is a Satanic act, and anyone who assumes, performs, or practices this role becomes known as a Satan, whether he is from the jinn or from humans.
{'But Satan caused them to slip from it and brought them out of the state they were in. And We said, "Go down as enemies to one another, and you will have upon the earth a place of settlement and provision for a time"'}. The settlement on the earth is for all of them: for Adam, Hawwa, and humanity and for the devils as well. The earth is their place of settlement and enjoyment for a temporary period, as existence in this life is temporary, and the existence on the earth itself is temporary, lasting for an appointed time. This existence ends with the end of human life, the beginning of the Resurrection, and the transition to the realm of reward.
{'Then Adam received from his Lord words, and He pardoned him'}. As we mentioned, Adam (PBUH) and Hawwa committed a sin. Satan misled them and caused them to fall into sin through using deception, cunning, lies, whispers, false oaths, and the misleading portrayal of the secret of that tree. They forgot the divine warning and became neglectful of it, so that led them to commit that sin. However, both of them regretted what had occurred, so their situation was not like that of Satan, neither in the motivation for the sin nor in the drive to disobedience, or in what came afterwards: the way they committed the sin and then what followed the committing of the sin and disobedience. They soon turned to Allah (Glory be to Him): {'Then Adam received from his Lord words, and He pardoned him.'} Allah (Glory be to Him) had reminded them: {'And their Lord called to them, "Did I not forbid you from that tree and tell you that Satan is a sworn enemy to you?"'}. Indeed, He reminded them of the previous warning He had given them and of the explanation He had provided regarding the consequences of that disobedience if they had committed it. So Adam (PBUH) turned to Allah in repentance and sought His forgiveness. {‘And He pardoned him.'} Allah accepted his repentance, chose him, and selected him, and he is one of the greatest prophets (Peace be upon them). {'Indeed, it is He Who is the Accepter of Repentance, the Merciful'} .
{'We said, "Go down from it, all of you. And when guidance comes to you from Me, whoever follows My guidance, there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. As for those who disbelieve and deny Our signs, they will be the people of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally"'}. They were commanded to go down from that garden. This means even after Adam's repentance was accepted, it did not result in him remaining in that garden. Rather, he went down from that garden on the earth. The phrase {'Go down'} means going from one place to another within the earth itself, as {'Go into settlement'} in other some blessed verses. Therefore, it does not refer to the Jannah of the Hereafter because when Adam was created, he was given the task and role of vicegerent on this earth. However, what is meant is the departure of Adam and Hawwa from that garden to face the difficulties of life at an early stage—that is, to endure misery, which means hardship and suffering. So the punishment for that disobedience was their expulsion from that garden at an early stage, before their lives could stabilise for a longer period, before Allah granted them offspring, and before they had any of their descendants to assist them and work with them, along with their immediate need to strive to provide the necessities of life with effort and toil.
{'And when guidance comes to you from Me, whoever follows My guidance, there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. As for those who disbelieve and deny Our signs, they will be the people of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally'}. {'As for those who disbelieve and deny Our signs, they will be the people of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally'}: The destiny of humans in this world and the Hereafter is determined by their position towards Allah's guidance and teachings. This is also true for the Jinn. Indeed, the destiny and future of both humans and the jinn, whether in their salvation or destruction, their success or failure, is tied to their position towards Allah's guidance, which is conveyed in His books through His messengers and prophets, as well as through those who follow their path and approach. {'Whoever follows My guidance, there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.'}
We find a significant difference when it comes to Adam's disobedience: This disobedience differed from that of Satan in its motive. Even later, Adam and Hawwa immediately turned to Allah in repentance, deeply regretting their action and returning to Allah, the Almighty. What happened became a very important lesson for Adam at the beginning of his role and vicegerency on the earth—a crucial lesson for the rest of his life. He then remained vigilant, careful, and highly cautious towards Satan.
In the next lectures, we will continue discussing the remaining lessons and insights, Allah willing.
We ask Allah (Glory be to Him) to grant us success in seeking what pleases Him. O Allah! Have mercy on our virtuous martyrs, heal the wounded among us, set free our captives, and grant us victory. You are the Hearer of Prayer!
Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.