Академия Корана:Encyclopaedia of the Qurʾān/Adam and Eve

Schöck, Cornelia, "Adam and Eve" in: Encyclopaedia of the Qurʾān, General Editor: J. D. McAuliffe, Georgetown University, Washington DC.

Adam is the first human being(bashar) and the father of humankind in the Pentateuch and the Qurʾān. «Adam» (Ādam) as an individual person occurs eighteen times in the Qurʾān. In addition, the phrase «the sons of Adam» (banū Ādam) in the sense of «humankind» is attested seven times. The qurʾānic commentators derive the name «Ādam» from adīm al-arḍ (ʿAbd al-Razzāq, Tafsīr, i, 43; ii, 20; Ibn Saʿd, Ṭabaqāt, i, 26; Ṭabarī, Tafsīr, i, 214-5) or from adamat al-arḍ (Ṭabarī, Tafsīr, i, 208), because he was created from «the surface of the earth.» The name of Adam’s wife Eve, in the Islamic tradition «Ḥawwāʾ,» is not qurʾānic, although she figures in the Qurʾān as Adam’s counterpart and complement. «Ḥawwāʾ» is said to be derived from ḥayy, because she is the mother of everything «living» (Ibn Saʿd, Ṭabaqāt, i, 39-40) or because she was created from something «living» (Ṭabarī, Tafsīr, i, 229). The qurʾānic material on Adam and Eve addresses a number of basic topics.

The announcement of the creation of man

q 2:30 reports the announcement of the creation of man: «And when your lord said to the angels (q.v.), ‘I am about to place a vice-regent (khalīfa, see caliph) on earth,’ they said, ‘Will you place thereon one who will work corruption (q.v.) there and shed blood, while we proclaim your praise and call you holy?’ He said, ‘I know what you do not know.’» Like the Talmudic explanation of Genesis 1:26 (Speyer, Erzählungen, 52-3; C. Schöck, Adam, 97; cf. Ṭabarī, Tafsīr, xiv, 31; Rāzī, Tafsīr, ii, 154), God’s announcement (innī jāʿil, q 2:30; innī khāliq, q 15:28; 38:71) is given before the council of angels (al-malaʾ al-aʿlā, q 38:69), who argue against the creation of man (Ṭabarī, Tafsīr, xxiii, 183-4). The commentaries on the Qurʾān discuss the meaning of «khalīfa», his identity and the identity of «the one who will work corruption there and shed blood.» The term «khalīfa» denotes a person who takes the place of someone else and most commentators agree that it refers to Adam. This raised the question of whom Adam replaced on earth. Early commentary assumes that Adam was the successor of the angels or jinn (q.v.) who dwelled on earth before him and who were replaced because they became corrupt and shed blood. The famous early religious scholar al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī (d. 110/728) identified the «khalīfa» as the offspring of Adam who succeed their father, generation after generation. Others take Adam for the khalīfa of God on earth in exercising judgment with justice (al- ḥukm bi-l-ʿadl, cf. q 38:26). The commentators attribute the corruption and bloodshed (q.v.) to those descendants of Adam who do not follow the law of God (Ṭabarī, Tafsīr, i, 199—201). There is general agreement that Adam was not the one causing corruption and shedding blood. This interpretation reflects the understanding of Adam as the first prophet and messenger, because these actions were deemed to be a great sin (kabīra) and thus inappropriate for a prophet (see impeccability and infallibility). Modern commentators tend not to accept the early ḥadīth reporting that a rational species (al-ṣinf al-ʿāqil) resided on the earth before mankind (e.g. Rashīd Riḍā, Manār, i, 258). Some combine this view with their refutation of Darwin’s theory of the evolution of man (ʿA.W. al-Najjār, Qaṣaṣ, 31; see also M.J. Kister, Legends, 84-100; id., Ādam, 115-32; C. Schöck, Adam, 97-102).

Learning all of the names

The announcement of the creation of man (q 2:30) is followed by the verses «And [God] taught Adam the names, all of them (al-asmāʾ kullahā). Then he presented them to the angels, and said, ‘Tell me the names of these, if you speak the truth!’ They said, ‘Glory be to you! We know only what you have taught us….’ He said, ‘ Adam, tell them their names!’ When he had told them their names, [God] said, ‘Did I not tell you that I know the hidden things of the heavens and the earth?’» (q 2:31-2). The Qurʾān does not mention how God taught Adam all the names nor does it refer explicitly to what God presented to the angels. Early commentaries on these verses presuppose that God showed Adam all the things while teaching him their names. In this case, «the names, all of them» means «the name of everything» (kullu shayʾ) for which the commentators give examples such as «man, animal, earth, plain, sea, mountain, donkey.» Already al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī and his pupil Qatāda (d. ca. 116/734) understand God’s teaching as a demonstration of the connection between names and things, the signifier and signified (cf. Rashīd Riḍā, Manār, i, 262). They add the deictic «this is» (hādhā/hādhihi), explaining that God said, «This is a sea. This is a mountain», etc. (ʿAbd al-Razzāq, Tafsīr, i, 42-3; Ṭabarī, Tafsīr, i, 216). Adam’s knowledge of «all the names» was later interpreted as a general knowledge of all languages and through man’s gift of language it was understood as a knowledge of the entire animate and inanimate world. q 2:31 provided the starting point for the traditional Muslim discussion of the origin of language (cf. Speyer, Erzählungen, 51-4; Kister, in Rippen, Approaches, 107-9; id., in ios (1993, 140f.; Schöck, Adam, 79f., 87).

The prostration of the angels before Adam

God’s teaching of «the names» is followed by the qurʾānic verse: «And when We said to the angels, ‘Bow down before Adam!’ they bowed down, except Iblīs (q.v.). He refused and behaved proudly. He was one of the unbelievers» (q 2:34; cf. 7:11-2; 15:29-33; 17:61; 18:50; 20:116; 38:72-6). The early commentators discussed the reason Iblīs refused, reasoning that the bowing was primarily intended as an act of obedience to God and secondarily as a display of respect for Adam (see bowing and prostration). In other words, the angels bowed down before Adam out of deference to Adam and obedience to God, not in worship of Adam (Ṭabarī, Tafsīr, i, 227; see adoration). Later scholars examined the question of whether Adam’s knowledge (ʿilm) was cause for the prostration of the angels and whether it was the reason for Adam’s superiority to the angels (Rāzī, Tafsīr, ii, 212-4). They also debate whether Adam’s knowledge, when demonstrated to the angels, might be understood as a miracle (muʿjiza, e.g. Rāzī, Tafsīr, ii, 163-5, 169).

The creation of Adam

The Qurʾān mentions several materials from which Adam was created, i.e. earth or dust (turāb, q 3:59), clay (ṭīn, q 7:12; see clay), and sticky clay or mud (ṭīn lāzib). More specifically, it is described as «clay from fetid foul mud» (ṣalṣāl min ḥamaʾ masnūn) and «clay like earthenware», i.e. baked or dry clay(ṣalṣāl ka-l-fakhkhār). These terms are commonly interpreted as describing the different states of a single material. Commentators insist that Adam’s clay(ṣalṣāl) was not baked, but was dried (ṭīn yābis/turāb yābis) without the use of fire, for q 15:26-7 and q 55:14-5 report that the jinn, unlike man, were created from fire. Narrative commentary and prophetic ḥadīth specify the places from which the earth was taken and provide various etiological explanations. According to some commentators, different kinds of dust were taken from the four corners of the earth so that the offspring of Adam would vary in color and quality. Others held that the dust was taken from different regions of the world, so that every part of Adam’s body corresponded to an area. Others speculated that Adam’s clay was taken from the seven earths (cf. q 65:12) or the four elements so that his body combines the four temperaments. One view held that the material for creating his body was taken from the entire universe so that he became the microcosm (al-ʿālam al-aṣghar) corresponding to the macrocosm.

God himself formed the material of which Adam is made and breathed his spirit (q.v.; see also air and wind) into him (q 15:29; 38:72). God says, «I created [Adam] with my own hands» (q 38:75). In some commentaries God acts as a potter. He left the clay until it became good (khammara) and then kneaded (ʿajana) it. The question of the proper interpretation of God’s «hand» or «hands» held a central place in the debates over corporealism (tajsīm) and anthropomorphism (tashbīh, Speyer, Erzählungen, 43-6; M.J. Kister, Legends, 100-5; id., Ādam, 135-7; C. Schöck, Adam, 67-8, 74-8, 82-6; J. van Ess, tg, iv, 399—400; Gimaret, Dieu à l’image de l’homme, 190-8).

The creation of Eve

The Qurʾān speaks of the creation of the second human being with the words: «People!… Your lord who created you from a single person and created from him his wife (zawjahā)» (q 4:1). This «single person» (nafs wāḥida) is interpreted as Adam and «his wife» as Eve (Ṭabarī, Tafsīr, iv, 224). The early commentators report that she was created from the lowest of Adam’s ribs (quṣayrā) — which is sometimes also understood as the shortest rib (al-ḍilʿ al-aqṣar) — or from a rib on his left side. This was done while he was sleeping with the aim «that he might dwell with her» (q 7:189). The Qurʾān does not report when she was created, although some ḥadīth recount that she was created while Adam was dwelling in the garden of paradise (q.v.), where he had roamed alone (Ibn Saʿd, Ṭabaqāt, i, 39; Ṭabarī, Tafsīr, iv, 224-5). According to other reports, she was created before Adam entered the garden (q.v.; Ṭabarī, Tafsīr, i, 229-30). After describing the creation of Eve, q 7:189 continues: «Then, when he covered her, she became pregnant with a light burden.» The Qurʾān is not clear about where this happened, but most of the commentators situate Eve’s pregnancy after their fall from paradise (Ṭabarī, Tafsīr, ix, 145).

The sojourn in paradise, the offense against God’s command and the descent to earth

God commanded Adam and Eve to enjoy paradise with only a single restriction: «Adam, dwell you and your wife in the garden (al- janna) and eat freely of it wherever you desire, but do not go near this tree, lest you become wrong-doers!» (q 2:35; cf. 7:19). This was a contract God made with Adam (ʿahidnā ilā Ādam, q 20:115). Most commentators interpret the forbidden tree as an ear of grain (sunbula), wheat (burr, ḥinṭa), a vine (karma, shajarat al-ʿinab, shajarat al-khamr) or a fig tree (tīna, Ṭabarī, Tafsīr, i, 231-3). Other explanations mention trees with delicious and fragrant fruits. It is also called the «tree of knowledge (ʿilm)» or «tree of eternity (khuld)» (q 20:120). The angels eat its fruit because they are immortal (ʿAbd al-Razzāq, Tafsīr, ii, 226; cf. q 7:20).

Upon Satan’s prompting, Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden tree (q 7:20-2; 20:121) and descended from the garden to the earth (q 2:36; 7:24-5; 20:123). The early commentators do not question that Adam sinned, although his sin was viewed as predetermined (J. van Ess, Zwischen Ḥadīt̲ und Theologie, 161-8). The later commentaries, influenced by the dogma of the prophetic impeccability(ʿiṣma), emphasize that Adam and Eve were made to «slip» by Satan (azallahumā, q 2:36) and Adam forgot (nasiya, q 20:115); or they characterize the disobedience (q.v.) as an error in judgment (khaṭaʾ fī l-ijtihād) since Adam had assumed a single tree (shakhṣ) to be forbidden rather than the species (nawʿ). He did not eat from the particular tree God showed him, but from another one of the same species. Tradition reports that from paradise Adam was made to descend to India and Eve to Jeddah. They re-united in ʿArafāt (q.v.) near Mecca (q.v.; Speyer, Erzählungen, 61-73; M.J. Kister, Ādam, 146-55; C. Schöck, Adam, 89-96, 106-32, 185). See fall of man.

God’s forgiveness and guidance

After his «slip», «Adam received words (kalimāt) from his Lord and He forgave him (tāba ʿalayhi)…. We [viz. God] said, ‘Get down from [the garden of paradise], all together! If guidance comes to you from me, whoever follows my guidance will experience no fear and will suffer no sorrow.’» (q 2:37-8). Most commentators explain the «words» which «Adam received» as his speech: «Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves. If you do not forgive us and have mercy on us, we shall surely be among the lost» (q 7:23). The key element of these verses is God’s forgiveness of man and man’s repentance. Together with God’s «guidance» (hudā, cf. q 20:122) and repentance (tauba), they will lead to man’s return to paradise (Ṭabarī, Tafsīr, i, 242-5). For Muslim orthodoxy, repentance became the first step toward a religious life (al-Ghazālī, Iḥyāʾ, iv, 2-4).

The election of Adam

Muslims consider Adam a prophet, although this is not explicitely stated in the Qurʾān. God elected (iṣṭafā) Adam as he did the prophets and prophetic families, e.g. Noah (q.v.); Abraham (q.v.) and his family; the family of the father of Moses (q.v.), ʿImrān (q.v.); Isaac (q.v.); Jacob (q.v.); and Moses. The earliest testimony for Adam’s status as a prophet is a ḥadīth narrated by Abū Dharr al-Ghifārī (d. 32/653), in which he asks Muḥammad who was the first prophet and he replies Adam. q 20:122 reports that God «chose» (ijtabā) Adam, when he forgave him and guided him after his disobedience. Sunnī theology reconciled Adam’s sin with the dogma of prophetic impeccability by arguing that his vocation began after his sin and his descent from paradise and thus he did not sin as a prophet.

The covenant

Prior to creation, «Your lord took from the backs of the children of Adam their offspring and made them testify against themselves. [God said,] ‘Am I not your lord?’ They said, ‘Yes, we bear witness [to this]’» (q 7:172). Early commentators interpreted this verse as a covenant (mīthāq, see covenant) between God and humankind, which committed men to monotheism. Although the Qurʾān states that the offspring were taken from «the children of Adam», most early scholars interpreted this to mean that God took from Adam’s loins all of his progeny until the day of resurrection (e.g. ʿAbd al-Razzāq, Tafsīr, ii, 242). Although not all of the religious schools within Islam accepted this interpretation, the idea of the innate monotheistic nature of man (fiṭra, q 30:30) was derived from this verse (cf. Ṭabarī, Tafsīr, xix, 40-1; Rashīd Riḍā, Manār, ix, 386-8; R. Gramlich, Der Urvertrag, 205-30).

The two sons of Adam

The Qurʾān reports the story of the two sons of Adam, one of whom murders the other because his sacrifice was not accepted while his brother’s was (q 5:27-32; see cain and abel). In commentary the brothers are identified as Cain (Qābīl) and Abel (Hābīl). In the Islamic tradition, Cain is the prototypical murderer and the two brothers are seen as exemplars of good and evil (M.J. Kister, Ādam, 145-6; W. Bork-Qaysieh, Kain und Abel, 19-21). See also prophets and prophethood .

Bibliography

Primary

• ʿAbd al-Razzāq, Tafsīr
• al-Ghazālī, Abū Ḥāmid Muḥammad, Iḥyāʾ ʿulūm al-dīn, 4 vols. in 2, Cairo 1927
• Ibn Saʿd, Ṭabaqāt
• Rashīd Riḍā, Manār
• Rāzī, Tafsīr
• Ṭabarī, Tafsīr

Secondary

• H.M.-D. al-Alousī, The problem of creation in Islamic thought, Ph.D. diss., Cambridge 1965
• W. Bork-Qaysieh, Die Geschichte von Kain und Abel (Hābīl wa-Qābīl) in der sunnitisch-islamischen Überlieferung, Berlin 1993
• J. van Ess, tg
• id., Zwischen Ḥadīt̲ und Theologie. Studien zum Entstehen prädestinatianischer Überlieferung, Berlin 1975
• D. Gimaret, Dieu à l’image de l’homme, Paris 1997
• R. Gramlich, Der Urvertrag in der Koranauslegung (zu Sure 7, 172—173), in Der Islam 60 (1983), 205-30
• M.J. Kister, Legends in tafsīr and ḥadīth literature
• The creation of Ādam and related stories, in A. Rippin, Approaches, 82-114
• id., Ādam. A study of some legends in tafsīr and ḥadīt̲ literature, in ios (1993), 113—174
• ʿA.W. al-Najjār, Qaṣaṣ [sic] al-anbiyā, Beirut 1405/1985
• W. al-Qāḍī, The term «Khalīfa» in early exegetical literature, in wi 28 (1988), 392—411
• C. Schöck, Adam im Islam. Ein Beitrag zur Ideengeschichte der Sunna, Berlin 1993
• Speyer, Erzählungen