A Comment on 'Where Was Adam'

The paradise was not on earth, that is why Allah states:"GET YE ALL DOWN FROM HERE". The statement "I AM GOING TO CREATE A KHALIFAH ON EARTH" is a statement of intent, otherwise Allah would say "I DID CREATE A KHALIFAH ON EARTH". If that is the case, where were they?

Here are some other possibilities:

1. Adam descended in a space ship.
2. Adam (ATOM) was pure energy becoming physical solid matter.
3. Adam in paradise is Symbolic of the "NAFS" or the self (Monad) descending from the higher self (spiritual awareness) to the lower self (Carnal thinking).

I believe that the last (#3) would be more reasonable. Notice that after the "FALL", Allah states that Adam was guilty of two things

1. Forgetting Allah
2. not having resolve.

These are internal qualities. Further, after the "FALL" they covered themselves, were they nude before hand? Why the need to cover all of a sudden? Seems to have some sexual connotation to it (Carnal Thinking). Carnal Thinking (LUST) was the forbidden tree. Carnal Thinking has the affect of making you forget Allah, and it is a result of weak will power. Looked at it this way, we all fall from Paradise sometimes when we indulge our lower animal passions (i.e. … Anger, Depression, Fear, Lust, Greed, Jealousy, etc.....).

Reply

You have established your point of view on the basis of the word “ihbitoo” used in Al-Baqarah 2: 36. Unfortunately, I do not fully agree with you in the understanding of this word. I would therefore like to present a brief analysis of your basic point.

Your first point is:

The paradise was not on earth, that is why Allah states:” GET YE ALL DOWN FROM HERE".

It is quite evident from the Qur’an itself that the Arabic phrase “ihbitoo” normally translated as “Get ye all down” does not necessarily imply that the ‘paradise’ was not on earth. The word is also used in Al-Baqarah 2: 61, where the Bani Israeel are told to “seek a settlement in some Misr”, if they are not willing to put up with the life of the desert. In that verse too, the Arabic words used are the same as used in the verse from which you have made the derivation that “the paradise was not on earth”. Thus, the Arabic phrase “ihbitoo minhaa” does not necessarily imply getting down from a physically higher plain, although its usage in the Qur’an does evidence, to a certain extent, that it implies getting down from a more respectable and honored place.

Because the remaining part of your point of view is based on the basic point above, I do not see any reason to comment on it.

I hope this helps. In case any aspect remains unclear, please feel free in writing back to me at your convenience.

May Allah grant us all true understanding of His guidance.

Regards