Al-Baqarah (19)

Brothers and sisters, this narrative of Adam and Hauwa depicts events destined, written before the protagonists’ creation. The sin committed became the reason for their expulsion from Paradise and their ultimate sojourn on Earth. But Allah forgave Adam, anointed him, made him a prophet, and appointed him His vicegerent on Earth.
Our Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, taught us how to absolve Adam, our father, and Hauwa, our mother of blame in this story. Musa and Adam, peace be upon them both, met in the presence of Allah.

Musa said to Adam, ‘Are you Adam, the father of humanity? Allah created you with His hands and breathed His spirit into you. He made His angels bow to you and admitted you into His Paradise. With all this preference, with the bounties that Allah bestowed on you, how could you have disobeyed His order and wronged your progeny?
Adam answered Musa’s challenge, ‘Are you Musa? Allah has prepared you for service to Himself and has chosen you for His message. Allah spoke to you directly and sent down the Torah to you in a written form.
Musa said, ‘Yes.’

Adam continued, ‘Tell me, oh Musa, when the Torah was written.’
Musa said, ‘The Torah was written 40 years before you, O Adam, was created. Yes, 40 years before your creation, the Torah was in existence.

Adam said, ‘Oh Musa, have you read the Torah? Have you seen in it that ‘Adam disobeyed his Lord, so went astray’?
Musa said, ‘Yes’.
Adam said, ‘How should you reprimand me then about something that Allah has destined and written 40 years before my creation?’

38 We said: “Get ye down all from here; and if, as is sure, there comes to you Guidance from me, whosoever follows My guidance, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.

39 “But those who reject Faith and belie Our Signs, they shall be companions of the Fire; they shall abide therein.”
Remember, in verse 36, the same command of getting out of Paradise was given as in verse 38. What is the reason for this repetition? The first one, scholars said, is to emphasise the enmity between man and Satan. The second order to get out of Paradise and descend to the world in verse 38 is to seek and follow Allah’s guidance.

What is the difference between fear and grief?
Fear is about what has not happened. You are in suspense on the possibility or otherwise of what you fear. But as soon as it happens, you worse fears confirmed, you don’t fear what has happened, you now grieve over it. So, in Paradise, there is no expulsion after its occupants have entered. They don’t fear death as death is non-existent in Paradise. They don’t fear that there will come a time when the enjoyment in Paradise will cease because life is ever-lasting; therefore, there is no fear, no grief.

Yes, any form of grief is absent in Paradise—no rivalry. You don’t envy anybody because they have a position above yours in Paradise, and so on. Also, if you don’t see your husband, your wife, or your father and mother, you naturally grieve. Therefore, a righteous person will be with their family in Paradise because when he looks for them and can’t see them, he asks, ‘O Allah, where are the children?’ It will be said to him they have not done as well as you did. He will say, ‘O my Lord, I used to act for myself and their behalf. Allah will command the angels: ‘Join her family with her!’

21. And they who believe and whose seed follow them in faith, We cause their seed to join them (there), and We deprive them of naught of their (life’s) work. Every man is a pledge for that which he hath earned. (At-Tur).
23. Gardens of Eden which they enter, along with all who do right of their fathers and their helpmeets and their seed. The angels enter unto them from every gate.

24. (Saying): Peace be unto you because ye persevered. Ah, Passing Sweet will be the sequel of the (heavenly) Home. (Ar-Ra’d)
“…on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.”

39 “But those who reject Faith and belie Our Signs, they shall be companions of the Fire; they shall abide therein.”
On the other hand, the companions of the Fire shall also abide therein forever for denying faith and belying Allah’s portents. They are the ones who set up rivals with Allah through Shirk. They rejected His Messengers and the books sent down by Allah with them.

Let us ask one question to conclude our discussion on Adam and the beginning of creation. How did Satan disobey his Lord?

Was it by arrogance or by envy? It was by envy. He envied Adam for being Allah’s anointed. Envy leads to sin and even disbelief. Because when you see Allah’s favour in any person other than yourself and think that you are more deserving to own that car, occupy that office or own that house, you have committed two iniquities: 1) that you deem yourself bigger and more significant than the other; that leads you to arrogance and haughtiness. 2) you disbelieve in Allah because your action shows that Allah has committed a mistake by favouring the wrong person above you and placing things in a flawed way by giving that person what He has not given you.

Therefore, the first sin committed was envy, leading to arrogance, and see the consequences of envy with Satan. His envy pushed him to do all sorts of things against Adam, but all his evil machinations did not change anything. At the end of the day, he drew on himself Allah’s curse and eternal damnation. Satan’s envy did not amount to anything; it didn’t cause Allah to change His position or withdraw His favours from Adam. Yes, Adam was expelled from Paradise, but that was Allah’s original purpose decades before the creation of Adam! And that expulsion was not the outcome of Allah’s wrath on Adam. It was not even a punishment. Adam was ordered out of Paradise after Allah had forgiven him.

Second, we don’t blame Adam for what he did, as our study has shown that every part of this narrative was destined. But we’d like to ask what caused Adam to eat of the forbidden tree.

Yes, there was Satan’s whispering, but why would Adam obey the urge to eat from that particular tree amidst thousands at his complete disposal in Paradise? Was it greed? He had tasted all but one, so he completed the count by exceeding the bound?

Therefore, O man, stay away from greed. Be content with what Allah has given you. Avoid envy; it will not remove or alter Allah’s favour from your victim.

Abu Hurairah (RAA) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: “Avoid envy, for envy devours good deeds just as fire devours firewood.” Related by Abu Dawud.

Bulugh al-Maram
Don’t be arrogant – none will enter Paradise if they have even as small as the weight of a mustard seed of arrogance in their hearts.
‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “He who has, in his heart, an ant’s weight of arrogance will not enter Jannah.” Someone said: “A man likes to wear beautiful clothes and shoes?” Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “Allah is Beautiful, He loves beauty. Arrogance means ridiculing and rejecting the Truth and despising people.” [Muslim].

Riyad as-Salihin 611
If Allah favours somebody with anything, ask Allah to give you something similar or better, for what is with Allah does not diminish; it’s enough for all; it’s infinite!