Ayaats of the Glorious Qur'an | Chapter 2 || Verse 34-37 |

Ayaats of the Glorious Qur'an | Chapter 2 || Verse 34-37 |

| Translation |
34 - And behold, We said to the angels: "Bow down to Adam" and they bowed down. Not so Iblis:* he refused and was haughty: he was of those who reject Faith.
35 - We said: "O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in the Garden;** and eat of the bountiful things therein as (where and when) you will; but approach not this tree, or you run into harm and transgression."*`*
36 - Then did Satan*** make them slip from the (Garden), and get them out of the state (of felicity) in which they had been. We said: "Get you down, all (you people),**`* with enmity between yourselves. On earth will be your dwelling-place and your means of livelihood*`**- for a time."
37 - Then learnt Adam from his Lord words of inspiration,**** and his Lord turned towards him; for He is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.

| Commentary |
* The Arabic may also be translated: "They bowed down, except Iblis." In that case Iblis (Satan) would be one of the angels. But the theory of fallen angels is not accepted in Muslim theology. In Qur'an 18:50, Iblis is spoken of as a Jinn. We shall discuss later the meaning of this word.

** Was the Garden of Eden a place on this earth? Obviously not. For in verse 36, it was after the Fall that sentence was pronounced: "On earth will be your dwelling-place." Before the Fall, we must suppose Man to be on another plane altogether - of felicity, innocence, trust, a spiritual existence, with the negation of enmity, want of faith, and all evil.

*`* 'Zulm' in Arabic implies harm, wrong, injustice, or transgression, and may have reference to oneself; when the wrong is done to others it implies tyranny and oppression; the idea of wrong naturally connects itself with darkness, which is another shade of meaning carried with the root word.

*** The word 'Iblis' in the verse 34 is derived from the root idea of desperateness or rebellion whereas "Satan" conveys the idea of perversity or enmity. Note the appropriateness of the term on each occasion. Also, "slipping" from the Garden denotes the idea of Evil gradually tempting man from a higher to a lower state.

**`* Allah's decree is the result of man's action. Note the transition in Arabic from the singular number in Qur'an 2:33, to the dual in Qur'an 2:35, and the plural here, which I have indicated in English by "All you people." Evidently Adam is the type of all mankind, and the sexes go together in all spiritual matters. Moreover, the expulsion applied to Adam, Eve, and Satan, and the Arabic plural is appropriate for any number greater than two.

*`** Man's sojourn in this lower state, where he is partly an animal of this earth, is for a time. But he must fulfill his lower duties also, for they too are a part of his spiritual training.

**** As 'names' in Qur'an 2:31 is used for the "nature of things," so "words" here mean "inspiration," "spiritual knowledge." The Arabic word used for "learn" here implies some effort on his part, to which Allah's Grace responded.