Adam’s and Eve’s Sin?

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Adam's and Eve's Sin?
Biblical and Islamic scholars hold that Adam
sinned in eating of the Tree of Knowledge. Our
reading of the Holy Bible and the Holy Quran,
however, suggests that Adam did not sin in eating
of the Tree of Knowledge. Rather he sinned in
delaying the eating of the Tree of Knowledge.
This was a minor sin for which he repented and
God forgave him for committing the same. We give
the verses from the Bible and Quran with our
understanding of their import. Adam Tree of
Knowledge God Garden of Eden Genesis
Quran The Bible "The Lord God took the man and
placed him in the orchard in Eden to care for it
and to maintain it" (Genesis 215). The Quran
"Lord said to the angels, 'Indeed, I will make
upon the earth a successive authority'"
(230). We may assume that Adam knew of the Tree
of Knowledge since he tended the Garden according
to the Bible and he was made an authority upon
the earth according to the Quran. The
Prohibition! Fruit Good and Evil Tree of
Knowledge Then God told Adam The Bible "You may
freely eat fruit from every Tree of Knowledge of
the orchard, but you must not eat from the Tree
of Knowledge of the knowledge of good and evil,
for when you eat from it you will surely die"
(Genesis 216-17). The Quran "O Adam, dwell, you
and your wife, in Paradise and eat therefrom in
abundance from wherever you will. But do not
approach this Tree of Knowledge, lest you be
among the wrongdoers" (235). Adam knew of the
Tree of Knowledge. Yet, he did not eat these.
Then God prohibited Adam from eating of the Tree
of Knowledge (Picture 1). And, Adam continued the
"not eating" by following the order.
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Satan Prompts to Eat Die Divine Beings
Angels Serpent Eyes Will Be Opened The Bible
The serpent said to the woman, "Surely you will
not die, for God knows that when you eat from it
your eyes will open and you will be like divine
beings who know good and evil" (Genesis
34-5). The Quran But Satan... said, "Your Lord
did not forbid you this Tree of Knowledge except
that you become angels or become of the immortal"
(Quran 720). The Satan encouraged Adam and Eve
to eat of the Tree of Knowledge. He assured them
that they would not die as said by God. So Adam
and Eve ate of the Tree of Knowledge (Picture 2).
But they did not die as Satan had assured them.
Adam Eve Clothes Evolution Naked Leaves
Paradise Adam and Eve appear to have evolved
after eating of the Tree of Knowledge The Bible
"Then the eyes of both of them opened, and they
knew they were naked so they sewed fig leaves
together and made coverings for themselves"
(Genesis 37). The Quran "And when they tasted
of the Tree of Knowledge, their private parts
became apparent to them, and they began to fasten
together over themselves from the leaves of
Paradise." (722).
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They started to make clothes for themselves
(Picture 3).
Crop Cultivation! Expelled Curse Ground
Thorns and Thistles Go Down Earth The Bible
God said to Adam 'Because you... ate from the
Tree of Knowledge... cursed is the ground. in
painful toil you will eat of it all the days of
your life. It will produce thorns and thistles
for you, but you will eat the grain of the field'
(Genesis 317-18).
The Quran And We said, 'Go down, all of you,
as enemies to one another, and you will have upon
the earth a place of settlement and provision for
a time' (724).
Adam was expelled from the Garden (Picture 4). He
started cultivating crops and eating of them.
Anthropological studies indicate that man was
earlier a hunter gatherer. He used to gather
fruits of the trees and live off them. Then he
started to cultivate crops. This was a step
forward in the evolution of man. The Bible and
the Quran tell of this beginning of crop
cultivation.
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We do not know the mystery of the Bible and Quran
portraying the beginning of cultivation as a
"curse." Yet this was a step forward. "Negative
Suggestion"! Caretaker Beneficent Lethargic
Prodded Now we can recapitulate the story. Adam
was the caretaker of the Garden and had access to
the Tree of Knowledge. However, he did not eat of
it. Then, God told him not to eat of it otherwise
he would die. Yet Adam ate of it and did not die.
Instead his eyes were opened and he developed the
capacity to clothe himself with leaves and
cultivate crops. Adam was good before he ate of
the Tree of Knowledge and he was better after he
ate of it. So what could be the meaning of God
prohibiting him and Eve from eating of the Tree
of Knowledge that was so beneficent? Adam was
caretaker of the Garden. Perhaps he also knew
that eating of the Tree of Knowledge would be
good in some way. But Adam did not eat of it.
Perhaps he was lethargic. Then, in order to prod
him into eating of the Tree of Knowledge, God
could have given him a "negative suggestion." A
mother may put some nourishing fruits before a
child but he/she does not eat. Then the mother
may say, "Do not eat the fruit." The curiosity of
the child could thus be aroused and he may eat
the fruit. Similarly, God could have given a
negative suggestion to prod Adam to eat of the
Tree of Knowledge. But Adam took the "negative
suggestion" literally and still did not eat of
the Tree of Knowledge. Then God encouraged the
Satan to plod them into eating of the Tree of
Knowledge. Finally, Adam and Eve ate of the Tree
of Knowledge and were benefitted as God
wanted. The sin of Adam, therefore, was not in
eating of the Tree of Knowledge. Rather, his sin
was that he did not eat of it despite him being a
caretaker and knowing of its benefits. Repentance
Garments Skin Wife Forgiveness
Transgrression The Bible "The Lord God made
garments from skin for Adam and his wife, and
clothed them. And the Lord God said, 'Now that
the man has become like one of us, knowing good
and evil...'" (Genesis 321-22). The Quran And.
Adam disobeyed his Lord and erred. Then his Lord
chose him and turned to him in forgiveness and
guided him" (20121-122). The Bible tells that
God made garments for Adam. That means God
forgave his transgression. The Quran says that
Adam sought forgiveness of the Lord and the Lord
forgave him (Picture 5).
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Our interpretation suggests that Adam actually
fulfilled God's command in eating of the Tree of
Knowledge. He made no error here. So what was the
sin for which Adam sought forgiveness? A
possibility is that Adam sought forgiveness for
not having eaten of the Tree of Knowledge when he
was the caretaker. Adam's Sin Curse Tree of
Knowledge Eyes Opened Sin Prophet Forgave The
conventional interpretation that Adam sinned in
eating of the Tree of Knowledge faces the
following difficulties 1 Why did God clothe
them after they ate of the Tree of Knowledge? 2
Why did their eyes get "opened" if they made a
sin? 3 Why would God curse the evolution from
hunter-gatherer to crop cultivation? Adam was a
Prophet. Bible says God placed him in the Garden.
The Quran says God made him an authority over
earth. The humankind started to clothe itself at
his time, and it evolved from hunter-gatherer to
crop cultivation. Adam's sin was not to have
eaten of the Tree of Knowledge soon enough. He
repented and God forgave him for this sin.
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