The Qur’an

“The Sin of Adam”

Sura 2

The Cow

35. And We said: O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in the garden and eat from it a plenteous (food) wherever you wish and do not approach this tree, for then you will be of the unjust.
36. But the Shaitan made them both fall from it, and caused them to depart from that (state) in which they were; and We said: Get forth, some of you being the enemies of others, and there is for you in the earth an abode and a provision for a time.
37. Then Adam received (some) words from his Lord, so He turned to him mercifully; surely He is Oft-returning (to mercy), the Merciful.
38. We said: Go forth from this (state) all; so surely there will come to you a guidance from Me, then whoever follows My guidance, no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve.

Sura 7

The Elevated Places

19. And (We said): O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in the garden; so eat from where you desire, but do not go near this tree, for then you will be of the unjust.
20. But the Shaitan made an evil suggestion to them that he might make manifest to them what had been hidden from them of their evil inclinations, and he said: Your Lord has not forbidden you this tree except that you may not both become two angels or that you may (not) become of the immortals.
21. And he swore to them both: Most surely I am a sincere adviser to you.
22. Then he caused them to fall by deceit; so when they tasted of the tree, their evil inclinations became manifest to them, and they both began to cover themselves with the leaves of the garden; and their Lord called out to them: Did I not forbid you both from that tree and say to you that the Shaitan is your open enemy?
23. They said: Our Lord! We have been unjust to ourselves, and if Thou forgive us not, and have (not) mercy on us, we shall certainly be of the losers.
24. He said: Get forth, some of you, the enemies of others, and there is for you in the earth an abode and a provision for a time.
25. He (also) said: Therein shall you live, and therein shall you die, and from it shall you be raised.
26. O children of Adam! We have indeed sent down to you clothing to cover your shame, and (clothing) for beauty and clothing that guards (against evil), that is the best. This is of the communications of Allah that they may be mindful.
27. O children of Adam! let not the Shaitan cause you to fall into affliction as he expelled your parents from the garden, pulling off from them both their clothing that he might show them their evil inclinations, he surely sees you, he as well as his host, from whence you cannot see them; surely We have made the Shaitans to be the guardians of those who do not believe.

Sura 20

Ta Ha

117. So We said: O Adam! This is an enemy to you and to your wife; therefore let him not drive you both forth from the garden so that you should be unhappy;
118. Surely it is (ordained) for you that you shall not be hungry therein nor bare of clothing;
119. And that you shall not be thirsty therein nor shall you feel the heat of the sun.
120. But the Shaitan made an evil suggestion to him; he said: O Adam! Shall I guide you to the tree of immortality and a kingdom which decays not?
121. Then they both ate of it, so their evil inclinations became manifest to them, and they both began to cover themselves with leaves of the garden, and Adam disobeyed his Lord, so his life became evil (to him).
122. Then his Lord chose him, so He turned to him and guided (him).
123. He said: Get forth you two there from, all (of you), one of you (is) enemy to another. So there will surely come to you guidance from Me, then whoever follows My guidance, he shall not go astray nor be unhappy;

The Bible

“The Sin of Adam”

Genesis

Chapter 2

16. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Genesis

Chapter 3

1. Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2. And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3. But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5. For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

12. And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
13. And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
14. And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
15. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
16. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
17. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
18. Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
19. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
21. Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
22. And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
23. Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
24. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

COMMENTARY

In the Qur’an:

1. There is no explanation of how sin first came into the world and resulted in the fall of mankind. Muslim scholars reject the fact that all humans are suffering because of Adam’s sin.

2. The forbidden fruit belongs to the “Tree of Eternity”.

3. Satan spoke directly to Adam.

4. Satan tempted Adam by saying: “Your Lord has not forbidden you this tree except that you may not both become two angels or that you may (not) become of the immortals.”

5. Adam and Eve actually asked for forgiveness and admitted their sin.

In the Bible:

1. The Bible clearly speaks about the consequences of the first sin, namely death, and that all descendants of Adam and Eve are under this curse: “… in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee... In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it  wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return…”

2. The forbidden fruit belongs to the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil”, while the fruit of “Tree of Life” was never touched by Adam: “… And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:…”

3. Satan, in the guise of a serpent, spoke to Eve, and Eve transmitted the idea to Adam.

4. Satan, as the serpent, tempted Eve: “…and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Satan actually caused them to sin the same way he sinned in the first place; that is, by wishing to be God himself. Also, only after the fall God decided to expel Adam and Eve from Eden, to prevent them from becoming immortal, for no sin is allowed to be in the presence of the Lord in Paradise and Eternity.

5. Adam’s response to God’s inquiry was that he tried to blame Eve and eventually God Himself: “…The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat…”