Article appeared Friday, March 15th, 2013 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Revelation (269)

yousuf mahbubul Islam, PhD

Scriptures of the Jews, Christians and Muslims carry the story of Adam and Eve. Does the story have any relevance in todays day and age? Does the story offer clues to human behavior and provide guidance? To answer this question, let us look for links to our individual lives from the story of first man Adam and the first woman Eve available in the scriptures. Turning to the most recent Revelation, the Quran, we find that initially as each individual is created, he/she is asked to bear testimony to his/her creation. When your Lord drew, from the children of Adam from their loins, their descendants, He made them testify concerning themselves (asking): "Am I not your Lord who cherishes and sustains you?" They said: "Yes! We do testify!"[7.172a] The remaining part of the Verse tells us why: (This) lest you should say on the Day of Judgment: "of this we were never aware." [7.172b] So, what is the link between the testimony given and the Day of Judgment? On the Day of Judgment, judgment would be passed on whether or not we intelligently continued to bear witness to this fact during our sojourn on earth. The fact that we intuitively know who can get us out of trouble is proof that each of us bore this testimony at some point of our individual creation. When trouble touches a man he cries to Us (in all postures) lying down on his side or sitting or standing [10.12a] If so, where does the problem lie? The rest of the Verse answers this question. But when We have solved his trouble he pretends as if he had never cried to Us for the trouble that touched him! Thus do the deeds of transgressors seem fair in their eyes! [10.12b] If one has cried to the Creator, pleaded with Him, made promises and subsequently when the trouble is over who should one thank? What would be the logical and righteous behavior? Instead of being mindful, if one looks for excuses to avoid thanking the Creator, e.g. the Creator is so great that He would not mind, what would it imply about our personal nature? It is our personal attitude towards Him that is under scrutiny and not His Greatness. If one generally thanks other people for the smallest of favors, but does not thank the Creator for His Rescue, how should the Creator feel? The Creator classifies such behavior as transgression. The Bible confirms what the Creator looks for in human beings. God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. [Psalm 53:2, NIV] {1} Returning to the story of Adam and Eve,

7.19 O Adam! Dwell with your wife in the garden and enjoy (its good things) as you wish: but approach not this tree or you will run into harm and transgression."
Not only was companionship created, the good things of Paradise were given to both Adam and Eve to enjoy. The question is why? The answer is simply for both to seek the Creator and thank Him using their intelligence. To test their intelligence, the Creator forbade eating from a particular tree for two reasons; first the fruit would be a source of harm and more importantly, second, by doing so, it would be tantamount to disobedience and a demonstration of the lack of understanding of who the Creator is.

7.20 Then began Satan to whisper suggestions to them bringing openly before their minds all their shame that was hidden from them (before): he said "Your Lord

only forbade you this tree lest you should become angels or such beings as live forever."
To test their intelligence, the Creator allowed Satan to present logic to disobey the commandment of the Creator. Just like little innocent children, both Adam and Eve were unaware of their nakedness or nudity. As they started to listen to Satan and follow his advice, they began to notice their nudity and feel shame. In the Bible we find: Who told you that you were naked?" the LORD God asked. "Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat? [Genesis, 3:11, NLT] {2} Adam and Eve did not use their intelligence to evaluate the advice given by Satan. Using their intelligence, what possible examples of logic could they have applied? * the fact that the Creator provided companionship and gave Paradise as a place to live shows that He already had their best interests at heart. There could be no reason to think otherwise. * since the Creator had asked not to eat of the fruit, He should obviously know what is best. * we do not wish for the Creator to be annoyed with us. We should not be disobedient, etc. Satan, a created being, suggested a variety of logic to deceive Adam and Eve.

7.21 And he swore to them both that he was their sincere adviser. 7.22 So by deceit he brought about their fall: when they tasted of the tree their shame became manifest to them and they began to sew together the leaves of the garden over their bodies. And their Lord called to them: "Did I not forbid you that tree and tell you that Satan was an avowed enemy to you?" 7.23 They said: "our Lord! We have wronged our own souls: if You forgive us not and bestow not upon us Your Mercy we shall certainly be lost."
By not using their intelligence to evaluate the logic given by Satan, they annoyed the Creator.

7.24 (Allah) said: "Get down from here with enmity between yourselves. On earth will be your dwelling-place and your means of livelihood for a time." 7.25 He said: "Therein shall you live and therein shall you die; but from it shall you be taken out (at last)." 7.26 O you children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment (clothes) upon you to cover your shame as well as to be an adornment to you but the raiment of righteousness that is the best. Such are among the Signs of Allah that they may receive admonition!
Righteousness is intelligently working out with conviction the reality of the Creator [47.7], excluding spurious logic and all other powers as Abraham did [6.79], establishing the proper protocol [4.135], being grateful to Him and adoring Him [7.55-56] in return for what He has done and continually does for us individually. Satans deceiving logic is easily accepted by those who are pleased with their own abilities and but do not wish to be pleased with the Creator for providing the abilities and opportunities for enjoyment.

7.27 O you children of Adam! Let not Satan seduce you in the same manner as he got your parents out of the garden stripping them of their raiment to expose their shame: for he and his tribe watch you from a position where you cannot see them: We made the evil ones friends (only) to those without faith.
----------{Notes}: {1} http://bible.cc/psalms/53-2.htm {2} http://bible.cc/genesis/3-11.htm