Garment that was ripped from Adam and Eve

Question 3:

A) It is known that Iblis was banned from Heaven because of his refusal to prostrate to Adam pbuh. So how was he able to enter Heaven, and whisper to Adam, and make him eat of the forbidden tree? The words of Iblis to Adam indicate that he was with him in Heaven, because he pointed to the tree using the pronoun “this” which indicates he was not far from it.

B) What is the tree that Adam pbuh ate from?

C) Was the nakedness of Adam and Eve showing without clothing and then when they ate from the tree they became aware of their nakedness so they covered themselves with the leaves of Heaven? And what are the leaves they covered themselves with?

 

Answer:

To answer these questions an introduction is needed which is: Verily Adam pbuh was created from mud, meaning from this earth. However he did not remain only on this earth, rather he ascended to the highest point of the lowest sky (i.e [he ascended to] the first sky) or say the door to the second sky and it is the Kingdom of Heaven or as described in the narration of Ahlul Bayt pbut,

“He was placed in the Door of Heaven (i.e the Kingdom of Heaven) trod on by the Angels.” [1]

And this ascension of Adam’s mud requires that his mud shines by the light of its Lord and that it be pleasant. Thus when Allah transmitted the soul into Adam for the first time his body was pleasant, enjoying the materialistic Physical Heaven, and there was no darkness in this heaven which would require the emission of impurities from the body of Adam pbuh.

As for Adam’s soul pbuh, it was enjoying the Kingdom of Heaven [2], or the Kingdoms of Heaven, because they are many:

{Gardens, beneath which rivers flow.}[3]

And the Physical Heaven and Kingdom of Heaven are the two mentioned in Surat Al-Rahman:

{But the one who fears the rank of his Lord shall have two gardens… of spreading branches} [4],

and they are also,

{And besides these two gardens, another two…both dark green} [5].

And the ascension is an ascension of manifestation (appearance) and not an ascension of location [6]. Thus Adam was not non-existent in the physical earth which we live in, rather he existed in it; and if he were non-existent in it [the physical earth], he would have been dead.

Hence, Adam pbuh lived in this world with a pleasant body in the beginning, but he then returned dense to the earth from which he had ascended when he disobeyed his Lord swt.

 

B) The tree that Adam pbuh ate from was wheat, apple, date, fig, etc. and it is the Tree of the Knowledge of the progeny of Muhammad pbut. [7] Thus these Fruits in the higher worlds symbolize Knowledge. And this blessed tree mentioned in the Quran carried the Knowledge particu- lar to Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad pbut.

 

C) Allah swt said,

{But the best of all is the garment of piety}[8],

The Garment that was ripped from Adam and Eve was the Garment of Piety. So in the higher worlds in which they used to live, nakedness is covered by piety. This is because piety becomes a garment which covers the body of the human in those worlds.

So when Adam pbuh and Eve pbuh disobeyed by eating from the blessed tree—the tree of Knowledge of the Family of Muhammad pbut that becomes an indignation for whoever eats from it without the per- mission of Allah swt—they lost the garment of piety so their nakedness became apparent to them.

As for the leaves of heaven with which they covered themselves, they are the religion; where the green leaves in the higher worlds repre- sent religion. And those leaves which Adam pbuh and Eve pbuh covered with were repentance and asking forgiveness from Allah by the right of the People of the Cloak pbut, whose names were read by Adam pbuh as written on the leg of the Throne. [9]

 

A) The heaven which Iblis (Allah curse him) was banned from was the Kingdom of Heaven and also the Heaven of this World, however Adam pbuh existed in all the earthly worlds. Therefore the whispers of Iblis (Allah curse him) were towards the Adam who was present in the earthly worlds which are beneath the Heaven of this World. [10]

As for his pointing towards the tree as if it was in his presence (Al- lah curse him), it is because the fruits of the trees on this earth are but an  appearance  and  manifestation  of  the  Knowledge  of  the  Family  of Muhammad pbut.

So the apple, the wheat and the fig, etc. are the blessings of the Knowledge of the Family of Muhammad pbut. As mentioned in the dua [11] in the narrations from them pbut,“By them you are given sustenance.” [12]

The Allegories – volume 1
Ahmed Alhasan

 

[1] Stories of the Prophets by Sayed Nimatullah Al-Jazairy page 55

[2] This is not surprising as the body of Ali bin Abi Talib pbuh was near the people and in this physical world while his soul was in the Kingdom of Heaven and this is clear from his speech before his martyrdom pbuh: “Indeed, I was but a neighbour of yours in my body for a few days, and after my death you shall have a dead body, still after its movemen, and silent after its ” Nahjul Balagha: Vol. 2, page 34.

[3] The Quran 2:25

[4] The Quran 55: 46,48

[5] The Quran 55: 62,64

[6] Physical ascension is the movement of an object from its place after its existence in it. And Manifestation is the appearance of a truth while the reflected truth does not change in its reflection and it stays the same and it appears as it This will be further clarified later on.

[7] Imam Al-Hassan Al-Askari pbuh says in his interpretation of {And do not approach this tree}, “It is the Tree of Knowledge and it is particularly for Muhammad and his progeny and no one By the command of Allah, no one is to take from it except for them pbut. Verily, this [tree] is what the Prophet pbuhap, Ali, Fatima, Al-Hassan and Al-Hussein pbut ate from (after they had fed the poor, orphans, and prisoners) until they no longer felt any hunger, thirst, fatigue or tiredness. And it is a tree which was distinct from all the other trees in Heaven. Each tree in heaven has carried one type of fruit, while this tree and and its genus has held grapes, olives, dates, and all other types of fruits…” Bihar Al-Anwar: Vol. 11, page 189.

[8] The Quran 7:26.

[9] Mufaddal bin Omar said that Abu Abdullah pbuh said, “…So when Allah swt made Adam and his wife dwell in Heaven, He swt said to them, {and eat freely from its food wherever you wish and do not approach this tree}, meaning the tree of wheat, {for then you will be of the unjust}. So they [Adam and Eve] looked at the rank of Muhammad, Ali, Fatima, Al-Hassan, Al-Hussein and the Imams after them pbut and they found it to be the most honorable rank in Heaven, so they said, ‘O Lord, whose rank is this?’ So Allah swt said, ‘Lift your heads towards the leg of the Throne,’ so they lifted their heads and found the names of Muhammad, Ali, Fatima, Al-Hassan, Al-Hussein and the Imams pbut written on the leg of the Throne with the Light of Allah swt…So when Allah swt wanted to accept their repentance, Gabriel pbuh came to them and he said to them, ‘You two have wronged yourselves by wishing for the rank of those who have been favored over you, hence your retribution is to descend [away] from the nearness of Allah swt to His earth. So ask your Lord, by the right of the names [by these names] which you have seen on the leg of the throne, to accept your repentance.’ So they pbut said, ‘O Allah, we ask you by the right of those favored by you, [who are] Muhammad, Ali, Fatima, Al- Hassan, Al-Hussein and the Imams pbut, that you accept our repentance and have mercy upon us.’ So Allah swt accepted their repentance. Verily, He is the Acceptor of Repentance, the Most Merciful…” Maani Al-Akhbar, by Sheikh Al-Sadooq: page 108, Hadith 1.

[10] Here, Sayyed Ahmed Alhasan pbuh clearly differentiated between the earthly worlds and Heaven, or the Kingdoms of Hence Iblis, the one blocked from the door of Heaven, whispered to Adam pbuh inside the earthly worlds, not inside the lowest Heaven, or say the First Sky.

[11] Supplication—Trans.

[12] A segment from Imam Al-Baqir’s pbuh Dua is narrated by Al-Kulainy in the book of Al-Kafi: 2, page 244 and Abu Abdullah pbuh said, “Allah has created us in the best form and He made us His eye within His worshippers, His speaking tongue within His creation, His merciful and compassionate hand upon His worshippers, His Face from which He is sought, His door which guides to Him, His treasurers in His sky and earth. It is through us [Ahlul Bayt] that the trees bear fruit, the fruits ripen, and the rivers flow. It is through us that the rain falls from the sky and the grass grows. Allah is worshipped through our worship. And if it was not for us, Allah would not be worshipped.” Al-Kafi: Vol. 1, page 144.