Bismillah: In the name of Allah, the Merciful.
The human being is called “insaan” in the Quran, a term that
shares the same linguistic root as the verb “to forget”. Man’s basic tendency “to forget” is
illustrated in the continuing account of creation given in the Quran.
Allah created Adam (pbuh) from the elements of earth, breathing His Spirit
into the man, and offering him the “trust” of “names.” Allah then assembled the angels and commanded
them to prostrate before man. However, Iblis, a fiery creature also in attendance, refused. “O Allah,” he protested,
“You made me out of fire and You made Adam (pbuh) out of clay. I am better than he is.” Hence, Iblis’s illusion
of self-superiority prompted the first act of disobedience towards God.
Allah punished Iblis, changing his name to Shaitan (Satan) and expelling
him from the Divine Presence. Shaitan requested Allah the ability to enter into the hearts and minds of human beings, to whisper
cruel and selfish thoughts. “As I am going to suffer for this man, O Allah, give me power to show how weak this creature
is.” Allah granted this request, with the condition, “You will not be able to do any harm to a person who will
follow My orders and live a righteous life. You will not be able to mislead him.”
The Quranic account continues with the creation of Hawwaa (Eve) as Adam’s
(peace be upon them) beloved companion. The couple lived happily in Paradise, worshiping Allah. Yet they were given one restriction:
to refrain from eating the fruit of a certain tree. Shaitan, now an avowed enemy of man, disguised himself and, through a
series of deceptions, convinced the heavenly couple to eat this forbidden fruit. The Quran describes this action not as willful
disobedience, but as an act of “forgetting”. This unintended forgetfulness, however, caused their fall from Paradise,
and their exile on earth.
Although Shaitan pointed to man as the cause of his disgrace, neither
Adam nor Hawwaa (pbut) attempted to blame one another (or even Shaitan) for their failure to remember God’s command.
The couple met on the Mount of Mercy on the plains of Arafat (in Arabia), weeping and praying for forgiveness: “Our
Lord! We have wronged our own souls: If You do not forgive us and do not have mercy on us, we shall certainly be lost.”
Allah granted them forgiveness, yet told them that they and their descendents
must toil on the earth, before returning to Him. Those who returned with a pure heart would find His pleasure, and those who
did not would follow Shaitan in his exile. Allah furthermore promised to send “reminders” in the form of prophets
and scriptures, reminding humankind of the path to goodness in this life and the next.
The Quranic account of creation illustrates the condition of all human
beings: we are in this world as our temporary home, where we must work, suffer and strive. Although our spirits come from
a Divine source, our bodies come from the earth, and if left undisciplined, tend to pull us downwards. Our minds are subject
to Shaitan’s constant whispering, as he attempts to increase our forgetfulness and lure us along his path of disobedience,
selfishness and cruelty. Yet God has promised to send us “reminders.” And if we strive to “remember,”
to listen to the constant messages that God provides for those who listen, then our hearts become polished and our minds become
clear. With constant remembrance, even the forgetful human being can become receptive to God’s guidance, guidance that
helps him remember his heavenly origin and the goal of his ultimate return.
Barbara (Masumah) Helms
(Courtesy of the Standard Freeholder, April 22, 2006)
