Serving God is living according the nature and reason. Human nature requires enjoyment of God's blessings within the limitations put by the Creator. By choosing to act against the advice of our own Creator we acted unreasonably. See: 51:56.

Though the Quran holds both Adam and his spouse equally responsible for their sinful act, the Old Testament's related verses have been distorted by all-male Jewish clerics, and this misogynistic distortion was later exploited further by St. Paul to promote male hegemony. The dubious St. Paul justifies his misogynistic ideas with the following rationale: "Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity. I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becomes women professing godliness) with good works. Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety" (1 Timothy 2:7-15). "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also says the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church" (1 Corinthians 14:34-35). "Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered" (1 Peter 3:7). Ironically, the Old Testament contradicts St. Paul's attempt to deprive women from freedom of expression: The Old Testament mentions several women as prophets: Miriam (Exodus 15:20), Deborah (Judges 4:4-5), Huldah (2Kings 22:14), Noadiah (Nehemiah 6:14). For the Old Testament account of this event, see Genesis 3:1-24. See the Quran 4:1; 4:34; 49:13; 60:12. Also see 7:19-25; 20:115-123.

The Quran mentions Jews frequently; sometimes for their good deeds and accomplishments, and sometimes for their blunders and failures. God knew that the followers of Muhammad would fall for the same trap centuries later. The Quran narrates the history so that we do not repeat the same errors. Unfortunately, those who followed the hearsay stories about prophet Muhammad committed the same sins. For instance, compare these verses with the beliefs and actions of today's Sunni and Shiite mushriks: 2:48; 2:67-71; 2:80; 3:24; 9:31. The Quran was not revealed to dead people, but to the living (36:70). Thus, we should be warned and enlightened by the divine criticisms levied to the previous generations.

For zaka (purification/betterment through sharing the blessings) see 7:146.

Lit., "the garden". There is a considerable difference of opinion among the commentators as to what is meant here by "garden": a garden in the earthly sense, or the paradise that awaits the righteous in the life to come, or some special garden in the heavenly regions? According to some of the earliest commentators (see Manar I, 277), an earthly abode is here alluded to-namely, an environment of perfect ease, happiness and innocence. In any case, this story of Adam is obviously one of the allegories referred to in 3:7.

This tree is alluded to elsewhere in the Qur'an (20:120) as "the tree of life eternal", and in the Bible (Genesis ii, 9) as "the tree of life" and "the tree of knowledge of good and evil". For a tentative explanation of this allegory, see not 106 on 20:120.

Lit., "brought them out of what they had been in": i.e., by inducing them to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree.

With this sentence, the address changes from the hitherto-observed dual form to the plural: a further indication that the moral of the story relates to the human race as a whole. See also surah 7, note 16.

This passage connects directly with the preceding passages in that it refers to the continuous guidance vouchsafed to man through divine revelation. The reference to the children of Israel at this point, as in so many other places in the Qur'an, arises from the fact that their religious beliefs represented an earlier phase of the monotheistic concept which culminates in the revelation of the Qur'an.

A reference to the persistent Jewish belief that they alone among all nations have been graced by divine revelation. The "trifling gain" is their conviction that they are "God's chosen people" - a claim which the Qur'an consistently refutes.

By "overlaying the truth with falsehood" is meant the corrupting of the Biblical text, of which the Qur'an frequently accuses the Jews (and which has since been established by objective textual criticism), while the "suppression of the truth" refers to their disregard or deliberately false interpretation of the words of Moses in the Biblical passage, "The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren. like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken" (Deuteronomy xviii, 15), and the words attributed to God Himself, "I will raise them up a prophet from among thy brethren, like unto thee, and will put My words in his mouth" (Deuteronomy xviii, 18). The "brethren" of the children of Israel are obviously the Arabs, and particularly the musta`ribah ("Arabianized") group among them, which traces its descent to Ishmael and Abraham: and since it is to this group that the Arabian Prophet's own tribe, the Quraysh, belonged, the above Biblical passages must be taken as referring to his advent.

In Islamic Law, zakah denotes an obligatory tax, incumbent on Muslims, which is meant to purify a person's capital and income from the taint of selfishness (hence the name). The proceeds of this tax are to, be spent mainly, but not exclusively, on the poor. Whenever, therefore, this term bears the above legal implication, I translate it as "the purifying dues". Since, however, in this verse it refers to the children of Israel and obviously implies only acts of charity towards the poor, it is more appropriate to translate it as "almsgiving" or "charity". I have also adopted this latter rendering in all instances where the term zakah, though relating to Muslims, does not apply specifically to the obligatory tax as such (e.g., in 73:20, where this term appears for the first time in the chronology of revelation).

If you branch off into casts, sects, and rivalry, you shall replace your Paradise with Hell. 2:213, 4:65 10:19, 20:117-118. Zulm = To displace something from its rightful place = Replace good with evil = Relegate the truth = Transgression = Oppression = Violation of human rights = Wrongdoing

Their straying egos and selfish desires had clashed and led them into dividing among themselves for the pursuit of self-interest. Humanity fell from the height of felicity into contention and rivalry. The plentiful provision of the land that used to be open for all became a matter of private ownership and hoarding. They have since been living in a state of continuous toil, turmoil and strife

Adam = Aadam = Man. His wife = Woman. Udma = Ability to live together as a community. Aadam from Udma thus, indicates humankind. The word "Eve" or Hawwa is not mentioned in the Qur'an. She is described with dignity as Mer'a-til-Aadam = Adam's Zaujah = Wife, Consort, Mate of Adam = Mrs. Adam. The Qur'an adopts the beautiful method of either gently correcting or ignoring the errors in other scriptures. It does not repeat the Biblical fallacy of 'Eve' having been created from Adam's rib. She also repented and God treated both of them equally. 7:23-24. Again, Adam and his wife mean humankind, male and female. Taubah = Repentance = Returning to the right path = Realizing one's fault and taking corrective action. 4:17, 4:18, 5:39, 3:89, 6:54, 16:119, 24:5, 27:71

Note here the multiple plural 'all of you' confirming that Adam and his wife are allegorical terms for the humankind. Incidentally, the word 'Eve' is nowhere mentioned in the Qur'an, once again Adam denoting humankind. Khauf = Fear from without. Huzn = Intrinsic depression or grief = Unhappiness = Regret

Fear the consequences of violating Divine Commands. 2:47, 2:83-85, 2:122, 3:61, 5:12-13, 5:70, 9:111, 45:16

'Confirming the truth in' (2:101). Petty gains = The false dogma of being the 'chosen ones' which is consistently rejected by the Qur'an. The only criterion of honor in the sight of God is character (2:80-81, 10:69-70, 29:23, 49:13). Kufr = Opposing the truth = Denying the truth = Concealing the truth = Ingratitude = Rejection of truth = Choosing to live in darkness = Hiding or covering something = Closing eyes to light. Kaafir = One given to Kufr = One who adamantly denies the truth = One who opposes the truth = Commonly translated as 'infidel' = Derivatively and positively, a farmer who hides the seed under the soil (57:20). Therefore, Kufr or Kafir does not apply to the unaware, anyone to whom the message has not been conveyed or reached yet. Taqwa = Seeking to journey through life in security = Protect oneself from disintegration of the personality = Journeying in security = Being careful and observant = Getting empowered against evil = Avoid overstepping the laws = Exercising caution = Preserving oneself against deterioration = Good conduct = Building character = Live upright = Fear the consequences of violating Divine Commands = Being mindful of the Creator = Remaining conscious of the Divinely ordained Values = Taking precaution = Being watchful against error

2:159, 3:71

Using sense will tell that failing to practice what one preaches is but lying to one's 'self' 2:10. Birr = Making room for everyone's welfare and progress in the society = Exponential growth of the 'self'. 2:177

Similarly, God has given us specific, mathematically coded words, the words of Sura 1, to establish contact with Him (see Footnote 1:1 and Appendix 15).