وَيَـٰٓـَٔادَمُ ٱسْكُنْ أَنتَ وَزَوْجُكَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ فَكُلَا مِنْ حَيْثُ شِئْتُمَا وَلَا تَقْرَبَا هَـٰذِهِ ٱلشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُونَا مِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ 19
Translations
And "O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise and eat from wherever you will but do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers."
Transliteration
Wa ya Adam, iskun anta wa zaujuka al-jannah, fa kulā min haythu shi'tumā, wa lā taqrabā hādhihi ash-shajarah, fa takūnā mina adh-dhālimīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah commands Adam and his wife (Eve) to dwell in Paradise and eat freely from its fruits, but strictly forbids them from approaching a particular tree, warning that disobedience would constitute wrongdoing (dhulm). Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari note that this test was designed to demonstrate obedience and establish the divine law that prohibitions exist even in states of ease and abundance. The ayah illustrates that true servitude to Allah involves restraint and respect for His commands, not merely indulgence in blessings.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the broader Meccan narrative of Surah Al-A'raf that recounts the story of Adam's creation and fall. It provides the historical and spiritual backdrop for understanding human accountability and the consequences of transgressing divine limits—a theme particularly relevant to the pagan Quraysh who were being warned about rejecting Allah's guidance.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock' (Sahih Bukhari), emphasizing personal accountability that mirrors Adam's responsibility to obey Allah's command. Additionally, the story of Adam's disobedience is referenced in Sahih Muslim hadith where the Prophet discusses the gravity of violating divine prohibitions despite being in favorable circumstances.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that true faith requires obedience to Allah's commands even when it involves self-restraint amid abundance and ease. It reminds believers that prohibitions are not arbitrary restrictions but divine wisdom, and that slipping away from one commandment—however seemingly small—can lead to spiritual downfall.
Related Ayahs
فَغُلِبُوا۟ هُنَالِكَ وَٱنقَلَبُوا۟ صَـٰغِرِينَ
And they [i.e., Pharaoh and his people] were overcome right there and became debased.
وَإِذْ قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱسْكُنُوا۟ هَـٰذِهِ ٱلْقَرْيَةَ وَكُلُوا۟ مِنْهَا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمْ وَقُولُوا۟ حِطَّةٌ وَٱدْخُلُوا۟ ٱلْبَابَ سُجَّدًا نَّغْفِرْ لَكُمْ خَطِيٓـَٔـٰتِكُمْ ۚ سَنَزِيدُ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
And [mention, O Muḥammad], when it was said to them, "Dwell in this city [i.e., Jerusalem] and eat from it wherever you will and say, 'Relieve us of our burdens [i.e., sins],' and enter the gate bowing humbly; We will [then] forgive you your sins. We will increase the doers of good [in goodness and reward]."
قَالَ يَـٰمُوسَىٰٓ إِنِّى ٱصْطَفَيْتُكَ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ بِرِسَـٰلَـٰتِى وَبِكَلَـٰمِى فَخُذْ مَآ ءَاتَيْتُكَ وَكُن مِّنَ ٱلشَّـٰكِرِينَ
[Allāh] said, "O Moses, I have chosen you over the people with My messages and My words [to you]. So take what I have given you and be among the grateful."
فَأَنجَيْنَـٰهُ وَٱلَّذِينَ مَعَهُۥ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِّنَّا وَقَطَعْنَا دَابِرَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا ۖ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ مُؤْمِنِينَ
So We saved him and those with him by mercy from Us. And We eliminated those who denied Our signs, and they were not [at all] believers.