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
قَالَا رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَآ أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلْخَـٰسِرِينَ
They said, "Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers."
وَجَـٰوَزْنَا بِبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ ٱلْبَحْرَ فَأَتَوْا۟ عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ يَعْكُفُونَ عَلَىٰٓ أَصْنَامٍ لَّهُمْ ۚ قَالُوا۟ يَـٰمُوسَى ٱجْعَل لَّنَآ إِلَـٰهًا كَمَا لَهُمْ ءَالِهَةٌ ۚ قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ قَوْمٌ تَجْهَلُونَ
And We took the Children of Israel across the sea; then they came upon a people intent in devotion to [some] idols of theirs. They [the Children of Israel] said, "O Moses, make for us a god just as they have gods." He said, "Indeed, you are a people behaving ignorantly.
وَٱتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ ٱلَّذِىٓ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ ءَايَـٰتِنَا فَٱنسَلَخَ مِنْهَا فَأَتْبَعَهُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ فَكَانَ مِنَ ٱلْغَاوِينَ
And recite to them, [O Muḥammad], the news of him to whom We gave [knowledge of] Our signs, but he detached himself from them; so Satan pursued him, and he became of the deviators.
وَإِن تَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى ٱلْهُدَىٰ لَا يَسْمَعُوا۟ ۖ وَتَرَىٰهُمْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَيْكَ وَهُمْ لَا يُبْصِرُونَ
And if you invite them to guidance, they do not hear; and you see them looking at you while they do not see.