The Story of Prophet Adam and Iblis: A Mistakes and Obedience

In the beautiful heaven, Prophet Adam was honored by God by being placed in paradise. However, he was given one command: do not approach a particular tree. God's decree: "And We said, 'O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise and eat therefrom in [ease and] abundance from wherever you will. But do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers.'" (Al-Baqarah: 35).

Iblis, filled with envy, vowed to mislead mankind. God's decree: "He said, 'Because You have put me in error, I will surely sit in wait for them on Your straight path.'" (Al-A'raf: 16). As a sinful creature, Iblis asked God for the opportunity to live long to mislead mankind until the end of time.

One of the essential aspects of this story is about wrongdoing. Although God did not specifically forbid Adam from eating the fruit from the tree, the command not to approach was clear enough. The act of eating the fruit was not a significant sin, but disobedience to God's command was a greater sin.

After committing the mistake, Prophet Adam was taught by God how to repent and ask for forgiveness. This shows how Forgiving and Merciful God is to His servants. A mystery often debated is, what type or name of the tree was it? The Quran does not specify, but Iblis cunningly referred to the fruit as the "fruit of eternity." God's decree: "Then Satan whispered to him; he said, 'O Adam, shall I direct you to the tree of eternity and possession that will not deteriorate?'" (Taha: 120).

Iblis, in his attempt to mislead Adam, used attractive and good words to cloud his judgment. This is one of Iblis' tactics in tempting humans; he beautifies wrongful deeds to make them seem right. God's decree: "And Satan made attractive to them their deeds and said, 'No one can overcome you today from among the people, and indeed, I am your protector.' But when the two armies sighted each other, he turned on his heels and said, 'Indeed, I am disassociated from you. Indeed, I see what you do not see; indeed I fear God. And God is severe in penalty.'" (Al-Hashr: 16).

In this story, we see two significant mistakes: first, Iblis refusing God's command to prostrate to Adam. God's decree: "Except for Iblis; he refused and was arrogant and became of the disbelievers." (Al-Baqarah: 34). Second, the mistake of Adam approaching and eating the fruit from the tree.

The greater mistake is when we leave what God has commanded. As a result of Iblis' wrongdoing, he became astray, rebellious, and was promised hell.

Benefits and Lessons from This Story:

1. The importance of obedience and avoiding God's prohibitions.
2. Mistakes are not just in actions but also in intentions and disobedience.
3. God is Most Forgiving for those who sincerely repent.
4. We must be wary of Iblis' tricks that often come with attractive adornments.
5. The importance of taking lessons from stories in the Quran and Hadith.