ADAM and CHRIST in the QUR’AN
BY:
Azali
Sura
Al 'Imran 3:59: With Allah, 'Isa is like Adam. He created him from earth. Then He
said to him: Be!, and he was.
Muslims
say, Allah created Christ
like Adam, without a father. However, they do not disclose a hidden difference
between Adam and Christ:
|
|
EVE |
CHRIST |
|
without father |
with father |
without father |
|
without
mother |
without mother |
with
mother |
In addition, Adam was created
from earth but not Christ:
|
|
CHRIST |
|
from
earth |
not from
earth |
Sura
1. What God said to Adam and to Christ:
|
|
CHRIST |
|
Allah said to Adam: Sura al-Baqara
2:35-38, 35 We said: "O Adam! dwell you and your wife in the Garden; and eat of
the bountiful things in it as (where and when) you want; but do not approach
this tree, or you will be an evil-doer." 36 Then Satan made them
slip from the (garden), and got them out of the state (of felicity) in which
they had been. We said: "Go down (from paradise to earth). Be enemies
to each other! On earth will be your dwelling-place and your means of
livelihood - for a time." 37 Then Adam learned from his Lord
words of inspiration, and his Lord turned towards him; for he is
Oft-Returning, Merciful. 38 We said: "Go down from it (i.e.
from paradise to earth); and if, as is sure, there comes to you guidance
from me: whoever follows my guidance, on them shall be no fear, nor shall
they grieve. |
Allah said to CHRIST: Sura Al 'Imran
|
|
To |
To CHRIST: "I raise you to myself (in heaven) " |
|
Adam was lowered away from Allah (and his throne) |
Christ was raised up to Allah (and his throne) |
|
Adam dwells on earth and is no longer in paradise |
Christ dwells in heaven and is no longer on earth |
|
Adam started in heaven and ended on earth |
Christ began on earth and ended in heaven |
|
To |
To CHRIST: "I cleanse you from those who have
sinned " |
|
Adam was polluted by his own hatred and enmity |
Christ was purified from the sins of others |
|
The pollution of Adam is not a divine attribute. (Why else
do Muslims have to cleanse themselves, if they pray?) |
The purity of Christ is a divine attribute. (How else would God have been able to
cleanse Christ, if he were not pure in himself?) |
2. What
the angels said about Adam and Christ:
|
|
CHRIST |
|
The angels said about Sura al-Baqara
|
The angels said about Christ: Sura Al 'Imran
|
|
About Adam: 'Someone who will make mischief on earth
and shed blood!' (jufsidu
= 'he makes mischief' brings fasaad
= corruption; i.e. the characteristics of earth as created by God are
changed.) |
About CHRIST: 'Allah gives you glad tidings of a Word (kalimatun) from him(self) whose name is (ismuhu) CHRIST 'Isa, the son of Mary!' (kalimatun
= 'a word' in Arabic is in the feminine; ismuhu = 'his name (is)' in Arabic is in
the masculine; i.e. the Word is CHRIST!) |
|
The Koran nowhere says that Adam is esteemed in
this world. |
About CHRIST: 'esteemed (wagih) in this world', i.e. without sin
(like God) |
|
The Koran nowhere says that Adam will be esteemed
in the hereafter. |
About CHRIST: 'esteemed (wagih) in the hereafter, i.e. he will
be intercessor (shafi')
for mankind in the final judgement |
|
Since Adam, according to the Koran, was lowered from
paradise down to earth, has died there and was buried there, it follows that
Adam is not one of those brought near (to God). |
About CHRIST: 'one of those brought near (to God)',
i.e. God allows him to come to himself. Only those who share God's attributes may approach him. al-muqarrabina = 'those who have been
brought near' is connected with qarib
= 'close / a relative of'; i.e. if Christ is near God, then he is a relative
of God. |
3. Did
Adam know what is unseeably
hidden? ('ilm al-ghayb):
|
|
CHRIST |
|
About
Adam: Sura al-Baqara
2:36, Then Satan made them slip from (paradise), and get them out of the state (of
felicity) in which they had been. We said: "Get down (from paradise to
earth)! You will be enemies for each other. On earth will be your
dwelling-place and your means of livelihood - for a time." |
Christ said about himself:: Sura Al 'Imran
3:49, And as a messenger (of Allah)
to the Children of Israel, ('Isa
came with this message): "I have come to you with a Sign from your Lord,
in that I make for you out of clay what appears to be a bird, and breathe
into it, and it becomes a bird, with Allah's permission; and I will heal the
blind and the lepers, and I will make alive the dead, with Allah's
permission; and I declare to you what you eat, and what you store in your
houses (without having seen it)! Surely therein is a Sign for you if you
would believe." |
|
Satan caused them to slip (away from Allah's
command) |
The Koran knows of no slip (away from Allah's
command) that Christ would have committed |
|
Satan had power over Adam |
Nowhere does the
Koran report that Satan had power over Christ |
|
Adam did not know (according to the KORAN) the punishment,
that would come over him, if he broke Allahs
command; i.e. he did NOT know what is unsseeably hidden (al-ghayb). -- If Adam (according to the KORAN)
would have known the punishment, then he would not have sinned. Sura al-Baqara
(In contrast, the TORA says: Genesis
|
Christ (according to the KORAN) knew what is unseeably hidden (al-ghayb), because he could
tell the people all that they hide away (Sura |
4.
Further Differences between Adam and Christ:
|
|
CHRIST |
|
Adam did nothing divine, but was completely
subjected to the human condition. |
Christ performed divine miracles (he created, he
healed, he knew the unseeably
hidden, he cleansed/relieved the sick and raised the dead -- Sura |
|
Adam was disobedient to God, therefore God degraded
him from heaven down to earth (Sura
|
Christ was obedient to God, therefore he raised him
to Himself (Suras |
|
Adam was NOT strengthened by the Spirit of Allah,
therefore he fell as a prey to Satan |
Christ was strengthened by the Spirit of Allah,
therefore Satan had not power over him
(Suras 2:87.253;
5:110) |
|
The woman was
taken out of Adam (Suras
4:1; 7:189; 30:21; 39:6; 42:11) |
Christ was taken out of the woman (Sura |
|
Adam was first body, then spirit (Sura |
Christ was first spirit, then body (Suras 4:171; 21:91; 66:12) |
|
Adam married and fathered physical children (Suras 4:1; 7:189) |
Christ did not marry and fathered no physical
children |
|
Adam asked Allah for forgiveness (Sura |
Christ did not have to ask Allah for forgiveness,
rather he ordered/commanded that men should obey him (Sura
|
|
Adam sinned and fathered sinful children |
Christ did not sin, rather he cleansed/relieved (abra'a) the sick (of
their sin) (Sura |
|
Adam died and remained lying in his grave (Sura |
Christ died and rose from the dead (Sura |
RESULT:
In contrast with what is written in Sura
3:95, Christ is not at all like Adam,
rather Adam and Christ are completely different. Therefore this verse cannot be
used to deny the divine nature of Christ.
And since Christ is accorded
different attributes that are divine, like:
pure (taahir),
brings to life / quickens (muhyi),
creates (khaaliq),
knows the unseeably hidden ('aalim al-ghayb),
cleanses/relieves (mubri'),
is close to Allah (muqarrab);
the QURAN itself thus confirms the divine nature of
Christ.