Creation of Man & Woman
The Holy Qur’an
The Qur’an is verily the most important source for recognition of religion, as it being an intact and uncorrupted book, to which other books and sources should be measured and judged, and accepted only when proved to be compatible and incongruous to it. For getting acquainted with the Qur’anic view in respect of the character of the woman, I shall put forth six questions the answers of which given in this Divine Book would portray the real personality of the woman, as follows:
Creation of Man & Woman
Creation of the first man and woman has been described, in a story-like form, in many verses in the Qur’an. First Allah has apprised the angels that he was intending to place a viceroy and deputy in the earth:
“And when thy Lord said unto the angles: Lo! I am about to place a viceroy in the earth…” (Qur’an, 2:30).
In other verses in surat al-Hijr, He said to the angels:
“And remember when thy lord said unto the angels: Verily I create man of the essence of black mud fashioned into shape. So when I complete him and breathe into him My spirit, fall ye down unto him prostrating “in obeisance”.” (Qur’an, 16:28, 29).
Then He taught Adam all the names concluding a covenant with him:
“And He taught Adam the Names, all of them…” (Qur’an, 2:30).
“And indeed had we covenanted unto Adam before, but he forgot; but we did not find in him any intention “to disobey us”.” (Qur’an, 20:115).
In another place, He said:
“Enjoined I not on you O children of Adam! that ye should worship not Satan?” (Qur’an, 36:60).
After that Adam and his wife dwell in the heaven:
“And said we “O Adam! dwell thou and thy mate in the Garden…” (Qur’an, 2:34).
Then begins the temptation of the Satan when tempting Adam and his wife Eve, or falsely swearing seducing them both to perpetrate that sin through trickery, cheating them to eat from the forbidden tree, causing them to deflect from the heavens.
In the holy Qur’an, it is said:
“And said We “O Adam! dwell thou and thy mate in the Garden and eat ye two therefrom freely as ye two wish but approach not ye two this tree lest ye two will be of the transgressors! But Satan made them slip and drove them out of what they were in; and “whereupon” said We: “Get ye down! the one of you as an enemy unto the other…” (Qur’an, 2:35- 36).
Threat, rebellion and disobedience could only be produced on the part of Adam:
“And Adam acted not “to the advises of” his Lord “deceived by Satan” and got astray.” (Qur’an, 20:121).
In this stage, Adam and his wife started to apologise to the Almighty Allah for their fault, confessing their wrongdoing, seeking God’s forgiveness and mercy:
“Said they “O Our Lord! unjust have we been unto ourselves, and if Thou forgive us not and deal “not” with mercy unto us “then”, We will certainly be of the losers.” (Qur’an, 7:23).
Then Adam receives certain words and Allah relents toward him:
“And received Adam from his Lord “certain” words “of prayer” and God turned unto him “mercifully”, for verily He is the Oft turning “unto mercy”, the Most Merciful.” (Qur’an, 2:37).
Pondering and making a meditating pause on this story, the verses of which have already been quoted, we will be led to the fact that no difference or distinction is stated in the Qur’an in creation of the woman and man. Thus it is incorrect to attribute all characteristics of strength to the man and those of weakness and deficiency to the woman, since it is both talking about the human being and man or son of Adam as a symbol and specimen and representative of humankind.
Hence, in respect of vicegerency and succession, breathing of “God’s” soul, prostration “in obeisance” of angels, teaching the names, evil whispering of Satan, rebellion and disobedience, covenant and contract, selection and choosing, receiving of words, and relentless and material of creation, they are both equal.
For completing discussion of this issue, two other subjects to which the verses on creation of man referred, should be studied and perused attentively.
Woman: AUTHOR(S): Mahdi Mahrizi TRANSLATOR(S): Hasan M. Najafi