outline the version of the garden of eden story presented in the quran
The version in the Qur'an approaches the Eden story as if it assumes the reader already knows the story in Genesis. In Surah 2, The creator makes seven heavens and declares that he will create a steward of the Earth. The angels ask if the steward will do harm or shed blood and the creator declares that he knows what they do know. Suddenly Adam appears in the story when the creator teaches Adam all the names. I am very confused here, it seems to say that the creator taught Adam all the angels' names but then the creator asks Adam to name them and the angels reply that they only know what the creator has taught them. Adam then has to inform the angels of there own names. Afterward, the creator commands the angels to bow down to Adam and they do except for an angel named Iblis. Iblis was prideful and became a disbeliever. The angels declare that Adam should live in the Garden with his wife and eat of the fruit trees, save "this tree" which will make them into wrongdoers. The Qur'an then states that Satan caused there downfall and had them expelled. The text goes on to discuss women's menstrual cycle. Women are compared to ground to be tilled and further instructions for divorced women are given. Like I said, this version seems to assume that the reader knows the original story, there is no mention of the circumstances surrounding the creation of humans, animals or really of the earth. The text just jumps into everything. No snake, tree of life, or nakedness is mentioned. Many details are left out.
In Surah 4, women are discussed and instructions are given. A man may take 1-4 wives and men are in charge of women because men are better. Women should be obedient, guarding themselves and any that seem rebellious may be admonished, banished or scourged. If they are obedient, do them no harm. Further instructions including details on how to settle domestic disputes and being kind. The text also mentions that if partners are poorly matched, blame is laid on the women, because they pray to Satan. Worshiping and praying to Satan has harsh consequences. Apparently, he is beguiling. Lastly, the text urges peace between spouses. This section of text seems to draw some elements from the Eden story: domination of men over women, the weakness of women to sin and the beguiling nature of Satan.
In Surah 7, the text again reviews that Adam sinned. It says that Satan, instead of turning into a snake and persuading Eve to eat of the forbidden tree (as it is commonly interpreted to be Satan), whispered to Adam and Eve that he would tell them the truth about their shame (aka nakedness). He told them that the creator was trying to keep them from becoming angels or immortals. From here, the story follows the original, basically, but without the same curses from the creator. In this version, the creator explains that Satan is ever watchful and unable to be seen, watch out. I don't really understand the rest of this section. Again, here the story is distorted, assuming that Satan is the snake.
In Surah 15, the texts explains that humans were made of potter's clay of black mud altered and that the creator breathed into man to bring him to life. Here again it mentions that the angels bowed down to Adam (except for Iblis). More details of Iblis' story are given. The text discusses how he became Satan. The sections reminds me of Milton, filling in the character backstories and giving the characters motives. This is a further outgrowth of minor details in the original text.
In Surah 20 and 23-24, the texts again mentions that the angels bowed down to Adam, except Iblis. In this version, he tempts Adam to eat of the forbidden tree, not Eve. A clear deviation from the original text. I wonder why. The rest of the text discusses women's modesty and marriage. In Surah, 30 and 49, the text mentions that man is from the dust and that women were made as helpmates. People were created and became nations and tribes to know one another. Overall, it seems like the Qur'an draws upon assumptions of the text that had been made of the centuries like the snake being Satan. And, at times it seems to speak as though the reader knows the original story. On some details, the Qur'an expands while on some things it is totally silent. Additionally, it is not one big story but a collective of stories scattered in the book. I wonder of how much importance it is.
how is the story used in modern arguments on women in Islam?
Concerning women in Islam, Sayyid Abu al-A'la Mawdudi wrote a commentary on their role and functions within the belief system. He writes that unlike in Jewish culture where women on their period are virtually untouchable, he argues that at such times, men should abstain from sex but maintain other relationships (quotes Surah 2: 222). I see no connection with the Eden story here. Next, just as men were cursed by the creator to till the ground, women should be be seen as fields to be plowed. Not just for sexual pleasure, but for the purpose of conceiving children (quotes Surah 2:223).
Quoting Surah 4:34, Mawdudi argues that men are over women, not because of superior honor or dignity but because God gave one gender certain qualities that the other does not. And so, the men should be at the head of the family and the women live under their protection and care. Using Surah 4:119 he also argues against homosexuality, birth control, monasticism, celibacy, sterilization, or any form of preventing either sex from sexual intercourse or procreation is a distortion of creation and worship of Satan. I am not sure how this (or many other sections of Mawdudi's work) connects to the Eden story. However, he does use certain parts of the Islamic interpretation of the story to argue his stance on women.
Riffat Hassan also wrote a commentary concerning women in Islam. She writes that he saw a discrepancy between Islamic ideals and practice insofar as women are concerned. She believes that women are indeed below men but not less than human, simply different than men and put in subordination by God. She examines the key to this tradition, found in the Garden of Eden story. From the story, three points are derived that lead people to believe that women are subordinated to men: 1) woman was created from man's rib, derived and secondary to man, 2) woman was the primary agent of the "Fall", 3) women were created from and for man. Hassan examines both the Qur'anic passages as well as the Biblical text in an attempt to analyze these three points. Using the Qur'anic passages containing the Islamic version of the creation story, she examines small details in word usage. One of these is that the Qur'an does not mention that Eve/Hawwa' came from Adam's rib. She states that the Qur'an uses "both feminine and masculine terms and imagery to describe creation from a single source." She concludes that the Qur'an makes no distinction between the creation of man and woman. So, based on the source material of the Islamic Garden of Eden story, Muslims have no basic to believe that Eve/Hawwa' came from Adam'd rib. This argument supporting that men are greater than women based on the idea of Adam's rib is not valid. Hadith literature does contain a more detail Adam and Eve story, but Hassan does not seem to believe the Hadith literature is equal with the authority of the Qur'an. It seems that here instead of using the Eden story to show women's subordination, Hassan this version (the Qur'anic version) to show that women are more equal than many believe.
I did read the nine parts of desire but I do not see how the Eden story enters into it. I do see it as an interesting story and look into the life of a woman in a polygamous marriage, according to legend/tradition/history. It could even serve as an example of the role of Muslim women versus Muslim men. In which case, it does show that women are/were viewed as subordinate to men. Additionally, this story involves the guile of women which other commentators, mostly non-Muslims, have argued is why women ate the forbidden fruit or why Eve deceived Adam. However, here the Eden story is not used to make an argument.
“The version in the Qur'an approaches the Eden story as if it assumes the reader already knows the story in Genesis.” This is a very interesting observation. There does seem to be a way of mentioning the events that assumes a prior knowledge on the part of the audience (not necessarily a familiarity with the Bible itself), very much like the ‘Watchers’ fragment in Gen 6. It’s not so much that “details are left out” but either that certain details circulated and others were forgotten or only bits and pieces were relevant and ended up in the Qur’an.
ReplyDelete“The angels ask if the steward will do harm or shed blood and the creator declares that he knows what they do know.” No, God says He knows what they don’t know. The whole story revolves around knowledge, who knows and who doesn’t. On the naming, it’s not a matter of the angels’ names (look at the footnote in our text), but likely a stripped down version of the naming of the animals in Gen 2. Here God tricks the angels by supplying Adam with the names beforehand.
“The angels declare that Adam should live in the Garden …” The “We said …” doesn’t refer to the angels, but is the “royal We” referring to God.
“The text also mentions that if partners are poorly matched, blame is laid on the women, because they pray to Satan… This section of text seems to draw some elements from the Eden story: domination of men over women, the weakness of women to sin and the beguiling nature of Satan… Again, here the story is distorted, assuming that Satan is the snake.”
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No, again there’s a footnote on this passage that would have helped. It means that “they” (the people) invoke female deities and that they (the people) pray to Satan. And, you’ve slipped this in, perhaps unconsciously, that Satan’s in the Eden story. How is the story more distorted here than in introducing Satan into the story at all? It just does away with the middleman, i.e. middle-snake.
“Surah, 30 and 49, the text mentions that man is from the dust and that women were made as helpmates.” You’re assuming here that “He created you of dust” refers to a man, and that “helpmeets” refers to women. This is precisely what Hassan points out, although whether her arguments are cogent is another question.
“… just as men were cursed by the creator to till the ground, women should be be seen as fields to be plowed.” Here you’re projecting the curse on the ground from Gen 3 into the text.
On Maududi: “However, he does use certain parts of the Islamic interpretation of the story to argue his stance on women.” Yes, his purpose is to clarify the rights and responsibilities within marriage. Always keep your eye out for the agenda (and assumptions) of everyone!
On Hassan: “She believes that women are indeed below men but not less than human, simply different than men and put in subordination by God.” She certainly does not believe this. Her agenda is to find equality of the sexes in the Qur’an.