The serpent and the third eye in paganism and polytheism seem to have their origin in the deception story in the Garden, which led to the Fall of Adam.
Consider the following:
Genesis 3 1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman: 'Yea, hath God said: Ye shall not eat of any tree of the garden?'
Genesis 3 2 And the woman said unto the serpent: 'Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;
Genesis 3 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said: Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.'
Genesis 3 4 And the serpent said unto the woman: 'Ye shall not surely die;
Genesis 3 5 for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil.'
The Quran does not mention the conversation between the serpent and the woman. It mentions the reason the serpent whispered to them, that is, both to Adam and to his wife, and the temptation he presented to them:
فَوَسْوَسَ لَهُمَا الشَّيْطَانُ لِيُبْدِيَ لَهُمَا مَا وُورِيَ عَنْهُمَا مِن سَوْآتِهِمَا وَقَالَ مَا نَهَاكُمَا رَبُّكُمَا عَنْ هَـٰذِهِ الشَّجَرَةِ إِلَّا أَن تَكُونَا مَلَكَيْنِ أَوْ تَكُونَا مِنَ الْخَالِدِينَ
Then Satan whispered to them that he might manifest unto them that which was hidden from them of their shame, and he said: Your Lord forbade you from this tree only lest ye should become angels or become of the immortals
[Al-Quran 7:20, Translation: Pickthal]
Satan knew exactly what harm he would lead them to by fooling them into eating from the forbidden tree.
The Quran also focuses on the specific temptations whispered to Adam:
فَوَسْوَسَ إِلَيْهِ الشَّيْطَانُ قَالَ يَا آدَمُ هَلْ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَىٰ شَجَرَةِ الْخُلْدِ وَمُلْكٍ لَّا يَبْلَىٰ
But the devil whispered to him, saying: O Adam! Shall I show thee the tree of immortality and power that wasteth not away
[Al-Quran 20:120, Translation: Pickthal]
Genesis 3 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat; and she gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat.
… and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, …
Now that’s a strange statement: seeking wisdom, even though Allah had already imparted knowledge to Adam (Q2:31-33).
The next verse of Genesis informs us that their eyes were opened. Weren’t their eyes already open when they were considering that tree? Or are we being informed about the ‘third eye’ being opened? Enhancing their vision?
The Quran, Surah an-Nur, ayaat 30-31 orders both men and women to lower their vision.
Genesis 3 7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves girdles.
فَأَكَلَا مِنْهَا فَبَدَتْ لَهُمَا سَوْآتُهُمَا وَطَفِقَا يَخْصِفَانِ عَلَيْهِمَا مِن وَرَقِ الْجَنَّةِ ۚ وَعَصَىٰ آدَمُ رَبَّهُ فَغَوَىٰ
Then they twain ate thereof, so that their shame became apparent unto them, and they began to hide by heaping on themselves some of the leaves of the Garden. And Adam disobeyed his Lord, so went astray
[Al-Quran 20:121, Translation: Pickthal]
The Quran places the responsibility upon Adam for his disobedience, citing it as the cause for his going astray. Q20:115 begins with the mention of the covenant taken from Adam, which he forgot, and Q20:121 mentions Adam disobeyed.
Satan’s tool to tempt Adam was whispering ( فَوَسْوَسَ ). The Quran concludes with a prayer specifically against the evil of such whispers:
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ
Last updated on: August 10, 2022
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