Exploring the narrative about Adam in Surah al-Baqarah (Q2:30-39) in the light of Surah Yusuf
Responsibility
وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً قَالُوا أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ قَالَ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُون
[Al-Quran 2:30]
[Al-Quran 12:6]
Knowledge & Wisdom
وَعَلَّمَ آدَمَ الْأَسْمَاءَ كُلَّهَا ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمْ عَلَى الْمَلَائِكَةِ فَقَالَ أَنبِئُونِي بِأَسْمَاءِ هَٰؤُلَاءِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِين
قَالُوا سُبْحَانَكَ لَا عِلْمَ لَنَا إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيم
And He taught Adam the names - all of them. Then He displayed them to the angels, then He said, "Inform Me of (the) names (of) these, if you are truthful."
They said, "Glory be to You! No knowledge (is) for us except what You have taught us. Indeed You! You (are) the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
[Al-Quran 2:31-32]
[Al-Quran 12:22]
Both Adam and Joseph were granted knowledge above the others. Adam was more knowledgable than the angels, and Joseph was bestowed wisdom and knowledge above his brothers and the people in Egypt.
The Unseen & The Concealed
قَالَ يَا آدَمُ أَنبِئْهُم بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ فَلَمَّا أَنبَأَهُم بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ غَيْبَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَأَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُونَ وَمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْتُمُون
He said, "O Adam! Inform them of their names." And when he had informed them of their names, He said, "Did not I say to you, Indeed, I [I] know (the) unseen (of) the heavens and the earth, and I know what you reveal and what you [were] conceal."
[Al-Quran 2:33]
Allah has full knowledge of all things. He bestows whatever knowledge He wills to whomever He wills. He commands whatever He wills, and He is always correct, as His Knowledge and Wisdom comprehend all things. He chose Adam as Khalifa, and he chose Joseph to complete His favours upon him and the family of Jacob.
In Q2:33, it seems the angels had been concealing something from Allah, yet Allah knew about it, and made it known to Adam.
In Q12:5, Jacob is asking Joseph to conceal his vision, which Allah had shown to him, lest Satan stirs trouble.
Prostration
وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ أَبَىٰ وَاسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِين
And when We said to the angels, "Prostrate to Adam," [so] they prostrated except Iblees. He refused and was arrogant and became of the disbelievers.
[Al-Quran 2:34]
إِذْ قَالَ يُوسُفُ لِأَبِيهِ يَا أَبَتِ إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كَوْكَبًا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ رَأَيْتُهُمْ لِي سَاجِدِين
قَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ لَا تَقْصُصْ رُؤْيَاكَ عَلَىٰ إِخْوَتِكَ فَيَكِيدُوا لَكَ كَيْدًا إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لِلْإِنسَانِ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِين
When said Yusuf to his father, "O my father! Indeed, I I saw one ten (i.e eleven) star(s) and the sun and the moon; I saw them to me prostrating."
He said, "O my son! (Do) not relate your vision to your brothers lest they plan against you a plot. Indeed, the Shaitaan (is) to man an enemy open.
[Al-Quran 12:4-5]
وَقُلْنَا يَا آدَمُ اسْكُنْ أَنتَ وَزَوْجُكَ الْجَنَّةَ وَكُلَا مِنْهَا رَغَدًا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمَا وَلَا تَقْرَبَا هَٰذِهِ الشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُونَا مِنَ الظَّالِمِين
فَأَزَلَّهُمَا الشَّيْطَانُ عَنْهَا فَأَخْرَجَهُمَا مِمَّا كَانَا فِيهِ وَقُلْنَا اهْبِطُوا بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ وَلَكُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ مُسْتَقَرٌّ وَمَتَاعٌ إِلَىٰ حِين
And We said, "O Adam! Dwell you and your spouse (in) Paradise, and [you both] eat from it freely (from) wherever you [both] wish. But do not [you two] approach this [the] tree, lest you [both] be of the wrongdoers."
Then made [both of] them slip the Shaitaan from it, and he got [both of] them out from what they [both] were in [it]. And We said, "Go down (all of you), some of you to others (as) enemy; and for you in the earth (is) a dwelling place and a provision for a period."
[Al-Quran 2:35-36]
قَالُوا يَا أَبَانَا إِنَّا ذَهَبْنَا نَسْتَبِقُ وَتَرَكْنَا يُوسُفَ عِندَ مَتَاعِنَا فَأَكَلَهُ الذِّئْبُ وَمَا أَنتَ بِمُؤْمِنٍ لَّنَا وَلَوْ كُنَّا صَادِقِين
وَجَاءُوا عَلَىٰ قَمِيصِهِ بِدَمٍ كَذِبٍ قَالَ بَلْ سَوَّلَتْ لَكُمْ أَنفُسُكُمْ أَمْرًا فَصَبْرٌ جَمِيلٌ وَاللَّهُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ عَلَىٰ مَا تَصِفُون
The Quran informs us of Iblis' role in tempting Adam to disobey Allah and suffer the consequence of not heeding to the warning. Joseph's father Jacob also feared that Iblis, the Satan (Shaitaan) will cause his sons to plot against their brother Joseph. When Joseph didn't heed to his father's warning, he also suffered a somewhat similar consequence: his brothers took the shirt his father had given him. More on this at: Joseph's قَمِيصَ (Shirt / Jacket)
Presence & Comforts
وَقُلْنَا يَا آدَمُ اسْكُنْ أَنتَ وَزَوْجُكَ الْجَنَّةَ وَكُلَا مِنْهَا رَغَدًا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمَا وَلَا تَقْرَبَا هَٰذِهِ الشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُونَا مِنَ الظَّالِمِين
فَأَزَلَّهُمَا الشَّيْطَانُ عَنْهَا فَأَخْرَجَهُمَا مِمَّا كَانَا فِيهِ وَقُلْنَا اهْبِطُوا بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ وَلَكُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ مُسْتَقَرٌّ وَمَتَاعٌ إِلَىٰ حِين
And We said, "O Adam! Dwell you and your spouse (in) Paradise, and [you both] eat from it freely (from) wherever you [both] wish. But do not [you two] approach this [the] tree, lest you [both] be of the wrongdoers."
Then made [both of] them slip the Shaitaan from it, and he got [both of] them out from what they [both] were in [it]. And We said, "Go down (all of you), some of you to others (as) enemy; and for you in the earth (is) a dwelling place and a provision for a period."
[Al-Quran 2:35-36]
وَقَالَ الَّذِي اشْتَرَاهُ مِن مِّصْرَ لِامْرَأَتِهِ أَكْرِمِي مَثْوَاهُ عَسَىٰ أَن يَنفَعَنَا أَوْ نَتَّخِذَهُ وَلَدًا وَكَذَٰلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلِنُعَلِّمَهُ مِن تَأْوِيلِ الْأَحَادِيثِ وَاللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَىٰ أَمْرِهِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُون
And said the one who bought him of Egypt to his wife, "Make comfortable his stay. Perhaps that (he) will benefit us or we will take him (as) a son." And thus We established Yusuf in the land that We might teach him from (the) interpretation of the events. And Allah (is) Predominant over His affairs, but most (of) the people (do) not know.
[Al-Quran 12:21]
Adam was comfortably living in The Garden, in the presence of Allah, with all the comforts. Joseph was living with his father and family. However, even when Joseph is removed from his father's loving presence, his stay is made comfortable, by the Grace of Allah. Similarly, Allah has provided for the Bani Adam many comforts in this brief life on Earth. Yet, we cannot see and hear Allah the way Adam could when he lived in The Garden.
Allah's Mercy & The Human Nafs
فَتَلَقَّىٰ آدَمُ مِن رَّبِّهِ كَلِمَاتٍ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيم
Then received Adam from his Lord words, So (his Lord) turned towards him. Indeed He! He (is) the Oft-returning, the Most Merciful.
[Al-Quran 2:37, typos edited]
قَالَا رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَا أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِين
Both of them said, "Our Lord we have wronged our Nafs, and if not You cover [for] us and have mercy (on) us, surely, we will be among the losers."
[Al-Quran 7:23, edited for clarity]
وَمَا أُبَرِّئُ نَفْسِي إِنَّ النَّفْسَ لَأَمَّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ إِلَّا مَا رَحِمَ رَبِّي إِنَّ رَبِّي غَفُورٌ رَّحِيم
"And not I absolve my nafs. Indeed, the nafs (is) a certain enjoiner of evil, unless [that] bestows Mercy my Lord. Indeed, my Lord (is) Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
[Al-Quran 12:53, edited for clarity]
The Separation & The Plan
قُلْنَا اهْبِطُوا مِنْهَا جَمِيعًا فَإِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُم مِّنِّي هُدًى فَمَن تَبِعَ هُدَايَ فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُون
وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَكَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُون
We said, "Go down from it all (of you), and when, comes to you from Me Guidance, then whoever follows My Guidance, [then] no fear (will be) on them and not they will grieve.
And those who disbelieve[d] and deny Our Signs, those (are the) companions (of) the Fire; they in it (will) abide forever."
[Al-Quran 2:38-39]
فَلَمَّا ذَهَبُوا بِهِ وَأَجْمَعُوا أَن يَجْعَلُوهُ فِي غَيَابَتِ الْجُبِّ وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْهِ لَتُنَبِّئَنَّهُم بِأَمْرِهِمْ هَٰذَا وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُون
So when they took him and agreed that they put him in (the) bottom (of) the well. But We inspired to him, "Surely, you will inform them about affair this. while they (do) not perceive."
[Al-Quran 12:15]
Adam had to leave The Garden, and all along with him, as a consequence of his disobedience, but also as part of Allah's original plan, as Satan's enmity had been made evident.
Joseph was forcibly removed from his home, as Satan's enmity had exploited the jealousy in his brothers. Eventually, several years later, the entire family also comes and settles in Egypt.
Main post with introduction & links to all posts comparing Adam & Joseph
Last updated on: March 27, 2021
