Monday, March 16, 2009

our father ADAM and mother EVE.PART(10)

Beyond the hills, Cain was running quickly towards his land. He was nervous, for he was hungry. He saw a hare in the distance. He chased the hare. Then he threw a stone at it. The stone hit it in the leg and broke it. The hare was unable to escape. Cain caught the hare. He killed and ate some of it. Then he threw the rest away.

Some eagles fell on the prey and ate it. Cain spoke to himself: “If I was weak, eagles would eat me. Why don’t these fearful birds eat me? Indeed I’m strong. The strong are worthy of life. The weak must die.”

Again, Cain thought in a savage way. He knew neither truth nor falsehood. He did not want to be a good person, rather he wanted to be a wicked person. He was full of malice and envy towards his brother. He left his land and fields and set out towards the hills.

He saw his brother Abel on the green plains. He saw the cattle grazing calmly.

Abel was lying on the green grass. “He’s sleeping,” thought Cain. Cain increased in malice and treason. He bent to pick up a toothed stone.

“It’s a good opportunity. I’ll kill Abel to get rid of him forever,” Cain talked to himself.

Cain descended from the hill. He approached his brother. He was as careful as the tiger. His two eyes were flashing with violence.

Abel walked about the pastures many times. He became tired. He put his head on a smooth stone. He relaxed on the grass and slept. There were a smile and a hope on his face.

He knew that neither wolves nor pigs came to that valley. He let his cattle graze safely and slept soundly.
He thought that there was no creature more dangerous than the wolf, and that Cain was his only brother in the whole world.

However, Cain came nearer to his brother Abel. His shadow fell on the face of his sleeping brother. Abel opened his eyes and smiled at his brother. However, Cain became wild. He was like the wolf; rather, he was wilder than the wolf.

Cain attacked his brother with the stone. He hit him in the forehead. Blood covered Abel’s two eyes. Abel fainted but Cain went on hitting him. Abel became completely motionless.

Abel was unable to move. He was unable to open his big eyes. He was unable to speak or smile. He was unable to return to his hut, and his cattle remained without a shepherd. They got lost in the hills and valleys, and wolves attacked them.

Blood gushed out of Abel’s forehead. Cain was looking at it.

The blood ceased. Some eagles appeared in the sky. They were hovering over Abel.

Cain was bewildered, not knowing what to do. He carried his brother’s body and began walking. He did not know where to hide it from those hungry eagles.

Cain became tired of walking. The sun was about to set. He put his brother’s body on the ground. Then he sat down to take a rest.

Suddenly, a crow alighted near Cain. The crow croaked loudly. It cried: “Croak! Croak! Croak!” Perhaps it wanted to ask Cain: “Cain, why have you killed your brother Abel?”

Cain was watching the crow’s movements. The crow dug a pit in the ground with its claws. Then it picked up a dried fruit with its beak. It threw the fruit into the pit and buried it.

Cain became aware of an important thing. He knew how to bury his brother’s body to protect it from eagles and wolves. He brought a dried bone and began digging the ground. The hard digging made him sweat.

At last he dug a deep pit. He put his brother’s body into it and buried it. Thus, eagled and wolves were unable to eat it.

Cain wept very much. He wept because he had killed his brother. He wept because he was unable to do any thing.

It was the crow that taught him how to bury his brother.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

our father ADAM and mother EVE.PART(9)

Cain put the heap of wheat under his armpit and went to the hills. Abel took his beautiful ram and went there also. He left his ram on the hill. Cain put the wheat heap by the ram.

Abel prostrated to Allah and wept out of fear of Him. Then he looked at the clear sky and asked Allah to accept his sacrifice.

Cain was very restless. He looked here and there. He wanted to see Allah openly.

Long hours passed. Nothing happened.

Abel was sitting calmly looking at the sky. Some clouds appeared in the sky. Then the sky was full of clouds. The wind became calm.

However, Abel was still praying to his Lord. Cain was restless. He took a stone and threw it. The stone broke into pieces. He was bewildered, not knowing what to do.

Suddenly lightning flashed in the sky. Then thunder boomed. Cain was afraid. Abel was still praying to his Lord. It rained heavily. The rain washed Abel’s face and removed his tears. Cain hid behind some rocks.

Lightning flashed again. Suddenly, a thunderbolt hit the ram and killed it. Abel became happy. Then he wept because of happiness for Allah had accepted his sacrifice. Allah loved Abel, for Abel loved Allah.

The wind scattered Cain’s wheat pile. His heart became full of malice and envy. He took a piece of rock and shouted at his brother at the top of his voice, saying: “I’ll kill you!”

Abel said Calmly: “Brother Cain, Allah accepts the deeds of the pious.”

Again, Cain shouted loudly: “I’ll kill you! I hate you!”

Abel became sad. He asked himself: “Why does my brother hate me? Have I done anything to make him bear malice against me?”

Then he said to Cain with bitterness and pain: “If you stretch forth your hand towards me to kill me, I will not stretch my hand towards you to kill you.”

He added: “Cain, do you want to wrong me? If you kill me, you’ll enter the fire!”

Cain behaved rudely. He felt he was stronger than his brother. He wanted to enslave him and to make use of him as he made use of animals.

Abel took his cattle and went away. He forgot his brother’s threats. He was grazing his cattle on the hills and in the green wide valleys. He carefully considered the things around him with love.

Faith filled his heart with peace. He was looking at his sheep grazing in the meadows.

Everything was quiet and beautiful. The sun was pretty. The blue horizon was clear. The brook was flowing in the wide valley. The white birds were flying high in the blue sky.

Monday, March 9, 2009

our father ADAM and mother EVE.PART(8)

ABEL AND CAIN

Cain was rude and quarrelsome but Abel was calm and peaceful.

Cain hurt his brother Abel. He wanted him to be a slave to him from morning to evening.

Cain wanted Abel to plow the ground and to graze the cattle, for he wanted to spend his time in playing. So he hit his brother Abel.

However, Abel was patient, for Cain was his full brother.

Abel prayed Allah to guide his brother Cain to be good.

Adam was displeased with Cain. He ordered him not to be wicked. One day he said to him:
“Cain, be as good as your brother.”

Another day he said to him:
“Cain, don’t be wicked. Allah doesn’t love the wicked.”

However, Cain did not listen to the advice of his father. He thought that he was better than Abel for he was stronger and taller than him. His muscles were stronger and his head was bigger.

Adam said to his son Cain:

“The pious one is the best one. Cain, Allah looks at hearts. The best is the most pious.”

Cain was stubborn. He cried out: “No! No! No! I’m better than Abel. I’m stronger and bigger than him.”

One day Cain hit his brother Abel very hard.

However, Abel did nothing. He tolerated his brother for his heart was good. He loved his brother. He knew that Cain was ignorant. He feared Allah and did not want to be as wicked as his brother.

Adam wanted to put an end to Cain’s wickedness. He wanted to tell him Allah loved the good, not the wicked.

Adam said to his two sons:
“Each one of you must slaughter a ram for Allah. He whose ram Allah accepts is better for Allah accepts the deeds of the pious.”

Cain set off towards the wheat fields. He heaped up unripe stalks.

Abel went to the cattle. He chose a fat, beautiful, sound ram, for he wanted to slaughter the ram for his Lord.

Adam said to his sons: “Go to those hills.”

Saturday, March 7, 2009

our father ADAM and mother EVE.PART(7)

WORK AND LIFE

Life on the earth was not as easy as the life in the garden.

The earth was a planet turning in space. The seasons changed in it. Winter was cold and snow fell heavily during it. It covered the plains and mountains.

Summer was hot. The leaves of trees fell in autumn. Trees became like dried sticks.

The spring came, so the earth became green. Adam remembered the good life in the garden and he wept. He longed for the garden and the good life there.

Adam and his wife Eve chose a beautiful area of the earth to live in it. Wild plants and trees with various shapes and fruits grew in the area.

The days of happiness in the garden ended. There was neither heat nor cold nor hunger nor tiredness.

Now, Adam and Eve had to work. They had to be ready for the coming winter and the cold wind. They had to sleep in a cave before building a wooden hut.

Adam worked till he became tired. The hard work made him sweat.

To avoid death, Adam and Eve had to sow, harvest, mill, knead and bake two loaves of bread.

Adam and Eve remembered the days of happiness in the garden. They yearned for the return to the garden, near Allah Who created them.

They remembered their sin. So they wept and asked Allah for forgiveness.

They ended their life in work, worship and thinking about the future of their children.

Many days passed. Eve gave birth to a boy and girl. Then again she gave birth to a boy and a girl. The population of the earth consisted of six people.

Adam and Eve were happy with their children. The children grew every day. They became young. Abel and Cain went with their father to learn from him. They learned from him how to plow the ground and how to graze the cattle.

Iqlima and Loza, Adam’s two daughters, helped their mother with her house work, such as cooking, sweeping, weaving, etc. Their life required work, activity and effort. Days and years passed.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

our father ADAM and mother EVE.PART(6)

THE MEETING

The Angels loved Adam. They loved him because Allah created him with His own hand. They loved him because Allah created him and made him higher in position than them.

The Angels prostrated to Adam because Allah ordered them to do that.

When Adam disobeyed his Lord by eating from that tree he regretted and turned to Allah in repentance.

Allah, our Lord, had mercy on Adam. He accepted his repentance and made him descend to the earth to be His caliph.

Allah sent Adam to the earth test him. He wanted to know whether Adam would worship Him or he would follow Satan.

The Angels loved Adam. They wanted him to lead a life full of good and happiness.

They wanted him to return to the garden. However, Satan hated Adam. He bore malice against him. He envied him and did not prostrate to him. He showed haughtiness towards Allah.

Satan tempted and misled Adam. He urged him to eat from the tree.
Satan hated Adam and wanted him to be unhappy. He wanted him to enter the fire.

Adam landed on the earth. He prostrated to Allah. He regretted deeply because of his sin. However, Allah forgave him. He chose him to be his caliph. Adam was purified from sin.

Adam remembered his wife Eve, for he loved her very much.

He was happy with her. However, he did not know where she was then. He had to look for her.

Adam walked about the earth by himself. He was trying to find his wife Eve.

An angel came to Adam. He said to him: “Eve is at a far-off place in the earth. She is waiting for you. If you follow this way, you will find her.”

Adam became hopeful. He set off to look for Eve. He walked bare-footed for miles and miles.

When Adam got hungry, he ate some wild plants. When it got dark, he felt loneliness. He heard the sounds of animals coming from a distance, so he slept in a safe place.

Adam walked for days and nights. At last he arrived in Mecca. His heart felt he would find Eve at this place or beyond this mountain or that.

Eve was also waiting for Adam. She went up on the top of a mountain. She looked at the horizon but she saw nothing. She went from one mountain to another looking for Adam.

One day Eve was on the top of a mountain looking here and there. She saw a man coming towards her in the distance. She knew that the man was Adam. She went down the mountain and ran towards him. She felt happy and hopeful.

Adam also saw Eve in the distance. He ran towards her. They ran towards each other.

The meeting occurred in the shade of a mountain. Eve wept because of her happiness. So did Adam. They both looked at the clear sky. Thanked Allah, the Exalted, for bringing them together again.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

our father ADAM and mother EVE.PART(5)

DESCENT ON THE EARTH

Adam and Eve ate from the fruit of that tree. At that moment, a strange event occurred. Their clothes disappeared and they became naked, so they saw their private parts.

There were fig and banana tree with wide leaves. Adam and Eve hid themselves in them.

They were ashamed of themselves, thus they used those wide leaves as clothing to cover their private parts.

They felt of regret, fear and shame. They committed a sin, for they did not follow Allah’s words. Rather they followed Satan’s words. Satan ran away and left them alone.

Adam and Eve heard a voice calling them. The voice belonged to Allah, the Glorified, Who asked them: “Hadn’t to I prevented you from approaching that tree?
Didn’t I say to you that Satan was your enemy and that you shouldn’t let him deceive you?”

Adam and Eve wept because of their sin. They wished they hadn’t listened to Satan’s words.

They bowed to Allah in regret. They said: “Our Lord, we will turn to You in repentance! Accept our repentance! Forgive us our sin! We’ve wronged ourselves! If you didn’t forgive us our sin and have mercy on us, we will be among the losers!”

Adam had known that Allah would forgive his sins through asking for forgiveness, by repentance and regret, thus he regretted and turned to Allah in repentance.

Allah, our Lord, had mercy on Adam and Eve. So, He forgave them their sin. However, Adam and Eve had eaten from that tree. They had disobeyed Allah. Therefore, they had to leave the garden to purify themselves from their sin.

Allah, the Most High, said: “Iblis, go down to the earth.” Then He said to Adam and Eve: “Go down to the earth. The enmity between you and Iblis will continue. He’ll go on deceiving you, however, I’m merciful. If you follow my words and orders, I’ll return you to the garden. If you tell lies and disbelieve (in Me), I’ll punish you as I’ll punish Satan.”

Allah said: Get down; you are enemies to each other. In the earth you will have an abode and provisions for a time. In the earth you will live, in it you will die and from it you will be brought out.”

He added: “Get down from it, you two, all (of you). You are enemies to one another. So there will surely come to you guidance from Me. Then whoever follows my guidance, he shall not go astray nor be unhappy. And whoever turns away from praising Me, he shall surely have a difficult life. And We will raise him blind on the day of Resurrection.”

Adam and Eve became qualified to live on the earth. Adam confessed his sins, thus he was ready to be the caliph of Allah on the earth. He decided to lead a good life in the earth and to refrain from corrupting it.

Angels prostrated to Adam. However, they thought that Adam would cause corruption in the earth and would shed blood, for Adam knew the names angels did not know. He know all the names. Angels knew neither freedom nor will nor sin nor repentance. They did not know that one could correct his sin through repentance. For this reason Allah created Adam. He wanted him to be his caliph in the earth.

Suddenly, through Allah’s absolute power, Adam, Eve and Iblis descended to the earth. Each one of them landed at a place in the earth.

Adam landed on the top of a mountain in Saran dib. Eve landed on al-Marwa Mountain in Mecca. Iblis landed in the lowest land.

He landed in a salt valley in Basrah, near the waters of the Gulf.

Thus, human life started on the earth. The conflict between man and Satan began.

Many animals had lived before our father Adam and mother Eve landed on the surface of the earth. However, they were unable to resist the ice that piled up for thousands of years. So they died and became extinct. There was an animal called the mammoth. It was like the elephant but it was covered with wool. This animal lived in Siberia. There was another animal like the rhinoceros but it was also covered with wool. This animal was also unable to resist ice and severe cold, so it died and perished.

There were huge wonderful birds. They also died and became extinct.

Then the ice melted and severe cold ended. Warmth returned slowly to the earth.

Allah ordered Adam and Eve to descend to the earth. He wanted Adam to be His caliph in the earth. He wanted him to plant, build and inhabit this beautiful planet.

Monday, March 2, 2009

Our father ADAM and our mother EVE. PART(4)

IBLIS, THE ENEMY OF MAN

Allah dismissed Iblis from the ranks of angels, for his intentions appeared in the first examination. His selfishness and haughtiness became apparent, so he was stoned and cursed and had no place among angels.

Iblis showed malice and envy towards Adam and his wife, thus he spared no effort to deceive them and to take them out of the garden.

He spoke to himself: “I know how to deceive them. They will listen to my words. I will invite them to eat from that tree, thus Adam will be unhappy. He will be as unhappy as I am. Adam will dismiss him from the garden. Eve will also be unhappy.”

THE TREE

Iblis came to Adam and Eve to whisper evil to them. He asked them: “Have you seen all the tree of the garden?”

Adam replied: “Yes, we have seen them all and eaten from their fruit.”

Iblis explained: “That is useless, for you have not eaten from the tree of immortality. Indeed, it is the tree of immortal life. When you eat some of its fruit, you will be like two angels in the garden.”

Eve said: “Adam, come on! Let’s eat from the tree of immortality!”

Adam said: “Eve, our Lord has prevented us from approaching the tree.”

To tempt Adam and Eve, Iblis said: “Allah has prevented you from approaching that tree because it is the tree of immortality. He doesn’t want you to be like two kings. So, he said: ،Don’t approach that tree. ُ I advise you to eat from it, for you will be two angels and you will never die. You will be immortal. You will be happy in this garden for ever.”

Adam said to his wife: “I will never disobey my lord!”

Iblis said: “Come on! Let me show you the tree! It’s over there, in the middle of the garden!”

Iblis went away. Adam and Eve followed him. Iblis was walking haughtily.

Referring to the tree, Iblis said: “That’s the tree. How beautiful it is! How delicious its fruit is!”

Adam and Eve looked at the tree and said: “Indeed, it’s fascinating. It’s fruit is delicious. It’s like the wheat tree, but it has various fruit, such as apples and grapes.”

Iblis asked: “Why don’t you eat from it? I swear by Allah I want to advise you. I advise you to eat from its fruit.

Iblis swore before Adam and Eve that he wanted to do good and offer immortality to them.

At that critical moment, Adam forgot his Lord. He forgot Allah’s words. He thought that he would worship Allah and that he would lead an immortal life.

During those exciting moments, Eve stretched out her hand to get the fruit of the tree. She picked some fruits and ate them. “Delicious!” she exclaimed. Then she gave Adam some. Adam forgot Allah’s word, so he ate the fruit.

Iblis became happy. He laughed in a satanic manner for he succeeded in tempting Adam and Eve.