The story of Prophet Adam and the forbidden tree is the first account in the Qur’an of a human being who slips and then turns back to God. It is told in three surahs: al-Baqarah, al-A’raf and Ta-Ha.
This is day two of our Qur’an Stories series. Day one told how Iblis refused to bow to Adam out of pride. We read the verses on Quran.com in the Saheeh International translation and follow the explanation of Ibn Kathir. This is a reflection on meaning, not a ruling.
Quick answer
Short answer: God told Adam, “dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise and eat therefrom in [ease and] abundance from wherever you will. But do not approach this tree” (Qur’an 2:35). Satan whispered to them and swore he was a sincere adviser. They ate, realised their mistake and said, “Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves” (7:23). God accepted Adam’s repentance and sent them down to earth with a promise of guidance.
Where the story appears in the Qur’an
Key takeaways
- The garden, the slip and the words of repentance: 2:35-39, in Surah al-Baqarah.
- Satan’s whisper, his oath and Adam’s prayer: 7:19-25, in Surah al-A’raf.
- The forgotten promise and “the tree of eternity”: 20:115-123, in Surah Ta-Ha.
- Lesson: a slip followed by sincere repentance becomes a return to God.
Life in the garden
After the angels’ prostration, God gave Adam and his wife a home of ease. In Surah Ta-Ha He describes it: “Indeed, it is [promised] for you not to be hungry therein or be unclothed. And indeed, you will not be thirsty therein or be hot from the sun” (20:118-119).
Ibn Kathir, in his tafsir of 20:115, notes that these pairs cover inner and outer hardship alike.
There was only one limit. “Do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers” (7:19). Ibn Kathir describes this command as a test.
Which tree was it?
The Qur’an does not name the tree, and neither does the authentic Sunnah. Older commentators suggested grapes, wheat, figs and other plants, so scholars differ. Ibn Kathir, in his tafsir of 2:35, agrees with Ibn Jarir al-Tabari that the correct view is that we do not know. The name of Adam’s wife, Hawwa’, likewise comes from hadith and tafsir, not the Qur’an.
The whisper
Satan did not attack in the open. “Satan whispered to them,” the Qur’an says, and he offered them something that sounded good: “Your Lord did not forbid you this tree except that you become angels or become of the immortal” (7:20). In Ta-Ha he calls it “the tree of eternity and possession that will not deteriorate” (20:120).
Then he added an oath: “Indeed, I am to you from among the sincere advisors” (7:21). Ibn Kathir comments in his tafsir of 7:20 that a believer can sometimes be taken in by deceit, especially when it is sworn in God’s name.
| What God said | What Satan said | |
|---|---|---|
| About the tree | “Do not approach this tree” | It brings eternity and a kingdom that never fades |
| About Satan | “Indeed this is an enemy to you” | “I am to you from among the sincere advisors” |
The slip
“So he made them fall, through deception” (7:22). As soon as they tasted the tree, “their private parts became apparent to them, and they began to fasten together over themselves from the leaves of Paradise.”
Surah Ta-Ha names the slip directly: “And Adam disobeyed his Lord and erred” (20:121). It also gives its cause: “We had already taken a promise from Adam before, but he forgot; and We found not in him determination” (20:115).
The words of repentance
Here is the point where Adam’s story parts from the story of Iblis. Iblis argued and asked for a delay. Adam and his wife admitted the wrong at once: “Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers” (7:23).
Surah al-Baqarah says, “Then Adam received from his Lord [some] words, and He accepted his repentance. Indeed, it is He who is the Accepting of Repentance, the Merciful” (2:37). In his tafsir of 2:37, Ibn Kathir reports that many early scholars, among them Mujahid, Sa’id ibn Jubayr and Qatadah, said these “words” were the prayer of 7:23. Other reports give different wording, so scholars differ on the exact words, but they agree that God taught them and then accepted them.
How the return unfolds in the verses
1
Admit: “we have wronged ourselves” (7:23).
2
Ask: for forgiveness and mercy, naming the loss without it.
3
Receive: God gives the words and accepts the repentance (2:37).
4
Be chosen: “Then his Lord chose him and turned to him in forgiveness and guided [him]” (20:122).
Down to earth, with guidance
The descent to earth came with a promise. “Go down from it, all of you. And when guidance comes to you from Me, whoever follows My guidance – there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve” (2:38). Earth would be “a place of settlement and provision for a time” (2:36): “Therein you will live, and therein you will die, and from it you will be brought forth” (7:25).
What we leave out
Some older books add details from Israiliyat (reports from earlier traditions), such as how Satan entered the garden or where on earth Adam and his wife landed. These cannot be confirmed, so this series keeps to what the Qur’an says and what Ibn Kathir explains from it.
Lessons for the traveller of the heart
Adam’s story is the hopeful twin of the story of Iblis. Both disobeyed a command. One defended himself; the other said “we have wronged ourselves.”
Tip
Tonight, try the prayer of 7:23 after a short muhasaba. For how the Sufi masters describe the stages of turning back, see Qushayri on repentance (tawba).
FAQ
Where is the story of Adam and the forbidden tree in the Qur’an?
The main passages are 2:35-39, 7:19-25 and 20:115-123.
What did Adam say when he repented?
The Qur’an gives the prayer: “Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers” (7:23).
Last checked: 23 October 2026 (Asia/Riyadh) against Qur’an 2:35-39, 7:19-25 and 20:115-123 (Saheeh International translation) and Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) for 2:35, 2:37, 7:20 and 20:115. Educational reflection only, not a religious ruling.
