In the Name of Allaah, the Most Merciful…

Allaah, the Most High says, what means:

( He is the One who created you (all) from a single soul, and from it He created its mate, so he could dwell with her (harmoniously).  When he (Adam) covered her (Eve, in intimacy), she became pregnant, a light pregnancy (not difficult) that she went through.  When she got heavier, they called upon Allaah, their Lord, ‘If you give us a sound child we would surely be of the thankful.  And when He gave them sound offspring, they set up partners unto Him regarding what He had given them.  Exonerated is Allaah above the partners they ascribe to Him! ) [Soorah al-A’raaf, 7:189-190]

This Qur’aanic passage may seem to indicate that it was Adam and Eve that committed the act of shirk (setting up partners unto Allaah), especially when one reads the following report, with many similar wordings and meanings, which has been reported in the books of Tafseer:

When Hawwaa’ (Adam’s wife, Eve) became pregnant, Iblees came to her, after she had not had any offspring that had lived, saying: Name him Abdul-Haarith!  So she named him Abdul-Haarith and he lived.  And that is a kind of revelation (of misguidance) from Shaytaan and how he orders the people (with misguidance).

Other narrations mention that he threatened them, saying that he would make the baby deformed.

The great scholar of Hadeeth, Shaykh Muhammad Naasir ad-Deen al-Albaanee – may Allaah have Mercy on him – said:

Dha’eef (unauthentic) – It was collected by at-Tirmithee (2/181, Boolaaq), al-Haakim (2/545), Ibn Bashraan in his Sittings of Dictation (158-2), Ahmad (5/11), and others, from the report of ‘Umar ibn Ibraaheem, reporting from Qataadah, reporting from Al-Hasan (al-Basree), on the authority of Samurah ibn Jundub, as a Prophetic hadeeth.

At-Tirmithee said, “A hasan (acceptable) but strange hadeeth, we only know of it from the report of ‘Umar ibn Ibraaheem narrating from Qataadah.”

Al-Haakim said, “Its chain is authentic,” and ath-Thahabee agreed.

I say (Al-Albaanee): It is not as they have said, since there is a well-known dispute over whether Al-Hasan really heard from Samurah or not, while he (al-Hasan) is mudallis (often narrates from an unmentioned middle-man), and he has not stated clearly that he heard this from Samurah directly.

Ath-Thahabee said in his biography in al-Meezaan: Al-Hasan used to practice tadlees a lot (i.e. he used to narrated from an unnamed middle-man), so if he says in his narration, ‘On the authority of So-and-So,’ then it is dha’eef (weak) to use that report as a proof.

I say (Al-Albaanee): Ibn ‘Adiyy has exposed another defect in al-Kaamil (3/1701), which is the lone narration of ‘Umar ibn Ibraaheem, saying: “His narrations from Qataadah are confused, while he should still have his narrations written down, even with his lack of precision.”

Another thing that shows the lack of authenticity of this report that has been used to explain the Statement of His, the Most High (what means):

( And when He gave them sound offspring, they set up partners unto Him regarding what He gave them… ) [7:190]

is that Al-Hasan himself explained the Verse with a different meaning than what is in this hadeeth of his.  Had he considered it authentic as a Prophetic hadeeth, he would not have turned away from its meaning.  He said in his own explanation of it (the Verse), “This is regarding some of the people of the previous religions, and it is not referring to Adam.”

Ibn Katheer mentioned this, with different chains of transmission to him (al-Hasan), and then said, “And these chains are authentic to Al-Hasan, (proving) that this was his explanation, and it is from the best of all explanations and the most befitting to be used to understand the Verse.”  Review the rest of his words, as they are priceless.

Similar is mentioned in At-Tibyaan fee Aqsaam al-Qur’aan (p.264) of Ibn al-Qayym. [1]

[End of the words of Shaykh Al-Albaanee]

Our shaykh, the Faqeeh, Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen – may Allaah have mercy on him – said:

This story is falsehood from a number of angles:

[1] There is no authentic narration from the Prophet (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace) to support it, and these kinds of reports are only acceptable when based on revelation.  Ibn Hazm said about this story, “This is a fabricated lie of a fable!”

[2] Had this story really taken place with Adam and Hawwaa’ (Eve), then they would have either repented from this act of shirk or died without repenting. 

[a] If we believed that they died without repenting, that would be worse than what some of the hypocrites have said (in their poetry speaking ill of Adam)… Whoever could accept that any of the prophets died upon shirk has invented the most horrible of lies!

[b] If we believed that they repented from the act of shirk, then it would not be in accordance with the Wisdom of Allaah and His Justice to mention their (great) error without mentioning their repentance from it.  There is absolutely no way Allaah would mention such a sin from Adam and Hawwaa’ (Eve) while they had repented, without mentioning their repentance!  When Allaah – the Most High – mentions a mistake of one of His Prophets or Messengers, He mentions their repentance, as found in the story of Adam himself when he and his wife ate from the tree and thereafter repented. [2]

[3] The Prophets are protected (by Allaah) from committing shirk, as is agreed upon by the scholars.

[4] It is authentically established in the hadeeth of Intercession that people will come to Adam requesting him to intercede (on the Day of Judgment), and he will ask to be excused because he ate from the tree, in disobedience.  Had he actually fallen into shirk (as claimed in this story), it would be more appropriate and befitting to use that as the excuse instead.

[5] This story mentions that the Shaytaan came to them and said, “I am your companion who got you kicked out of the garden,” while this is not the approach of someone who wants to lead people astray.  Instead, he would say something to trick them into accepting his words.  Saying, “I am your companion who got you kicked out of the garden,” would only lead them to surely recognize him as their clear enemy, and thus they would not accept any of his words at all.

[6] According to this story, he (Shaytaan) said, “Surely, I will make him have two horns like a ram…”  Logically, they would have either believed him [or not…]

[a] [Had they believed] that this was possible for him, they would have committed shirk in Ruboobiyyah (Lordship), since no one is able to do that (fashion the shape of a child in the womb) other than Allaah.

[b] Had they not believed him, they would never have considered his threat, knowing that he was not capable of doing that in the first place.

[7] The Statement (of Allaah the Most High):

فَتَعَالَى اللهُ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
( May Allaah be exonerated above the partners they ascribe! )

uses the plural pronoun (which refers to three or more).  Had this been a reference to Adam and Hawwaa’ (Eve), it would have been phrased: ( يشركان ) yushrikaani (using the dual plural). 

These points show clearly that this story is absolute falsehood.  It is not permissible to think of Adam and Hawwaa’ (Eve) as having fallen into shirk in any possible situation.  The Prophets are to be exonerated above acts of shirk and considered free of them by scholarly consensus.  

So then the correct understanding of the Verse as we have already mentioned is that reference of the act of shirk is understood to be from the actions of some of the descendants of Adam who committed real acts of shirk, since some of them are polytheists, and others are monotheists (people of towheed). [3]

[End of the words of Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen]

Compiled & Translated by: Moosaa Richardson

FOOTNOTES:

[1] A complete translation of Hadeeth Study #342 from the book Silsilatul-Ahaadeeth adh-Dha’eefah (1/516-517) by Shaykh Al-Albaanee.

[2] Refer to Soorah al-Baqarah (2:35-37)

[3] Al-Qowl al-Mufeed (2/308-310), slightly abridged.