From: nahmed@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Nawaz Ahmed)
Subject: Re: Quran, Adam and Original Sin
Originator: zeeshan@occs.cs.oberlin.edu (Zeeshan Hasan -Moderator)
Organization: Oberlin College Computer Science
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 22:25:08 GMT
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NNTP-Posting-Host: sol.ctr.columbia.edu

In article <1993Jan6.070106.16223@athena.mit.edu>, suheil@athena.mit.edu
(Suheil I Laher) wrote:
> Firstly, I do not question that Br Belal's motives in writing the article 
> were honorable and good, with the intention of propagating Islam and removing
> misconceptions. However, there are some errors which cannot pass uncorrected:
                                     ~~~~~~~~~~~
> He (BELAL) wrote:
> -----
> ADAM WAS NOT IN PARADISE
> It expressly states that when Adam and his people went out of the garden 
> (which again, according to the Quran was a region of the earth and is not to 
> be confused with Paradise)
> ----Suheil responded:
> This is not true. Rather, in the Qur'an we read (translation of which is):
> And (We said): O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in the garden [al-jannah]; [7:19]
> Then after they ate from the forbidden tree, they are told:
> 24. He said: Get forth, some of you, the enemies of others,
> and there is for you in the earth an abode and a provision for a
> time.
> 25. He (also) said: Therein shall you live, and therein shall
> you die, and from it shall you be raised. [surat 7]
> After they were expelled from Heaven (paradise) they were sent to the earth.
> 
> Belal wrote:
> Adam was not the first human being
>
> Suheil Responded:------
> O people! be careful of (your duty to) your Lord, Who created
> you from a SINGLE BEING and created its mate of the same (kind) and
> spread from these two, many men and women; and be careful of
> (your duty to) Allah, by Whom you demand one of another (your
> rights), and (to) the ties of relationship; surely Allah ever watches
> over you.	[Qur'an, 4:1]
> 
> 
> Concluding remarks: (by Suheil)
> As Muslims, we should always try to remove misconceptions about Islam, but we
> should be careful not to distort the teachings of the Qur'an in an apologetic
> attempt to make Islam more appealing to the 'rational' western mind. We should
> especially refrain from interpreting Qur'anic verses according to our opinion:
> It is reported in a Hadeeth (words to the effect that): whoever spoke about the
> Qur'an according to his opinion, or concerning what he did not know, let him take
> his place in Hell-fire. 
> Wassalam
> Suheil

In another article Zeeshan Hasan Wrote:

From: zeeshan@occs.cs.oberlin.edu (Zeeshan Hasan)
Subject: Re: Adam's children, Daajal, Tabligh
Originator: zeeshan@occs.cs.oberlin.edu (Zeeshan Hasan -Moderator)
Organization: Oberlin College Computer Science
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 15:49:44 GMT
X-Posted-From: occs.cs.oberlin.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: sol.ctr.columbia.edu

........Deleted for space

In fact, this may be evidence that the
creation story in the Quran does not refer to material creation (that
is, it may not actually be about "Adam, the first man").  It may
simply be a symbolic story about all humans and their struggle between
good and evil.  After all, "Adam" means "of the earth", and the Quran
states that all humans are created of earth.
	So there may or may not have been a "first man" named Adam


Now if we read the:>> Concluding remarks: (by Suheil) above, one wanders
how one can label others eligibal for "hell" and "interpreting Qur'anic
verses according to our opinion:" and "distort the teachings of the Qur'an"
and "let him take his place in Hell-fire". These matters are very unclear
in Quran and many interpretations exist. There are many verses which will
give different impression than quoted by brother SUHEIL. I think one should
keep the focus to theological matters than going to Hadees for looking the
punishment for others as there are many Hadees extremely controversial.

Nawaz
[standard disclaimer: My views are only mine]

Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam