20-116 And when We said to the angels: Be submissive to Adam, they submitted except Iblis; he refused.
وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ ٱسْجُدُوا۟ لِـَٔادَمَ فَسَجَدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِبْلِيسَ أَبَىٰ (۱۱۶)
20-117 We said: O Adam, this is an enemy to thee and to thy wife; so let him not drive you both out of the garden so that thou art unhappy.a
فَقُلْنَا يَـٰٓـَٔادَمُ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا عَدُوٌّۭ لَّكَ وَلِزَوْجِكَ فَلَا يُخْرِجَنَّكُمَا مِنَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ فَتَشْقَىٰٓ (۱۱۷)
20-117a: تَشْقَىٰٓ – Refer to 11-105a for شقا and شقاوۃ . It means being devoid of any form of goodness. شقاء also means distress, suffering, hardship, misfortune (LA). Leaving the garden leads to unhappiness. This unhappiness is caused by distress and hardships.
20-118 Surely it is granted to thee therein that thou art not hungry, nor naked,
إِنَّ لَكَ أَلَّا تَجُوعَ فِيهَا وَلَا تَعْرَىٰ (۱۱۸)
20-119 And that thou art not thirsty therein, nor exposed to the sun’s heat.
وَأَنَّكَ لَا تَظْمَؤُا۟ فِيهَا وَلَا تَضْحَىٰ (۱۱۹)
20-119a: تَجُوعَ – is the pain felt when the stomach is completely empty (R). The hunger جوعfor knowledge is that a person should never feel saturated. The meaning of جاع الیٰ لِقائِهٖ is desired a meeting (LA). This word is also used in other senses.
تَعْرَىٰ – عَرِی means to become naked, and the meaning of عَرُوٌّ من الذنب is free from sin (R). An attribute of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) given in the hadith is: انا النَّذِیۡرُ الۡعُرۡیَانُ I am a warner who explains everything openly (LA).
تَظْمَؤُا۟ – ظَمَاء means thirst and ظَمۡاٰن means thirsty, as in يَحْسَبُهُ ٱلظَّمْـَٔانُ مَآءً the thirsty man deems to be water (24:39).
تَضْحَىٰ – ضَحَی (یَضۡحی) – تَعَرَّض للشمس exposed himself to the sun and لَا تَضْحَىٰ would mean protects from the sun’s heat (R).
These two verses mention all that is necessary for a pleasant life. Safety from the pangs of hunger, clothes to hide nakedness, protection from thirst and the heat of the sun. Food, water, clothes and shelter are the four things necessary for humans and the provision of a combination of these things is a necessary ingredient for a pleasurable life. In another place, the same idea is presented in the following words: وَكُلَا مِنْهَا رَغَدًا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمَا : and eat from it a plenteous (food) wherever you wish (2:35). Thus, in both places there is mention of freedom from want, but does this mean all physical needs are satisfied and furthermore, is paradise for humans simply an abundance of food to eat? If this was so, many wicked people are also able to achieve this worldly paradise. Verse 20:124 solves this issue by stating: And whoever turns away from My Reminder, for him is surely a straitened life. The straitened life mentioned there does not mean that such a person will not have sufficient economic means to sustain his body, but the consequence of this straitened life is that the person will be raised blind in the next world. Refer to 7-20a and 7-22a for more on this topic. So, although words like hunger, thirst etc., have been used but what is meant is those who follow guidance will have no spiritual impoverishment and instead will have ease and comfort. An alternate meaning is that when a person considers the real purpose of life as remembrance of Allah or meeting with Allah, he is not overly worried about food and shelter or consumed with acquiring them, rather he is confident that Allah will provide him with these necessities. For details refer to 20-124a and 2-35a.
20-120 But the devil made an evil suggestion to him; he said: O Adam, shall I lead thee to the tree of immortality and a kingdom which decays not?a
فَوَسْوَسَ إِلَيْهِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ قَالَ يَـٰٓـَٔادَمُ هَلْ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَىٰ شَجَرَةِ ٱلْخُلْدِ وَمُلْكٍۢ لَّا يَبْلَىٰ (۱۲۰)
20-120a: In another place, it is stated: إِلَّآ أَن تَكُونَا مَلَكَيْنِ أَوْ تَكُونَا مِنَ ٱلْخَـٰلِدِينَ : lest you become angels or become of the immortals (7:20). So, by شَجَرَةِ ٱلْخُلْدِ is meant eternal life. Refer to 7-20b.
20-121 So they both ate of it, then their evil inclinations became manifest to them, and they began to cover themselves with the leaves of the garden. And Adam disobeyed his Lord, and was disappointed.a
فَأَكَلَا مِنْهَا فَبَدَتْ لَهُمَا سَوْءَٰتُهُمَا وَطَفِقَا يَخْصِفَانِ عَلَيْهِمَا مِن وَرَقِ ٱلْجَنَّةِ ۚ وَعَصَىٰٓ ءَادَمُ رَبَّهُۥ فَغَوَىٰ (۱۲۱)
20-121a: غَوَىٰ – The meaning of غَوَىٰ here is جَہِل to be ignorant or خاب to fail, or to be unsuccessful, or فسد عَیۡشُه there was turmoil in his life. For the commentary on other words in this verse, refer to 7:22 a.
20-122 Then his Lord chose him, so He turned to him and guided (him).a
ثُمَّ ٱجْتَبَـٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ وَهَدَىٰ (۱۲۲)
20-122a: ٱجْتَبَـٰی –ٱجْتَبَـٰی means Allah had collected goodness in him. Refer to 3-179a. The word هَدَىٰ indicates guidance which one gets from revelation. فَتَلَقَّىٰٓ ءَادَمُ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ كَلِمَـٰتٍۢ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ : Then Adam received (revealed) words from his Lord, and He turned to him (mercifully) (2:37), hence Allah saved him through revelation from committing faults which human nature cannot avoid by itself.
20-123 He said: Go forth herefrom both — all (of you) — one of you (is) enemy to another. So there will surely come to you guidance from Me; then whoever follows My guidance, he will not go astray nor be unhappy.a
قَالَ ٱهْبِطَا مِنْهَا جَمِيعًۢا ۖ بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّۭ ۖ فَإِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُم مِّنِّى هُدًۭى فَمَنِ ٱتَّبَعَ هُدَاىَ فَلَا يَضِلُّ وَلَا يَشْقَىٰ (۱۲۳)
20-123a: For ھبط and بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّۭ refer to 2-36a. Although there is mention of both, all of mankind is included in the address because these two are representatives of all humanity. What is conveyed is, the law by which these two were governed is the same that will be applied to the whole of mankind.
20-124 And whoever turns away from My Reminder, for him is surely a straitened life, and We shall raise him up blind on the day of Resurrection.a
وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَن ذِكْرِى فَإِنَّ لَهُۥ مَعِيشَةًۭ ضَنكًۭا وَنَحْشُرُهُۥ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ أَعْمَىٰ (۱۲۴)
20-124a: ضَنك – means ضیّق narrow, tight, strait, adversity.
What is meant by a straitened life: Some commentators have regarded it as the chastisement of the grave and some as the chastisement of hell, but it is obvious that the straitening pertains to this life because the words are followed by نَحْشُرُهُۥ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ أَعْمَىٰ We shall raise him up blind on the day of Resurrection which is after death. So, necessarily the reference is to something else. Turning away from Allah is mentioned in the verse, and in another verse, it is stated: أَلَا بِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ ٱلْقُلُوبُ …Now surely in Allah’s remembrance do hearts find rest (13:28). In this world, it is only in the remembrance of Allah that the heart can find peace. It is obvious that whoever turns away from the remembrance of Allah will not be able to find this peace. In reality, prosperity and lack, abundance and scarcity do not depend upon the material things one has but on the state of the heart. Even a few material things suffice a person whose heart is at peace, but for a person whose heart is not at peace, even the luxuries of the whole world are not enough and only cause more stress.
According to Ibn Abbas, the meaning of مَعِيشَةًۭ ضَنكًۭا straitened life is شقاء (RM) devoid of charity and goodness. Others consider it to mean earning a living using forbidden methods and acquiring wealth by corruption, which leads to adversity despite the abundance (IJ). The life of a worldly person is in reality a straitened life and he feels it to be so. Another way this is a straitened life is because Allah has given humans many different abilities and it is only by developing the innate potential that one leads a full life. Those who close their eyes to the moral and spiritual dimensions and remain focused only on worldly matters limit their life to a narrow outlook.
What is meant by being raised blind on the day of Resurrection: Closing the eyes to the real purpose of life is the cause of blindness on the Day of Resurrection, because they remained blind to the spiritual aspect of life: وَمَن كَانَ فِى هَـٰذِهِۦٓ أَعْمَىٰ فَهُوَ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ أَعْمَىٰ : And whoever is blind in this (world) he will be blind in the Hereafter… (17:72). Hence a person enters paradise or finds tranquility and inner peace by turning to Allah. The worldly paradise that a person can obtain, and the one in which Prophet Adam was initially placed was a state of inner peace. Refer to 2-35a.
In another verse, it is stated: وَنَحْشُرُهُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ عَلَىٰ وُجُوهِهِمْ عُمْيًۭا وَبُكْمًۭا وَصُمًّۭا : And We shall gather them together on the day of Resurrection on their faces, blind and dumb and deaf (17:97). This is commonly understood as meaning that they will have no eyes, but they will be able to see the fire of hell وَرَءَا ٱلْمُجْرِمُونَ ٱلنَّارَ : And the guilty will see the Fire (18:53) and will be able to read their Book of Deeds ٱقْرَأْ كِتَـٰبَكَ : Read thy book (17:14). So, this is a form of blindness that will enable them to see the chastisement, while they will not be able to see the blessings. These blessings will only be seen by those who develop the vision to see them. The kind of peace and contentment that a righteous person feels in this world is invisible to a worldly person. How will such a person be able to see the blessings of paradise in the next world? In verse 20:126, it is revealed that being forsaken by Allah, or being deprived of a meeting with Allah is the blindness mentioned in the Hereafter.
20-125 He will say: My Lord, why hast Thou raised me up blind, while I used to see?a
قَالَ رَبِّ لِمَ حَشَرْتَنِىٓ أَعْمَىٰ وَقَدْ كُنتُ بَصِيرًۭا (۱۲۵)
20-125a: The seeing referenced pertains to seeing worldly matters. This is clear from the reply in the next verse where it is said that when Allah’s revelation came, he did not care for it, since he closed his eyes to it. That is why the ability to see things in this world will be of no benefit in the Hereafter and the eyes that remained closed to spiritual matters will remain closed in the Hereafter.
20-126 He will say: Thus did Our messages come to thee, but thou didst neglect them. And thus art thou forsaken this day.
قَالَ كَذَٰلِكَ أَتَتْكَ ءَايَـٰتُنَا فَنَسِيتَهَا ۖ وَكَذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمَ تُنسَىٰ (۱۲۶)
20-127 And thus do We recompense him who is extravagant and believes not in the messages of his Lord. And certainly the chastisement of the Hereafter is severer and more lasting.a
وَكَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى مَنْ أَسْرَفَ وَلَمْ يُؤْمِنۢ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ رَبِّهِۦ ۚ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ أَشَدُّ وَأَبْقَىٰٓ (۱۲۷)
20-127a: اسراف – is to exceed the limit in some matter and means immersion in worldly desires.
The chastisement of the Hereafter is described as أَشَدُّ وَأَبْقَىٰٓ severer and more lasting indicating that it is severer and more lasting than the chastisement of this world. The chastisement of this world is the one which is described in فَإِنَّ لَهُۥ مَعِيشَةًۭ ضَنكًۭا for him is surely a straitened life (20:124). Thus, this straitened life will manifest itself in the next world in a more severe form.
20-128 Does it not manifest to them how many of the generations, in whose dwellings they go about, We destroyed before them? Surely there are signs in this for men of understanding.a
أَفَلَمْ يَهْدِ لَهُمْ كَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا قَبْلَهُم مِّنَ ٱلْقُرُونِ يَمْشُونَ فِى مَسَـٰكِنِهِمْ ۗ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍۢ لِّأُو۟لِى ٱلنُّهَىٰ (۱۲۸)
20-128a: يَهْدِ – For the meaning of ھدایة refer to 1-5a. ھَدَی is also used in the sense of بَیَّنَ as in the hadith by Muhammad bin Kaab فما ھدی مِمّا رَجَعَ in his reply he neither clarified the matter nor gave any argument. It has also been said that in the Lughat Ahle Ghaur, the meaning of ھَدَیت لَكَ is بَیَّنۡتُ لَكَ or, the matter was explained thoroughly. This is the meaning here (LA).
Bayan-ul-Quran 