Al-Baqarah: (38) We said, "Get down from it..."

The First Issue: The Wisdom Behind Repeating the Command to Descend

There are two interpretations regarding the benefit of repeating the command to descend:

1. Al-Jubba'i's View: The first descent was from Paradise to the lowest heaven, and the second was from the lowest heaven to Earth.
   • Critique (Two Points):
     1. In the first descent, it was stated: "And for you in the earth is a settlement" (referring to verse 36). If settling on Earth only occurred with the second descent, mentioning the settlement and provision after the second descent would have been more appropriate.
     2. In the second command, it says, "Get down from it (minhā)," and the pronoun refers back to Paradise. This implies the second descent was also from Paradise.

2. The Second View: The repetition is for emphasis (ta'kīd).

3. My Third View (Stronger): When Adam and Eve committed the slip-up, they were commanded to descend. They repented after the command. They thought that since the command to descend was due to the sin, it should be lifted upon repentance. Allah repeated the command to show them that the command to descend was not merely retribution for the sin that would vanish with its removal. Rather, the command to descend remained even after repentance because it was the fulfillment of the prior promise: "Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successor" (Al-Baqarah: 30).

• Objection: What is the response to the first condition (implied in the narrative)?
  • Answer: The second condition and its response are linked, similar to saying: "If you come to me, if you are able, I will treat you well."

The Second Issue: Locations of Descent

It is narrated in reports that Adam (peace be upon him) was sent down to India, Eve to Jeddah, Iblis to a place near Basra (a few miles away), and the serpent to Isfahan.

The Third Issue: Meanings of "Guidance" (al-Hudā)

There are several interpretations for "guidance":

1. General Meaning: It refers to every form of indication and clarification, encompassing rational proof and every word revealed to a Prophet. This highlights Allah's immense favor upon Adam and Eve, as if He said: Even if I send you down from Paradise to Earth, I have bestowed upon you what will lead you back to Paradise perpetually.
   • Narration from Al-Hasan: When Adam (peace be upon him) was sent down, Allah revealed to him: "O Adam, four characteristics contain all matters for you and your offspring. One is for Me, one is for you, one is between Me and you, and one is between you and the people. That which is for Me is that you worship Me and associate nothing with Me. That which is for you is that when you act, you receive your reward. That which is between Me and you is that supplication is upon you and answering is upon Me. And that which is between you and the people is that you associate with them as you would like them to associate with you."

2. Prophets Only: What is narrated from Abu Al-'Aliyah is that guidance refers to the Prophets. This interpretation only holds if the addressee of "If there comes to you guidance from Me..." is not Adam, but his descendants. In summary, this interpretation necessitates restricting the addressees to Adam's progeny and restricting the guidance to a specific type (Prophets) without any evidence supporting this restriction.

The Fourth Issue: The State of Those Who Follow Guidance

Allah clarifies that whoever truly follows His guidance—in knowledge (by embracing what is required) and action (by refraining from what is forbidden)—will reach a state where there is neither fear nor grief.

This concise statement encompasses many meanings:

• "If there comes to you guidance from Me" (Al-Baqarah: 38; Taha: 123): Includes all rational and scriptural proofs, additional clarifications, and the necessary intellect and means to grasp them.
• "So whoever follows My guidance" (Al-Baqarah: 38): Means truly contemplating the proofs, reflecting upon them, deriving knowledge from them, and acting upon them. This encompasses all religious obligations (takālīf).
• "No fear will come upon them, nor will they grieve" (Al-Baqarah: 38): Encompasses everything Allah has prepared for His allies. The removal of fear implies safety from all calamities, and the removal of grief implies attaining all pleasures and desires.

The negation of fear is mentioned before the negation of grief because removing what is undesirable takes precedence over seeking what is desirable. This indicates that the accountable person who obeys Allah will experience no fear in the grave, at resurrection, at the gathering, when the books fly open, when the scales are set up, or on the Sirāt (bridge), as Allah says: "The Greatest Terror will not grieve them, and the angels will meet them, [saying], 'This is the Day you were promised'" (Al-Anbiya: 103).

A View of Some Theologians: The horrors of the Hereafter will affect the believers just as they affect the disbelievers and the wicked, based on Allah's saying: "The Day you will see it, every nursing mother will forget that which she nursed, and every pregnant woman will drop her load..." (Al-Hajj: 2). Furthermore, once these horrors pass and they enter Paradise and Allah's pleasure, what preceded will seem as if it never happened, perhaps even increasing their delight in the blessings they find.

• Critique: This view is weak because "The Greatest Terror will not grieve them" is more specific than "The Day you will see it, every nursing mother will forget..." The specific takes precedence over the general.

Ibn Zayd's View: "No fear will come upon them" refers to what lies ahead (after death), as nothing is greater in the heart of the dying person than what comes after death, so Allah secures them from it. "Nor will they grieve" refers to what they left behind in the world after their death.

• Objection: The phrase "So whoever follows My guidance, no fear will come upon them, nor will they grieve" implies the negation of fear and grief absolutely, in this world and the next. However, this is not the case, as believers in this world experience fear and grief more than others. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Affliction is specific to the Prophets, then the pious, then the most righteous, and so on." Moreover, a believer cannot be certain that he performed acts of worship perfectly, so the fear of deficiency remains, as does the fear of a bad end.
• Answer: The context of the speech indicates that the negation refers to the Hereafter, not this world. This is evidenced by their statement upon entering Paradise: "Praise be to Allah, Who has removed grief from us. Indeed, our Lord is Forgiving and Appreciative" (Fatir: 34). Meaning, He removed from us the fear and apprehension we experienced in the world regarding missing the honor of Allah that we have now attained.

The Fifth Issue: Implications of the Verse

Al-Qadi states that the verse "So whoever follows My guidance, no fear will come upon them, nor will they grieve" indicates several matters:

1. That guidance (Hudā) can be established even if there is no actual following (guidance exists, but one might not follow it). This is why it says, "So whoever follows My guidance."
2. The invalidity of the view that knowledge (ma'ārif) is innate/necessary (darūriyyah).
3. That following guidance merits Paradise.
4. The invalidation of Taqlīd (blind following), because the one who blindly follows is not truly following the guidance.

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