English: BIK01 - UNIT 08: Addition Example 1 - Non-Biblical Source 3: The koranic adaptation

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BIK01 - Biblical Investigations of the Koran

A Ministry Course on Biblical Content in the Koran

STAGE 2 - Biblical PASSAGES and Biblical PERSONALITIES in the Koran

UNIT 08 - INVESTIGATE ADDITIONS: Examples of Non-Biblical Texts on Adam Added in the Koran - Analysis, Explanation and Application

08.1 - ADDITION EXAMPLE 1: Allah commanded the angels to worship Adam right after his creation. All obeyed except the Devil, who was condemned by Allah, but given respite on the Devil's appeal (Six koranic passages about Adam added by the Koran)

135 - Non-Biblical Source 3: How the Koran adapted this non-biblical text

It is important to note that the story of why the Devil tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden in this pseudepigraphic book is presented as a revelation from the Devil. Neither among Jews, nor among Christians do you find a text that contains similar thoughts. Because these are literally Devilish revelations, neither the Jews nor the Christians accepted the book “The Life of Adam and Eve” to become a part of the Bible. The Koran, however, has a similar story; only there its content is not presented as a revelation from the Devil, but as a revelation from Allah.

The Koran hardly quoted any of the sentences from this book word by word, rather it has adapted its content to the teachings of the Koran.

We first look at what the Koran omitted from this non-biblical text, which was written prior to Islam around 100 A.D.:

-- the context of Adam repenting by standing in cold water for 40 days was omitted (even though verses of Adam repenting are included in the Koran: Suras al-Baqara 2:37 -- al-A'raf 7:23 -- Ta Ha 20:122, see the next example in this UNIT 08);

-- the name of one of the angels (Michael), who worshipped Adam was not mentioned in the Koran in this context;

-- the reason for worshipping Adam was omitted by the Koran, because the Koran does not teach that Adam was created in the image of God; and

-- the ultimate motive of the Devil to become equal to God was suppressed in the Koran etc.

However, in spite of this koranic adaptation, key elements of this story in the Koran seem to have their roots in this passage from “The Life of Adam and Eve” such as the following elements:

-- The situation is right after the creation of Adam (Nr. 1 above);

-- God commanded the angels to worship Adam (Nr. 2 above);

-- all the angels obeyed, except the Devil (Nr. 3 above);

-- the reason the Devil gave for refusing to worship Adam (Nr. 5 above);

-- God then expelled the Devil from his glory (Nr. 6 above); and (finally)

-- the Devil used deceit to assail humans (Nr. 9 above).

The elements that the Koran added to these subjects from “The Life of Adam and Eve” are the following:

-- Allah asked the Devil, why he disobeyed (Nr. 4 above);

-- the Devil asked Allah to delay his punishment (Nr. 7 above);

-- Allah granted the Devil such a delay of his punishment until Resurrection Day (Nr. 8 above); and

-- the answer of Allah to the plan of the Devil to harass humans (Nr. 10 above).

It is important to note that the agreement of Allah with the Devil to mutually limit each other's sphere of influence is an original koranic element in this passage. It has had severe consequences in many spheres of life in the Muslim world even up till today. It is built on a true devilish revelation in the Koran. It is the Devil, which is quoted by the Koran as saying: Sura al-A'raf 7:16-17 -- “16 He (the Devil) said, ‘By that, with which you (i.e. Allah) tempted me (in a misleading way), I will surely sit (in ambush) for them on your straight path (on which you want them to walk). 17 Then I will come upon them from between their hands (i.e. from before them) and from behind them and from their right sides and from their left sides, and you (Allah) will not find most of them (to be) thankful.’ ”

If you follow Christ and believe that He died for you on the cross, then the Devil will not have any power over you. Christ has conquered the Devil once and for all through his atoning death and justifying resurrection. This is why the Apostle Paul wrote: "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels not rulers nor things present nor things to come, nor powers (like the Devil), nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)

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