The Qur'an as the Criterion · History Made Coherent
Adam's fall — who was blamed
Handle with care. Handle with care: do not use this to claim Muslim societies have always treated women well. Keep the comparison between the two texts.
In short
- 1.The Qur'an: Satan whispered to them both, and both were addressed (Q 7:20-22).
- 2.Both say: our Lord, we have wronged ourselves (Q 7:23).
- 3.No pain in childbirth as punishment, no rule of the husband as a sentence.
The claim being examined
Genesis 3 has the serpent deceive Eve, Adam blame her, and God multiply her pain in childbirth and place her under her husband's rule.
The Islamic position
The Qur'an blames Satan, addresses both of them together, has both repent together, and attaches no curse to womanhood.
Analysis
Genesis 3 distributes blame in a specific order: the serpent deceives the woman, she eats and gives to her husband, Adam tells God "the woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit", and the sentences follow — the woman's pain in childbearing multiplied and "your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you", and the ground cursed for Adam's sake. That sequence supplied the scriptural basis for centuries of teaching about women, and its influence in later Christian writing is well documented. The Qur'anic account uses the dual form throughout: Satan whispered to them both, both ate, both were addressed, and both said together "Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers" (Q 7:23). Q 20:115-122 attributes the forgetting to Adam and ends with his being chosen, forgiven and guided. Nothing in the Qur'an curses Hawwa, nothing makes childbirth a penalty — indeed the Qur'an speaks of the mother's hardship in pregnancy and delivery as grounds for gratitude and honour towards her (Q 31:14, 46:15) — and nothing assigns rule over her as a sentence for sin. This is one of the clearest cases where a difference of narrative produced a difference of law and culture for a thousand years.
Side by side
| The Bible | Genesis 3:12-16 | Adam blames the woman; her pain in childbearing is multiplied as a sentence and her husband is to rule over her. |
|---|---|---|
| The Qur'an | 7:20-23; 20:115-122 | Satan whispers to them both, both eat, both are addressed and both repent together; Adam is then chosen, forgiven and guided. No curse falls on womanhood. |
From the Qur'an
قَالَا رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَا أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ
They both said: our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers.
حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ كُرْهًا وَوَضَعَتْهُ كُرْهًا
His mother carried him with hardship and gave birth to him with hardship.
From the Bible
Hebrew
The man said, The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.
Read it in their BibleHebrew
I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.
Read it in their BibleSources
Qur'an 7:19-25; 20:115-122 · Qur'an 31:14; 46:15 · Genesis 3:12-19 · Qur'an 7:23; Genesis 3:16
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