How long was Adam, may Allah exalt his mention, allowed to reside in Paradise?

It was narrated ‘Abdullaah ibn  Abbas, may Allaah be pleased with them, said: "Adam was allowed to reside in Paradise during the time period between the ‘Asr (Afternoon) prayer, until sunset." (1).

The reason behind getting out Adam, may Allah exalt his mention, from Paradise:

It was narrated on the authority of Abu Hurairah, may Allaah be pleased with him, (in the long Hadeeth of the Intercession) that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "People will say: "O Adam! You are the father of all mankind, and Allah, The Almighty, created you with His Own Hands, breathed in you of His soul, and ordered the angels to prostrate to you; so please intercede for us with our Lord.' Do not you see in what (miserable) state we are, and to what condition we have reached?' On that Adam will reply, 'My Lord is so angry as He has never been before and will never be in the future; (besides), He, The Exalted, forbade me (to eat from) the tree, but I disobeyed (Him), (I am worried about) myself! Myself! Go to somebody else; go to Noah…" (2).

Bashfulness of Adam, may Allah exalt his mention, from his Lord after he sinned and ate from the tree:

It was narrated on the authority of Ubayy ibn Ka‘b, may Allaah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Adam, may Allah exalt his mention, was a tall man with a lot of hair on his head, as if he were a tall palm tree. When he sinned in Paradise, his private parts were revealed to him, the thing he never saw before, and he tried to run away from Paradise. A tree caught him and took him and he said to it: 'leave me.'  Upon this it replied, I will not leave you and his Lord called to him: 'O Adam, Are you feeling from me? He said: 'No, but I am ashamed." (3).

Providing Adam, may Allah exalt his mention, with the fruits of Paradise when he got out from it:

Abu Moosa Al-ASh‘ari, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrated a Marfoo‘ (4) Hadeeth that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "When Allah, The Almighty, caused Adam, may Allah exalt his mention, to leave Paradise, he provisioned him with some of the fruits of Paradise, and taught him the manufacturing of all things. Thus, your fruits are from the fruits of Paradise; however, they change while those of Paradise do not change." (5).

Crying of Adam, may Allah exalt his mention, for his sin when he was sent down from Paradise:

It was narrated on the authority of Buraydah that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "If the crying of Daawood (David), may Allah exalt his mention, and that of the all people of the earth was gather, it would never be equal to that of Adam, may Allah exalt his mention." (6).

Repentance of Adam, may Allah exalt his mention:

Allah, The Almighty, Says (what means): {Then Adam received from his Lord [some] words, and He accepted his repentance…} [Quran 2: 37] 

It was narrated that ‘Abdullaah ibn  Abbas, may Allaah be pleased with them, said regarding the exalted saying of Allah, The Almighty: {Then Adam received from his Lord [some] words, and He accepted his repentance…}

Adam said, 'O My Lord, Did You not create me with Your own Hands?'

Allah, The Almighty, said: 'Yes.'

Adam said, ''O My Lord, Did You not blow into me a spirit from You?'

He, The Exalted, said: 'Yes.'

Adam said: ''O My Lord, Did You not place me in Paradise?'

He, The Exalted, said: 'Yes.'

Adam said: ''O My Lord, is it not true that Your Mercy has overcome Your anger?'

He, The Exalted, said: 'Yes.'

Adam said: 'Will You then allow me back into the Paradise if I repented and did righteous deeds?'

He, The Exalted, said: 'Yes.'

The reference then is to the exalted words, {Then Adam received from his Lord [some] words, and He accepted his repentance…} [Quran 2: 37]

Important note:

There is no contradiction between the Decree of Allah, The Almighty, of creating Adam, may Allah exalt his mention, to be a successive authority on earth and His decree of the story of the tree and temptation. The incident of Adam, may Allah exalt his mention, when he ate from the tree and was sent down to earth afterwards is a direct cause to achieve the first decree for creating Adam, may Allah exalt his mention, to worship Allah, The Almighty, and be a successive authority on earth through worshiping Allah, The Almighty. When Allah, The Almighty, decrees something, He, The Exalted, decrees for it the causes that can achieve it. Thus, there is no contradiction between the previous decree and the tangible or cause and effect on the basis of shar‘i principles.

Such cause which is the story of eating from the tree had much great wisdom that Allah, The Almighty, knows best. However, we can deduce some of them. Amongst them are:

1- The beginning of commands of Allah, The Almighty, to humans: This means that when Allah, The Almighty, prohibited Adam, may Allah exalt his mention, from eating from the tree, the obligations and commands of Allah, The Almighty, has started so that this may be an introduction for the obligation that Allah, The Almighty, wants to all humans through the messages which He, The Exalted, sent his Messengers, may Allah exalt their mention, with.

2- Knowing the real enemy i.e. the accursed Satan for he was the cause that made humans lose the pleasures of Paradise in the worldly life and postponing this only for the believers among them in the Hereafter. When humans see what the satan made with their father, may Allah exalt his mention, due to eating for the tree for only one time, they will surely realize that satan is their real enemy and that Allah, The Almighty, is their Wali (Protector, Supporter, and Helper, etc.) that deserves all forms of worship and obedience. Allah, The Almighty, Says (what means):

•   {Did I not enjoin upon you, O children of Adam, that you not worship Satan - [for] indeed, he is to you a clear enemy. And that you worship [only] Me? This is a straight path. And he had already led astray from among you much of creation, so did you not use reason?} [Quran 36: 60-62]

•   {Indeed, Satan is an enemy to you; so take him as an enemy. He only invites his party to be among the companions of the Blaze.} [Quran 35: 6] 

3- Establishing the concept of Tawbah (i.e. repentance ): "The hurry of Adam, may Allah exalt his mention, to repentance and returning and seeking forgiveness is a great lesson for all humans to learn and adopt if they sinned while fulfilling the successive authority on the earth. The door of repentance is always open and Allah, The Almighty, loves His worshipers who repent and seek forgiveness whenever they commit sins. If the story of the tree had not occurred, the concept of repentance would never be established well in the hearts of humans.

Al-Qurtubi, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: "Allah, The Almighty, did not get Adam, may Allah exalt his mention, out from Paradise as a punishment for him. Simply because He, The Exalted, sent him down after He accepted his repentance. However, He, The Exalted, sent him down as a form of disciplining or increasing the difficulty of the trial.

The preponderant opinion regarding sending down Adam, may Allah exalt his mention, and inhabiting earth is what clearly appears of the eternal wisdom which is that Allah, The Almighty, may test and command them to worship him alone and thus they may get reward if they obey or punishment if they disobeyed.  

That is because Paradise and Hellfire are not a place of obligations. Thus such eating of the tree was the cause of sending him down from Paradise. Actually, Allah, The Almighty, does whatever He wills and in this regard He, The Exalted, says (what means): {Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.} [Quran 2: 30]

Such is a great position, noble and honorable virtue; however, he was sent down after his repentance was accepted for our Almighty Allah says (what means): {"Go down, [all of you]} [Quran 2: 36] (7)" End quote

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(1) It was reported by Al-Haakim in Al-Mustadrak (2/542), Ibn Sa'd at length in At-Tabaqaat Al-Kubra (1/34 - 36), and Al-Haakim said: 'It is Saheeh (authentic) Hadeeth according to the conditions of both Al-Bukhaari and Muslim but they did not report it, and Ath-Thahabi agreed with him.'

(2) It was reported by Al-Bukhaari (4435) and Muslim (501).

(3) It was reported by ibn Sa‘d in At-Tabaqaat (1/31), Al-Haakim in Al-Mustadrak (2/543-544) and Al-Haakim deemed it Saheeh and Ath-Thahabi agreed with him. As-Suyuti attributed it in Ad-Durr (1/54) to Ibn Ishaaq in Al-Mubtada', Abd ibn Hameed, Ibn Abi Ad-Dunya in At-Tawbah, Ibn Al-Munthir, Ibn Abi Haatim, Ibn Mardawiyh, Al-Bayhaqi in Al-Ba‘th wa An-Nushoor.

(4) A Hadeeth that is directly attributed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. (Translator)

(5) It was reported by Al-Bazzaar, as in Al-Awsat (2344) (3/102), Al-Haythami said in Al-Majma‘ (8/197):  "It was reported by Al-Bazzaar and its narrators are trustworthy. Al-Haakim also reported it (2/543) as a Mawqoof Hadeeth and said: "Its Isnaad (chain of narrators) is Saheeh but both Al-Bukhaari and Muslim did not report it and Ath-Thahabi agreed with him. As-Suyuti added its attribution in Ad-Durr to Ibn Abi Haatim, Ibn Jareer, Al-Bayhaqi in Al-Ba‘th as a Mawqoof Hadeeth on Abi Moosa and Ahmad Shaakir deemed it Saheeh in his commentary on Tafseer At-Tabari No. (537)."

(6) Al-Haythami said in Al-Majma' (8/201): ''It was reported by At-Tabaraani in Al-Awsat and its narrators are trustworthy.''

(7) Al-Jaami' li Ahkaam Al-Qur'aan (1/321).

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