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Table 2.4 Summary of Exegetes’ Opinions for the Garden’s Location Al-Tabari does not discuss the Garden’s location. This is significant since al-Tabari’s work is an ambitious endeavour to collect and examine the state- ments and discussions of earlier Muslims relevant to each verse. This indi- cates the issue was not yet widespread at al-Tabari’s time, a conclusion strengthened by the fact that the topic is not addressed in two other impor- tant early works, Tafsir ‘Abd al-Razzdq (d. 211/827) and Tafsir Ibn Abi Hatim al-Razi (d. 327/938).”? These early proto-tafsir works compile reports from the Companions, Successors and others, arranged by verse with no additional commentary. Together with al-Tabari’s work, they present a nearly exhaustive survey of the opinions in circulation at this early point in Muslim history. The conclusion is also strengthened by the fact that the ear- liest known advocates of an earthly Garden were two Mutazili scholars, Abi al-Qasim al-Balkhi (d. 319/931) and Aba Muslim al-Isfahani (d. 322/934), who passed away a number of years after al-Tabari. Al-Maturidi, who is only slightly later, mentions the controversy. All this suggests that the Garden’s location was a non-issue for the earliest Muslims and emerged as an issue in the early 300s/900s.

Table 2 4 Summary of Exegetes’ Opinions for the Garden’s Location Al-Tabari does not discuss the Garden’s location. This is significant since al-Tabari’s work is an ambitious endeavour to collect and examine the state- ments and discussions of earlier Muslims relevant to each verse. This indi- cates the issue was not yet widespread at al-Tabari’s time, a conclusion strengthened by the fact that the topic is not addressed in two other impor- tant early works, Tafsir ‘Abd al-Razzdq (d. 211/827) and Tafsir Ibn Abi Hatim al-Razi (d. 327/938).”? These early proto-tafsir works compile reports from the Companions, Successors and others, arranged by verse with no additional commentary. Together with al-Tabari’s work, they present a nearly exhaustive survey of the opinions in circulation at this early point in Muslim history. The conclusion is also strengthened by the fact that the ear- liest known advocates of an earthly Garden were two Mutazili scholars, Abi al-Qasim al-Balkhi (d. 319/931) and Aba Muslim al-Isfahani (d. 322/934), who passed away a number of years after al-Tabari. Al-Maturidi, who is only slightly later, mentions the controversy. All this suggests that the Garden’s location was a non-issue for the earliest Muslims and emerged as an issue in the early 300s/900s.

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Table 2.3 Summary of Positions Identified for the Garden’s Location Adam and Eve’s Garden in Sunni Islamic Thought 4!
Table 2.3 Summary of Positions Identified for the Garden’s Location Adam and Eve’s Garden in Sunni Islamic Thought 4!
TECelVINs these arsulments MOM Cem Orst-nand. There are, nevertheless, a few clues to help determine the issue’s herme- neutical register with these two Muttazilis. First, al-Maturidi was extremely well-versed in Mu‘tazili theological opinions and was a contemporary of Aba al-Qasim al-Balkhi and Aba Muslim al-Isfahani, the former of whom he was quite familiar with and whose teachings he was particularly keen to refute
TECelVINs these arsulments MOM Cem Orst-nand. There are, nevertheless, a few clues to help determine the issue’s herme- neutical register with these two Muttazilis. First, al-Maturidi was extremely well-versed in Mu‘tazili theological opinions and was a contemporary of Aba al-Qasim al-Balkhi and Aba Muslim al-Isfahani, the former of whom he was quite familiar with and whose teachings he was particularly keen to refute
Table 2.7 Arguments for Adopting Theological Non-Commitment (Tawaqquf)
Table 2.7 Arguments for Adopting Theological Non-Commitment (Tawaqquf)
Table 2.8 Summary of Exegetes’ Opinions for the Location of Adam’s Creation Many of the exegetes understand Adam’s creation to have taken place out- side the Garden. None of the classical commentators directly address the topic. Instead, the issue surfaces when they discuss the question of whether Adam was housed (iskdm) in the Garden after Satan was initially expelled from it or when they address the question of whether Eve was created before Adam’s entry (dukbil) in the Garden or afterwards. In these cases, they make it clear that Adam was outside the Garden and then entered it, regardless of whether they favour the idea that he entered it together with Eve or before she was created. This makes the Garden a place he enters after being created and after the angels bow down to Him (Table 2.8). Al-Tabari discusses the topic from both angles in detail while discussing F a, Oe OY a i ee a ee ee , ee ee a ay
Table 2.8 Summary of Exegetes’ Opinions for the Location of Adam’s Creation Many of the exegetes understand Adam’s creation to have taken place out- side the Garden. None of the classical commentators directly address the topic. Instead, the issue surfaces when they discuss the question of whether Adam was housed (iskdm) in the Garden after Satan was initially expelled from it or when they address the question of whether Eve was created before Adam’s entry (dukbil) in the Garden or afterwards. In these cases, they make it clear that Adam was outside the Garden and then entered it, regardless of whether they favour the idea that he entered it together with Eve or before she was created. This makes the Garden a place he enters after being created and after the angels bow down to Him (Table 2.8). Al-Tabari discusses the topic from both angles in detail while discussing F a, Oe OY a i ee a ee ee , ee ee a ay
Related topics:
Evolutionary BiologyHuman EvolutionScience and ReligionBook of GenesisScience and IslamGarden of EdenHistorical Adam and EveQuran and Tafsir Studies
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