Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Prophet Adam (as) ate the forbidden apple & got the wrath of God therefore Adam (as) & Eve both were thrown away from heavens to earth So after their death are their soul in heavens.

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Answer:

Soul of adam and eve

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

This concept of the ‘eternal sin’ is a blasphemy propagated by the Christians, where they say that Hadrat Adam (a.s.) ate the “apple”, and God discarded Hadrat Adam (a.s.) and Hawwa from the heavens to the earth as a punishment for Adam’s sin! This tale is a self-concoction of the People of the Book, where some truth is mixed with a lot of falsehood to sustain and justify their dogma and blasphemy that then God sent Jesus Christ on earth to die and get the ‘eternal sin’ of man forgiven!

Allah Subhanah relates the Truth in the Glorious Quran regarding the episode:

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 30:Behold thy Lord said to the Angels: "I will create a vicegerent on earth." They said "Wilt thou place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood, whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy Holy (Name)?" He said: "I know what ye know not."

The above Aayah clearly proves, that even before Allah Subhanah created Hadrat Adam (a.s.), He had Decreed that He will create man to be His vicegerent on ‘earth’! Thus the notion that Allah Subhanah punished them for their sin is an absolute lie and utter falsehood.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraaf verses 19-23:

19 O Adam! Dwell thou and thy wife in the garden and enjoy (its good things) as ye wish: but approach not this tree or ye run into harm and transgression."

20 Then began Shaitaan to whisper suggestions to them, bringing openly before their minds all their shame that was hidden from them (before): he said "Your Lord only forbade you this tree lest ye should become Angels, or such beings as live for ever."

21 And he swore to them both that he was their sincere adviser.

22 So by deceit, he brought about their fall: when they tasted of the tree their shame became manifest to them and they began to sew together the leaves of the garden over their bodies. And their Lord called unto them: "Did I not forbid you that tree, and tell you that Shaitaan was an avowed enemy unto you?"

23 They said: "our Lord! We have wronged our own souls: if Thou forgive us not and bestow not upon us Thy mercy we shall certainly be lost."

Allah Subhanah Says that the Shaitaan swore and lied to both of them, and beguiled them to eat of the tree which Allah Subhanah had forbidden. This absolutely falsifies the statement of the People of the Book who claim that Shaitaan first beguiled Hawwa, who in turn invited Hadrat Adam (a.s.) to eat of the forbidden tree. There is absolutely no mention in the Quran that the tree was an ‘apple’ tree, or any other particular fruit.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verses 36-38:

36 Then did Satan make them slip, and get them out of the state (of felicity) in which they had been. We said: "Get ye down all (ye people) with enmity between yourselves. On earth will be your dwelling place and your means of livelihood for a time."

37 Then learnt Adam from his Lord words of inspiration and his Lord turned toward him; for He is Oft-Returning Most Merciful.

38 We said: "Get ye down all from here; and if as is sure there comes to you guidance from Me" whosoever follows My guidance on them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 20 Surah Ta Ha verses 120-122:

120 But Satan whispered evil to him: he said "O Adam! Shall I lead thee to the Tree of Eternity and to a kingdom that never decays?"

121 In the result they both ate of the tree and so their nakedness appeared to them: they began to sew together for their covering leaves from the Garden: thus did Adam disobey His Lord and allow himself to be seduced.

122 But his Lord chose him (for His Grace): He turned to him and gave him guidance.

Allah Subhanah Says that once Hadrat Adam (a.s.) and Hawwa had eaten of the forbidden tree, and their shame became apparent to them, Hadrat Adam (a.s.) immediately repented for his deed, and was taught by his Lord how to seek His forgiveness, and the Merciful Lord forgave them their sin and turned towards them in Mercy. Only after Allah Subhanah had forgiven them their sin, did He command them to go down to earth and live their life there for a time appointed by Him as a test.

Thus the Quranic point of view is that Allah Subhanah did not sent Hadrat Adam (a.s.) and Hawwa on earth as a punishment for their sin; but just as He had Decreed before the creation of man, He sent them to the earth for a time appointed by Him as a test; for it is not conceivable that the Majestic and Merciful Lord would punish His slaves once He has already forgiven them!

Your Question: So after their death are their soul in heavens.
In light of the guidance and teachings of the Quran and the Sunnah, the souls of every human being, even the Prophets, who die are kept in a place called the ‘Barzakh’. The literal meaning of the term ‘barzakh’ is something of a barrier or a veil, or something which is kept hidden. The period or place between one’s death and when one will be granted life again by Allah on the Day of Judgement, is known as ‘barzakh’.

It is beyond our comprehension to understand the exact nature of the life of Barzakh, as it is a life completely different from our worldly lives of flesh and blood. Indeed, the soul is something completely different from the body. After separation from their bodies, souls do experience and feel far more pleasure and pain than they experienced when they were joined together. They are subject to confinement, pain, punishment, sickness, and grief as they are to various states of joy, rest, bliss, and freedom. There are four abodes of the soul, and each abode is bigger and greater than the previous one.

The soul's first abode is the womb of the mother, where there is confinement, compression, seclusion, and three layers of darkness.

The second abode is its earthly habitat where it joins the body, grows, does good and evil, and accumulates blessings for its ultimate success, or failure.

Its third abode is the abode of Barzakh, which is more spacious and immense than the abode of this world.

The fourth abode is the abode of eternity, either Paradise or Hell. There is no other abode after these.

Allah causes the soul to pass through these abodes in stages, until it reaches the abode most suitable for it, an abode that only it deserves and for which it is uniquely suitable, because this abode was created for it, and the soul was given the ability to perform the deeds that lead precisely to its abode.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan