معرفت ادیان

Adam is the first prophet of Abrahamic religions, and he has a high position in Islam. The Holy Qur'an has called him the Caliph of God, the angels prostrated him, and he has the knowledge of ‘al-asma’ (names). Although he tasted the forbidden tree, tempted by the devil, and fell to the earth, his value was not decreased and he was chosen [as a prophet] because of his repentance. The story of Adam is mentioned in the Bible’s Book of Genesis, as the first human, which has some differences with the story of the Holy Quran. Mystical schools reveal the esoteric interpretation of sacred texts. The book "Zohar" – related to the Jewish mysticism – presents an internal interpretation of the chapters related to Adam from the Book of Genesis. In Islamic mysticism, Ibn Arabi's "Fosus al-Hikam" is an esoteric and allegorical interpretation of the prophets’ stories. Presenting a comparative study and explaining the differences and similarities of the mystical approach of the two books, the present article compares Adam's position in the two religious traditions. According to both intellectual traditions, Adam is the eternal example of a perfect human being, the complete manifestation of God’s names and attributes and the seal of creation. He is the meeting point of many worlds of existence, and the only difference between a perfect human being and God is that the first is a possible being, and the second is a necessary and self-sufficient existence.