And now we must approach the subject from another side, and ask: What does the Qur'an teach in regard to Adam's transgression and Fall?

There is not much to be learned from the story of the Fall as given in the Book. It is meagre and wanting in detail. In Suratu'l-Baqara (ii) 33-7 we find the following, 'And we said, O Adam, dwell thou and thy wife in this garden, and eat (of the fruit) thereof plentifully wherever ye will; but approach not this tree, lest ye become of the number of transgressors. But Satan caused them to forfeit paradise, and turned them out of (the state of happiness) wherein they had been: whereupon we said, Get you down the one of you an enemy unto the other, and there shall be a dwelling-place for you on earth and a provision for a season. And Adam learned words (of prayer) from his Lord, and God turned unto him, for He is easy to be reconciled and merciful. We said, Get ye all down from hence; and hereafter there shall come unto you a direction from me, and whoever shall follow my direction, on them shall no fear come, neither shall they be grieved; but they who shall be unbelievers, and accuse our signs of falsehood, they shall be the companions of (hell) fire, therein shall they remain for ever.' In Suratu'l-A'raf (vii) 18-24, the same story is told with a little more detail as regards the actual temptation.

In considering this account of the Fall we desire to see at present only what it has to say about the result of the Fall on man's nature, and shall leave out of consideration what it teaches as to the effects produced by the Fall on man's relation to God. The two sides of the question are, of course, related closely, yet they are not one. The effect of the Fall on man's relation to God

must be glanced at, yet only glanced at; for it comes more especially demanding investigation when we consider the teaching of the Qur'an on sin and salvation. Here we confine ourselves to considering the effects of the Fall on human nature, and in doing this we shall not enter in detail into the nature of the Fall. We shall consider the Fall simply as a fact taught in the Qur'an, and without asking wherein consisted its sinfulness, shall endeavour to see what Muhammad considered its effects to be on Adam's nature, and the nature of mankind in general.

We note first that the temptation came from without, not from within human nature. It is represented as being a misleading of man by Satan, his deadly enemy against whom he was specially warned by God [Suratu'l-A'raf (vii). 21]. The result of the Fall is loss of Eden and the springing up of enmity between the members of the human race. 'Get you down the one of you an enemy to the other.' The loss of Eden involves the loss of the favour of God; hence we see that man now required to be taught words of repentant prayer, that he may again be able to come before his Creator with acceptance. But, once the repentance is demonstrated by prayer, he is easily received again into favour, though he does not thereby regain his lost happiness in Eden.

The most important point in the narrative with regard to our present investigation, is that Adam and Eve are represented as saying when reprimanded by God for their disobedience, 'O Lord, we have dealt unjustly with our own souls; and if thou forgive us not, and be not merciful unto us, we shall (surely) be of those who perish' [Suratu'l-A'raf (vii) 22], Their sin comes home to