In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The story of our mother Hawwa (Eve).
"Do not eat from this tree."
Allah the Almighty says:
“And We said: O Adam! Dwell thou and thy wife in the Garden, and eat ye freely (of the fruits) thereof where ye will; but come not nigh this tree lest ye become wrong-doers.” (2:35)
"And eat from it in abundance wherever you wish."
"But do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers."
“But Satan caused them to deflect therefrom and expelled them from the (happy) state in which they were; and We said: Fall down, one of you a foe unto the other! There shall be for you on earth a habitation and provision for a time.” (2:36)
We said, "Descend, being enemies to one another."
"And for you on the earth is a place of settlement and provision for a time."
I wish you success in all that the woman has been forbidden from.
It is merely a testing ground for the extent of her servitude to Allah.
Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
Regarding His saying, "Do not approach this tree,"
It is a test and a trial from Allah the Almighty.
For everything that Allah has forbidden the woman from,
Is merely a test for her.
It demonstrates the extent of her obedience to Allah and her compliance with His commands.
Satan is keen to divert her from this test,
By arguing about the wisdom behind the prohibition and searching for its reasons.
Do not approach what is forbidden.
When Allah forbade Adam and his wife from eating from the tree,
He forbade them from even approaching it.
He said:
"Do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers."
This is because approaching what is prohibited tempts one to fall into it.
Al-Tahir Ibn 'Ashur, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
His saying:
"Do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers,"
Means: "Do not eat from the tree."
Because approaching it is done with the intention of eating from it.
Thus, the prohibition against approaching it is more emphatic than the prohibition against eating it.
Because being near a thing creates an urge and an inclination toward it.
There is a hadith regarding this:
"Whoever grazes around a sanctuary is likely to fall into it."
When a woman remembers that human souls are weak in the face of desires,
Except for those whom Allah has shown mercy,
It becomes imperative for her to protect herself from falling into the forbidden,
By staying away from all the paths that lead to it.
Al-Tahir Ibn 'Ashur, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
In linking the prohibition to approaching the tree,
There is an indication of the principle of "blocking the means" (sadd al-dhara'i').
This is one of the foundational principles of the school of Malik, may Allah have mercy on him.
It has detailed explanations established in the principles of fiqh.
How does Satan tempt you?
Satan diverts the woman's gaze from the vastness of the lawful,
And focuses it on the narrowness of the forbidden.
Allah the Almighty says:
"We said, 'O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise.'"
"And eat from it in abundance wherever you wish."
Al-Qanuji, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
The expansion of the command for them,
Is a removal of any excuse or pretext for eating from the forbidden tree,
Given the countless other trees available to them.
Do not ruin your life with disobedience.
The disobedience of our father Adam, peace be upon him, and our mother Hawwa,
Cost them their stay in Paradise.
Likewise, sins,
Ruin our lives.
So do not ruin your life with disobedience.
Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
The point here is,
That some sins are a cause for the loss of beneficial knowledge, or part of it.
Indeed, they can be a cause for forgetting what one has learned,
And confusing truth with falsehood.
Trials and tribulations occur because of that.
Allah, glory be to Him, had settled Adam and his wife in Paradise,
And said to them:
"And eat from it in abundance wherever you wish."
"But do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers."
But Satan caused them to slip from it,
And brought them out of that which they were in.
We said, "Descend, being enemies to one another."
So every enmity that existed among their descendants,
And every affliction and hardship that will exist until the Day of Judgment,
And in the Fire on the Day of Resurrection,
Its cause is sin and disobedience to the Lord, the Almighty.
For if a person remains steadfast in obedience to Allah, inwardly and outwardly,
He is in the bliss of faith,
And knowledge comes to him from all directions,
And he is in the paradise of this world.
Supporting the statement of Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him,
Is the hadith of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him,
That the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"No two people who love each other for the sake of Allah the Almighty,
Or for the sake of Islam,
Are separated,
Except by a sin committed by one of them."
Narrated by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad.
Al-Manawi, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
The separation is a punishment for that sin.
That is why Musa al-Kazim said:
"If your companion changes toward you,
Know that it is because of a sin you have committed."
So repent to Allah for every sin,
And his affection for you will be restored.
And Al-Muzani said:
"If you find coldness from your brothers,
Repent to Allah,
For you have committed a sin."
"And if you find an increase in their affection,
That is because of an act of obedience you have performed."
So thank Allah the Almighty.
This, just as it affects the relationship between friends,
Also affects the relationship with family members,
And it affects, even more clearly, your relationship with your husband.
So be on your guard.
We will continue in a future meeting, if Allah wills.
And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
The story of our mother Hawwa.