Why do Christians & Jews presume that Adam and Eve ate an "apple?"

[Ruhi_Rose]

Of course it doesn't matter what fruit they ate .. what's important is that Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden tree after being tempted by Satan and thus disobeyed the command of Allah Almighty which led to their expulsion from Paradise.  This is clearly contained in the Noble Quran.  For reference read verses 11 to 25 of Surah Al-Araf.
 
But from where did this concept of "apple" arise?  The Quran describes it only as 'tree' with NO mention of apple.  So why do the Christians and Jews presume that the forbidden tree contained "apple?"   What's the root of this "apple" myth?

[Zainab_M]

Salaam sister Rose.  Interesting question.  Again, it's the outcome of plenty of bungling by the People of the Book.  This myth has entered Christianity and Judaism not through the stories of the altered Bibles but through the stories of their artists and poets.

Well, I don't know exactly which versions, but in some parts of the altered Hebrew Bible (probably Genesis), they have used a word "tap-puach."  In fairly modern times it began being translated as "apple."  It's supposed to occur a number of times in the Hebrew Bible and probably also in the Christian Bible.  But the Bible readers claim that it is not used for describing the fruit of the forbidden tree which they call the "tree of knowledge."

This "apple" story came about through the works of the medieval and renaissance artists. 

For example, a 16th century Belgian painter named Peter Paul Rubens made a picture which became very famous in Europe called "The Garden of Paradise."  Though this painting was a pure concoction and figment of Ruben's imagination (as all medieval / renaissance artists had strange stretches of imagination), yet his illustration got imbedded in the minds of the Europeans as an established story of the Christian faith.  Rubens painted the picture showing the tree with fruits which looked exactly like apples, and he also painted a snake coiling among the branches of this tree.  Probably, the snake was supposed to represent Satan.  This painting started propagating the idea of "apple" being the fruit of the "tree of knowledge" eaten by Adam and Eve and the mention of the "serpent."  Prior to Rubens, a 15th century German artist named Lucas Cranach also painted a picture depicting Adam and Eve in Paradise under a tree loaded with fruits looking like apples and surrounded with animals. Several other artists of the time followed the same style while painting pictures of Adam and Eve .. a tree loaded with apples.

Then came the next step when these illustrations of Adam and Eve were translated into words by various poets who lived around the same period.  This brought about additional changes and also exaggerations to the already altered biblical story.  For instance, the 16th century British poet, John Milton, who wrote about Eve in his poem "Paradise Lost" in which he described Eve being tempted by a "serpent" and the tree was mentined as being laden with red and gold scented apples.

Therefore this myth of "apple" quite obviously came from the imagination of artists and poets and became a part of Christianity along with the existing Bible stories of the "tree of knowledge" which too is altered and incorrect.

From these stories, also arose the tale that Adam probably swallowed part of the apple and it got stuck in his throat, or some such crap, and for this reason the thyroid cartilage (or the piece of hard tissue that covers the windpipe) which is a lot more prominent in men than women, got its name "adam's apple."

I think sister Heba has a write-up on the biblical discrepancy of the title "tree of knowledge" which she had sent to me on email sometime back.  Sister Heba, can you please put that up here for additional information?


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Also read about the bible misconception on "Tree of knowledge of good and evil" put up by sister Heba.

To check the Hadith flaws on this topic, read: Hadith on Adam and Eve compatible with Bible, NOT with the Noble Quran  by Sister Heba.

[Ruhi_Rose]

O my dearest Allah!  just look at this.  how the original words of Allah change with the passing of time.  Thus, Allah says so correctly in Surah At-Teen that He has created man of the best stature and then reduced him to the lowest of the low.  Those ones are reduced to the lowest who make themselves lowly with love for lying and changing the Revelations of Allah. 

How much I thank Allah for giving us the most Glorious Quran, destined to remain original and intact forever.  Praise be to Allah for this greatest blessing.  OMG! What would happen to us if Allah decided not to protect and preserve the Glorious Quran.  we would be reading the man-written Hadith with identical man-written biblical stories filled with discrepancies. 

Many thanks for this post, sister Zeynab.  I knew very little about this topic.  It's much clearer now.  I would like to pass this on to my husband too.

And yeah, sister Heba, kindly put up some information of why the bible has given the name of "tree of knowledge" to the forbidden tree.

[Heba E. Husseyn]

Good question and great answer, sisters.  Secular communities don't like to hear this, the fact is that social arts & culture is greatly responsible for introducing exaggerations and falsehoods in society.  But it really feels repugnant when facts and incidents involving spiritual history are tampered with in the name of art & literature. 

Yeah sure sister zeynab, I will put up that piece on "tree of knowledge."  I'll put it up as a separate post.  That would be better as it's quite a lengthy topic. 

Thanks agains sisters.

[N. Truth Seeker]

It's the usual christian legend.  They can hardly survive without creating fictions involving irrelevant details. Sometimes it comes directly into the bibles by the clerical story writers, and sometimes the myths are constructed thru poems & paintings.   It's very likely that the next "update" on this story might replace apples with mangoes and serpent with dinosaur   You can put nothing past these hoodlums.  It all depends on their fantasies and mood swings.   And yes sister zeynab, I also think that perhaps the snake is supposed to represent that bum, satan.
 
Thanks sisters for your very well reasearched information exposing the interpolations.  This is a very interesting topic for discussion.  InshAllah will keep it for one of our future agenda.  Our today's dicussion session went very well on
this topic, Alhumdulilah.   thanks for the help I got from MV.

[Heba E. Husseyn]

heehehehee,, nicely said br. pt. 

I'm glad the discussion session went well this weekend.  InshAllah, some day I'll attend it too 

[Heba E. Husseyn]

In summary, the differences between the Noble Quran and Christian view regarding this topic are as follows:

-   Quran does not mention what they ate was an "apple."  But Christians commonly believe it was an apple.

- Unlike the altered bibles, the Quran does not state that Eve ate first and then lured Adam.  Instead Quran states that it was Satan who tempted both Adam and Eve.

- There is no mention of snake in the Quran.

- Also, the Quran states in several Verses that Allah commanded satan to prostrate before Adam, indicating the intellectual superiority of the human race as ordained by Allah.  satan's refusal to obey Allah made him an outcast.  By doing this, satan proved himself to be the first of all racists and a trouble-maker.  This elucidation is missing in the altered man-written bibles.

[Ruhi_Rose]

Ok sis, another query that comes to my mind, please clarify.  Considering this issue, can the sunni concept of declaring painting to be "Haram" be accepted?

[Zainab_M]

Ok sis, another query that comes to my mind, please clarify.  Considering this issue, can the sunni concept of declaring painting to be "Haram" be accepted?

NO!  not at all sister Rose     That sunni/wahabi idea is again a different one. 

The Christian practice of painting and writing poems based on narrations or incidents stated by Allah Almighty in His Divine Scripture is not right because their works change spiritual history and also become a source for additional changes by future generations. 

The sunnis forbid painting pictures because they equate it with idols, claiming that humans can get misled and start worshipping these pics.  If any human being is so misguided that he or she develops a tendency of worshipping a picture hung of the wall of their home, then that of course is a big problem with that individual and they need a lot of guidance.  I have never heard of anyone doing such a thing in my entire life as yet.  But as I already stated, painting pictures or writing poems on spiritual facts as revealed by Allah is not a right practice because it definitely involves the risk of weaving exaggerated stories and thus distorting the Truth as has been done by the Christians and Jews regarding the incident of Adam and Eve. 

Therefore, the Christian practice of illustrating religious information must NOT be done at all.  But painting the usual or common earthly pictures e.g. image of a landscape, or portrait of a family member or picture of a family pet etc. is a completely different issue and is perfectly ok.

[Ruhi_Rose]

Ah! yes, I get your point.  understood and agree.  Thanks sis ,, lol, it got me a bit confused.  Christians, Jews and Wahabis all of these present problems with their disobedience misperception like the pagans.

[Ruhi_Rose]

It's very likely that the next "update" on this story might replace apples with mangoes and serpent with dinosaur  

 

 

.... I also think that perhaps the snake is supposed to represent that bum, satan.

yes right ....
 

Our today's dicussion session went very well on
this topic, Alhumdulilah.   thanks for the help I got from MV.

Well done brother, keep up the good work!