In the Holy Qur’an there are several occasions where one can find some accounts of Adam’s encounter with man’s nemesis, Iblis.
Carefully attending to those accounts with intelligence, sincerity and honesty can surely help Muslims derive useful lessons, insights and reminders not only about human strength and potentials but also human weaknesses and vulnerability.
Of such accounts two intimately-related groups of verses—al-Baqarah (2): 30-39 and Ta-Ha (20): 115-124—supply us contrastable attributes and propensities in man.
From the former group of verses, it is crystal clear that compared to other creatures, particularly the angels, man derives his superiority from the epistemic ability which Allah endowed in him.
The Qur’an talks therein about Adam being taught by Allah the names of all things, pointing among others to the cognitive significance of language in relation to man’s rationality and intelligence, the uniqueness that renders them distinct from other animals.
It is also important for us to note that throughout such verses which contain the dialogue between Allah and His somewhat disquiet angels pertaining to the creation of man, Allah clearly chose to emphasize His omniscience from amongst all His Attributes.
That Allah is invoking His supremacy in matters of knowledge and wisdom in affirming man’s epistemic superiority and hence his nobility clearly indicates to us that in matters of knowledge and understanding, one’s professorial or professional claim—or one’s claim to authority—in any field of expertise, let alone in matters of guidance and life-orientation, must only be demonstrated in terms of wisdom, knowledge and proofs, and not in terms of power, wealth and lineage.
Yet, in the latter group of verses, one is told about negative elements in man, about factors that had led to the infamous Fall of Man.
Forgetfulness leading to negligence of one’s covenant with Allah, particularly concerning the duty to avoid matters which are harmful and grievous to one’s real happiness, coupled with one’s having no firm resolve in maintaining it, underlies Adam’s succumbing to the evil temptations and whispers.
As verse 115 of the aforementioned Chapter makes it clear: “We (that is, Allah) had already, beforehand, taken the covenant of Adam, but he forgot: and We found on his part no firm resolve.”
Of great significance as well is the highlight in verse 120 that such evil temptations and whispers basically pertain to the longing in man for perpetuity and incessant dominion.
“But Satan whispered evil to him (namely, Adam): he said, ‘O Adam! shall I lead you to the Tree of Immortality and to Power that never wastes away?'”
So, while knowledge is depicted in the Qur’an as a vital and determining factor of man’s superiority, the craving in him for everlastingness and absolute power intertwined is portrayed as being hazardous to his well-being.
To the Muslims in particular, recognizing such a contrast is indeed imperative, especially when they have to effectively meet the many challenges posed by a world which has been characterized with a peculiar understanding of “Knowledge being Power.”
