THE WORD OF GOD

action. He can either follow the course set by the angels and carry out God’s commandments by bowing before truth and justice in all that he does; or he can act as Satan did and, letting himself be controlled by arrogance and contempt, refuse to concede the right of others. Then Adam received some words [of prayer] from his Lord and He accepted his repentance. He is the Forgiving One, the Merciful. We said, ‘Go down, all of you, from here: then when guidance comes to you from Me, anyone who follows My guidance will have no fear, nor will they grieve—those who deny and reject Our signs shall be the inhabitants of the Fire; therein shall they abide forever.’(2: 37-39) The practical lesson of the forbidden tree demonstrates how man goes astray by letting himself be deceived by Satan, and exceeding the bounds that God has laid down for him. As soon as he eats of the ‘forbidden fruit’, he is deprived of God’s grace or, in other words, Paradise. But this loss is not an irretrievable one. Man still has an opportunity to turn in repentance to his Lord, rectify his actions and seek forgiveness for his sins. When he turns to the Lord in repentance, God relents towards him, and cleanses him of his sins, as if he had never committed them. The preacher of truth is an ‘Adam’; it is for people to bow before him. If, carried away by pride and prejudice, they refuse to acknowledge his position, they are following in Satan’s footsteps. Such a denial amounts to having failed the test devised for man by God. God does not become plainly visible in this world; He reveals Himself through His signs, thereby testing His creatures. It is only those who can interpret His signs who will discover God Himself. o Responsibility A person is born under the laws of nature, but after birth, the development of his personality lies in his own hands.