There are countless differences between the teachings of the Bible and the Quran, despite Muhammad’s claims that they are both revelations from the same god, Allah. Of course, the Islamic defense against these differences is that the Jews and Christians had changed and altered the Bible, specifically the Torah and the Gospel (which Muslims call the Injil).
Today, let’s zoom into one difference and explore a core story to discover what the Quran teaches us in comparison to the true teachings of the Bible. This story is about Adam, Eve, and the sinful fall of humanity.
This account is important for many reasons, but one of the biggest is this: the implications of Adam and Eve’s sin on all humanity according to Islam are vastly different from their fallout in the Bible.
What does the Quran say about Adam and his wife?
To begin, let’s point out that the Quran never mentions Eve by name – she is always called Adam’s wife or mate. The only woman given a name in the Quran is Maryam or Mariam, Jesus’ mother. So when Muslims refer to her as Eve, they are drawing that from the general worldwide references to Adam and Eve, not because their book tells them her name.
There are also no details about how Eve was created other than this verse:
“O humanity! Be mindful of your Lord Who created you from a single soul, and from it He created its mate, and through both He spread countless men and women. And be mindful of Allah—in Whose Name you appeal to one another—and honour family ties. Surely Allah is ever Watchful over you.” Surah 4:2
So the Quran has no details about Eve being created from Adam’s rib or any other method other than being created from Adam’s soul – and many Muslims have questions about that! They have often heard the biblical detail of the rib being taken from the man, and some try to claim that this verse could mean the same thing, despite the lack of details.
The Quran gives different accounts of how Allah created Adam. This has led to debates and different interpretations of what these accounts could mean.
Allah describes himself as creating Adam from clay (Surah 7:12), from black mud (Surah 15:26), and from a clot of blood (Surah 96:1-2). It is not clear whether these are all different sources Allah combined, or if Allah changed his account on what he used.
There are not many other details about Adam except for one that stands out– Adam was a giant human:
“Allah created Adam in his complete shape and form (directly), sixty cubits (about 30 meters) in height.” (Sahih Bukhari Volume 8, Book 74, Hadith Number 246)
Giants would not be a foreign topic for those living in Muhammad’s times – in fact many of the pre-Islamic idols and gods were supposedly giants. The hadith goes on to explain that since Adam, the human race has been shrinking until it reached the heights and sizes that we are today.
There are more details about Adam and Eve in the hadith which quote Muhamad answering questions about them, in which we find some interesting answers (source):
Eve was made from the leftover clay from making Adam’s rib
Because Eve was made from the left side of Adam, women get half of the inheritance of a man and have half of the testimony of a man
Adam laid in the clay for forty years after Allah created him
Humans have different skin colors because of the different colors of soil
Allah ordered the jinn and angels to worship Adam in the Quran
After Allah had created Adam (there is no mention of his wife Eve yet in the account), he instructed the angels and jinn (spirits created from fire) to bow down before him. They all obeyed except for Iblis, who was cursed and became Satan. (Surah 15:28-31)
For his rebellion, Iblis (Satan) was cast out of Paradise (heaven), but he pleaded with Allah and bartered for his punishment to be held back until the “resurrection day” for humanity. (Surah 15:34-38)
This account of Allah ordering the angels to worship Adam is contrary to the Bible’s teachings, which state that God made man lower than the angels (Psalm 8:5 NIV) and that no one is to be worshiped but God.
What is the Quran’s version of the fall?
In the Quran’s version of the story of the fall, Adam and Eve live in Janna, which means garden in Arabic, but it refers to paradise (the Muslim’s heaven).
“We cautioned, “O Adam! Live with your wife in Paradise and eat as freely as you please, but do not approach this tree, or else you will be wrongdoers.” Surah 2:35, Surah 7:19
We learn the order of events in the story more fully in Surah 20:116-124:
Adam (and his wife presumably) were created and Allah taught Adam the names of creations (Surah 2:31-33)
Allah ordered the angels to bow down to Adam
Iblis refused to bow
Allah warned Adam to not be led astray by Iblis, who would drive them out of paradise
Iblis deceives Adam and his wife about the forbidden fruit
Allah forgives Adam when he prays and repents of his sin (Surah 2:37)
Allah casts out Adam, his wife, and Iblis from paradise to be enemies on earth (Surah 2:36) (These last two points could be flipped based on other Surahs)
“But Satan deceived them—leading to their fall from the blissful state they were in, and We said, “Descend from the heavens to the earth as enemies to each other. You will find in the earth a residence and provision for your appointed stay.” Surah 2:36
So the fall was caused by Satan’s deception, and for it, Adam, his wife, and Iblis were cast out of paradise.
Does Islam teach that an “original sin” is passed down from Adam?
No, in fact, according to the Quran, Adam and his wife’s error was forgiven by Allah after they recited prayers to him and asked for forgiveness (Surah 2:37). This leaves many Muslims with the question, “If Allah forgave Adam and Eve, why did he still cast them out of paradise?”
The common answer is, “It was part of Allah’s plan,” taken from this verse in the Quran:
“Remember when your Lord said to the angels, “I am going to place a successive human authority on earth.” They asked Allah, “Will You place in it someone who will spread corruption there and shed blood while we glorify Your praises and proclaim Your holiness?” Allah responded, “I know what you do not know.” Surah 2:30
So the fall in the Quran is not the story of sin entering creation, but rather the story of Adam, his wife, and Iblis being cast out of Paradise for disobedience. Instead of believing that all humans are inherently sinful from this point on, Islam teaches that all babies are born pure until Iblis the deceiver touches them after birth, and then humans are led astray and must come back to Allah with repentance.
To learn more about the Quranic version of the creation story, you can read that in detail here: How Islam's creation story is different than the Bible and how to talk about it
How is the Quranic version of the story different from the Bible?
It is important to recognize where this story of Adam, Eve, and the Fall in the Quran differs from the biblical account – not just for details’ sake, but because there are strong theological implications from it!
First, the Bible tells us exactly how Adam and Eve were made– Adam was made from dust and had the breath of life breathed into him from God’s breath (Genesis 2:7). Then it explains that God sent Adam into a deep sleep, took a rib from his side, and with that rib formed the woman, whom Adam named Eve (Genesis 2:21-25).
There is no account of the Lord commanding angels to bow down to Adam, and this is not the reason that Satan is cast out of heaven in the Bible. The Fall of Satan took place much earlier than this as we read in Isaiah 14:12–14 and Ezekiel 28:12–18
The story of the Fall in the Bible is also different from the Quran’s story of the fall. In both accounts, Adam and Eve are deceived by Satan, but in Genesis 3 there are more details:
The devil appears to Eve as a serpent
Eve eats the fruit first and then shares it with her husband Adam
There are direct consequences placed on all three for disobedience – consequences that continue on Adam and Eve even after they repent and are passed down to all humanity
This last point, the consequences of the original sin, is important because it is the basis of the biblical belief that humans are inherently sinful because of the fall. We are not touched by Satan after we are born and then corrupted, instead because of the sin that entered the world through Adam and Eve, this was passed down through every generation.
As you talk about this important topic with your Muslim friend or neighbor, you can get help here: Islam's teachings on sin: An explanation for Christians with Muslim friends
Prayer for talking to our Muslim friends about Bible truths
Dear Lord, thank you for being a gracious God who always had a plan to redeem us from the first sin. Please give me the right words to show my Muslim friends your plan of salvation, your love for them, and your overwhelming sovereignty. Amen.
