CAN GARDEN OF EDEN-LIKE LIVING CONDITIONS BE RE-ESTABLISHED AS A MODE OF LIVING?
Let us explore the remembrance and reminders of Allah (“dhikr”) as a means to restore the Paradise-like Mode of Living. The topic was confirmed in our National Koran Class on Sunder Dec. 28th at 3pm EST.
First we review verses from the Holy Koran of the MST of A:
CHAPTER 10: JESUS SPAKE ON THE UNITY OF ALLAH AND MAN TO THE HINDUS
16. A man’s ideal is his God, and so, as man unfolds, his God unfolds. Man’s God
today, tomorrow is not God.
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22. When man sees Allah as one with him, as Father Allah, he needs no middle man, no priest to intercede.
23. He goes straight up to Him and says, ‘My Father God, Allah!’ and then he lays his hand in Allah’s own hand, and all is well.
24. And this is Allah. You are, each one, a priest, just for yourself; and sacrifice of blood Allah does not want.
25. Just give your life in sacrificial service to the all of life, and Allah is pleased.”
CHAPTER 35: HOLY INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE PROPHET – RELIGION
1. There is but one Allah, the author, the creator, the governor of the world; almighty, eternal, and incomprehensible.
[…]
3. To the one who is supreme, most wise and beneficent, and to Him alone, belong worship, adoration, thanksgiving and praise.
[…]
22. O praise His goodness with songs of thanksgiving, and meditate in silence on the wonders of His love; let thy heart overflow with gratitude and acknowledgment, let the language of thy lips speak praise and adoration, let the actions of thy life show thy love to His law.
[…]
29. O fear Allah, therefore, all the days of thy life, and walk in the paths which He hath opened before thee. Let prudence admonish thee, let temperance restrain, let justice guide thy hand, benevolence warm thy heart, and gratitude to Heaven inspire thee with devotion. These shall give thee happiness in thy present state, and bring thee to the mansions of eternal felicity in the paradise of Allah.
Next, we see verses from Holy Qurʾān, Surah TaHa (20:116-135) with identical instruction, after the fall of Man from The Garden—
116. And when We said to the angels:
Prostrate yourselves toward Adam (Adama = mankind)—
So they prostrated—
Except Iblis*. He refused
(*A Greek loanword: “Diabolis” = Devil, contracted in Arabic, to “Iblis“)
117. So We said: O Adam…Indeed, this is one [Iblis] is an enemy to you and to your pair (zawjika). Therefore, do not let him cause the two of you to be expelled from the Garden / Enclosure. Then you will suffer.
Grammar-based insights:
These verses issue a direct warning: a specific adversary threatens Adam (mankind) and “his pair” (zawj) removal from the stable state of the Garden / Enclosure (al-jannati), and if that removal is allowed to occur, it results in sustained hardship—particularly falling on Adam. Allah does not address his pair (zawj). The Arabic grammar does not assert this as an inevitability or judgment. It is a warning about the adversary.
118-119. Indeed, Truly, what is for you—and belonging to you—
Is that you will not hunger in it [the Garden] nor be naked [ta’ra].
And that indeed you will not thirst in it, nor be exposed to heat
Grammar-based insights:
The verse grammatically states that, within that Garden/Enclosed environment, Adam is assured freedom from hunger and nakedness as a matter of entitlement—and NOT as a matter of effort, chance, or future reward. These verses complete a four-part description of basic human well-being—food, clothing, water, and protection from harsh climate—stating grammatically that none of these deficiencies exist within that defined “Garden / Enclosure” environment.
120. So / Then the adversary whispered to him…
He said: ‘O Adam, Shall I guide you to the tree of permanence?
—And a dominion that does not decay?‘
121. Then the two of them ate from it.
So / Then their two shameful aspects [sawʾātuhumā] became visible to the two of them […]
And Adam disobeyed his Lord, so he went astray.
123. He [Allah] said: Descend from it [the Garden/Enclosure], both of you, entirely
Some of you will be enemies to others.
So whenever guidance surely comes to you from Me
Then whoever follows My guidance
Then he will not go astray, nor will he suffer.”
Grammar-based insights:
A perpetual condition of mutual adversity between Adam and Iblis (the Devil) is described — as a social reality — not a commandment. The verse closes by shifting from specific individuals (Adam, “his pair”, and Iblis) to all their descendants. Allah extends a universal, recurring offer of guidance that is grammatically guaranteed. However, Individual response—actual following, not intention—is what determines outcome. Although adversity will exist, guidance will certainly come, and anyone who truly follows it will live without lasting misdirection or enduring hardship (i.e., following guidance in the midst of your adversary = reestablishes the non-hardship conditions of the Garden / Enclosure).
124. “And whoever deliberately turns away from My remembrance, or reminder (dhikrī),
Then indeed for him (belonging to him) is a constricted / oppressive MODE OF LIVING
And We will gather him on the day of the standing / the rising, while blind.”
Grammar-based insights:
The verse states that deliberate disengagement from continual remembrance and / or disregarding the reminders sent to you (Dhikr) leads to a persistently constricted and oppressed way of living, and later, to being gathered in a state described as blindness. This is presented as outcomes tied to choice, not as isolated punishments or unexplained events.
126. He [Adam] said: My Lord…
Why did You gather me while blind…?
—And I had already been perceptive / seeing.
Grammar-based insights:
The verse presents a question seeking explanation: Without disputing the event itself or assigning blame, the Adam recognizes that he has been gathered in a state of blindness and contrasts this with a previously established state of perception.
126. He [Allah] said: Thus is so because…
Our signs / indications came to you,
Then you ignored it / forgot it.
And in the same way, today you are forgotten.
Grammar-based insights:
The verse explains the contrast between past perception and present blindness by stating that just as signs arrived and were disregarded, your current state will mirror that disregard—this is presented through grammatical symmetry rather than accusation or emotional language.
130. So therefore, endure patiently against that which they [the adversaries] say And repeatedly glorify with the praise of your Lord;
Before the rising sun, and before its setting.
And during portions of the night, glorify.
And the edges / ends of the day—so that you may (or perhaps you will) be satisfied / content.
What the Entire Verse Says — Based on Grammar Alone
From grammar alone, Qurʾān 20:130 communicates the following:
- In response to hostile speech, the addressee is commanded to endure actively, not withdraw.
- That endurance is to be paired with “Glorifying with the praise of your Lord“; This is grammatically framed as an ongoing habit
- The Arabic words to “Glorify with the praise of your Lord” have deep nuanced meanings:
- To Glorify (“Sabbih” in Arabic, which means Actively and repeatedly cause (something) to be declared free from limitation)
- With (“Bi” in Arabic, which means together with/ accompanied by/ inseparably joined to)
- The Praise of (“Hamdi” in Arabic, which means Actual recognizing of Allah’s goodness that sustains, benefits, or perfects your reality, thus visualizing it—because it is reality—Not empty flattery, not chanting, not emotion. Nothing in this definition requires: Blind belief, Assumed goodness, Submission without perception. To Hamdi, requires you to actually know His realness, recalling His goodness from experience before verbalizing it.
- Your Lord (“Rabb” which means to nurture / raise / cultivate; The One who brings a thing from origin to fulfillment / fruition / perfection of its kind. Not merely “lord”—but active sustainer and developer)
- Summary of what it means: To actively and repeatedly declare that your Sustaining, Nurturing Source (your Lord/ Rabb) is free from limitation, while being accompanied by the recognition that your Rabb is inherently worthy of acknowledgment—based on your experienced perception of His sustaining, benefiting, or perfecting your reality.
- These acts are grammatically anchored to several recurring intervals, emphasizing regular, recurring acts of remembrance:
- “Before the suns rising” → Any time prior to the appearance of the sun-disk, which can include daybreak (first light). (≈ 6:35 am EST, as of 12/23/2025)
- “Before the suns setting” → The period immediately prior to the sun’s disappearance. (≈ just before 5:08 pm EST, as of 12/23/2025)
- “At parts of the night” → At selected intervals of the night, not its entirety… The phrase ”min ānāʾi al-layl” grammatically means some portions, not the whole night.
- “And the edges / ends of the day” → the extremity / boundary zones of daylight, excluding its center (noon):
- First Edge of the Day → An early daylight edge immediately after sunrise (≈ 8:00–9:00 am EST, as of 12/23/2025).
- Second Edge of the Day → A late daylight edge immediately before sunset (≈ 4:00–5:00 pm EST, as of 12/23/2025)
- The anticipated result is inner contentment, expressed as a hoped-for outcome rather than a guaranteed external change.
In plain grammar-based terms:
The verse instructs steady endurance against opposition, reinforced by disciplined, recurring acts of remembrance throughout the day and night, with the expected outcome being personal contentment rather than immediate resolution.
