his father Adam, while whoever persists in sin and invokes divine decree as an excuse resembles Iblīs.

In the hadith recorded in the two Sahīhs concerning the debate between Adam and Moses, peace be upon them, Moses said to Adam:

“You are Adam, the father of humankind. Allah created you with His hand, breathed into you of His spirit, and taught you the names of all things. Why did you cause us and yourself to be expelled from Paradise?”

Adam replied:

“You are Moses, whom Allah chose for His message and to whom He spoke, and for whom He inscribed the Torah with His hand. How many years before I was created did you find it written concerning me: ‘Adam disobeyed his Lord and went astray’?”

He replied: “So many years.” The narration states: “Thus Adam prevailed over Moses in argument.”

This hadith is recorded in the two Sahīhs on the authority of Abū Hurayrah. It has also been narrated with a good chain of transmission on the authority of ʿUmar, may Allah be pleased with him.

Adam, peace be upon him, prevailed over Moses only because Moses blamed him for what he had done on account of the calamity that had befallen them through his eating from the tree. He was not blaming him on account of Allah’s right that had been violated by the sin. Adam had already repented of that sin, as Allah Most High says:

“Then Adam received words from his Lord, and He accepted his repentance.”

And He Most High says:

“Then his Lord chose him, accepted his repentance, and guided him.”

Moses, peace be upon him—and even those below Moses in rank—knows that after repentance and forgiveness, no blame for the sin remains. Adam knew Allah too well to invoke divine decree as an excuse for sin, and Moses, peace be upon him, knew Allah Most High too well to accept such an argument. If it were a valid argument for sin, it would also have been a valid argument for Iblīs, Adam’s enemy; for Pharaoh, Moses’ enemy; and for every disbeliever and evildoer. Allah’s commands and prohibitions would thereby have been rendered void.

Rather, divine decree was a valid argument for Adam against Moses only because Moses blamed another for a calamity that had befallen him through that person’s action, when that calamity had already been decreed for him.