Maʿānī al-ʾAkhbār 1, record 166 of the digital edition

Translation

1. We were told by Abdul-Wahid bin Muhammed bin ‘Abdous al-Naisabouri al-‘Attar, may Allah grant him mercy, that he said: We were told by Ali bin Muhammed bin Qutayba, from Hamdan bin Sulayman, from Abdul-Salam bin Saleh al-Harawi, that he said: I said to al-Rida, peace be upon him: O son of Allah’s Messenger, inform me about the Tree from which Adam and Hawwa’ ate, what was it? For certainly, the people have differed about him, for among them are those who narrate that it was wheat, and among them are those who narrate that it was grape, and among them are those who narrate that it was the Tree of Jealousy. Then he said: All of that is true. I said: Then what is the meaning of these indications, with their differences? Then he said: O Abu’l-Silt, indeed, the Tree of the Garden carries several types. Hence, it was a tree of wheat, and in it was grape, and it is not like the tree of this world. Indeed, when Adam, peace be upon him, was honored by Allah, Exalted be His Mentioning, by making the prostration of His Angels to him and by making him enter the Garden, he said in himself: Did Allah create a human being better than me? Then Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, knew what occurred in him, so He called unto him: Raise your head, O Adam, and look at the leg of the Throne. Then Adam raised his head and looked at the leg of the Throne and found on it written: «There is no god but Allah, Muhammed is the Messenger of Allah, Ali ibn Abi Talib is the Commander of the Believers, his wife, Fatima, is the Mistress of the women of all the worlds, Hasan and Hussain are the two Masters of the young among the people of Paradise». Then Adam said: O Lord, who are these? Then He, Exalted and Glorious is He, said: O Adam, these are your offspring, and they are better than you and than all of My creation, and were it not for them, I would not have created you, nor had I created Paradise, the Fire, Heaven and earth. Hence, beware from looking at them with the eye of jealousy, lest I expel you from My Vicinity. Then he looked at them with the eye of jealousy and wished their position, and so Shaytan seized control over him to the extent that he ate from the tree which he had been forbidden from, and he seized control over Hawwa’ due to her look at Fatima with the eye of jealousy to the extent that she ate from the tree like how Adam ate. Then Allah took them out of His Garden and made them descend, away from His Vicinity, to earth.

Translation: Basel Kadem — published with the edition, reproduced verbatim.