Al-Baqarah 2:35

The issue

Allah said to Adam and his wife that they may eat whatever they desire in Eden but adds, “...but do not draw near this tree, or ye will be of the transgressors” (Q 2.35). The use of the definite article this indicates that the hearers knew which tree the command is referencing. However, the identity of the tree is not known to any except the ones to whom the command was directed, Adam and his wife. Thus, despite the use of the definite article in the phrase “this tree,” the actual type of tree remains a mystery. Therefore, where is the clarity of the Qur’ān?

Since Islāmic commentaries recount stories of missing Qur’ānic verses, is it possible that this tree is mentioned in another verse but was omitted during the collection of the written Qur’ān? For instance, ‘A’isha Bint Abī Bakr (Muhammad’s third wife) states that Q 33 was two hundred verses long, “but when ‘Uthmān assembled the Qur’ān in writing we only received of it the portion we have now.” Today, Q 33 comprises only seventy-three verses, which means that after ‘Uthmān assembled the written Qur’ān, 127 verses were lost or removed.

The Tree According to Islāmic Scholars

In their efforts to resolve this mystery, the Islāmic scholars offer different interpretations concerning the tree mentioned in this verse. The commentary of Ibn Kathīr suggests these interpretations:

• Corn Shoot: “Each bean of it was the size of a cow’s kidney, sweeter than honey, and softer than butter.”

• Wheat Plant

• Vine: This interpretation is another reason given for the prohibition of wine in Islām.

• Fig Tree

• Supernatural Tree: A tree with special fruit that the angels ate to remain immortal.

The scholar who offered this interpretation then added that “it is the fruit which Allah forbade Adam and his wife from eating.”