The Meaning of “Eating”

The term “eating” (akl) in the phrase “eat from it” does not specifically refer to the act of eating alone. Similar to the usage in the verse “Do not consume your wealth among yourselves unjustly” (2:188), it is a metaphor for general disposal and usage. For example, the expression “eating people’s wealth” is commonly understood to mean complete usurpation, whether the usurped item is food, clothing, housing, or any other form of property.

One might argue that the exception—eating from the forbidden tree—suggests that what is specifically prohibited is consuming the fruits of Paradise and not other forms of disposal.

The response is: Residing in Paradise entails various benefits, the most common of which is eating, just as drinking from its springs is also permissible. The indication that this permission is not restricted to eating is evident from the incident when, after consuming the forbidden fruit and becoming aware of their nakedness, Adam and Eve took another benefit from the known tree of Paradise and covered themselves with its leaves. The Qur’an describes this action without any disapproval or prohibition: “They began to cover themselves with the leaves of Paradise.” Thus, using tree leaves as clothing is included in the permission to “eat from wherever you wish.”

Furthermore, other Qur’anic evidence suggests that the Paradise of Adam (a.s.) offered benefits beyond eating. The verses “Indeed you will neither be hungry in it, nor naked,

And indeed you will neither be thirsty in it, nor exposed to the sun’s heat” indicate that the purpose was to alleviate existing needs, not to eliminate the inherent nature of those needs. Thus, the verses permit benefiting from food to satisfy hunger, clothing to cover nakedness, water to quench thirst, and shade to protect from heat. Therefore, beyond the act of eating, other benefits existed in the Paradise of Adam, all of which are conventionally referred to as “eating” (akl).