The Various Aspects of the Descent of Those Commanded to Descend

The term “all” (jamīʿan) in the verse encompasses everyone commanded to descend, leaving no room for excuses to avoid compliance. However, jamīʿ differs from jamʿ (“group”), just as ajmaʿīn (“all together”) differs from mujtamiʿīn (“gathered”). The term jamīʿ and likewise ajmaʿīn imply that everyone, without exception, must obey the command, whether collectively or individually. Conversely, jamʿ and mujtamiʿ imply that compliance must occur in a collective state.

Since jamīʿ does not inherently require a group state (jamʿ), the descent does not demand that it happens collectively. It allows for individual compliance unless explicitly indicated otherwise by context or evidence. This understanding means that Adam, Eve, and Iblīs might have had different descents in terms of their origin, path, distance, and endpoints. Likewise, their motives and roles post-descent differ. For example:

1. Adam’s descent was for vicegerency, prophethood, messengership, and leadership of humanity.

2. Iblīs descended to tempt, seduce, mislead, create false hopes, enjoin evil, forbid good, and sow doubts in the hearts of those with weak faith, thereby disputing with the righteous.

3. Eve’s descent was for nurturing offspring, cultivating their growth, and embodying divine affection, love, and attraction.

Despite these differences, all shared the fundamental act of descending; none were exempt from this command.

The descent of the soul into the body and its initial reluctance, followed by captivity due to nature’s manifestations—seen as its chains and fetters—reflects a profound concept. The soul’s eventual familiarity with this lower prison and forgetfulness of the divine covenant symbolizes its estrangement from its original elevated state near the Lord of the Worlds. This idea merits deep contemplation by divine sages, although linking this directly to the verse in question, and drawing on the Qaṣīdat al-ʿAyniyya of Ibn Sina—“I descended to you from the highest place, Adorned with pride and self-restraint”—which metaphorically describes the soul’s journey from its lofty, divine origin to the earthly realm, highlighting the discomfort and struggle of descending into a lower, unfamiliar state filled with challenges.(235) This portrayal reflects a profound spiritual and existential displacement, capturing the soul’s aversion to leaving its original, secure domain and facing the difficulties of the material world.

However, interpreting this as directly connected to the descent mentioned in the verses of the Qur’an stretches beyond the traditional scope of exegesis (tafsīr). While the exploration of the soul’s attachment to the body is a valuable endeavor within spiritual and philosophical discussions, conflating it with specific Qur’anic verses without clear textual support moves away from classical exegesis into interpretive speculation.