Looking at the story of the Tree of Adam and Eve, we can extract the “Law of the tree for raising children. It is mentioned as the first story in the Quran, in the longest chapter, Surat Al-Baqarah, and it has a great educational purpose and meaning. It is one of the greatest stories in the history of humanity as a whole, as it is the first family and marital story, the first sin, the first repentance, and the first social activity in which the couple participated together. The “Law of the Tree” is the first disciplinary and educational law for human beings. So, what is the Law of the Tree, and how can we use it in raising our children? We will learn about this in the following.
Law of the tree for raising children
To answer the question of what the Law of the Tree is and how we can benefit from it in raising our children, we will present ten educational benefits of this law that can be applied and utilized. These benefits will answer what the Law of the Tree is, and some of these benefits include:
First: Clarity and Guidance
In the story of the Tree, Allah’s command to Adam was clear and explicit.
Allah said, “We said, ‘O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise and eat therefrom in [ease and] abundance from wherever you will. But do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers.'”
The command is clear not to approach or eat from the Tree.
Second: Providing Alternatives when Prohibiting
When Allah prohibited Adam and Eve from the Tree, He provided them with alternatives in all of Paradise.
Allah said, “And eat from wherever you will in Paradise, but do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers.”
Meaning, they could enjoy all the fruits and trees in Paradise, and only one thing was prohibited, while there were many alternatives.
Third: Calm Dialogue with the Wrongdoer
A calm dialogue that does not involve violence or anger is one of the greatest rules of upbringing. It involves talking with the wrongdoer about their mistake.
Allah said, “And their Lord called to them, ‘Did I not forbid you from that tree and tell you that Satan is to you a clear enemy?'”
Fourth: Giving the Wrongdoer a Chance to Apologize
One of the goals of positive upbringing that we see clearly in the Law of the Tree is giving a chance to apologize. Allah gave Adam and Eve a chance to apologize for their mistake.
They said, “Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers.”
Fifth: Listening to the Apology and Accepting It
It is not enough to just allow the apology, but it should also be accepted if the wrongdoer admits their mistake.
Allah said, “Then Adam received from his Lord [some] words, and He accepted his repentance. Indeed, it is He who is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.”
So, Adam admitted his mistake and did not blame the devil, taking full responsibility, and Allah accepted his apology. He chose him and guided him.
Sixth: Understanding the Reasons for the Mistake
Usually, humans make mistakes due to the temptation of Satan or forgetting the divine command.
Satan took advantage of Adam and Eve’s desire to stay and live forever and tempted them to eat from the Tree.
Allah said, “Then Satan whispered to him; he said, ‘O Adam, shall I direct you to the tree of eternity and possession that will not deteriorate?'”
They forgot the command of their Lord and fell prey to the plot and deception of Satan.
Seventh: Discipline
After the wrongdoer apologizes, admits their mistake, accepts their apology, and understands the reasons that led them to their mistake, the discipline phase comes.
Allah said, “Get down, [all of you], from it, as there shall not come to you guidance from Me.”
Eighth: Talking about the Future
After making a mistake and completing the educational process, we talk with the wrongdoer about the future and clarify some things.
Allah spoke to Adam and Eve about His worship and obedience and that Satan is their enemy and should be cautious of him.
Allah said, “Some of you to others are enemies. So if there comes to you guidance from Me, then whoever follows My guidance will neither go astray [in the world] nor suffer [in the Hereafter].”
And Allah explained their future on earth, saying, “And We said, ‘Go down, [all of you], as enemies to one another, and on the earth will be your place of settlement and provision for a time.
Ninth: Learning the Skill of Dealing with False Propaganda
This is because Satan used the trick of false propaganda and made their action look attractive, and they only discovered the evil of what they had done afterward.
Satan manipulated their desires and minds and made their action look attractive, but their wrongdoing became apparent later.
Tenth: Knowing Oneself and Learning from Experiences
There are many lessons to be learned from this story, including:
Knowing oneself, as Adam realized that the self tends to incline towards desires.
This is the law of the Tree that we can invest in raising our children with a righteous, sound, and uncomplicated upbringing. Do not punish your child before ensuring and having a discussion with them about the mistake they made. Be wise in your actions and punishment, and do not use violence or anger.
He also learned that not every creature is good and truthful, as Allah said, “And he (Satan) swore [by Allah] to them, ‘Indeed, I am to you from among the sincere advisors.'”
Thus, Satan swore to Adam and Eve that he was a sincere and trustworthy advisor to them.
