Let us explore a qaṣīda Persian poem from Fayz Kashani—a theological-mystical anthropology; a theology of human limitation, cosmic hierarchy, and divine mercy. Through a symbolic retelling of the story of Adam and the forbidden tree, Fayz reframes the Fall as a misjudged reach for divine knowledge; a knowledge reserved for the Infallible. We’ll reflect on the roles of Eve, Iblīs, and the Ahl al-Bayt in this cosmic drama, and how Persian Shiʿi thought turns exile into a path toward nearness, guided by divine light and repentance.

آدم چو دید مکرمت و سجده و بهشت / گفتا در آسمان و زمین کیست مثل ما؟

When Adam beheld the honor, the prostration, and Paradise,
He said, “Who in the heavens and earth is like us?”

 

آمد ندا که سر به سوی عرش کن ببین / آمد چو دید در نظرش نور مصطفا

A call came: “Lift your gaze toward the Throne and see.”
He looked—and before his eyes appeared the Light of Muṣṭafā.

 

با نور اهل بیت ز اشباح منعکس / اشباح کرده بود به صلبش ز عرش جا

Reflected through the Light of the Ahl al-Bayt from the reflected forms,
Those forms had already been given place in his loins from the Throne.

 

از عکس آن فتاده مثال و شبح به عرش / تا چارده شبح همه جان‏بخش و دلگشا

From that reflection, images and forms were cast upon the Throne,
Fourteen luminous Forms, all life-giving and heart-opening.

 

از علمشان بدید درختی کشیده سر / چو سدره منتهی شده تا اوج منتها

From their knowledge he beheld a towering Tree,
Reaching the highest height.

 

چون نیک بنگریست همان آن درخت بود / یا عکس آن درخت کزان نهی شد ورا

When he looked closely, it was that same Tree,
Or the reflection of the Tree from which he was forbidden.

 

یا نور آن درخت که بودش شمار جمع / بود آن درخت علم در او جمله میوه‏ ها

Or it was the light of that Tree encompassing all,
The Tree of Knowledge, bearing all the fruits within it.

 

Adam was left in awe at the beauty and joy he beheld, wondering what kind of people these luminous and knowledgeable beings could be. A divine voice answered, saying: “They are the light of God’s beloved (the Prophet) and the light of his successors. These are the ones for whose sake creation came into being. The tree that Adam saw symbolizes their hidden knowledge. No one can draw from it except by God’s permission. Whoever seeks it without permission remains lost and hopeless.

 

آدم ز حسن و بهجت آن در شگفت ماند / کاشباح نور و علم چه قوم است ای خدا

Adam was struck with wonder at their beauty and delight:
“O God! What people are these, forms of light and knowledge?”

 

آمد ندا که نور حبیب خدای تست / با نور اوصیای وی و شاه اوصیا

A call came: “It is the light of God’s Beloved,
Along with the light of his successors and the Master of all successors.”

 

هست این درخت صورت علم نهانشان / کز وی کسی بری نبرد جز به اذن ما

This Tree is the image of their hidden knowledge—
From which none may take a portion, save by Our permission.

 

آن کو به اذن می‏برد از وی بری، ولی است / داناست بی‏تعلّم و بینای رازها

Whoever draws from It with permission is a “friend “(walī),
One who knows without being taught, and sees into the secrets.

 

باز آن کسی که می‏برد از وی به غیر اذن / نومید و تیره مانده در این پرده عطا

But whoever takes from it without permission,
Remains in darkness, veiled and hopeless in this Grace-bestowing realm.

 

That Tree of Knowledge is reserved especially for the family of God’s Beloved (the Prophet) or those seeking understanding through their door. No prophet has been granted such a station—except those who partook of the spiritual table of Mustafa (the Prophet Muhammad). Adam longed for their knowledge out of envy and secretly wished, “If only I had it.” But a voice from the unseen warned Adam: “Beware! Never ask Us in prayer for the rank of this sacred group.

 

نزدیک این درخت مرو آرزو مکن / حدّ تو نیست منزلت سید الوری

Do not approach this Tree, and do not wish for it,
The station of the masters of all creation is beyond your reach.

 

کردیم ما ملائکه را ساجدان تو / زیرا که بود صلب تو این قوم را وعا

We commanded the angels to bow before you,
Because your loins would carry this exalted people.

 

این قوم راست جاه زیاد از حد بشر / هستند هرچه هست به عالم به جز خدا

This people holds a rank beyond human limits,
They are all that exists in the world, except for God.

 

آوردم از اسامی خود اسمشان برون / هر جا که حاجتیست بدیشان کنم روا

From My own Names I brought forth their names,
Wherever there is a need, I fulfill it through them.

 

If anyone receives reward or punishment, it is through them that I decree it. The sun, moon, stars, angels, heavens, and earth—all revolve and function out of love for them. Whenever a calamity or hardship befalls you, bring this sacred group as your intercessors before Us, so that the affliction may be lifted from you—due to the nearness and lofty rank of the family of Mustafa. God made a covenant with Adam and Eve to honor and love this family, accepting their spiritual authority and elevated status. He reaffirmed this covenant with Adam, emphasizing it so that he would fully accept and be pleased with their exalted rank.

 

کس را اگر ثواب رسد یا عقوبتی / ایشان سبب شوند و بدیشان کنم قضا

If anyone receives reward or punishment,
It is through them as the means—I carry out judgment through them.

 

شمس و قمر نجوم و ملائک سما و ارض / از مهرشان بود همه را گردش رحا

The sun, the moon, the stars, the angels, heaven and earth,
All revolve like a millstone out of love for them.

 

هرگه بلا و داهیه‏ ای رونهد به تو / این قوم را شفیع خودآور به نزد ما

Whenever a calamity or disaster descends upon you,
Bring this people as intercessors before Us.

 

تا دفع آن بلا و مصیبت شود ز تو / از بهر قرب و منزلت آل مصطفا

So that the trial and affliction may be lifted from you,
For the sake of the nearness and station of the Family of Muṣṭafā.

 

عهدی گرفت ز آدم و حوا به مهرشان / با انقیاد جاه و مقامات ارتضا

He [God] took a covenant from Adam and Eve for their love,
Along with submission to their dignity and their ranks of approval.

 

Iblis (Satan) saw that Adam, though made of clay, had been exalted and honored by God, while he himself had not received such divine favor or closeness. Filled with envy, he twisted like a serpent and entered the mouth of a snake, using it as a hidden vessel to reach Paradise. Disguised, he approached Adam with deceit and flattery, saying: “O you whom the chosen ones were commanded to bow to! You were forbidden from this tree only so that you would not uncover God’s hidden knowledge—or perhaps so you would not become eternal and immune to death.” To reinforce his lie, he swore an oath: “By God, I am your sincere advisor, and God is my witness.” Adam, unaware that a devil was speaking through the serpent, assumed he was hearing honest counsel and thus fell into the trap.

 

گفتا که مار! بازی ابلیس خورده ‏ای؟ / کی بر خدای پاک خیانت بود روا

He said, “O Serpent! Have you been deceived by Iblis’s trickery?
How could betrayal ever be justified against the Pure God?”

 

In disbelief, Adam responded: “How can you swear by God’s name when you betray Him? How can I act without His permission? Without His satisfaction, my desire cannot be fulfilled.” Realizing Adam could not be swayed, Iblis turned to his wife, approaching Eve again through the serpent’s mouth and using deceit. He told her: “That tree, once forbidden, has now become permissible—because of your obedience and devotion to God. If you want to uncover the secret behind this, go to the tree, eat from it, and you will see.” He warned her that many angels guard the tree, armed to prevent access. Only those for whom the tree is lawful will be allowed near; those for whom it is forbidden will be struck down. “If they stop you,” he said, “you will know it is not meant for you. But if you eat from it and nothing happens, you are worthy. If you eat before Adam, you will gain superiority over him in command and authority.”  Eve, tempted and curious, approached the tree and walked toward the spot where the angels stood watch.

 

می‏خواستند منع کنندش از آن درخت / منع آمد از جناب خدا اهل منع را

They wished to forbid him from that Tree—
But a command came from God to forbid the forbidders.

 

زنهار منع او مکنید و رهش دهید / تا اهل عقل گردد از اهل هوا جدا

Beware! Do not restrain him—let him pass,
So that the people of reason may be distinguished from those of desire.

 

نهیش نموده داده خرد داده اختیار / آن را کنید منع که نیست از اولی النهی‏

He has been prohibited (from the Tree), yet given reason and free will,
Only those who are not warned should be barred.

 

عاقل اگر مطیع شود می‏برد ثواب / ور عاصی است می‏برد از خویشتن سزا

If the wise one obeys, they earn reward,
But if they disobey, then they bear their own punishment.

 

When Eve saw that the path to the tree was clear and that no harm or resistance came to her, she felt reassured and believed the deception. She ate from the tree and experienced no visible consequence. Then she returned to Adam and said: “O one chosen by God! That tree has now become lawful for both of us. Come, let us go together to the tree and put this matter to the test—so the hidden truth may be revealed.” She continued: “I went to it myself and ate from its fruit. I faced no opposition, no punishment, and no prohibition from anyone.”

آدم فریب خورد و در آورد در خیال / کو را از آن درخت نصیبی است بی‏عنا

Adam was deceived and fell into the illusion
That he might have a share of that Tree without divine Grace.

 

کرد اجتهاد و بود خطا اجتهاد او / منعی ندید کرد گمان شد مگر روا

He made a “personal judgment” (ijtihād), but his judgment was mistaken,
He saw no prohibition and assumed it might be allowed.

 

دستی دراز کرد به سوی درخت علم / علمی که بود خاصه اولاد مصطفا

He reached out his hand toward the Tree of Knowledge,
A knowledge that was reserved for the descendants of Muṣṭafā.

 

چون برگرفت ثمری خورد از آن بری / در خویش دید ذلّ زلل خواری خطا

When he plucked a fruit and ate of that portion,
He saw within himself the disgrace of error, the abasement of his fault.

 

The moment Adam ate from the tree, the robe of divine grace that he had been clothed with vanished. He was stripped of the garment of honor and stood bare, without protection. Had the tree truly been the Tree of Eternity (shajarat al-khuld), it would have led to the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary (sidrat al-muntahā)—the highest station in the heavens. But this was not that tree; the path was blocked. Then came the divine command from God: “Ihbiṭū—Descend!” All four—Adam, Eve, Iblis, and the serpent—were sent down to earth. The devil entered the snake; Adam and Eve descended in soul and body. The two pairs—Adam and Eve on one side, Iblīs and the snake on the other—became mutual enemies. And their offspring, too, inherited this enmity: the children of Adam and Eve are enemies to the children of the devil and the serpent, and vice versa.

 

آدم به گریه آمد و صد سال می‏گریست / تا توبه ‏اش به گریه پذیرد مگر خدا

Adam broke into weeping and wept for a hundred years,
Hoping that by his tears, God might accept his repentance.

 

بگریست آن‏قدر که به خدّش پدید شد / اخدودها روان شد مانند نهرها

He wept so much that grooves appeared on his cheeks,
Rivers began to flow from them like streaming waters.

 

گفتا که تن علیل شد و جان ذلیل شد / بر من ببخش و رحم کن ای غافر الخطا

He said, “My body is weakened, and my soul is humiliated,
Forgive me, have Mercy on me, O Forgiver of faults.”

 

آمد ندا که ما به تو گفتیم پیش از این / حرفی که می‏شود همه دردی بدان دوا

A call came: “We told you this long before,
A word by which every pain can find its cure.

 

هرگه مصیبتی دهدت روی یا غمی / در دفع آن بجوی توسل به مصطفا

Whenever a sorrow or misfortune comes upon you,
Seek intercession through Muṣṭafā for its removal.

 

نام محمد و علی و اهلبیت را / کن ذکر در دعا و بدیشان کن التجا

Invoke the names of Muḥammad, ʿAlī, and the People of the House,
Recite them in your supplication, and turn to them in seeking refuge.

 

تا من به جاه و رتبه آن برگزیدگان / دفع بلا نمایم و بپذیرمت دعا

So that by the rank and status of those chosen ones,
I may lift affliction from you and accept your prayer.”

 

Had you (Adam) sought their intercession on the Day of the Covenant—that is, the intercession of the Five Pure Lights—it would have been permitted, and I (God) would have protected you from the evil of the devil. Had you held firm to your covenant, no calamity would have befallen you. Instead, your enemy would have been defeated by your commitment and refusal to yield to injustice. Interpretively, these verses suggest that Adam’s trial could have been averted had he turned to the divinely appointed intermediaries—those possessing ʿisma (infallibility)—as a means to remain steadfast in divine proximity. Submit to their grandeur and acknowledge their superior virtue over yourself—only then will this affliction be lifted from you. So that I may draw a line of forgiveness over the page of your error, and accept your repentance.

Adam said: “Their rank and status reached such heights that they attained such closeness and divine selection from You. You would not even accept my repentance through Your mercy except with the help of the descendants of Mustafa (the Prophet). I was the one whom the holy angels were commanded to bow to. I was the one who found a place in Paradise through Your grace. I was the one for whom You created a wife—so that my heart might find companionship and my eyes, light.”

God replied: “Indeed, We did all of this for you and continue to bestow blessings—because your lineage was to carry this noble family. Otherwise, such favor would have been beyond your true measure. You must recognize your own place and acknowledge the exalted rank of this family.”

 

 گفتا که با تو این همه کردیم و می‏کنیم / زیرا که بود صلب تو این قوم را وعا

He (God) said, “All this that We have done and continue to do for you,
Is because your loins carried this exalted people.

 

ورنه زیاده بود ز حدّ تو آن کرَم / باید که خویش را بشناسی و قوم را

Otherwise, such grace would have far exceeded your own station,
You must know yourself, and know this People.”

 

Adam accepted God’s words and renewed his repentance, humbly pleading for forgiveness: “Forgive our sins!” Then, he began to utter the sacred names—first Muṣṭafā (the Prophet Muhammad), then Murtażā (ʿAlī), followed by Fāṭima, the noblest of all women. He continued with the names of Ḥasan and Ḥusayn, naming them all until he had recited the full fourteen members of the Prophet’s family. In response, God showed mercy and kindness, restoring Adam to his rightful place and elevating him further in divine favor and selection.

 

آدم قبول کرد و دگر توبه تازه کرد / از روی عجز و گفت که اغفر ذنوبنا

Adam accepted [God’s Words] and renewed his repentance once more,
Out of utter helplessness, he cried: “Forgive our sins!”

 

پس نام مصطفا به زبان راند و مرتضی / آنگاه نام فاطمه آن زبدة النسا

Then he pronounced the name of Muṣṭafā with his tongue, and that of Murtażā [ʿAlī],
And after that, the name of Fāṭima, the noblest of women.

 

نام حسن بگفت و حسین و شمردشان / تا چارده تمام شد از آل مصطفا

He named Ḥasan, and Ḥusayn, and continued to name them,
Until he completed all Fourteen from the Family of Muṣṭafā.

 

حق نیز لطف کرد و نوازش نمود و باز / بودش به جای خویش و فزودش در اصطفا

God showed Grace and bestowed tenderness again,
Restored him to his rightful place, and increased him in divine favor.

 

God appointed Adam as His vicegerent (khalīfah) and taught him the Names—along with their manifestations, spanning from the highest heavens to the lowest earth.

 

کردش خلیفه خود و تعلیم او نمود / اسماش با مظاهر از عرش تا ثرا

He made him His vicegerent and taught him,
The Names, along with their manifestations, from the Throne to the dust.

 

Then God addressed the astonished angels, saying: “Inform Me of the meanings of these Names, if you truly know.” The angels replied with humility: “This task belongs to You alone—You are far above our knowledge. What do we know of these Names or those whom they represent? You are the All-Knowing, and unless You bestow knowledge, we remain ignorant.” God responded: “Did I not tell you at the time of your objection, that none but Us knows the secrets of Our command?” He then instructed them: “Submit to My decree and yield, so that I may fulfill My will upon you.” The angels replied: “We hear and obey; we surrender completely to Your command, with heart and soul.”

Fayz Kashani, Divan, Qasida (P2): The Pre-creational Realities of the Fourteen Infallibles

Translated by Rasoul Rahbari-Ghazani, 7 April 2024