Angels bow before Adam and Eve in Paradise, folio from a Falnama (Book of Omens)

Title: Angels bow before Adam and Eve in Paradise, folioClose Tooltipfoliothe back and front of a leaf in a book; the term is usually used in the context of handwritten manuscripts. page – refers to only one side of a leaf and is used in the context of printed books. from a FalnamaClose TooltipFalnama[FAL-na-meh]Book of Omens, a manuscript from sixteenth-century Iran used to foretell the unknown. (Book of Omens)

Type: ManuscriptClose Tooltipmanuscript[man-yoo-skript]a handwritten text.

Associated Religious Tradition: Islam

Origins

• Geography: IranClose TooltipIran[E-rAn]a country in the Middle East., Qazvin
• Date: Mid-1550s–early 1560s
• Period: Safavid period

Physical Properties

• Material: Opaque watercolor and gold on paper
• Dimensions: H × W: 59.3 × 44.5 cm (23 3/8 × 17 1/2 in)

Crediting Information

• Collection: Arthur M. Sackler Collection
• Credit Line: Purchase—Smithsonian Unrestricted Trust Funds, Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program, and Dr. Arthur M. Sackler
• Accession Number: S1986.254

Islam recognizes and respects Abrahamic prophets, who appear frequently in the Qur’an as models of righteous and just behavior. The story of Adam and Eve is one such example. Although the general narrative is the same in all three religious traditions, it varies in some details. In Islam, as in the Jewish Torah and Christian Bible, Adam is considered the first man, whom God (Allah) created out of clay and gave breath. According to suraClose Tooltipsura[SOO-rah]literally, “chapter,” in the Qur’an. (chapter) 7 verse 11: “It is We Who created you, and gave you shape; and then We bade the angels to bow down to Adam, and they bowed down.”

Although Eve is not mentioned by name in the Qur’an, Islamic tradition holds that she was created by God from one of Adam’s ribs. Both Adam and Eve lived in paradise and enjoyed its pleasures and bounties until they disobeyed God and ate from the one forbidden tree at the urging of Satan (ShaytanClose TooltipShaytan[shay-TAHN]Arabic and Persian name for Satan. or Iblis, in Arabic). Consequently, the two were banished from paradise to earth. Even before the Fall, the Qur’an maintains that Satan thought himself superior and refused to bow to Adam, but God reprimanded Satan for his arrogance (7:11–13). In Islam, the fate of Adam and Eve exemplifies the importance of obedience and hope for salvation through selfless and virtuous acts. Qur’an 7:26 uses the story to teach an important lesson: “‘O Children of Adam! Do not let Satan tempt you, like he expelled your parents from paradise.”

This large and lively composition is from a copy of the FalnamaClose TooltipFalnama[FAL-na-meh]Book of Omens, a manuscript from sixteenth-century Iran used to foretell the unknown. (Book of Omens) and is painted in opaque watercolors on paper. The manuscriptClose Tooltipmanuscript[man-yoo-skript]a handwritten text. (handwritten text) to which this painting originally belonged was created in IranClose TooltipIran[E-rAn]a country in the Middle East. sometime between the 1550s and early 1560s in the city of Qazvin, the second capital of the Safavid dynasty, which was in power from 1501 to 1722. The Falnama was probably created at the court workshop of the Safavid ruler Shah Tahmasb (reigned 1524–76), and the images were meant to predict both the unknown and the positive and negative outcomes of certain actions and deeds.

The scene depicts Adam and Eve enthroned in the center and surrounded by sixteen angels. Dressed in fine, flowing garments, which are typical of sixteenth-century Iran, some of the angels are bowing while others offer food and drink in precious gold vessels. One angel is kissing Adam’s outstretched foot as a sign of respect. To indicate the status of Adam and Eve as prophets, flickering flames—called a nimbusClose Tooltipnimbusa flickering “cloud” of flames surrounding the head of a prophet to suggest sanctity. (singular) or nimbi (plural)—frame their heads. The lush landscape setting, scattered with blossoming flowers, represents paradise, where Adam and Eve first resided. Of the nineteen figures in this painting, only one is noticeably different. An inscription in Persian identifies him as the “accursed Satan.” Standing in the upper left corner, he is shown as an old man with a white beard and a grey complexion, pensively watching the scene below, perhaps plotting the downfall of Adam and Eve. A snake, painted in silver and now tarnished, extends from his collar to emphasize his evil nature.

Islam shares common historical roots with other monotheistic religions, such as Judaism and Christianity, which believe in a single God. These three traditions are often referred to as the Abrahamic religions because each one traces itself back to the patriarch Abraham. Abraham is believed to be father to both the Israelites and the Ishmaelites, the ancestors of Jews and Muslims, respectively. Abraham is recognized in the Qur’an as a prophetClose Tooltipprophetan intermediary who speaks to humanity on behalf of God. and moral exemplar of obedience and devotion to God. He is also responsible for building the Ka’ba, a cube-shaped structure in MeccaClose TooltipMecca[MEK-uh]Makka or Makkah [MAK-kuh] – the holiest site in Islam, located in the Hijaz region in the western part of present-day Saudi Arabia. The Ka’ba is located in Mecca., the holiest site in Islam.

Muslims, Christians, and Jews share many common figures in their religious history, including Adam, Moses, Jesus, and Joseph, all of whom are recognized as prophets (human messengers of God) in Islam. The Virgin Mary, although not a prophet, is the only woman whose name appears as a title for one of the chapters in the Qur’an (suraClose Tooltipsura[SOO-rah]literally, “chapter,” in the Qur’an. 19), further emphasizing Islam’s respect for the earlier monotheistic traditions. The importance of Abrahamic prophets as models of righteous behavior and conduct for believers emphasizes the shared religious and ethical values of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.

The Qur’an also respects and includes Jews and Christians as “People of the Book.” For example, chapter 5 verses 67–68 refer to the Jews and the Christians as “the faithful” and affirms the importance of these communities reading and committing themselves to their holy texts—the Hebrew Bible and the Gospel, respectively.

1. What do you notice in this painting? Which figures are similar to one another? Which figures stand out for their differences? What explains the gray figure in the upper left-hand corner?
2. What do you notice about the setting? What details convey that the setting is paradise?
3. What features and ornaments set apart the figures of Adam and Eve in the painting? How does the viewer know that these two figures are special?

1. Where have you seen angels in other religious art or in popular culture?
2. Where have you seen or heard of Adam and Eve in other religions or in popular culture?
3. What does this image indicate about the relationship of Islam to other religions?

Britannica. “Safavid Art: Painting.” https://www.britannica.com/topic/Islamic-arts/Safavid-art#ref13864

Farhad, Massumeh, and Serpil Bagci. FalnamaClose TooltipFalnama[FAL-na-meh]Book of Omens, a manuscript from sixteenth-century Iran used to foretell the unknown.: The Book of Omens. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution, 2009.

Yalman, Susan. “The Art of the SafavidsClose TooltipSafavids[SAF-uh-vidz]a dynasty that ruled over modern-day Iran and part of Afghanistan from 1501 to 1722. before 1600.” Department of Education, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. October 2002. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/safa/hd_safa.htm

Qur’anic citations are from quran.com.