The Weeping of Adam [alayhi salam]
Every time he saw Angels descending from heaven [to earth where he was sent down] he was reminded of the joy of his stay in Paradise and so his eyes would immediately start shedding tears to lessen his grief. Seeing his earthly possessions always reminded him of what he had been granted in Paradise, and the ensuing sorrow would almost make his hope turn into despair. Thereafter, he mounted the back of hope and started his journey to the land of Mina [Makkah] and had he not been inspired with words [of repentance] he would have perished!
Indeed the weeping of of Adam [alayhi salam] for his exile from Paradise is incomparable to the weeping of any other. His overwhelming deep sorrow and distress was not because of losing Paradise itself, but rather because of his being distanced from the Lord of Paradise.
Wahb ibn Munabbih, may Allah be pleased with him, related: After Adam departed from Paradise and was sent down to earth, he prostrated for 100 years crying on the mountain of India until his tears flowed into the valley of Sarandib… Thereafter Angel Jibra’il came down and said to him: ‘Raise your head for you have been forgiven.” So Adam [alayhi salam] raised his head and went to circulate around the Ka’bah for a whole week and scarcely had he completed before he was drowning in his tears.
[Saheeh Muslim: 2751]
He wept for the loss of his house [Paradise] once and a thousand times for losing the Neighbour [Allah] for indeed departure disturbs and distance agitates.
[Ibn Jawzi – rahimahullah – Seeds of Admonishment & Reform]
