A Critical Study of the Entry of Adam (A.S.) in the Encyclopedia of Islam

The entry “Adam (A.S.)” written by “Johannes Pedersen”, an orientalist, is published in the Encyclopedia of Islam. This paper criticized and evaluated the mentioned entry having this aim that examining of the orientalists’ works on religious teachings, especially Quranic issues will provide to some extent the non-Muslim thinkers’ intellectual horizon for Muslims. Criticism and evaluation of the mentioned works also provide the ground for the public opinion to get acquainted with pure Islam [indirectly]. In this entry, the author first referring to the Quranic verses, has expressed Adam’s creation, God's negotiation with the angels and the command to prostrate to Adam, Satan's refusal of God's command, Adam and Eve’s disobedience and then their “Fall” from paradise [to earth], and then has explained the story of Adam (A.S.) citing the Sunni interpretive and historical narrations, and especially Orientalists’ resources. The findings of the research indicate Pedersen’s lack of scientific proficiency and expertise over Islamic resources - including Quranic verses and authentic narrations - on the story of Adam (AS) and as a result represent his incomplete and incorrect understanding. Lack of comprehensiveness in citing Quranic verses, lack of structural arrangement in the titles of the entry, being affected by the Israelites, superficial comprehension and lack of analysis, not paying attention to the impossibility of Quran’s distortion and limited reference to the main sources are the most important critiques of Adam's entry and the viewpoints expressed in it.