Search A Light In The Darkness

Saturday 19 May 2007

Enoch: The Instructor

In the Holy Qur'an Enoch is referred as Idris (which is Arabic for Enoch), meaning the instructor, regarding him as a man of truth and a prophet, as well as a model of patience; popular Muslim traditions, credit Idris as inventor of astronomy, writing, and arithmetic. Enoch is often described as having been compelled to defend his life with the sword, against the depraved children of earth.

In Muslim traditions, there are also varying accounts of Enoch's "death". One account simply describes him as being on a visit to the Angel of Heaven, at that time the Angel of Death happened to be due to meet him, and so he died in the embrace of the Angel of Heaven, remaining in heaven thereafter. In other versions, Enoch is presented as a student of the knowledge given to him by the angel Gabriel, and as having been sent to preach repentance to Cain's descendants.

This latter presentation states that he had longed to enter paradise, and so, to test him, God set up a scheme. This scheme involved the angel of death, disguised as a beautiful virgin, visiting him, at which Enoch prays for temporary death, which is immediately granted. Having returned to life, Enoch is taken to see hell, and is then taken on to the gates of paradise. Although the custodian forbids him entry, Enoch clambers over the wall via a branch of the tree of knowledge, which had been bent over the wall by God for this very purpose, and thus enters paradise whilst still alive