Eden (עֵדֶן) A Metaphorical or Mystical Interpretation

The word Eden (עֵדֶן) in Hebrew is often understood to mean pleasure or delight. This etymological meaning deeply influences how the Zohar and other Kabbalistic texts interpret the concept of Eden in a spiritual and mystical sense.

Eden as "Pleasure" or "Delight":

The Hebrew root of Eden (ע-ד-נ) carries the meaning of pleasure or delight. In the biblical context, the Garden of Eden is often seen as a place of profound pleasure and spiritual abundance, where Adam and Eve lived in a state of intimate communion with God before the fall. 

The Zohar's Mystical Interpretation of Eden as Pleasure:

In the Zohar, the concept of Eden is not just limited to a physical paradise but is deeply connected to the spiritual pleasure that comes from union with the Divine. Here's how the Zohar connects the idea of Eden (pleasure) with its mystical teachings: 

1. Eden as a State of Divine Pleasure:

The Zohar views Eden as a metaphor for spiritual delight and the ultimate divine pleasure that comes from experiencing God’s presence. The highest spiritual pleasure, in this context, is not physical but the ecstatic experience of unity with God and the flow of divine wisdom. This pleasure is associated with the state of the soul before the fall, when humanity was in perfect harmony with the divine, and after the fall, the journey to return to Eden becomes a quest to restore that lost unity and pleasure.

2. Two Levels of Pleasure (Eden Above and Eden Below):

In Kabbalah, Eden above is the realm of ultimate, infinite pleasure in the presence of God, beyond physical and temporal limitations. It’s the source of all joy and spiritual fulfillment, which the righteous souls can access in the afterlife or through spiritual practices. Eden below represents the earthly experience of this pleasure, which is only a reflection or manifestation of the higher, divine pleasure of Eden above. The Garden of Eden on earth is seen as a symbol of how divine pleasure can manifest in the physical world, albeit in a diminished form compared to the higher Eden.

3. Spiritual Pleasure in the Flow of Divine Energy:

The river flowing from Eden, mentioned in Genesis, is interpreted in the Zohar as the flow of divine energy (Shefa) that nourishes all creation. This flow represents the continuous pleasure or delight that emanates from God and sustains the world. The soul's experience of divine wisdom and spiritual enlightenment is akin to being nourished by this river of divine pleasure.

4. The Role of the Sefirot: 

The Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden is linked to the sefirot, the ten emanations through which God interacts with the world. Each sefirah represents a different aspect of divine power or energy, and ascending through the sefirot is seen as a path to experiencing divine pleasure. Pleasure (Eden) is thus tied to the process of spiritual ascent and the soul's journey toward the Infinite Divine.

5. Eden and the Messianic Age:

In the Zohar, the Messianic age is envisioned as a return to Eden, a future time when the world will once again be filled with divine pleasure and unity. The spiritual delights of Eden will be restored to humanity, and there will be a perfect harmony between the physical and spiritual realms. The concept of Jannah (جنة, "paradise") and the Garden of Eden in the Qur'an has strong similarities to the descriptions in other religious texts, such as the Zohar. However, while mainstream Islamic interpretations tend to focus on the literal descriptions of paradise, there is a possibility to consider metaphorical interpretations, much like in Kabbalistic thought. 

Let’s explore both views and see how the metaphorical approach could apply to the Qur'anic concept of Jannah and the Garden of Eden.

Literal Interpretation of Jannah in the Qur'an:

The Qur'an describes Jannah (paradise) as a place of eternal reward for the righteous, filled with physical pleasures like gardens, rivers, fruits, and companionship: Surah Al-Baqarah (2:25): 

"Give glad tidings to those who believe and do righteous deeds, that for them are gardens beneath which rivers flow."

Surah Al-Waqi'ah (56:12-38) describes paradise in terms of beautiful companions, fruits, and luxurious settings. This literal description is the dominant interpretation in traditional Islam, focusing on the physical rewards awaiting the righteous after life.

A Metaphorical or Mystical Interpretation of Jannah:

The metaphorical interpretation of paradise, like the Zohar's view of Eden, could suggest that Jannah is not only a literal physical place but also a spiritual state or consciousness of closeness to God, representing spiritual delight and the ultimate union with the Divine. This approach sees the descriptions of gardens and pleasures as symbolic of higher realities. ,

How the Qur'an's Jannah Could Be Metaphorical:

1. The Garden of Eden as Symbolic of Spiritual Nearness to God:

In Surah Al-Tawbah (9:72):

"God has promised the believing men and believing women gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally, and pleasant dwellings in gardens of perpetual residence. But the approval of God is greater; it is that which is the great attainment." 

This verse suggests that while physical rewards are offered, the approval of God is considered even greater. This could imply that the true pleasure of paradise is spiritual—being in the presence of God and attaining divine approval, much like the spiritual delights in the Zohar's Eden. 

2. Jannah as a State of the Soul:

In Surah Al-Fajr (89:27-30):

"O tranquil soul, return to your Lord, well pleased and pleasing [to Him], and enter among My [righteous] servants and enter My Paradise."

This description of the "tranquil soul" entering paradise could be interpreted as more spiritual than physical, where the soul is in a state of peace and nearness to God. The paradise mentioned could be a spiritual condition of harmony with the Divine.

The Qur'an frequently describes rivers in Jannah. A metaphorical interpretation might see these rivers as symbols of divine grace and spiritual nourishment, akin to the Zohar’s flow of divine energy (Shefa). The fruits and delights could represent spiritual wisdom and blessings. In this sense, Jannah is not just a place of physical pleasure, but a symbol of the soul's ultimate satisfaction in experiencing the Divine.

Comparison with the Zohar:

In the Zohar, Eden is a mystical state of union with the Divine, representing spiritual ecstasy and delight beyond the physical world. This could be analogous to the Qur'anic Jannah, which, while often described in physical terms, could also be interpreted as a metaphor for spiritual fulfillment. 

Shared Themes Between the Qur'an and the Zohar:

1. Both present paradise as a place of great pleasure, but in Kabbalistic thought, this pleasure is more spiritual and metaphysical, while the Qur'an offers descriptions that are both spiritual and physical.

2. The idea of closeness to God as the ultimate reward is present in both texts. For the Zohar, Eden is about unity with the Divine, and in the Qur'an, nearness to God is mentioned as greater than the physical pleasures of paradise. 

Conclusion:

In the Zohar, Eden as "pleasure" is deeply symbolic of the ultimate spiritual joy and delight found in the presence of God. The Zohar connects the concept of pleasure with the soul’s experience of divine wisdom, the flow of divine energy, and the mystical quest to return to the state of unity with the Divine that was lost after the fall.

Eden, therefore, is both a metaphor for spiritual bliss and a reality to which the soul aspires through its journey of mystical ascent. It is possible to interpret the Garden of Eden in the Qur'an and the Jannah it promises as being metaphorical, in a way similar to the Zohar’s mystical interpretation.

Jannah could be understood not just as a physical place but as a state of the soul, representing spiritual pleasure and the ultimate closeness to God. This interpretation emphasizes the spiritual joy and fulfillment of being in the presence of the Divine, which transcends mere physical rewards. Such an approach aligns the Qur'an with the mystical traditions of other Abrahamic faiths while also opening the door to deeper reflections on the nature of paradise and the soul's journey