DOI: 10.11136/jqh.1210.02.

03

THE FOUR RIVERS OF EDEN IN JUDAISM AND

ISLAM1
Abdol Majid Hosseinizadeh*
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to examine the views on the Four
Rivers of Eden and their specifications from two religious
perspectives. The issue of the Garden of Eden including its
location and features is an impressive topic in inter-religious
studies. Questions about the exact location of this Garden led
scientists to study the Jewish literature and the book of Genesis.
These scientists extracted particular features from the Four
Rivers of the Garden in order to elaborate their findings. In
addition to Judaism, there were several discussions concerning
this issue in the Islamic religious texts. This comparative study
endeavored to investigate the issue of the Four Rivers of Eden
in Judaism and Islam based on their scriptures and religious
scholars views. Discussions and findings were obtained via a
library method and historical data.
Keywords: Four Rivers, Garden of Eden, Judaism, Islam,
Comparative Study.

Introduction
Some modern human regards the Biblical stories as fictions or myths
like the story of Adam and Eve, the Garden of Eden, the Four Rivers
and the Tree of Life. However, human with a rational faculty always
wants to move toward discovering even in the area of religious
scriptures. Many scholars get involved in one of the religious issues
named the Garden of Eden and its four rivers. The Garden of Eden, its
exact location and features are the readable historical-religious topics
that religious researchers, historians, even scientists and geographers
*
Department of Qurn and Hadth studies, Payme Noor University, 19395-4697
Tehran, I.R. of IRAN.
1
Figures notes and details have been created by author of this article.
2012 Al-Bayn Journal.
Published by Department of al-Qur'an and al-Hadith, Academy of Islamic Studies,
University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia.

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 AL-BAY N - VOLUME 10 - NUMBER 2 - (DECEMBER 2012)

writings were influenced by it. Some enthusiastic scholars in various

fields try to find a response for two parties: (a) those who assume the
Garden of Eden and its four rivers as a legend and(b) those (mostly
evangelical Christians) who believe the story of the Garden of Eden
and its four rivers as a reality. The reason of the second party is that
the Bible provides the geographical location of Garden; therefore,
the names of two rivers among the four rivers have been preserved
from biblical texts. Based on some biblical studies of geographers,
the Garden of Eden was located somewhere in southern Iraq where
the Euphrates and Hiddekel rivers flowed into the head of the Persian
Gulf; they flowed on a modern landscape that is still recognizable
today.2
Whereas the issue of the four rivers of Eden is rooted in religious
scriptures, the consideration of other religions accounts paves the
way for those who desire to know the exact location of the Garden
of Eden and its four rivers.
Fundamentally, except encyclopaedias, the number of scholars
who have discussed the four rivers of Eden from religious, interfaith
or interdisciplinary perspectives is lesser than those who merely
concerned it as a geological issue. But there are some resources
which have examined the four rivers of Eden in monotheism
especially in Judaism. For instance, Anderson (1954) investigated
the issue of the four rivers of Eden from two perspectives of religion
and science. Also, he confirmed and rejected some claims mainly
according to the biological evidences.3Besides, Horizon Publishing
in 1998 announced a book entitled Four Rivers of Eden which its
author benefited from the Biblical commentaries and scientific
findings.4Hunt (2011) allusively explained the Eden and its four
rivers (Pishon, Gihon, Tigris &Euphrates) flowing therefrom, just
like the Persian Chahr Bgh divided by four water channels, and
then, he conversed a geographical context about the exact location
of the four rivers in order to manifest his reason.5From the different
2
Carol A. Hill, The Garden of Eden: A Modern Landscape, Perspectives on Science and
Christian Faith the Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation 52 (2000) 31-46.
3
Joseph. L. Anderson, The Four Rivers of Eden: A Biological Evidence of the Truth of the Bible
Story (US: JL Anderson, 1954).
4
Will F. Skogman, Four Rivers of Eden (Indiana: Horizon Publishing, 1998).
5
Patrick Hunt, Persian Paradise Gardens: Eden and Beyond as ChaharBagh, Why the

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 The Four Rivers Of Eden in Judaism and Islam

translations of Genesis, Spedicato (2001) extracted some geographical

information about the Garden of Eden like the first river, which
is called as PHISON/PISON/PISHON6. It forms the border of a
region named HAVILATH/HAVILAH/AVILA, which is the land of
gold, onyx and bdellium, apparently a perfumed resinous material.
The second river as shown in the translations is GEHON/GIHON/
GHICON. The third one is the Tigris or Hiddekel (it is also observed
HINDEKEL in other translations). This river has been called Dicle
in Turkey and Dijlah in Arabic and Persian7. The last river is the
Euphrates as the longest river in Mesopotamia flowing now
through Turkey, Syria and Iraq.8
Nonetheless, there has been the dearth of registered academic
works about the four rivers of Eden in Islam. Most of them are related
to jurists, exegetes and Muhaddithn such as al-Bukhar, al-Muslim,
etc. The scientific works on the four rivers of Eden according to the
Islamic religious texts is really sparse. Jenkinson (1921) relied on
Islamic religious texts with the purpose of explaining the four rivers
of the Paradise. He deliberated two questions among the students of
comparative religion in connection with these four rivers: what was
their origin, and what is their significance?9In matter of fact, this
paper tries to extend these questions and talks about the specification
of these rivers i.e. name, origin and features in Judaism and Islam.
Although a relevant comparative study on this issue in Judaism and
Islam needs a search via scientific databases, it is not found any special
works on that except an unpublished dissertation by Abdol Majid
Hosseinizade (2009). He examined the story of Adam in Islam and
Judaism and developed the issue of the four rivers of Eden during
his discussions.10

Past Matters Electrum Magazine 7 (2011) 1-23.

6
Pishon is adopted in this study.
7
It is mostly popular in Iran.
8
Emilio Spedicato, Eden Revisited: Geography, Numerics and other Tales, Migration
and Diffusion 4 (2003) 6-41.
9
E. J. Jenkinson, The Rivers of Paradise, The Muslim World Journal 19 (1929)151-155.
10
Abdol Majid Hosseinizadeh,A Comparative Study of the Story of Adam and Eve
in the Qurn, its Commentaries and the Jewish Texts (Ph.D. diss., the University of
Tehran, 2009).

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However, this paper applies two resources in order to consider

the issue of the four rivers of Eden in Judaism and Islam. (a) In
Judaism: the Bible and Jewish scholars statements; (b) in Islam: the
Qurn, hadth and scholars ideas.

Bible and The Four Rivers in The Garden of Eden11

And a river went out of Eden to water the garden;
and from thence it was parted, and became into
four heads. The name of the first is Pison: that is it,
whichcompasseth the whole land of Havilah, where
there is gold; and the gold of that land is good: there
is bdellium and the onyx stone. And the name of the
second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth
the whole land of Ethiopia (Cush). And the name
of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth
toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is
Euphrates. (Genesis 2:10-14)12
Doing historical and religious researches, specifically the Garden of
Eden and its relevant issues is alike peeling an onion with several layers
that each layer presents a new facet. Many scholars have considered
this issue from different perspectives. The Garden of Eden includes
many diverse subsets that some of them are popular in monotheism
i.e. the four rivers of the Garden of Eden. Judaism or Islam has
displayed some images from four rivers of Eden. As indicated above,
the Bible introduced a main river of the Garden of Eden, which was
split into four separate rivers; that river which is fully well-known
is the Euphrates. Some scholars pointed out that the other river is
Hiddekel or Tigris13 [Rashi Gen 2: 14].14Nevertheless, the essence
and identification of the two other rivers (Pison and Gihon) is
ambiguous as well as the essence of the lands of Havilah and Cush.

11
See figure 1.
12
R. A. Kraft, Genesis, from the holy Bible, King James Version; Bible, King James (Virginia:
Electronic Text Center of University of Virginia Library, 1995).
13
Tigris River is called Dijlah in Arabic, Dicle in Turkish and Hiddekel in the biblical
literature. It emanated from the mountains of southeastern Turkey through Iraq.
14
In this research Rashi Gen is the abbreviated form of (Rahsi, Rashis Commentary,
in Pentateuch with TargumOnkelos, Haphtaroth and Rashis).

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 The Four Rivers Of Eden in Judaism and Islam

 Ambiguous Points
There are some vague points in readers mind concerning
the rivers and lands in Gen 2:14 which Jewish scholars
expressed them as follows:
a. Some Jewish writers presumed the reason of ambiguity
of the Pison and Gihons identification is related to the
Noachic Flood. They believed that the Noachic Flood
led these rivers to be completely ruined, or partially
transferred to underground channels.15
b. There are various statements about the land of Havilah16,
but some scholars state that Havilah belongs to India,
and Pison River is the Ganges.17
c. The land of Cush is mostly interpreted as Ethiopia,
Midian or the land of Kassites in Babylonia,18 but it
is popularly interpreted as Ethiopia. According to the
Biblical texts, the Gihon River encircles the entire
land of Cush, so it might be the Nile River of Egypt19.
Nevertheless, there are some Jewish researchers namely

15
Singer and Other (ED.), The Jewish Encyclopaedia (New York: Funk &Wagnalls,
1925) part: Garden of Eden.
16
Many biblical scholars such as Keli, Delitzsch and Harris have interpreted the land of
Havilah as Arabia.See:C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, the
Pentateuch (5 vols.; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975) 1.171; R. L. Harris, The Mist, the
Canopy and the Rivers of Eden, Bulletin of the Evangelical Theological Society 11 (1968)
179.
17
The Works of Flavius Josephus; Antiquities of the Jews: Book 1 from Creation to the Death
of Isaac. (trans. Whiston; www.sacred-texts.com, 1737) 1:3.; Targum Pseudo-Jonathan:
Genesis, the Aramaic Bible, the Targums ( trans. Maher; Collegeville Minnesota: Liturgical
Press, 1992) 23.; TargumNeofiti 1: Genesis, the Aramaic Bible, the Targums (Mcnamara;
Collegeville Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 1992) 5. Jrome also presumed the Pisonriver
as the Ganges. See also: TargumNeofiti 1: Genesis, the Aramaic Bible, the Targums, 57.
18
Wolf G.Plaut, The Torah: a Modern commentary (5 vols.; New York: Union of American
Hebrew Congregations, 1974)1. 25.
19
The author of J.P.S. exegesis explained that Gihon is the name of a spring in a suburb
area of Jerusalem and there is no other recognized river with the name of Gihon
among the real rivers on geographical map. See: Nahum M. Sarna, The J.P.S. Torah
Commentary: Genesis (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 1989) 19-20. See
also: The Works of Flavius Josephus; Antiquities of the Jews: Book 1 from Creation to the Death
of IsaacFlavius, 1737, 1:3.

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Saadiah,20Jafeth ben Ali21, Joshua ben Yehuda22and

Rashi (Rashi Gen2:11)23 who ascribed the Pison River
(not Gihon) to the Nile River.
From the perspectives of the Jewish scholars who were
specifying the specifications of the four rivers, the size of
the Garden of Eden was larger than a regular garden, and it
encompassed the global boundaries.
 The Garden of Eden and its Four Rivers
Genesis Rabbah stated that the Babylonia as Pison, Media
as Gihon, Greece as Hiddekel and Rome as Euphrates
[Gen.R.16:4].24 In other words, the four rivers in the Bible
have probably introduced the four quarters of the world.25
Besides, those who believed that the Garden of Eden is
located in Arabia have interpreted the four rivers as the
Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Aden, the Caspian Sea and the
Red Sea.26 It would be also interesting that the Bible, itself,
does not express that a main river emanates from the foot
of the Tree of Life; but the Jewish rabbis statements signify
that all waters in the universe emanate from this Trees foot
[Gen.R15:6].27
The remarks of scholars who regarded the location
of the Garden of Eden in a heavenly place brought about
creating a question how did these rivers come to the Earth?
Although it seems Saadiah tried to answer this question,
original manuscript of his exegesis was ruined and it is not
20
Saadiah ben Joseph, Rabbi SaadiahGaons Commentary on the Book of Creation (trans.
Linetsky; New Jersey: Jason Aronson Inc, 2002) 129-130.
21
Japheth son of Ali.
22
Meria Polliack, The Karaite Tradition of Arabic Bible: a linguistic and exegetical study of Karaite
translation of the Pentateuch from the tenth and eleventh centuries C.E. (Leiden: Brill, 1997)
305-307.
23
Rashi Gen is the abbreviated form of (Rahsi, Rashis Commentary, in Pentateuch with
TargumOnkelos, Haphtaroth and Rashis)2:11.
24
In this study: Genesis Rabbah (trans. & ed. Jacob Neusner and others; Atlanta: Scholars
Press, 1985) part 1.
25
Nahum M. Sarna, The J.P.S. Torah Commentary: Genesis, 19-20.
26
Isidore Singer and Other, The Jewish Encyclopaedia, part: Garden of Eden.
27
Frank Ephraim Talmage, David Kimhi: the man and the commentaries (Cambridge,
Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1975) 158.

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 The Four Rivers Of Eden in Judaism and Islam

more readable.28
Nahmanides (d.1270)29 stated that the Pison river
probably emanated from the equator and then moved to
an underground channel toward the north side.30 Moshe
Alshich (Alshech) also attempted to fix this problem by a
mystical expression. He pointed out the earthly Garden
of Eden was the material form of the heavenly Garden of
Eden; once a phenomenon leaves the Garden of Eden and
enters into the material world, it gradually takes (receives)
a material essence. Therefore, the river which emanated
from the Garden of Eden was divided into four branches
that each of them is a part of the physical world.31 As it is
obvious, this statement is based on this assumption that the
material and spiritual worlds are not only separated but they
also join together; splitting of the main river into four rivers
is a symbol of the motion of the Unity (one heavenly river)
toward the plurality (the four earthly rivers) in the Bible.
Afterward, Alshich (2000) thought these four rivers are as
the symbol of the four Jewish exiles or captivities.32Besides,
other groups of people have mystically interpreted the four
rivers. For instance, these four rivers are considered as the
symbol of the four main elements and ingredients of human
body i.e. water, air, fire and earth.33As indicated in a modern
commentary, the concept of a river which is divided into
four branches is also seen in non-Israelite cultures.34
28
Saadiah ben Joseph, Rabbi Saadiah Gaons Commentary on the Book of Creation, 129-130.
29
He was a medieval exegete who tried to reconcile Saadiah with ibn Ezra. Saadiah
believed that Pison and Nile are the same, but Ibn Ezra believed that the Garden of
Eden was exactly located on the Earths equator; much more southern than the origin
of Nile.
30
Isidore Singer and Other, part: Garden of Eden.
31
Moshe Alshich, Midrash of Rabbi Moshe Alshich(trans. E. Munk; New York: Lambda
Publishers Inc, 2000)1.29.
32
Ibid., 29.
33
Blessed is he whose study is in the secret doctrine, for, when the Holy One takes his
soul unto himself, it leaves the body formed out of the four elements, and rising on
high is placed at the head of the four Hayoth, or living creatures, to whom the words
refer: In their hands shall they bear thee up (Ps. xci. 12); R. Simeon ben Jochai, The
Sepher Ha-Zohar (San Diego: Wisards Bookshelf, 1980) 135-139.
34
For example it is seen in India and China. See: Wolf G.Plaut, The Torah: a Modern

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Islam and the Four Rivers

This part of my research focuses on connectivity of Islamic religious
texts with the four rivers of Eden.

The Qurnic Verses35 and the Four Rivers

The Qurnic story of Adam and Eve does not indicate a river placed
in the paradise, and it just mentions that Adam was not thirsty on
that place; as God said to Adam:you shall neither suffer from thirst
nor from the scorching heat(Q 20:119). Undoubtedly, the Bible
talks about these rivers more than the Quran. But there are some
points about rivers in Islam that are important for readers. Some
verses in the Qurn talk about the springs in the Paradise.
1. There are springs in Paradise
a. Truly! The pious will be amidst Gardens and water-
Springs (paradise)(Q15:45)
b. Among Gardens and Springs (Q 44:52)
c. Verily, the pious will be in the midst of Gardens and
springs(in the paradise) (Q 51:15)36
2. A spring mixed with camphor
a. The righteous shall be in paradise drinking from a cup
of wine mixed with camphor water. From a gushing
spring at which the servants of God will refresh
themselves, (Q76:5-6)
3. The water of spring mixed with ginger37called Salsabl
commentary, vol.1, 20.
35
In this paper the English meanings of the Qurnc verses were gotten from:
Mohammad. F. Malik, EnglishTranslation of the Meaning of al-Qurn: the Guidance for
Mankind (Houston: Institute of Islamic Knowledge, 2001), and Muhammad T. Hilal
and Muhammad Muhsin Khn, Translation of the Meaning of the Noble Qurn in the
English Language (Medina: King Fahad Complex for the Printing of the Holy Qurn,
1983).
36
See also: Q 77:41.
37
Ginger comes from Medieval Latin gingiber, alteration of Latin Zingiber, from Greek
Zingiber and it is a thickened pungent aromatic rhizome that is used as a spice and
sometimes medicinally; See Merriam Webster, The Merriam- Webster Dictionary
(Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster, Inc, 2005). In Arabic and the Quranic Literature

40
 The Four Rivers Of Eden in Judaism and Islam

a. And they will also be given to drink a cup of wine

mixed with Ginger-flavored water. A spring there,
called Salsabl (Q76:17-18)
There are also two samples in the Qurn about the number
four of rivers:
a. The first sample is in Sra Ar-Rahman, where the Qurn
notified both two higher and lower paradises (totally consist
of four rivers): ... there are two Gardens (i.e. in Paradise)
(Q55:46) and each of them will be watered by two flowing
springs (Q 55:50). And besides these two, there shall be
two other Gardens (i.e. in Paradise) (Q 55:62) and in both
of them, there will be two gushing springs (Q 55:66).
b. The second one is brought in Sra Muhammad in which
different types of rivers made of water, milk, wine and honey
have been noted: Here is the parable of the paradise which
the righteous have been promised: it has rivers the water
of which will never be stagnant, rivers of milk whose taste
never changes, rivers of wine delicious to those who drink,
and rivers of honey pure and clear. In it, they will have all
kinds of fruits, as well as forgiveness from their Lord. Can
such people be compared to those who shall dwell in hell
forever, and they will be given scalding water which will cut
their intestines into pieces? (Q 47:15).
Some orientalists stated that the idea of the four rivers in Islam
is a fabricated form of the four rivers of Eden in the Bible.38But
above mentioned verse implies the diversity of rivers types rather
than rivers number. Even the number of rivers types is not limited
to four, because other verses also bring various names about the
springs or rivers of the Paradise such as Camphor, Ginger, Kawthar39,

ginger is named Zanjabil and also in Persian texts has been named Zangabil or Zanjaphil.
The root of this word in Persian is Zang-e Pil, which has a direct relation with the
elephants hanged bells; zang means bell and pil means the elephant. See: Aliakbar
Dehkhoda, Persian Dictionary Dehkhoda (http://loghatnaameh.org, 2012) zangabil.
38
William St. Clair Tisdall, The Sources of Islam: a Persian Treatise (Edinburgh: T & T Clark,
1901)79-82.
39
Based on some exegeses, the Kawthar would probably be the name of a river or spring
in the paradise. It is the name of a Qurns chapters as well. See Hussein ibn Ali

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etc. Thus, there is not any significant relationship between the rivers
in the Qurn and the four rivers in the Bible.

Hadth and the Four Rivers

According to ahdth, there are some narrations about the issue
of four rivers. For example, a hadth has been reported from the
Prophet Muhammad that four rivers emanate from the Paradise
named Euphrates, Nile, Sayhn (not Sayhn)40 and Jayhn (not
Jayhn)41.42
Ibn Abbas (d. 687) also narrated a hadth from the Prophet
Muhammad in which the Tigris river was added to these rivers.
Furthermore, it is noted that Sayhn is the Hinds river43and Jayhn
is the Balkh river.44
There are some hadths narrated from the Prophet who defined
the Euphrates river as water, the Nile river as honey, the Sayhn river
as wine and the Jayhn river as Milk.45Here, it has been tried to create
some connection between the 15th verse of Sra Muhammad and the
Abolfotuh Razi, Rawd al- Jinn wa Rh al- Janan f Tafsr al- Qurn (Mashhad: Islamic
Research Foundation, 1987) 20.428.
40
In medieval Islamic writings, the river uniformly known as Sayhn ( )which
comes from Syr Drya was also transliterated Syr Drya or Sir Dryo and sometimes
called as the Jaxartes or Yaxartes from its Ancient Greek name. It is located around
previous great Khorasan or current Turkmenistan.
41
Jayhn ( )is called Amu Drya or Oxus and Emu River. It is located around
previous great Khorasan or current Turkmenistan. See also: Mohammad B. Majlesi,
Bihar al-Anwr (110 vols.; Beirt: al-Waf, 1982) 8 and 57.130 and 41; Ahmad Ibn
Hanbal, Musand Ibn Hanbal ( Beirt: Dr Sadir, 2001) 261.
42
Mohammad B. Majlesi, Bihar al-Anwr (110 vols.; Beirt: al-Waf, 1982) 8&57.130&
41; Ahmad Ibn Hanbal ,Musand Ibn hanbal(Beirt: Dr Sadir, 2001) 261.
43
Considering the location of Sayhn river in India probably has been influenced
by those Jewish narrations who supposed the Ganges as one of the four rivers of
Eden.
44
Jalluddin Suyti, al-Durr al-Manthr f al-Tafsr bil Mathr (Beirt: Drul-Fikr, 1993)
5.8. Also the commentators of narrations and authors of geographical encyclopedias
have declared that Sayhn and Jayhn are different from Sayhn and Jayh`n. The
former rivers are in Armenia or Syria (some part of Turkey) and the latter rivers are in
Balkh. See, Yaqt ben A. Hamawi, Mujam al- Buldn (Beirt: Dr al-Ihya al-Turrth,
1978) 3.293; MuhyeddinNawaw, Sahh Muslim bi Sharh al-Nawaw (Beirt: Drul Kitab
al-Arabi, 1996) 17.176.
45
Muhammad B. Majlesi,Bihar al-Anwr, vol.8, 130.

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 The Four Rivers Of Eden in Judaism and Islam

renowned concept of the Four Rivers, but as indicated before, there

is no connection with this issue in the Qurn, itself. In addition to
above note, there is a same hadth originated from Kab al-Ahbr. 46
The hadth of Mirj47 reported that the Prophet Muhammad
saw four rivers emanated from the foot of the Lote-Tree48,with huge
leaves seemed like elephants ears: Two external rivers and two internal
ones, and the External rivers were the Nile and the Euphrates rivers.49
The content of above hadth is similar to some themes in the Jewish
scriptures. That is to say the Lote-Tree was applied instead of the
Tree of Life in the Jewish tradition in which it indicated the four
rivers emanate therefrom. Intention of the phrase the leaves alike
the elephants ears signifies the large size of the Tree as shown in the
Jewish tradition for the Tree of Life. Ab Hurayrah reported that
the Prophet Muhammad in the Night Ascension (Mirj) found the
four rivers made of water, milk, wine and honey emanated from the
Lote-Tree, and this tree was such huge that a horseman was not able
to traverse its shade in seventy years.50 The wording of this hadth is
completely similar to the text of the15th verse of Sra Muhammad.
Likewise, Ayyd interpreted a hadth with the following intention
that these four rivers are the main rivers in Muslim countries. The
Nile river is located in Egypt, the Euphrates river in Iraq, the Sayhn
and Jayhn rivers in Khorasan51. Ayyd also deduced that the four
rivers from Eden bring the faith to those countries encompass these

46
Ab Abdullah M. Qurtub, Al-Jami Ie-Ahkam al-Qurn (Beirt: Dr al- Ihya al-Turth
al-Arabi, 1985) 13. 104.
47
About a night in which the Prophet Muhammad traveled to Jerusalem, ascended to
the heaven and visited other prophets, the Paradise, the hell etc.
48
In the Qurnc Literature it is named Sidrat al-Muntah and its Arabic form is
.
49
Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Musand Ibn Hanbal, 164; see also Ab Abdullah M. Bukhar, Sahh
al- Bukhar (Beirt: Drul-Fikr, 1980) 78; Muslim, al- Jmi al-Sahh or Sahh Muslim
(Beirt: Drul-Fikr. n.d.) 104; Ahmad Nasae, Sunan al-Nasae (Beirt: Drul-Fikr,
1929) 220; Ab Jafar M. Tabar, Jmi al-Bayn an Tawly al-Qurn with the Introduction
of Kh.al-Meis(ed. al-Attar; Beirt: Drul-Fikr, 1994) 73.
50
Ab Jafar M. Tabari, Jmi al-Bayn an Tawly al-Qurn with the Introduction of Kh. al-
Meis, 72
51
According to the Sassanid and some Islamic records Khorasan or greater Khorasan
was a historical area of greater (previous) Iran included parts of Afghanistan,
Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

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rivers inside, and those people who would drink (water) from these
rivers will be mustered in the Eden. The meaning of the four rivers
from Eden is truly right so that these rivers contain the elements
from the Eden.52

Opponents and Adherents of the Four Rivers Hadths

The issue of the four rivers of Eden in Islam allocated two main
groups of readers in its body. On one hand, the first group comprises
opponents who stated critical notes about the existence of the
four rivers of Eden in the Earth. Their opinions mostly referred
to geographical aspects of these rivers especially the Nile and the
Euphrates. They declared that the origins of these two rivers are
in the Earth; hence, they rejected those hadths which are related
to the heavenly status of rivers. Opponents chiefly accused Ab
Hurayrahs hadths, which were extracted from the Kab al-Ahbr
who has narrated many hadths from the Jewish lore or Israelites. On
the other hand, adherents with several claims denied the opponents
critical statements. For example, some adherents stated that God put
the four rivers of Nile, Euphrates, Sayhn and Jayhn on the Earth
because of their benefits and favors for people.53 They proved their
claims with respect to the Qurnic verses such as: We sent down
pure water from the sky (Q 25: 48)54 as Ibn Kathr interpreted this
verse as So, Allh sends down water from the sky, and it settles in
the Earth, then He causes it to flow wherever He wills, and He causes
springs, great and small, to flow as needed.55Adhesion reasons are
as follows:
a. The hadths regarding the Nile and the Euphrates were
categorized in the authentic or sound hadths56.

52
Muhyeddin Nawaw, Sahh Muslim bi Sharh al-Nawaw, 36.
53
Mohammadal hamud Najd, The Nile and Euphrates in Paradise,
( Available at: http://www.al-athary.net/index.php, 2007) chap. sermons
54
. See: Q 39:21
55
Ismail Ibn Kathr,Tafsr al-Qurn al-Adm (Riyadh: Dr-us-Salm, 2006) chap.39.
56
Authentic or Sound hadth or Sahh is a hadth supported by a chain of transmitters
going back to the Prophet in an uninterrupted manner or only one chain of transmitters
is considered sound hadth. See Aisha. Y. Musa, hadth as Scripture: Discussions on the
Authority of Prophetic Traditions in Islam (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008) 29.

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 The Four Rivers Of Eden in Judaism and Islam

b. The hadths about the four rivers of Eden and their existence
on the Earth are like the Prophet Muhammads hadth about
the Black Stone or Hajar al-Aswad and its heavenly origin.
Hajar al-Aswad has been descended from the Heaven,
Prophet Muhammad said.57
c. According to the Qurn, Your companion (Muhammad)
has neither gone astray nor has erred. Nor does Muhammad
speak of his own desire (Q 53: 2-3) and it can be concluded
that his speeches are reliable. As an exegete has stated, this
contains the subject of the oath and is the witness that the
Prophet Muhammad is sane and a follower of the Truth.
He is neither led astray, such as in the case of the ignorant
who does not proceed on any path with knowledge, nor is
he one who erred, such as in the case of the knowledgeable,
who knows the Truth, yet deviates from it intentionally to
something else.58

How these Rivers Came to the Earth?

The point that how these rivers came to the Earth from the heaven
is questionable for both the Jewish people and Muslims Sahh al-
Bukhar notified that the Prophet Muhammad found two rivers in
the heaven at the Night Ascension, after that Gabriel said to him
these two rivers are the Nile and the Euphrates, their essence59.
Nawaw also talked about the bubbling of Nile and Euphrates rivers
from the Lote-Tree: Ayyd- may God have mercy on him- believed
that this hadth implies the root of the Lote-Tree placed in the
Earth, because the Nile and Euphrates rivers emanate from its foot.
Nawaw continued, But Ayyds explanation is not sufficient. It
should be noted that this hadth emphasized these rivers came out
from the Lote-Tree; then they flowed down under the Gods will and
finally went down to the Earth.60 This Nawaws solution is same as
57
Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Musand Ibn Hanbal, no.2792.
58
Ismail IbnKathr,Tafsr al-Qurn al-Adm, chap.53
59
This phrase indicates that the archetype of the rivers is formed in the heaven. Ab
Abdullah M. Bukhar, Sahh al- Bukhar, 203.
60
Muhyeddin Nawaw [al-Minhaj bi Sharh Sahh Muslim] said that the Nile [al-Nl] and
Euphrates [al-Furt] rivers are originally from the Eden in his book entitled Sahh
Muslim bi Sharh al-Nawaw or Nawaws explanations and commentaries on the Sahh Muslim.

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the Jewish concept of underground channels.

Are the Rivers Names Exactly Mentioned in Islamic Texts?

This research could not trace any name of Heddekl in Islamic texts.
But the name of Gihon was used interchangeably as Jayhn or Jayhn
in Islamic literature. Pison was also mentioned in some Islamic texts.
For example, a narration would explain that when Noah divided the
land among his sons, he donated the center of the land to Sm that
it included the Jerusalem, the Nile river, the Euphrates river, the
Tigris river, the Sayhn river, the Jayhn river and the Pison river.61
Additionally, Pison is converted to phishn in Arabic and Muslim
philologist likeKhallibn Ahmed al-Farahd, (1988) and Muslim
geographer, Hamawi, (1978) have indicated that it is the name of a
river.62

Conclusion
In conclusion, the explaining of the four rivers of Eden in Judaism
and Islam provided readers an endless discussion. Nevertheless, most
of scientists have benefited from the Biblical literature to prove their
utterances as mentioned in introduction. Whereas there is no any
specific signal for the four rivers of Eden in the most important
source of Islam, the Qurn; thus, the majority of scientists did
not refer to Islamic religious texts in order to find and analyze the
reality of the four rivers and even the exact location of the Garden
of Eden on the Earth. However, through scrutinizing the Jewish
sources i.e. the Bible and the Jewish researchers comments along
with the Islamic documents i.e. Qurn, hadth and Muslim scholars
statements, this paper would present the following points about the
four rivers of Eden:
 The main compatibility between Judaism and Islam is related
to the Euphrates. This river has exactly been mentioned in

These two rivers came from the Lote Tree [Sidratul Muntah]. See Muhyeddin Nawaw,
Sahh Muslim bi Sharh al-Nawaw, 225.
61
Ab Jafar M. Tabari, Tarikh al-Umamwal Molk (Beirt: Drul- Kotub al-Ilmiyyeh,
1988) 133.
62
Khall ibn Ahmed al-Farahd, Kitabul Ayn (Medina: Drul- Hijrah. 1988) Phashana; Y.
Hamawi, Mujam al- Buldn (Beirt: Dr al- Ihya al-Turrth, 1978) 285.

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 The Four Rivers Of Eden in Judaism and Islam

the Bible and most hadths of the Prophet Muhammad and

his companions.
 Although the status of other rivers: (name, specifications
and locations) are not clear in the Islamic literature, the
Nile river could be placed in the second rank of similarity
between Judaism and Islam.
 It is perceived that some prophetic narrations reported by Kab
al-Ahbr have been influenced by the Jewish literature.
 Jewish individuals explained the four rivers of Eden based
on the direct notifications of the Bible.

Figure

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