The tree as a symbol of the test of possession interprets the prohibition in the story of Adam as a prohibition against ownership and appropriation, not merely a formal ban. This interpretation is consistent with Paradise in the story of Adam is earthly because the test takes place within the domain of human experience, and with repentance corrects human freedom because the error resulting from transgressing the limit needs correction. Likewise, the Qur’an presents a cumulative development of the human being gives this test its place within a broader trajectory of human emergence.