Did Allah create Adam and Eve in an earthly Garden of Eden, and were the tree and the whispers of Iblis on Earth, and does "descend from it, all of you" mean a degradation in status or a transfer to a lesser place?

The majority of Sunnis hold that the Paradise mentioned is the Paradise of Eternity (Jannat al-Khuld), and interpreting the verse as a mere lowering of rank is far-fetched, as it contradicts the apparent meaning and what has been narrated from the Salaf. The Salaf understood from the verse that Adam was brought down from Paradise, as evidenced by what Ibn Kathir narrated from the Salaf concerning Adam's departure, carrying a branch and leaves from Paradise, and his descent in India. This understanding is consistent with the Arabic language, for "hubut" (descent) means a lowering from a high place to a low one.