Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels: 'Indeed, I will make
upon the earth a successiveauthority.' They said: 'Will You place upon
it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare
Your praise and sanctify You?' He [Allaah] said: 'Indeed, I know that
which you do not know.' And He taught Aadam the names - all of them.
Then He showed them to the angels and said: 'Inform Me of the names of
these,if you are truthful.' They said: 'Exalted are You; we have no
knowledge except what You havetaught us. Indeed, it is You who is the
Knowing, the Wise.' He said: 'O Aadam! Inform them of their names.'
And when he had informed them of their names, He said: 'Did I not tell
you that I know the unseen [aspects] of theheavens and the earth? And
I know what you reveal and what you have concealed.' And [mention]
when We said to the angels: 'Prostrate before Aadam'; so they
prostrated, except for Iblees [Satan]. He refused and was arrogant and
became of the disbelievers. And We said: 'O Aadam! Dwell, you and your
wife, in Paradise and eat therefrom in [ease and] abundance from
wherever you will. But do not approach this tree, lest you be among
the wrongdoers.' But Satan caused them to slip out of it and removed
them from that [condition] in which they had been. And We said: 'Go
down, [all of you], as enemies to one another, and you will have upon
the earth a place of settlement and provision for a time.' Then Aadam
received from his Lord [some] words, and He accepted his repentance.
Indeed, it is He who is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful. We
said:'Go down from it, all of you. And when guidance comes to you from
Me, whoever follows My guidance - there will be no fear concerning
them, nor will they grieve. And those who disbelieve and deny Our
signs - those will becompanions of Fire; they will abide therein
eternally.'" [Quran 2:30-39]
Almighty Allaah also revealed (what means): "And We have certainly
created you, [O mankind], and given you [human] form. Then We said to
the angels: 'Prostrate to Aadam'; so they prostrated, except for
Iblees. He was not of those who prostrated. [Allaah] said: 'What
prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you?' [Satan]said: 'I
am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay
[i.e. earth].' [Allaah]said: 'Descend from it [i.e. Paradise ], for it
is not for you to be arrogant therein. So get out; indeed, you are of
the debased.' [Satan] said: 'Reprieve me until the Day they are
resurrected.' [Allaah] said: 'Indeed, you are of those reprieved.'
[Satan] said: 'Because You have put me in error, I will surely sit in
wait for them [i.e. mankind] on Your straight path. Then I will come
tothem from before them and frombehind them and on their right and on
their left, and You will notfind most of them grateful [to You].'
[Allaah] said: 'Get out of it [i.e. Paradise ], reproached and
expelled, Whoever follows you among them - I will surely fill Hellwith
you, all together.' And: 'O Aadam! Dwell, you and your wife, in
Paradise and eat from wherever you will but do not approach this tree,
lest you be among the wrongdoers.' But Satan whispered to them to make
apparent to them that which was concealed from them of their private
parts. He said: 'Your Lord did not forbid you this tree except that
you become angels or become of the immortal.' And he swore [by Allaah]
to them: 'Indeed, I am to you from among the sincere advisors.' So he
made them fall, through deception. And when they tasted of the tree,
their private parts became apparent tothem, and they began to fasten
together over themselves from the leaves of Paradise . And their Lord
called to them: 'Did I not forbid you from that tree and tell you that
Satan is to you a clear enemy?' They said: 'Our Lord! We have wronged
ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we
will surely be among the losers.' [Allaah] said: 'Descend, being to
one another enemies. And for you on the earth is a place of settlement
andenjoyment [i.e. provision] for a time.' He said: 'Therein you will
live, and therein you will die, and from it you will be brought
forth.'" [Quran 7:11-25]
When Allaah the Almightycreated Aadam He addressed His angels and told
them to prostrate before him. The purpose behind that was not to ask
their opinion or take their advice, for He is above that. Allaah the
Exalted told them that He was going to create a vicegerent on the
earth who would have offspring. That is why theangels said to Allaah
the Almighty (what means): "…Will You place upon it one whocauses
corruption therein and sheds blood…" [Quran: 2:30]
According to the prominent Muslim scholar Qataadah it was said that
the angels were informed about thecreation of Aadam and his progeny by
the jinn who lived before Aadam . Abdullaah bin'Umar said that the
jinn had existed for manyyears before Aadam and had shed one another's
blood. Therefore, Allaah sent on them an army of angels that drove
them out to the depths of the seas. Ibn Abu Haatim narrated that the
angels were informed by Allaah that man would cause wickedness and
shed blood on earth.
Whether or not these traditions are correct, theangels did understand
that Allaah would create a vicegerent on earth. Allaah the Almighty
announced that He was going to create a human being out of clay, that
He would mould him and blow His spirit into him and that the angels
should then prostrate before him.
Prophet Muhammad said: "Allaah created Aadam from a handful of dust
taken from differentlands, so the children of Aadam have been created
according to the composition of the land. Therefore from mankind we
have white, red, blackand yellow; we have good and evil, ease and
sorrow, and what comes in between them." [Al-Bukhaari]
So Allaah shaped Aadam into a human being; but he remained a figure of
clay for forty years. The angels went past him. They were seized with
fear by what they saw, and Iblees felt the most fear. He would pass by
the figure of Aadam buffeting it, which would make a sound like
pottery. Allaah Says (what means): "He created man [Aadam] from clay
like [that of] pottery." [Quran: 55:14]
When the time drew nearto breathe the spirit into Aadam as Allaah
decreed, He commanded the angels (what means):" When I breathe My
spirit into him, prostrate before him." [Quran 15:29] Allaah breathed
His spirit into Aadam and when it reached his head, Aadam sneezed. The
angels said to him: "Say: 'All praise belongs to Allaah.'" Aadam
repeated: "All praise belongs to Allaah." Allaahsaid to him: "Your
Lord has granted you mercy." When the spirit reached his eyes, Aadam
looked at the fruits of Paradise . When it reached his abdomen, he
craved for food. He jumped hurriedly before the spirit could reach his
legs, so that he could eat from the fruits of Paradise .
Aadam opened his eyes and saw all the angels prostrating beforehim
except one being, who was standing at a distance. Aadam did not know
what kind of creature it was that did not prostrate before him,nor did
he know its name. Iblees was standing with the angels so as to be
included in the command given to them, but he was not oneof them - he
was a jinn. What is clear is that this prostration was to show respect
and did not meanthat the angels were worshipping Aadam . Prostrating
in worship is done only for Allaah.
Iblees believed that he was more honourable than Aadam . Therefore, he
abstained from prostrating, even though Allaah had commanded him to do
so, just as He had commanded the angels.
Iblees tried in vain to justify his refusal; he said (what means):
"…'Should I prostrate to one You created from clay? Do you see this
one who You have honoured above me? If you delay me [i.e., my death]
until the Day of Resurrection, I will surely destroy[i.e., lead
astray] his descendants,except for a few.'" [Quran: 17:61-62]
Aadam was following what was happening around him and had feelings of
love, awe, andastonishment - deep love of Allaah, who had created and
glorified himand who had made His angels prostrate before him; awe of
the Creator's wrath when He excluded Iblees from His mercy. Aadam was
surprised by this creature, Iblees, who abhorred him without even
knowing him and who imagined himself better than him without having
proved that he was worthier. What a strange creature Iblees was, and
how strange was his excuse for not prostrating!
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