Araf 11

Araf 11

11- WE CREATED YOU AND SHAPED YOU AND THEN SAID TO THE ANGELS: “PROSTRATE TO ADAM”.  THEY PROSTRATED EXCEPT FOR IBLIS (SATAN) WHO WAS NOT OF THOSE WHO PROSTRATED.

Allah the Highest is telling us about what happened with Adam and Iblis (Satan).  Although these events were narrated before, there is no repetition for the sake of repetition in the Quran.  Every time some events from the past are narrated in the Quran, they are usually throwing  light on a different aspect of the story.  We should not think that we read this before. 

Allah the Highest created Adam and shaped him with His own Hands.  Adam’s offspring were created from the sperm of a man and the egg of a woman, then shaped and nurtured in the mother’s womb until born as an infant who can survive outside the womb.

Iblis was not an angel, but was a Jinni who became very close to Allah the Highest so that he was included with the angels.

After the creation of Adam, Allah the Highest commanded the angels and the command included Iblis who was with them, to prostrate to Adam.  The Angels have no choice or free will, but the Jinn and Humans do.  Therefore, the angels had to obey the command, while Iblis had a choice.  The command to prostrate to Adam could have been for many reasons:

1. Honouring Allah the Creator in Honouring His creation.
2. Showing the status of Adam and his descendants of mankind who were placed on Earth as Allah’s Viceroys.
3. Showing the great status of mankind when they are righteous and obedient to Allah the Highest.  “AND WE HONOURED THE CHILDREN OF ADAM, AND WE CARRIED THEM ON LAND AND SEA, AND PROVIDED THEM OF ALL GOOD AND PURE THINGS AND FAVOURED THEM A GREAT DEAL OVER MANY OF WHAT WE CREATED”.  (S: 17 A: 70)

In fact, when man is righteous, he can be of better status than the angels, for man has a choice to obey Allah the Highest and worship Him or not, while the angels do not have such choice.  When Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him went up on Mearage with Gabriel peace upon him, and after going past the seventh heaven, Gabriel could not go any further with Mohamed prayer and peace upon him and he said to him: “If you proceed, you will go through, but if I proceed, I will burn”.