Tafsir

The creation of Adam, the Command to the Angels to prostrate to Him, and the Rebellion of Iblis

Allah informs us of how He mentioned Adam to His angels before He created him, and how He honored him by commanding the angels to prostrate to him. He mentions how His enemy Iblis, amidst all the angels, refused to prostrate to him out of envy, disbelief, stubbornness, arrogance, and false pride. This is why Iblis said:لَمْ أَكُن لاًّسْجُدَ لِبَشَرٍ خَلَقْتَهُ مِن صَلْصَـلٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ(I am not one to prostrate myself to a human, whom You created from dried (sounding) clay of altered mud.) this is like when he said,أَنَاْ خَيْرٌ مِّنْهُ خَلَقْتَنِي مِن نَّارٍ وَخَلَقْتَهُ مِن طِينٍ(I am better than him (Adam), You created me from Fire and him You created from clay.)(7:12) andأَرَءَيْتَكَ هَـذَا الَّذِى كَرَّمْتَ عَلَىَّ("Do you see this one whom You have honored above me...") 17:62

The Command to Prostrate was Given to Angels - Iblis was to Follow Suit

Addressing Iblis in Surah Al-A` raf, it was said: مَا مَنَعَكَ أَلَّا تَسْجُدَ إِذْ أَمَرْ‌تُكَ (What stopped you from prostrating when I ordered you? - 7:12). This shows that the command to prostrate was given, along with the angels, to Iblis as well. However, the verses you have gone through a little earlier apparently give the sense that the command was particular to the an-gels. This could mean that the command was originally given to the angels but, as Iblis too was present among the angels, therefore, he too was covered by this command as a corollary - because, when the command went forth for the most august creation of Allah Ta’ ala, that is, the an-gels, that they pay their homage to Sayyidna 'Adam (علیہ السلام) ، it was obvious that any other creation was bound to follow suit under this command. It was for this reason that Iblis did not respond by saying that he was never asked to prostrate to begin with, so he could not be charged with the crime of non-compliance of the order.

Perhaps, the words of the Qur’ an here: ' أَبَىٰ أَن يَكُونَ مَعَ السَّاجِدِينَ ' (He refused to be among those who prostrated - 30) may contain a hint in that direction. Rather than say: أَبَىٰ أَن یَّسجُدَ 1 that is, 'he refused to prostrate', what was actually said was: ' أَبَىٰ أَن يَكُونَ مَعَ السَّاجِدِينَ ' he refused to be among those who prostrated. This indicates that the main prostraters were after all the angels but Iblis too, being present with them, was reason-bound to join the prostrating an-gels. So, the Divine wrath was against his failure to join.

قال الله لإبليس: ما لك ألا تسجد مع الملائكة؟

وقد روى ابن جرير هاهنا أثرا غريبا عجيبا من حديث شبيب بن بشر ، عن عكرمة ، عن ابن عباس قال : لما خلق الله الملائكة قال : إني خالق بشرا من طين ، فإذا سويته فاسجدوا له ، قالوا : لا نفعل ، فأرسل عليهم نارا فأحرقتهم ، ثم خلق ملائكة فقال لهم مثل ذلك [ فقالوا : لا نفعل ، فأرسل عليهم نارا فأحرقتهم . ثم خلق ملائكة أخرى فقال : إني خالق بشرا من طين ، فإذا أنا خلقته فاسجدوا له فأبوا ، فأرسل عليهم نارا فأحرقتهم . ثم خلق ملائكة فقال : إني خالق بشرا من طين ، فإذا أنا خلقته فاسجدوا له ] قالوا سمعنا وأطعنا ، إلا إبليس كان من الكافرين الأولينوفي ثبوت هذا عنه بعد ، والظاهر أنه إسرائيلي ، والله أعلم .