وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ ٱسْجُدُوا۟ لِـَٔادَمَ فَسَجَدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِبْلِيسَ أَبَىٰ وَٱسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ 34
Translations
And [mention] when We said to the angels, "Prostrate before Adam"; so they prostrated, except for Iblees. He refused and was arrogant and became of the disbelievers.
Transliteration
Wa-idh qulna lil-mala-ikati asjudu li-Adam fa-sajadu illa Iblis aba wa-stakbar wa-kana mina al-kafirun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the divine command to the angels to prostrate to Adam as a sign of respect and honor, to which all angels obeyed except Iblis (Satan), who refused out of arrogance and pride, deeming himself superior because he was created from fire while Adam was created from clay. Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain that this refusal constituted disbelief (kufr) and marked the beginning of Iblis's enmity toward Adam and his descendants, establishing the foundational reason for Satan's rebellion against Allah's command.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Medinan section of Al-Baqarah and provides crucial context for understanding the nature of Satan and the test of human obedience. It is part of the narrative establishing Adam's honored status in creation and serves as a thematic foundation for explaining human temptation and the eternal struggle between good and evil throughout Islamic history.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said regarding the angels: 'The angels were created from light, the jinn were created from fire, and Adam was created from what has been described to you' (Sahih Muslim). Additionally, the Quran itself references Iblis's refusal in Surah Al-Kahf 18:50, clarifying that Iblis was from the jinn, not among the angels.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that true honor comes through obedience to Allah's commands, while arrogance and refusal to submit lead to disgrace and separation from divine mercy, regardless of one's perceived status or origin. It reminds believers that Satan's enmity toward humanity stems from his jealousy and pride, motivating Muslims to remain steadfast in faith and humble before Allah.
Related Ayahs
۞ مَا نَنسَخْ مِنْ ءَايَةٍ أَوْ نُنسِهَا نَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ مِّنْهَآ أَوْ مِثْلِهَآ ۗ أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
We do not abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten except that We bring forth [one] better than it or similar to it. Do you not know that Allāh is over all things competent?
تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ ۖ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَلَكُم مَّا كَسَبْتُمْ ۖ وَلَا تُسْـَٔلُونَ عَمَّا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
That is a nation which has passed on. It will have [the consequence of] what it earned, and you will have what you have earned. And you will not be asked about what they used to do.
أَمْ كُنتُمْ شُهَدَآءَ إِذْ حَضَرَ يَعْقُوبَ ٱلْمَوْتُ إِذْ قَالَ لِبَنِيهِ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنۢ بَعْدِى قَالُوا۟ نَعْبُدُ إِلَـٰهَكَ وَإِلَـٰهَ ءَابَآئِكَ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلَ وَإِسْحَـٰقَ إِلَـٰهًا وَٰحِدًا وَنَحْنُ لَهُۥ مُسْلِمُونَ
Or were you witnesses when death approached Jacob, when he said to his sons, "What will you worship after me?" They said, "We will worship your God and the God of your fathers, Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac - one God. And we are Muslims [in submission] to Him."
فَبَدَّلَ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ قَوْلًا غَيْرَ ٱلَّذِى قِيلَ لَهُمْ فَأَنزَلْنَا عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ رِجْزًا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَفْسُقُونَ
But those who wronged changed [those words] to a statement other than that which had been said to them, so We sent down upon those who wronged a punishment [i.e., plague] from the sky because they were defiantly disobeying.