Surah 15:29
Show Full Scripture Context (15:28-33) — 6 Verses
وَإِذۡ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ إِنِّي خَٰلِقُۢ بَشَرٗا مِّن صَلۡصَٰلٖ مِّنۡ حَمَإٖ مَّسۡنُونٖ
(Remember) when your Lord said to the angels: ‘Surely I am going to create a human being from dry clay, from molded mud.
فَإِذَا سَوَّيۡتُهُۥ وَنَفَخۡتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِي فَقَعُواْ لَهُۥ سَٰجِدِينَ
When I have fashioned him, and breathed some of My spirit into him, fall down before him in prostration.’
فَسَجَدَ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ كُلُّهُمۡ أَجۡمَعُونَ
So the angels prostrated themselves – all of them together
إِلَّآ إِبۡلِيسَ أَبَىٰٓ أَن يَكُونَ مَعَ ٱلسَّـٰجِدِينَ
– except Iblīs. He refused to be with the ones who prostrated themselves.
قَالَ يَـٰٓإِبۡلِيسُ مَا لَكَ أَلَّا تَكُونَ مَعَ ٱلسَّـٰجِدِينَ
He said, ‘Iblīs! What is (the matter) with you that you are not with the ones who prostrated themselves?’
قَالَ لَمۡ أَكُن لِّأَسۡجُدَ لِبَشَرٍ خَلَقۡتَهُۥ مِن صَلۡصَٰلٖ مِّنۡ حَمَإٖ مَّسۡنُونٖ
He said, ‘I am not (one) to prostrate myself before a human being whom you have created from dry clay, from molded mud.’
"29. "So, when I have fashioned him completely and breathed into him (Adam) of My spirit (the soul which I created for him,) then fall down, prostrating yourselves before him.""
"30. So the angels prostrated themselves, all of them together."
"31. Except Iblis (Shaytan) - he refused to be among the prostrate."
"32. (Allah) said: "O Iblis! What is your reason for not being among the prostrate?""
"33. [Iblis] said: "I am not one to prostrate myself to a human, whom You created from dried (sounding) clay of altered mud.""
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:
this is like when he said,
{I am better than him (Adam), You created me from Fire and him You created from clay.} [7:12]
and
{"Do you see this one whom You have honored above me..."} [17:62]