Surah 15

Surah 15:31

"– except Iblīs. He refused to be with the ones who prostrated themselves."
The creation of Adam, the Command to the Angels to prostrate to Him, and the Rebellion of Iblis Verses 15:28-33
Show Full Scripture Context (15:28-33) — 6 Verses
Verse 28

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.

Verse 29

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.’

Verse 30

فَسَجَدَ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ كُلُّهُمۡ أَجۡمَعُونَ

So the angels prostrated themselves – all of them together

Verse 31

إِلَّآ إِبۡلِيسَ أَبَىٰٓ أَن يَكُونَ مَعَ ٱلسَّـٰجِدِينَ

– except Iblīs. He refused to be with the ones who prostrated themselves.

Verse 32

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?’

Verse 33

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.’

Quoted Scripture
"28. And (remember) when your Lord said to the angels: "I am going to create a man (Adam) from dried (sounding) clay of altered 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:

Quoted Scripture
"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,

{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]

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.