Prostration Of The Angels

LESSON # 50 HOLY QUR’AAN

BAQARAH - 2

Prostration Of The Angels

Verse – 34 of 286, section -4

And when We said unto the angels: Prostrate yourselves before Adam, they fell prostrate, all save Iblis. He demurred through pride, and so became a disbeliever.

Wa ‘iz qulnaa lil- malaaa-‘ikatis-judduu  li-‘Aadama fasajaduuu ‘illaaa ‘Ibliis ‘abaa wastakbara wa kaana minal-kaafiriin.

Lesson

As-judduu – (Prostrate yourselves) literally and particularly in the Divine precepts of religion Sajdah means prostration; to bow the body and place the forehead on the ground; prayer. Sajdah is the most venerable token so according to the Divine’s Law Sajdah is forbidden for anyone except Allah Almighty. In this verse aim of prostrate to the Adam (peace be upon Him) is that the Angels (peace be upon Them) bow their heads towards the Adam to accept His superiority and reverence for His respect. If we take its meanings in accord with the Divine then also its aim is to prostrate to the God Almighty keeping their faces towards the Adam (peace be upon Him) because here meanings of the word li-‘Aadama are ‘towards the Adam’ and not (prostrate) for Adam (peace be upon Him)

  ‘Ibliis – (Satan, devil) literal meanings of this word are ‘hopeless’. This ‘Ibliis was not an Angel but He was a demon created from the Fire. Because the Angel is a heavenly spirit, so it can not be hoped that the Angels will refuse, disagree, deny or violate the Order of God Almighty. Satan was included in the community of the Angels due to His worship and obedience of Allah Almighty.

‘abaa Wastakbara-(He demurred through pride) the Devil ‘Satan’ disobeyed intentionally and took pride.

When it was cleared that the Adam (peace be upon Him) was superior to the Angels due to His knowledge and rank, and was rightful of the Caliphate of God on the earth, then Allah Almighty ordered to the Angels to bow towards the Adam (peace be upon them) admitting His grandeur.

Obeying the order of God all the Angels prostrated of course the devil demurred and said, “I am created from the fire and the Adam is created from the mud so I shall not prostrate towards the Adam” (peace be upon Him).

Due to denying the order of God the Ibliis became infidel and He was forfeited from the Mercy of Allah Almighty. He lost the vicinity of God and fell in the reproach of God, and was fixed in the deserving anguish.

Transliteration in Roman Script, English Translation by Marmaduke Pickthall, Published by Paak Company, 17-Urdu Bazar, Lahore and Paraphrase collected from Dars e Qur’aan published By Idara Islah wa Tableegh, Lahore (translated by Muhammad Sharif Fauji)