and his offspring as allies instead of Me, while they are enemies to you? How wretched a substitute for the wrongdoers! (18:50)

I did not make them witness the creation of the heavens and the earth, nor even their own creation… (18:51)
(al-Kahf 18:50–51)

The Exalted One also said:
“We had already taken a covenant from Adam beforehand, but he forgot, and We found in him no firm resolve. (115)
And when We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate yourselves before Adam,’ they all prostrated except Iblīs; he refused. (116)
So We said, ‘O Adam, this one is indeed an enemy to you and to your wife. Let him not drive the two of you out of the Garden, or you will suffer. (117)
Surely you will not go hungry therein nor be naked, (118)
nor will you thirst therein nor be scorched by the sun.’ (119)
Then Satan whispered to him, saying, ‘O Adam, shall I lead you to the tree of everlasting life and a kingdom that never fades?’ (120)
So they both ate of it, whereupon their nakedness became apparent to them, and they began to fasten together leaves from the Garden over themselves. Thus Adam disobeyed his Lord and strayed. (121)
Thereafter his Lord chose him, turned to him in mercy, and guided him. (122)
He said, ‘Go down from here, all of you, being enemies to one another. When guidance comes to you from Me, whoever follows My guidance will never go astray nor suffer. (123)
But whoever turns away from My remembrance will have a life of hardship, and on the Day of Resurrection We shall raise him blind.’ (124)
He will say, ‘My Lord, why have You raised me blind when I once could see?’ (125)
He will say, ‘Thus did Our signs come to you, but you ignored them; and so today you yourself will be ignored.’ (126)
(Ṭā Hā 20:115–126)

And He said:
“Say, ‘It is a momentous message (67)
from which you turn away. (68)
I had no knowledge of the exalted assembly when they were disputing; (69)
it is only revealed to me that I am a clear warner.’ (70)
[Remember] when your Lord said to the angels, ‘I am creating a human being from clay; (71)
when I have fashioned him and breathed into him of My spirit, fall down before him in prostration.’ (72)
So the angels prostrated, all of them together, (73)
except Iblīs; he waxed proud and became one of the disbelievers. (74)
He said, ‘O Iblīs, what prevented you from prostrating to what I created with My own hands? Were you arrogant, or are you among the exalted?’ (75)
He said, ‘I am better than he; You created me from fire, and You created him from clay.’ (76)
He said, ‘Then get out of here, for you are accursed, (77)
and upon you shall rest My curse until the Day of Judgment.’ (78)
He said, ‘My Lord, then grant me respite until the day they are resurrected.’ (79)
He said, ‘You are of those granted respite (80)
until the Day of the appointed time.’ (81)
He said, ‘By Your might, I will surely lead them all astray, (82)
except Your devoted servants among them.’ (83)
He said, ‘The truth is—and only the truth I speak— (84)
I will surely fill Hell with you and with all who follow you, all together.’ (85)
Say, ‘I ask of you no reward for this, nor am I one to invent. (86)
It is but a reminder to all the worlds, (87)
and you shall surely come to know its news in due time.’ (88)
(Ṣād 38:67–88)

These are the various Qur’ānic passages in which this story is related. We have discussed each of them at length in the commentary; here we shall present the substance of what these noble verses indicate, together with the ḥadīths transmitted from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on the subject. In Allah do we place our reliance.

The Exalted informed us that He addressed the angels, saying, “I am placing a vicegerent on earth” (al-Baqarah 2:30), fully aware of what He intended to create of Adam and his progeny, who would succeed one another generation after generation, as He says, “It is He who has made you successors upon the earth” (al-Anʿām 6:165), and, “and He appoints you inheritors of the earth” (al-Naml 27:62). He apprised them of this in order to magnify the creation of Adam and his descendants, just as one announces a momentous affair before it occurs. The angels therefore asked—seeking insight into the divine wisdom, not out of objection, belittlement, or envy, as some ignorant commentators have imagined—“Will You place in it those who will spread corruption therein and shed blood?” (al-Baqarah 2:30).