“…to be among those who prostrate.” (11)

He said, “What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you?” He replied, “I am better than he; You created me from fire, whereas You created him from clay.” (al-Aʿrāf 7:11-12)

Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī said, “Iblīs resorted to analogy (qiyās), and he was the first to do so.”

Muḥammad ibn Sīrīn said, “The very first to employ analogy was Iblīs, and the sun and the moon were worshipped only because of [faulty] analogical reasoning.” Both reports are related by Ibn Jarīr.(1)

The point is that he compared himself with Adam, judged himself to be superior, and therefore refused to prostrate despite the explicit command directed to him and to all the angels. Any analogy that contradicts a revealed text is invalid, and in this case the analogy was flawed in itself: clay is more beneficial and nobler than fire, for clay is marked by steadiness, forbearance, patience, and the potential for growth, whereas fire is typified by recklessness, volatility, speed, and the power to burn.

Moreover, Allah honored Adam by creating him with His own Hand and breathing into him of His Spirit; for this reason He commanded the angels to prostrate before him, as He says:

“When your Lord said to the angels, ‘Indeed, I am creating a human being from dried clay, molded from dark mud. (28) So when I have fashioned him and breathed into him of My Spirit, fall down in prostration before him.’ (29) Thereupon the angels prostrated—all of them together— (30) except Iblīs; he refused to be among those who prostrated. (31) He said, ‘O Iblīs, what is the matter with you that you are not among those who prostrate?’ (32) He said, ‘I could never prostrate to a human being whom You created from dried clay, molded from dark mud.’ (33) He said, ‘Then get out of it, for you are accursed, (34) and upon you rests the curse until the Day of Judgment.’” (al-Ḥijr 15:28-35)

Iblīs deserved this sentence from Allah, exalted be He, because his attitude inevitably entailed belittling Adam, scorning him, and arrogantly elevating himself above him in defiance of the divine command and in opposition to the explicit wording that singled Adam out. He then set about offering an excuse that availed him nothing; indeed, his excuse was worse than the sin itself, as the Most High says in Sūrat al-Isrāʾ:

“And when We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate yourselves before Adam,’ they all prostrated except Iblīs. He said, ‘Shall I prostrate to one You created from clay?’ (61) He said, ‘Do You see this one whom You have honored above me? If You delay me until the Day of Resurrection, I will surely lead his descendants astray, all but a few.’ (62) He said, ‘Go, and whoever of them follows you—then Hell shall be your recompense, an ample recompense. (63) And incite whoever you can among them with your voice; rally against them your cavalry and your infantry; share with them in wealth and children, and make promises to them—but Satan promises them nothing but delusion. (64) As for My servants, you shall have no authority over them. Your Lord suffices as a Guardian.’” (al-Isrāʾ 17:61-65)

And He says in Sūrat al-Kahf: “And when We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate yourselves before Adam,’ they all prostrated except Iblīs; he was one of the jinn, and he defied the command of his Lord.” (al-Kahf 18:50)

That is, he abandoned obedience to Allah deliberately and obstinately, arrogantly refusing to carry out the command. His nature betrayed him; the corrupt substance from which he was made asserted itself at the very moment he most needed it—he was created from fire, as he himself said.

As we have already cited from Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim,(2) on the authority of ʿĀʾishah, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“The angels were created from light; the jinn were created from a smokeless flame of fire; and Adam was created from what has been described to you.”

Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī said, “Iblīs was never, not even for the blink of an eye, one of the angels.”

Shahr ibn Ḥawshab said, “He was from among the jinn; when they spread corruption on the earth, Allah sent against them an army of angels …”