so Allah changed his condition and said, ‘Get out of it’—and the rest of the verse.”

This statement, besides the heresy it contains, falsely represents both Adam and Iblīs. Adam acknowledged that he himself had committed the sin and wronged himself, and he repented of it. He did not say, “Allah wronged me,” or, “Allah inwardly commanded me to eat.” Allah Most High says:

“Then Adam received words from his Lord, and He accepted his repentance. Indeed, He is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.”

And Allah Most High says:

“They said, ‘Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers.’”

Iblīs, however, persisted and invoked divine decree as a justification, saying:

“My Lord, because You have led me astray, I will surely make disobedience attractive to them on earth, and I will mislead them all.”

As for his statement, “He regarded him as other than Allah and did not prostrate,” this is worse than invoking divine decree as a justification. It is the position of the heretical advocates of the unity of existence, and it falsely represents Iblīs. Iblīs did not refuse to prostrate because Adam was other than Allah. Rather, he said:

“I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay.”

Nor were the angels commanded to prostrate because Adam was not other than Allah. Rather, the distinction between the angels and Adam is established and well known. Allah Most High says:

“And He taught Adam the names—all of them. Then He presented them to the angels and said, ‘Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful.’”

“They said, ‘Exalted are You; we have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, You are the Knowing, the Wise.’”

Both the angels and Adam acknowledged that Allah is separate from them and that they are other than Him. Thus, they called upon Him as a servant calls upon his Lord. Adam says:

“Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves.”

The angels say:

“We have no knowledge except what You have taught us.”

And they say:

“Our Lord, You encompass all things in mercy and knowledge, so forgive those who have repented and followed Your way, and protect them from the punishment of Hellfire”—and the rest of the verse.

Allah Most High has said:

“Say, ‘Is it other than Allah that you order me to worship, O ignorant ones?’”

And Allah Most High says:

“Shall I take as a protector anyone other than Allah