Saad (The letter Saad)

71. “When your Lord said to the angels: ‘I am about to create a mortal out of mire.”

72. “When I have completed him and breathed into him of My spirit, fall you down in prostration unto him.”

73. “Then the angels did fall prostrating all together,”

74. “Save Iblis, he was proud and he was of the disbelievers.”

It has been narrated from the Messenger of Allah (S) who said:

“Allah created Adam and set Ahl-ul-Bayt in his progeny and it was for honouring us that He issued the command of prostration. Then the fact that Adam was prostrated it was servitude to Allah and respect for Adam, because we were in his loin.”

As we said before, these verses are as an explanation upon

“The dispute of the High Council”

and Iblis, as well as a talk about the creation of Adam and, on the whole, the aim of the statement of this event is that, firstly, to remind humankind that their entity is so valuable that all angels fell themselves in prostration for their grand father, Adam (as).

With this great dignity, how man becomes captive in the grips of Satan and the carnal desire? How does he leave his own great value, or prostrate before a piece of stone and wood?

In principle, one of the effective methods in training, is to give personality unto the persons who are being trained, or, in a more correct meaning, their high and valuable personality should be remind them and it is in such circumstances that man feels that lowliness and deviation is not suitable for his rank, and spontaneously he abdicates it.

Secondly, the obstinacy, pride, haughtiness, and envy of Satan caused him to fall down from the peak of honour forever and to encounter the curse of Allah. This can be a warning for all obstinate and proud persons so that they take a lesson and abandon the Satan’s manner.

Thirdly, it informs of the existence of such a great enemy who swore to beguile man, so that everybody be aware not to fall in his trap.

All these clear matters are as a complement to the former discussions.

However, the first verse mentioned in the above says you may remember:

“When your Lord said to the angels: ‘I am about to create a mortal out of mire.”

But in order that it would not be considered that the man’s entity is the same as the dimension of his being from soil, in the next verse, it says:

“When I have completed him and breathed into him of My spirit, fall you down in prostration unto him.”

In the third verse it indicates that in this way the creation of man ended and the spirit of Allah and the dark clay (mire) both were mixed with together and a wonderful being, whose ascent and descent were both limitless, was created. He was an extraordinary talented being who could be worthy of the rank of Allah’s deputy, who came into the world of existence.

The verse says:

“Then the angels did fall prostrating all together,”

All angels without an exception fell in prostration and found that the Creator is worthy of being worshipped Who is Mighty in all things and can produce such a beautiful being from some fluid and clay.

Then in the fourth verse it adds:

“Save Iblis, he was proud and he was of the disbelievers.”

Yes, the worst calamity of man is this very pride which casts the dark curtains of ignorance over his seeing eyes and deprives him from understanding the facts. It makes him disobey and causes him to be sent out from the row of the believers, which is the row of the obedient servants of Allah, and sets him in the row of the pagans, which is the row of disobedient ones, in the same manner that He set ’Iblis.