Why Did The Angels Prostrate To Adam
Selections from the Book The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him …
Written by Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi...
Episode (72)
Some people ask: Why did the angels prostrate to Adam?
We say that Allah Almighty has made the entire universe subservient to Adam and his descendants. Among these are the angels who manage affairs and execute Allah's commands concerning humans, and the recorders who write down everything that happens among people. Therefore, the prostration of the angels can be seen as a prostration of familiarity and recognition, as those who prostrated were the ones assigned to serve humanity on Earth. As for the exalted angels who are closest to Allah, they did not prostrate, as evidenced by Allah’s statement to Iblees when he refused to prostrate: {Were you arrogant [then], or were you [already] among the haughty?"} [Sad: 75]. This refers to the exalted angels who were not included in the command to prostrate. Thus, the prostration to Adam was by Allah's command and was an act of obedience to Him Almighty.
As for Sheikh Salman Al-Ouda, he stated that all the angels who were commanded to prostrate did so collectively without exception: {So the angels prostrated - all of them entirely,} [Sad: 73].
Was the command to prostrate directed to all the angels, or only to some of them who are assigned to the human experience, such as those involved in blowing the spirit, protection, and recording?
The apparent context suggests that all the angels were commanded to prostrate, and they did so, including the angels of the earth and the angels of the heavens, as well as the noblest of angels such as Gabriel, Michael, and Israfil. The command allows for various interpretations. Prostration is a voluntary act of obedience to the singular Command of Allah Almighty. Throughout all the revelations, prostration on the forehead has been one of the greatest manifestations of submission and servitude to Allah Almighty.
On the authority of Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “When a son of Adam recites a Sajdah and prostrates, Satan withdraws weeping, saying: ‘Woe is me! The son of Adam was commanded to prostrate and he prostrated, and Paradise will be his; I was commanded to prostrate and I refused, so I am doomed to Hell.”
Al-Qurtubi said: "The weeping of Iblees mentioned in the hadith is not a sign of remorse for his disobedience or a return from it; rather, it is due to his intense envy and pain over the fact that one of Adam's descendants has entered Paradise and been saved. This is similar to what he experiences during the call to prayer, the iqamah, and on the Day of Arafah."
Returning to Paradise passes through the gateway of prostration. The more one lowers their forehead in prostration, the higher their rank rises, as we have discussed. On the Day of Judgment, people will be called to prostrate; the believers will prostrate, while others will attempt to do so but will not be able to. Their backs will refuse to bend to Allah, even though they had often bent for others.
Scholars have differed on whether all the angels were commanded to prostrate to Adam or only some of them. Some scholars stated that those commanded were not all the angels but rather a portion of them. Within this group, there were further disagreements regarding which specific angels were ordered to prostrate to Adam. Some said they were the angels of the heavens, while others said they were the angels of the earth, and others had different opinions altogether.
Al-Razi stated: The majority holds that all the angels were commanded to prostrate to Adam. They supported this view by arguing that the term 'angels' is a collective noun, which implies generality, especially since this term appears coupled with the strongest forms of affirmation in the statement: {So the angels prostrated - all of them entirely,} [Sad: 73].
Ibn Kathir stated: The apparent meaning of the noble verse is generality: {So the angels prostrated - all of them entirely, (73) Except Iblees; (74)} [Sad: 73-74].
These are four points reinforcing the generality, and Allah knows best:
- The definite article {the}: The use of "the angels'' indicates all angels, implying totality.
- Confirmation with the word {all of them}: This term is one of the expressions of generality.
- Emphasis with the word "entirely": This term is also one of the expressions of generality, and the strong confirmation of confirmation is one of the strongest forms of generality, indicating that none of them failed to prostrate.
- The exclusion of Iblees: Allah specifically mentions Iblees as an exception, indicating that everyone else was included in the command to prostrate.
- Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi, The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him, pp. 520-523.
- Al-Razi’s interpretation, 2/22.
- Ibn Kathir’s interpretation, 1/223.
- The Great Interpretation, Keys to the Unseen, Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, Dar Ihya al-Turath, Beirut, Lebanon, 1995, 2/22.
- The Story of Adam, Abu Bakr, p. 117.
- My father taught me, Al-Awda, p. 147.
- Stories of the Prophets, Al-Shaarawy, 1/17.
For further information and review of the sources for the article, see:
The Book of The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him on the official website of Sheikh Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi:
