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In perdition. for that they Wrongfully treated Our Signs. It is We Who have Placed you with authority On earth. and provided You therein with means For the fulfilment of your life:'I'!~ Small arc the thanks That ye give! SECTION 2. 11. It is We Who created you And gave you shape:99£> Then We bade the angels Prostrate to Adam, and they Prostrated, not so Iblis; He refused to be of those 'l'!7 Who prostrate, 12. (Allah) said: "What prevented Thee from prostrating When I commanded theeT He said: "I am better Than he: Thou didst create Me from fire. lind him from c1ay".99H
995. Thai is. all the material things which ilre necessilry to suslain. beilulify••md refine life. liS well liS all those powers. fllculties. and opportunities which arc inslrumentlll in bringing up life to a higher plilne and prepilring man for his high destiny. 996. II WilS after Adam (as standing for illI milnkind) had been so tilught that the angels were ilsked 10 prostrate to him. for, by Allith's grace, his status had actually heen raised higher. Note the transition from "you" (plural) in the first clause to "Adam" in the second clause: Adam and mankind arc synonymous: the plural is reverted to in vii. 14. 16-111. 997. Iblis not only refused to bow down: he refused to be of Ihose who proslmled. In other words he arrogantly despised the ilngels who prostrated as well as man to whom they prostrated and he was in rebellion ilgilinst Allah for not obeying His order. Arrogance. jeillousy. and rebellion were his triple crime. 998. Notice the subtle wiles of Iblis: his egotism in putting himself lIho\'e man. and his falsehood in ignoring the facl that Allah had not merely made man's hody from clay. but had given him spiritual form.-in other words. had taught him the nature of Ihings and raised him above the angels.
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