The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 525
PT. 8 AL-A'RĀF descendants of the Adam about whom the Quran speaks in the verse under comment. See also 2:31. As already pointed out, events which cannot be literally shown to have occurred on this earth must be regarded as having taken place in a figurative sense. That figurative language has actually been used in this narrative is clear from the following facts: to 1. The angels were bidden perform (falling prostrate before Adam) which is not permissible for any being other than God. So God could not command the angels to fall prostrate before Adam in the literal sense of the words. These words must, therefore, be taken only in the figurative sense, i. e. that of submitting and rendering every kind of help. This is why the Arabic has here been translated as "submit to", which is a perfectly correct rendering according to the figurative idiom of the Arabic language. اسجدوا expression 2. The command to fall prostrate before Adam was given to the angels only; but Iblis who is not an angel, is also apparently included in it; which proves this inclusion also to be a figurative one. 3. Iblis is represented in the Quran as having been created from fire (7:13), and he is also described as being one of the (jinn), which signifies an invisible creation (18:51). So he must have been invisible to Adam who was in all respects like other human beings. But he is here represented as having appeared to 965 CH. 7 Adam in a visible form and having talked to him face to face. This shows that the word (Satan) has been used in the following verses in a figurative sense, and that it does not refer to the Evil One which tempts men. 4. It is said that when Adam and his wife tasted of the forbidden tree, their nakedness became manifest to them. But we know of no tree on this earth the tasting of which has the property of making a person realize his nakedness. So we will have to take 'the tree' and 'the nakedness' also in a figurative sense. 5. We are told in 20:119 that when God placed Adam in the garden, He told him that he would not become naked therein. But in 7:23 we are told that he did, in fact, become naked. So one of the two statements will have to be taken figuratively. The straight and simple meaning of the verse is only this: the angels are bidden to submit to Adam and to help him in his work. This commandment was given to the angels when Adam was made a Prophet. As one of the functions of the angels is to exhort men to do virtuous deeds, they were commanded to help Adam by instilling good ideas into the minds of men and exhorting them to accept Adam as a Messenger of God. The chief angel is Gabriel. Similarly, there are evil spirits whose chief is Iblis. The evil spirits make evil suggestions to men and incite them to disobey God. So, while the angels in obedience to God's command submitted to Adam, Iblis, chief of the