Surah Al-Hijr Verse 31

وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَـئِكَةِ إِنِّى خَـلِقٌ بَشَرًا مِّن صَلْصَـلٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ - فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِى فَقَعُواْ لَهُ سَـجِدِينَ - فَسَجَدَ الْمَلَـئِكَةُ كُلُّهُمْ أَجْمَعُونَ - إِلاَّ إِبْلِيسَ أَبَى أَن يَكُونَ مَعَ السَّـجِدِينَ - قَالَ يإِبْلِيسُ مَا لَكَ أَلاَّ تَكُونَ مَعَ السَّـجِدِينَ - قَالَ لَمْ أَكُن لاًّسْجُدَ لِبَشَرٍ خَلَقْتَهُ مِن صَلْصَـلٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ

(28. And (remember) when your Lord said to the angels: "I am going to create a man (Adam) from dried (sounding) clay of altered mud. '')

(29. "So, when I have fashioned him completely and breathed into him (Adam) of My spirit (the soul which I created for him,) then fall down, prostrating yourselves before him.'')

(30. So the angels prostrated themselves, all of them together.)

(31. Except Iblis (Shaytan) - he refused to be among the prostrate.)

(32. (Allah) said: "O Iblis! What is your reason for not being among the prostrate'' (33. Iblis said: "I am not one to prostrate myself to a human, whom You created from dried (sounding) clay of altered mud.'')

The creation of Adam, the Command to the Angels to prostrate to Him, and the Rebellion of Iblis

Allah informs us of how He mentioned Adam to His angels before He created him, and how He honored him by commanding the angels to prostrate to him. He mentions how His enemy Iblis, amidst all the angels, refused to prostrate to him out of envy, disbelief, stubbornness, arrogance, and false pride. This is why Iblis said:

لَمْ أَكُن لاًّسْجُدَ لِبَشَرٍ خَلَقْتَهُ مِن صَلْصَـلٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ

(I am not one to prostrate myself to a human, whom You created from dried (sounding) clay of altered mud.) this is like when he said,

أَنَاْ خَيْرٌ مِّنْهُ خَلَقْتَنِي مِن نَّارٍ وَخَلَقْتَهُ مِن طِينٍ

(I am better than him (Adam), You created me from Fire and him You created from clay.)(7:12) and

أَرَءَيْتَكَ هَـذَا الَّذِى كَرَّمْتَ عَلَىَّ

("Do you see this one whom You have honored above me...'') 17:62