Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran - 2:34

Translation for 2:34

And ˹remember˺ when We said to the angels, “Prostrate before Adam,”1 so they all did—but not Iblîs,2 who refused and acted arrogantly,3 becoming unfaithful.

Foot notes

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 The command to prostrate was a test of obedience. Satan arrogantly refused to comply because he believed he was superior to Adam—arguing that Adam was made of mud while Satan was made of fire (see 7:12).

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 Prostration in this verse does not mean worship, but an act of respect. A similar occurrence can be found in Sûrah 12, where Jacob (ﷺ), his wife, and his eleven children knelt down before Joseph (ﷺ).

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 Iblîs was the name of Satan before his fall from grace. Iblîs was not an angel, but one of the jinn (see 18:50). Jinn are another creation of Allah, similar to humans in that they—unlike angels—have free will, but are made of smokeless fire and live in another plane of existence.