Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 12

(Ayah 12) ➊ {قَالَ مَا مَنَعَكَ اَلَّا تَسْجُدَ اِذْ اَمَرْتُكَ:} Here, {’’ اَلَّا ‘‘} is for emphasis and stress; the proof of this is that in Surah Sad (75) it is said: «{مَا مَنَعَكَ اَنْ تَسْجُدَ} » "What prevented you from prostrating?" And here it is: "What prevented you that, because of its preventing, you did not prostrate."
➋ This resolves the difficulty that the command to prostrate was given to the angels, Iblis was from among the jinn, he was not an angel, so why was he considered disobedient? Strange and peculiar answers have been given to this. From this verse, it is understood that besides the angels, Iblis was specifically addressed and commanded.
➌ { خَلَقْتَنِيْ مِنْ نَّارٍ:} Fire is superior to clay, and how can the superior prostrate to the inferior? He did not consider Who was giving the command, but instead, in the presence of Allah’s clear command, he relied on analogical reasoning; as a result, he was rejected and Allah’s wrath descended upon him. That is why the scholars say that the first person who made an analogy in the presence of a clear command was Iblis. Ibn Sirin said that the foundation of shirk was also analogy. (Tabari) Even now, whoever, in opposition to the verses and hadiths, relies on such analogical reasoning, his action is satanic, and his end will be the same as that of Iblis.
➍ {وَ خَلَقْتَهٗ مِنْ طِيْنٍ:} Here, Satan made several mistakes: firstly, it is wrong to say that the superior cannot prostrate to the inferior. The matter is not of superiority or inferiority, but of command, and Allah can command whomever He wills as He wills. Secondly, his claim that he is better than Adam is also wrong, because the honor and dignity that Allah granted to Adam (peace be upon him) by creating him with His own hands was not granted to any other creature. That is why it is said: «مَا مَنَعَكَ اَنْ تَسْجُدَ لِمَا خَلَقْتُ بِيَدَيَّ » [صۤ : ۷۵ ] "What prevented you from prostrating to the one whom I created with My two hands?" And thirdly, it is also wrong to say that fire is better than clay, because fire has the qualities of haste, burning, and flaring up, while clay has the qualities of humility, being a place of settlement, growing, and increasing. Even now, those who make analogies in opposition to the Quran and Hadith, if they reflect a little, it will be easy to understand the corruption and invalidity of such reasoning.

12. 1 In "ان لا تسجدوا", the "لا" is extra, meaning "ان تسجد" — Who forbade you from prostrating? Or the phrase is omitted, meaning: What compelled you to not prostrate? Shaytan was not from the angels, but according to the explicit statement of the Quran, he was from the jinn (الكهف: 50). However, due to residing in the heavens with the angels, he was included in the command of prostration that Allah gave to the angels. Therefore, he was questioned and rebuked. If he had not been included in this command, he would not have been questioned nor declared accursed.

12. 2 Shaytan's excuse is "an excuse for sin worse than the sin itself." Firstly, his understanding that the superior cannot be commanded to honor the inferior is incorrect, because the main thing is Allah's command; to argue about superiority or inferiority in the face of Allah's command is rebellion against Allah. Secondly, he gave the reason for being better that he was created from fire and Adam from clay. But he ignored the honor and greatness that Adam (AS) received: Allah created him with His own hand and breathed into him from His spirit. Can anything in the world compare to this honor? Thirdly, he used analogy in the face of explicit text, which is not the way of anyone who believes in Allah, and this analogy was also corrupt. How is fire better than clay? Fire has nothing but speed, flaring, and burning, whereas clay has calmness and stability, and the ability for growth, increase, and improvement. These qualities are certainly better and more beneficial than fire. From this verse, it is known that Shaytan was created from fire, as is also mentioned in the hadith: "The angels were created from light, Iblis from the flame of fire, and Adam (AS) from clay."

Allah asked him, "What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you?" He replied, "I am better than him; You created me from fire [11] and created him from clay."

[11]
Comparison of the Properties of Fire and Clay:

Iblis thought that fire is superior to clay because fire is subtle and clay is dense. Fire rises from below to above, while clay falls from above to below. Fire can change its shape and color, but clay does not possess this quality without great effort. After this apparent superiority, if we look at the outcome, fire burns everything and destroys it, whereas from clay grow plants, all kinds of fruits, grains, and trees. The nature of fire is rebellious, while the nature of clay is humility and modesty. It was due to this nature of fire that Iblis disobeyed Allah and chose the path of arrogance, thus becoming accursed and rejected by Allah. When Adamؑ disobeyed Allah, he sought forgiveness for his sin and became one of those close to Allah. Some scholars, by comparing fire and clay, have declared clay superior to fire for these reasons.