Tazkirul Quran, Qur’an 17:61–62
The Night Journey (Al-Isra’)
By Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
English text; the translator is not named in the archive’s data.
Translation
(61) When We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate yourselves before Adam,’ they all prostrated themselves except Iblis. He said, ‘Am I to prostrate myself to someone You have created out of clay?’ (62) and [further] said, ‘Do you see this being whom You have exalted above me? If You reprieve me until the Day of Resurrection, I will bring all but a few of his descendents under my sway.’
Commentary
(a) The story of the angels and Satan shows the difference between the believers and the unbelievers. The believers see the truth as truth, therefore they do not find any difficulty in understanding it. They take no time in accepting it, just as the angels did at the time of the birth of Adam.
On the other hand, there is another category consisting of those who see the truth in relation only to their own selves. This is how Satan saw the truth—in relation to his own self. Since the command to prostrate himself before Adam appeared to make him a lesser being than Adam, Satan refused to comply. Seen in the context of the challenge given by Satan to God, everyone who ignores the truth because acceptance of the truth would amount to belittling his own position, has fallen a prey to Satan.