“And when your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.” They said, “Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we exalt You with praise and declare Your perfection?” He [Allah] said, “Indeed, I know that which you do not know.” And He taught Adam the names – all of them. Then He showed them to the angels and said, “Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful.” They said, “Exalted are You; we have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, it is You who is the Knowing, the Wise.” He said, “O Adam, inform them of their names.” And when he had informed them of their names, He said, “Did I not tell you that I know the unseen [aspects] of the heavens and the earth? And I know what you reveal and what you have concealed.” And [mention] when We said to the angels, “Prostrate before Adam”; so they prostrated, except for Iblees. He refused and was arrogant and became of the disbelievers.”
These verses outline the purpose of mankind, namely, representing Allah, the Exalted, on Earth. This involves using the blessings one has been granted in ways pleasing to Him, as outlined in the Holy Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. Muslims must fulfill their roles as the ambassadors of Allah, the Exalted, so that the true face of Islam is shown to the world. This became a duty on every muslim the moment they consciously accepted Islam as their faith. The same way a king would not be pleased with their disobedient ambassador, neither will Allah, the Exalted, be pleased with those muslims who fail to represent Him correctly. Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 30:
“And when your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.”…”
The fact that no worldly authority ever lasts on the Earth, a muslim must therefore not delay fulfilling their role as the ambassador of Allah, the Exalted, to a later stage in their life they may not reach.
As indicated by verse 30, when one fails to fulfil their purpose of representing Allah, the Exalted, on Earth, it will cause them to misuse the blessings they have been granted. As a result, they will violate the rights of Allah, the Exalted, and people. This only leads to corruption within society. Only when one sincerely obeys Allah, the Exalted, by using the blessings they have been granted in ways pleasing to Him, as outlined in the Holy Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, will they fulfill the rights of Allah, the Exalted, and people. This will cause the spread of peace and justice within society. Behaving in this manner is how one praises and declares the perfection of Allah, the Exalted, on Earth. Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 30:
“And when your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.” They said, “Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we exalt You with praise and declare Your perfection?”…”
The response of the Angels was not a criticism of the plan of Allah, the Exalted, as they are purified of behaving in such a manner. They were simply admitting their lack of knowledge and understanding on the purpose of the creation of mankind. Admitting one’s lack of knowledge and understanding is an important aspect of humility. No matter how much knowledge one may possess it will always be small compared to what they could learn. Chapter 12 Yusuf, verse 76:
“…but over every possessor of knowledge is one [more] knowing.”
Admitting one’s ignorance is also an important aspect of teaching and guiding others. One should never be shy to admit that they lack knowledge, as intentionally providing incorrect knowledge to others can lead to sins. This has been indicated in a Hadith found in Jami At Tirmidhi, number 2674. This humility of the Angels is further highlighted in the later verses of this chapter. Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 32:
“They said, “Exalted are You; we have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, it is You who is the Knowing, the Wise.””
Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 30:
“And when your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.” They said, “Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we exalt You with praise and declare Your perfection?”…”
The reaction of the Angels also highlights their love and obedience for Allah, the Exalted. They did not desire for anyone within the creation to disobey Allah, the Exalted. They instead desired for all the creation to sincerely obey Him, just like they did. Chapter 66 At Tahrim, verse 6:
“…they [the angels] do not disobey Allāh in what He commands them but do what they are commanded.”
Adopting this type of guarded jealousy of the obedience of Allah, the Exalted, is something muslims must adopt. They should not allow themselves nor others to disobey Him. They should strive hard to sincerely obey Him, by using the blessings He has granted them in ways pleasing to Him, as outlined in the Holy Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and sincerely repent whenever they happen to commit sins. Sincere repentance involves feeling guilty, seeking the forgiveness of Allah, the Exalted, and anyone who has been wronged, as long as this will not lead to further trouble, sincerely promising to avoid committing the same or similar sin again and making up for any rights which have been violated in respect to Allah, the Exalted, and people. They should also gently command good and forbid evil according to the manners and etiquettes taught by Islam. Just like the Angels spoke up against the potential disobedience mankind could commit, muslims must speak up against the disobedience of others, especially their relatives. One must remember that a rotten apple will always corrupt others, as people adopt the characteristics of their companions. This has been warned in a Hadith found in Sahih Bukhari, number 5534. Therefore, if one ignores the disobedience of others, even if they sincerely obey Allah, the Exalted, then eventually they will be affected negatively by their behaviour. This has been warned in a Hadith found in Sahih Bukhari, number 2686. Only when one commands good and forbids evil correctly will they be protected from the negative effects of the disobedient and pardoned on the Day of Judgment. Chapter 7 Al A’raf, verse 164:
“And when a community among them said, “Why do you advise [or warn] a people whom Allāh is [about] to destroy or to punish with a severe punishment?” they [the advisors] said, “To be absolved before your Lord and perhaps they may fear Him.””
But if one only cares about themself and ignores the actions of others, it is feared that the negative effects of others may well lead to their misguidance.
Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 30:
“And when your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.” They said, “Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we exalt You with praise and declare Your perfection?” He [Allah] said, “Indeed, I know that which you do not know.””
It is important to note that this verse makes it clear that asking questions to someone in authority and superiority is acceptable in Islam, as long as good manners are shown. Allah, the Exalted, did not become angry with the response of the Angels, even though He had full right to become angry, as His knowledge, wisdom and will cannot be understood nor fathomed by any other. This completely contradicts the attitude of many muslims who advocate the importance of completely and utterly obeying one’s spiritual teacher in every situation without question. This incorrect attitude was only formed by those who desire leadership and superiority over others. If Allah, the Exalted, being the Lord of the worlds, did not get annoyed by the Angels question, then how can any mortal and weak creature become annoyed at someone questioning them? The correct attitude was understood and acted upon by the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, the guides of mankind. They would regularly question each other whenever they disagreed over a matter, even if they were questioning someone considered senior to themself. But in every case they maintained respect and good manners when they did so. A very famous example is when many Companions, including Umar Ibn Khattab, questioned the first Caliph of Islam, Abu Bakr Siddique, may Allah be pleased with them, regarding his decision to fight the muslims who refused to donate the obligatory charity. Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, was not offended by being questioned, he simply explained his reasoning to them and they accepted it after the matter was clarified to them. This has been discussed in Hadiths found in Sahih Bukhari, numbers 7284 and 7285. Muslims must therefore avoid those people who advocate such strange and non-Islamic concepts and instead adopt an attitude whereby they question others in a respectful manner in order to obtain beneficial knowledge. This has been indicated in Chapter 12 Yusuf, verse 7:
“Certainly were there in Joseph and his brothers signs for those who ask.”
Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 30:
“…They said, “Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we exalt You with praise and declare Your perfection?” He [Allah] said, “Indeed, I know that which you do not know.””
Generally speaking, it is always important for a muslim to understand and accept their very limited knowledge and foresight when dealing with life and what it brings. They must understand that Allah, the Exalted, chooses the best things for them according to His infinite knowledge, not according to the very limited knowledge or desires of people. The duty of a muslim is to simply remain sincerely obedient to Him, by showing patience in times of difficulties, which involves avoiding complaining verbally or physically and maintaining one’s sincere obedience to Him, and by showing gratitude in times of ease, which involves using the blessings one has been granted in ways pleasing to Him. The one who behaves in this manner will travel through each situation with peace of mind and blessings. This has been advised in a Hadith found in Sahih Muslim, number 7500. Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 216:
“…But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah knows, while you know not.”
In addition, instead of showing anger towards His Angels, Allah, the Exalted, reminded them of His infinite knowledge and wisdom and hinted that He would reveal the reason of creating something which had the potential to disobey Him. Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 31:
“And He taught Adam the names – all of them…”
The specific knowledge granted to the Holy Prophet Adam, peace be upon him, has not been mentioned as it is not required to learn lessons from this event. This is an important lesson to understand when studying religious knowledge. One must seek and question in order to gain knowledge but their seeking and questioning must be on topics which are relevant and beneficial to them. Put simply, if a particular topic or issue will be questioned about on Judgement Day, such as donating the obligatory charity, one must seek out and act upon this knowledge. But if something will not be questioned about on Judgement Day, such as the specific knowledge granted to the Holy Prophet Adam, peace be upon him, then they should avoid seeking this knowledge, as it is not relevant to them.
The thing to note is that Allah, the Exalted, granted the Holy Prophet Adam, peace be upon him, useful knowledge. The Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, has advised in a Hadith found in Jami At Tirmidhi, number 2645, that when Allah, the Exalted, desires good for someone He grants them Islamic knowledge. Each person must follow in the footsteps of their ancestor, the Holy Prophet Adam, peace be upon him, by seeking and acting on useful knowledge, both worldly and religious, so that they benefit themself and others in both worlds.
Allah, the Exalted, then explained the purpose of creating mankind to the Angels after they had previously questioned it. Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verses 30-31:
“They said, “Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we exalt You with praise and declare Your perfection?” He [Allah] said, “Indeed, I know that which you do not know.” And He taught Adam the names – all of them. Then He showed them to the angels and said, “Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful.””
By granting knowledge to mankind, Allah, the Exalted, has favored them over many of His other creatures, as it is the source of recognizing Him and sincerely obeying Him. This involves using the blessings one has been granted in ways pleasing to Him, as outlined in the Holy Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. Even though humans have the ability to commit great acts of evil yet through the knowledge granted to them, they also have the ability to rise above the level of animals in order to fulfil their role as the ambassadors of Allah, the Exalted. It is this characteristic that gives humans their superiority. Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verses 31-33:
“And He taught Adam the names – all of them. Then He showed them to the angels and said, “Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful.” They said, “Exalted are You; we have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, it is You who is the Knowing, the Wise.” He said, “O Adam, inform them of their names.” And when he had informed them of their names…”
This superiority has been indicated in the next few verses, where the Angels were commanded to prostrate to the Holy Prophet Adam, peace be upon him, out of respect of what Allah, the Exalted, had granted him, namely, knowledge. Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 34:
“And [mention] when We said to the angels, “Prostrate before Adam”…”
When Allah, the Exalted, questioned the Angels, they demonstrated their humility by admitting their lack of knowledge and added that the source of all knowledge is none other than Allah, the Exalted. Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verses 31-33:
“And He taught Adam the names – all of them. Then He showed them to the angels and said, “Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful.” They said, “Exalted are You; we have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, it is You who is the Knowing, the Wise.” He said, “O Adam, inform them of their names.” And when he had informed them of their names, He said, “Did I not tell you that I know the unseen [aspects] of the heavens and the earth?…””
As mentioned earlier, admitting one’s lack of knowledge is a sign of wisdom and must be adopted by all in order to prevent the deadly sin of pride, an atom’s worth of which is enough to take someone to Hell. This has been warned in a Hadith found in Sahih Muslim, number 265. Pride prevents one from accepting the truth when it is presented to them by others and it involves looking down upon others. Both elements are foolish as the truth is required to rightly guide people and therefore must be accepted at all times and as the ultimate end of each person is unknown, it is foolish to look down upon others. No matter what knowledge or status one obtains, it is only possible through the mercy of Allah, the Exalted, in the form of inspiration, knowledge, strength and the opportunity to obtain a successful outcome. Therefore, one must acknowledge their weakness and the favour of Allah, the Exalted, on them instead of adopting pride. In addition, admitting one’s ignorance is also necessary in order to avoid misguiding others.
The Angels also mentioned the infinite knowledge and wisdom of Allah, the Exalted. It is important to note that wisdom aids one to use their knowledge in the correct manner. When a person adopts wisdom, they will use their knowledge correctly so that they benefit themself and others in both worlds. One should always bear in mind that knowledge is only beneficial and useful for oneself and others when it is used correctly. The mentioning of the divine knowledge and wisdom of Allah, the Exalted, indicates that the choice of creating a successive authority on Earth is rooted in knowledge and wisdom. This indicates that people have a purpose on this Earth, their presence on Earth is not random nor an accident. Chapter 51 Adh Dhariyat, verse 56:
“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.”
Understanding this reality will aid one to strive to fulfil their purpose on this Earth, which is to sincerely obey Allah, the Exalted. This involves using the blessings one has been granted in ways pleasing to Him, as outlined in the Holy Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. The one who strives to fulfill their purpose will ensure all their activities, worldly or religious, to be rooted in their purpose. This will ensure every action and word they speak will aid them to fulfil their purpose on Earth. The one who fulfils their purpose will lead a meaningful and purposeful existence on Earth, which will lead to peace of mind and body in both worlds. Chapter 16 An Nahl, verse 97:
“Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer – We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do.”
Whereas, the one who ignores their purpose will lead an aimless and pointless existence in this world, even if they achieve much worldly success. Just like an object which fails to fulfil its primary reason of creation is labelled a failure, even if it possesses many other good features, so will the invention named human be labelled a failure if they fail to fulfil their purpose of creation. Ignoring one’s purpose will cause them to misuse the blessings they have been granted, which in turn leads to stress, anxiety and difficulties in both worlds. Chapter 20 Taha, verses 124-126:
“And whoever turns away from My remembrance – indeed, he will have a depressed [i.e., difficult] life, and We will gather [i.e., raise] him on the Day of Resurrection blind.” He will say, “My Lord, why have you raised me blind while I was [once] seeing?” [Allāh] will say, “Thus did Our signs come to you, and you forgot [i.e., disregarded] them; and thus will you this Day be forgotten.””
Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 33:
“He said, “O Adam, inform them of their names.” And when he had informed them of their names…”
Generally speaking, this verse reminds muslims the importance of sharing useful knowledge. One must never hoard their knowledge as this reduces its positive effect in the lives of all people. One only needs to turn the pages of history to observe that those who shared their useful knowledge with others became known as the teachers of mankind whereas, those who greedily hoarded their knowledge were forgotten by history.
Allah, the Exalted, then reminds the Angels that His infinite knowledge and wisdom is beyond the understanding of creatures. Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 33:
“He said, “O Adam, inform them of their names.” And when he had informed them of their names, He said, “Did I not tell you that I know the unseen [aspects] of the heavens and the earth?…””
One must therefore trust the choices and decrees of Allah, the Exalted, regarding themself and their loved ones, even if the wisdoms behind them are hidden from them. They should firmly believe that Allah, the Exalted, decrees what is best for everyone involved and one’s duty is to simply maintain His obedience through both times of patience and gratitude, by using the blessings they have been granted in ways pleasing to Him. Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 216:
“…But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah knows, while you know not.”
Allah, the Exalted, then highlights a specific aspect of His knowledge. Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 33:
“…He said, “Did I not tell you that I know the unseen [aspects] of the heavens and the earth? And I know what you reveal and what you have concealed.””
Generally speaking, this is a powerful reminder for muslims to ensure that their inward intention and outward actions are directed at pleasing Allah, the Exalted. The foundation of Islam is one’s hidden intention. If this is corrupt, then all of one’s actions will be corrupt, even if they appear as good deeds. This has been indicated in a Hadith found in Sahih Bukhari, number 1. One must ensure they intend only to act and speak in order to please Allah, the Exalted, otherwise they will be told to gain their reward from the people they acted for on Judgement Day, which will not be possible. This has been warned in a Hadith found in Jami At Tirmidhi, number 3154. A sign of one’s good intention is that they do not desire nor expect any gratitude or payback from any person and only hope in reward from Allah, the Exalted. This attitude must be applied to all of one’s actions and speech, such as earning a livelihood and raising one’s children.
Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 33:
“…He said, “Did I not tell you that I know the unseen [aspects] of the heavens and the earth? And I know what you reveal and what you have concealed.””
This statement was also a warning to the Devil that Allah, the Exalted, was fully aware of his hidden pride and jealousy for the Holy Prophet Adam, peace be upon him. He should have taken this opportunity and warning and sincerely repented to Allah, the Exalted. But as explained in the next verse, he failed to do this. Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 34:
“And [mention] when We said to the angels, “Prostrate before Adam”; so they prostrated, except for Iblees. He refused and was arrogant and became of the disbelievers.”
A muslim must learn to make use of the repeated opportunities and second chances Allah, the Exalted, grants them before their time runs out. Every moment is a new chance to change one’s way for the better and must be seized as reaching tomorrow is not guaranteed. One is not expected to become a saint over night but they should take steps to improving their behaviour towards Allah, the Exalted, and the creation. This is achieved when one sincerely learns and acts on the Holy Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, so that they use the blessings they have been granted in ways pleasing to Allah, the Exalted. Chapter 16 An Nahl, verse 61:
“And if Allāh were to impose blame on the people for their wrongdoing, He would not have left upon it [the earth] any creature, but He defers them for a specified term. And when their term has come, they will not remain behind an hour, nor will they precede [it].”
Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 34:
“And [mention] when We said to the angels, “Prostrate before Adam”; so they prostrated…”
The Angels were commanded to prostrate to the Holy Prophet Adam, peace be upon him, out of respect of the knowledge and abilities Allah, the Exalted, had granted Him. As mentioned earlier, this indicates the superiority of knowledge over worship. The Angels had countless acts of worship in their credit but as the Holy Prophet Adam, peace be upon him, possessed knowledge, his rank was superior. One must therefore strive to prioritize gaining and acting on Islamic knowledge over excessive acts of worship, as the latter cannot even be done correctly without knowledge. Put simply, a few acts of worship completed according to knowledge is far superior to many acts of worship done in ignorance. In fact, the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, once advised in a Hadith found in Sunan Ibn Majah, number 219, that learning a single verse of the Holy Quran is better than offering 100 cycles of voluntary prayer and learning a single topic of Islamic knowledge is better than offering 1000 cycles of voluntary prayer.
Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 34:
“And [mention] when We said to the angels, “Prostrate before Adam”; so they prostrated, except for Iblees. He refused and was arrogant and became of the disbelievers.”
Iblees, the Devil, was not an Angel but was from the Jinn. Chapter 18, verse 50.
“…except for Iblees. He was of the jinn”…
But due to his abundant acts of worship he was raised to the level of the Angels and the command to prostrate therefore included him also. The Devil adopted arrogance as he saw himself superior to the Holy Prophet Adam, peace be upon him. Chapter 7 Al A’raf, verse 12:
“[Allāh] said, “What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you?” [The Devil] said, “I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay [earth].””
He arrogantly overlooked the fact that one’s outward appearance has no bearing on their rank. Ranks are decided by Allah, the Exalted, and the one who accepts Allah, the Exalted, as His Lord will not oppose this. The Devil was quick to judge the outward feature of the Holy Prophet Adam, peace be upon him, but ignored the knowledge Allah, the Exalted, had granted him. One must avoid this cherry picking attitude whereby they adopt a negative mindset. This attitude can cause one to always interpret things in a negative way, which in turn leads to further sins, such as backbiting, gossiping and slander. This is why the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, has advised in a Hadith found in Sunan Abu Dawud, number 4993, that thinking positively about others is an aspect of worshipping Allah, the Exalted, correctly.
In addition, a muslim must understand that outward appearances or worldly standards, such as wealth, ethnicity or gender, do not make one superior to others. Allah, the Exalted, has made it clear that superiority is directly connected to how much one fears Allah, the Exalted. This involves sincerely obeying Him so that one uses the blessings they have been granted in ways pleasing to Him as outlined in the Holy Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. Chapter 49 Al Hujurat, verse 13:
“…Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you…”
Due to his arrogance, the Devil, clearly did not fear Allah, the Exalted, and he is therefore not superior to the Holy Prophet Adam, peace be upon him, even if he was made from clay.
Pride is a deadly characteristic which must be avoided as it leads to destruction in both worlds. The Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, has warned in a Hadith found in Sahih Muslim, number 265, that even an atom’s worth of pride is enough to take a person to Hell. Pride causes one to reject the truth when it is presented to them, as it directly challenges their desires and as it did not come from. The Devil rejected the truth by directly challenging the high status Allah, the Exalted, granted the Holy Prophet Adam, peace be upon him. Pride also causes one to look down upon people, thinking they are superior to others. Both consequences of pride are foolish to adopt as the truth is needed for one to remain rightly guided in both worldly and religious matters. Therefore, it should be accepted irrespective of who it comes from, as the source of truth is none but Allah, the Exalted. Looking down upon others is extremely foolish as one is not aware of their own status nor the status of others in the sight of Allah, the Exalted. As the ultimate end of people in the hereafter is unknown, it is foolish to look down upon others, as one cannot guarantee they will leave this world with faith. In addition, every worldly blessing one possesses has been created and granted to them by none other than Allah, the Exalted, therefore He alone is the innate owner of all blessings. Being proud over something which in reality belongs to someone else is foolish, just like the person who boasts about someone else’s mansion. Pride therefore belongs only to Allah, the Exalted, and whoever tries to challenge Him will be punished in both worlds. This has been warned in a Hadith found in Sunan Abu Dawud, number 4090.
The other deadly characteristic adopted by the Devil was envy. Envy is a major sin as it directly challenges the allocation of blessings chosen by Allah, the Exalted. The envier behaves as if Allah, the Exalted, made a mistake granting a particular blessing to someone else instead of granting it to them. The Devil behaved as if the honor granted to the Holy Prophet Adam, peace be upon him, belonged to him. One must avoid envy by understanding that Allah, the Exalted, grants each person what is best for them and therefore they must concentrate on using the blessings they have been granted in ways pleasing to Him and not concern themself with what others have been granted. Chapter 42 Ash Shuraa, verse 27:
“And if Allāh had extended [excessively] provision for His servants, they would have committed tyranny throughout the earth. But He sends [it] down in an amount which He wills. Indeed He is, of His servants, Aware and Seeing.”
One must dislike the feeling of envy and never let it influence their speech or actions towards the envied person. If one behaves in this manner it is hoped they will be pardoned for their envy. It is important to note that wishing for similar things to what others have been granted without wishing for them to lose their blessings is lawful but disliked in worldly matters. If one must desire obtaining similar blessings others possess, they should be connected to religious blessings, such as useful knowledge and being charitable. This has been advised in a Hadith found in Sahih Muslim, number 1896.
In addition, this incident also warns people against craving excessively for leadership and authority. The Devil desired the rank of being the representative of Allah, the Exalted, on Earth and felt he was more worthy of it. His extreme desire for this leadership pushed him towards disobeying Allah, the Exalted, and other negative traits, such as pride and envy. This is one of the reasons why the Holy Prophe Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, warned in a Hadith found in Jami At Tirmidhi, number 2376, that craving for leadership and wealth is more destructive to a person’s faith than two hungry wolves that are set free on a herd of sheep. This is because craving excessively for these two things can easily push someone to disobeying Allah, the Exalted, when obtaining them, holding on to them and increasing them. It is always far safer to pursue lawful things according to one’s needs and responsibilities. Behaving in this manner saves a person from stress and potential punishment in both worlds.
Furthermore, one must follow in the footsteps of the Angels who understood the reality of servanthood, namely, not to challenge the decrees of Allah, the Exalted, and instead submit to them with full obedience. The Devil behaved as a master and applied his own thinking to the commands of Allah, the Exalted. This attitude contradicts servanthood, as a servant only hears and obeys their Master at all times, knowing the Master only decides what is best for them in all situations. The Devil was the first innovator as he applied his own thinking to the command of Allah, the Exalted, instead of submitting to it. One must avoid this attitude and instead adhere to the path of the Angels who avoided innovating and instead submitted to Allah, the Exalted, exactly how He commanded. This is one of the reasons why the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, has warned that any matter which is not rooted in Islam, meaning, the Holy Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is rejected by Allah, the Exalted. This has been confirmed in a Hadith found in Sunan Abu Dawud, number 4606. One must therefore adhere strictly to learning and acting on the two sources of guidance and avoid other actions, even if they appear good. The simple fact is that the more one acts on other things, the less they will learn and act on the two sources of guidance. This only leads to misguidance.
In addition, the Devil was the first to adopt a cherry picking attitude as he did not deny the Oneness of Allah, the Exalted, nor worshipping Him but denied the single command to prostrate to the Holy Prophet Adam, peace be upon him, out of respect to what Allah, the Exalted, had granted him. a muslim can behave in the same manner whereby they choose what Islamic teachings to accept and follow and which ones to ignore, according to their desires. The one who behaves in such a manner treats their faith like a coat which they put on and take off whenever they desire to. This contradicts the very definition of a muslim, which is to practically submit to Allah, the Exalted, at all times. A muslim must avoid the devilish attitude of cherry picking from Islamic teachings and instead approach every situation and use every blessing they have been granted in ways pleasing to Allah, the Exalted, so that they fulfill their purpose as the representative of Allah, the Exalted, and achieve peace of mind and success in both worlds. Chapter 16 An Nahl, verse 97:
“Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer – We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do.”
Whereas, adopting a cherry picking attitude will only cause one to forget Allah, the Exalted, and misuse the blessings they have been granted. This leads to stress and difficulties in both worlds, even if one accepts and obeys some of the teachings of Islam. Chapter 20 Taha, verses 124-126:
“And whoever turns away from My remembrance – indeed, he will have a depressed [i.e., difficult] life, and We will gather [i.e., raise] him on the Day of Resurrection blind.” He will say, “My Lord, why have you raised me blind while I was [once] seeing?” [Allāh] will say, “Thus did Our signs come to you, and you forgot [i.e., disregarded] them; and thus will you this Day be forgotten.””
Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 34:
“And [mention] when We said to the angels, “Prostrate before Adam”; so they prostrated, except for Iblees. He refused and was arrogant…”
This event also indicates the importance of striving to fulfill the rights of the creation in conjunction with the rights of Allah, the Exalted. The Devil’s issue was with fulfilling the right of the Holy Prophet Adam, peace be upon him, not fulfilling the right of Allah, the Exalted. A muslim must avoid this imbalance and instead strive to firstly fulfill the rights of Allah, the Exalted, which involves using the blessings one has been granted in ways pleasing to Him, as outlined in the Holy Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and also strive to fulfill the rights of the creation. This is achieved by treating others according to the teachings of Islam, which involves treating them in a way one desires to be treated by people. One must not be fooled into believing that fulfilling the rights of Allah, the Exalted, alone is enough for success. Islam makes it clear that justice will be established on Judgement Day. Those who wronged others, even if they fulfilled the rights of Allah, the Exalted, will be forced to hand their good deeds over to their victims and if necessary, they will take the sins of their victims until justice is established. This may cause the wrongdoer to be hurled into Hell on Judgement Day. This has been warned in a Hadith found in Sahih Muslim, number 6579.
Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 34:
“…He refused and was arrogant and became of the disbelievers.”
This verse also indicates a frightening reality. When a muslim persists on the disobedience of Allah, the Exalted, and refuses to sincerely obey Him, by using the blessings they have been granted in ways pleasing to Him, as outlined in the Holy Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, then they are in danger of adopting arrogance. This only increases one’s disobedience to Him and as a result they may well leave this world without their faith. The Devil internally believed in Allah, the Exalted, yet due to his disobedience which led to arrogance, he became a disbeliever. If a muslim behaves in the same manner, by refusing to practically obey Allah, the Exalted, even if they claim to internally believe in Him, they may well follow in the footsteps of the Devil and die as a non-muslim. This is the greatest loss. This occurs as one’s faith must be nourished with practical obedience just like a plant must be nourished with water, sunlight and nutrients. Just like a plant dies if it is starved of nourishment, so will the faith of a muslim if they fail to nourish it with the practical obedience of Allah, the Exalted.
The final part of verse 34 indicates the hidden corrupt intention of the Devil, as it describes his disbelief in the past tense, as if he was always a disbeliever, as a result of his hidden corrupt intention and negative traits, such as pride and envy. As discussed earlier, one must therefore ensure that they correct their intention at all times so that they only act and speak for the sake of pleasing Allah, the Exalted, and they must ensure they act and speak in the correct way by learning and acting on the Holy Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. This will ensure they adopt the correct intention, actions, speech and positive characteristics, such as patience and gratitude, which will benefit them in both worlds. This will keep them far from the path of the Devil and close to the path of their ancestor, the Holy Prophet Adam, peace be upon him.
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