Volume 10 Surah 12 - 15 - Enjoy Islam

Al-Ĥijr | MAN AND HIS SWORN ENEMY
divine guidance or Satan’s erring ways. Hence it begins by stating that Adam is
created out of sounding clay and black mud moulded into shape, before God
breathed of His noble spirit into him. It also states that Satan was created before him,
out of the fire of scorching winds. It tells of the angels’ prostration before Adam,
while Satan refused to so prostrate before a human being created of such low
material, and how, as a result, God expelled him from heaven with a curse. God then
accepted Satan’s request to give him respite until the Day of Judgement. It adds
Satan’s own admission that he has no power over God’s faithful servants. His power
is only over those who submit to him in preference to submitting to God. It then
states, without detail, the destiny of each of the two parties. The lack of detail here
fits with the point of emphasis whereby the two essential factors are the human
constitution, and the domain where Satan can influence man.
The Origins of Man’s Creation
“Indeed We have created man out of sounding clay, out of black mud moulded into shape,
whereas the jinn We had created before him out of the fire of scorching winds.” (Verses 26-
27) At the outset the difference in the two natures is clearly stated. The dry clay
which gives off a sound when knocked and which is originally black mud given a
specific shape is totally different from the fire described here as scorching, blowing
fiercely. We learn later that another element is added to man’s nature, namely, the
breathing of God’s spirit into it. Satan’s nature, however, remained that of the fire of
scorching winds.
Your Lord said to the angels: I am creating a human being out of sounding clay, out of
black mud moulded into shape. When I have fashioned him and breathed of My spirit
into him, fall down in prostration before him.’ Thereupon, the angels, one and all,
prostrated themselves. Not so Iblīs, who refused to be among those who prostrated
themselves. God said: ‘Iblīs! What is your reason for not being among those who have
prostrated themselves?’ [Iblīs] replied: I am not one to prostrate myself to a human
being whom You have created out of sounding clay, out of mud moulded into shape.’
God said: ‘Then get out of here, for you are accursed, and the curse shall be on you till
the Day of Judgement.’ (Verses 28-35)
These verses start with God’s address to the angels. When, where and how He
said all this are details that we have no way of knowing. We simply have no clear
statement in the Qur’ān or the Ĥadīth which answers these points. Since these details
belong to the realm of what lies beyond human perception, we have no way of
knowing them. Hence any attempt to provide answers is futile. The same applies to
man’s creation out of a dry clay, moulded into shape, and infused with God’s spirit.
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