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qāla mā manaʿaka ʾallā tasjuda ʾidh ʾamartuka qāla ʾana khayrun minhu khalaqtanī min nārin wa-khalaqtahū min ṭīnin
Said He, ‘What prevented you from prostrating, when I commanded you? ’‘I am better than him,’ he said. ‘You created me from fire and You created him from clay.’
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Al-‘A’raf, Verse 12
12. "He said: ' What prevented you that you did not prostrate when I commanded you?' He said: 'I am better than him. You created me of fire while You created him of clay '."
This verse indicates that Allah called Iblis to account for the disobedience and rebellion he showed, and He asked him about the reason for which he refused prostration when He commanded him to prostrate. The verse says:
In answer to this question, Iblis resorted to an implausible excuse, as the verse points out:
Iblis imagined, as if, fire is superior to clay. This was one of the greatest faults of Iblis. Or, perhaps, he did not make a mistake either, but he told a lie because of his arrogance and selfishness. But the privilege of Adam was not that he was created of clay. The main superiority of Adam was that very spirit of humanity and the rank of vice-regency of Allah that he was given. There arises a question here, asking how Satan spoke with Allah, and whether revelation was sent down to him.
The answer to this question is that there is no problem that Allah speaks with another person, not by means of revelation and messengership, but through innate inspiration, or by way of some angels, whether this person is one of the righteous and the purified ones, like Mary and mother of Moses, or one of the dishonest ones, like Satan.