ADAM THE PROPHET

Almighty God replied to satisfy them: “I know something of which you are not aware.”
At a moment of divine favor and mercy, Almighty God
breathed a bit of Heavenly Soul into the clay statue.
The statue sneezed and said: “All praise is to Almighty
God (Al-hamdolillah).” The spirit crept into Adam. He
breathed, opened his eyes, and moved his hands and
legs. He became a perfect human being of flawless
beauty.
Then the angels were all ordered to prostrate (Sajdah)
before Adam. They all did so, except the Jinn Iblis.
The Almighty asked him: “What prevented you from prostrating before Adam, to whom I created with
My hands? (38:75)” Iblis replied, “I’m superior to him. You have made me from the fire and Adam
from the mud. Thus I shall never obey him.”
As we can see, Iblis was only looking at the outside and not the inside and more important, He disobeyed
Almighty God. It was clear that by refusing the orders of God and adopting an attitude of arrogance
and impudence and showing the first seed of rebellion against God, his sin was the greatest of
all and he was immediately dropped to the rank of an infidel (Kafir) and ordered out of heaven.
This way, Iblis’s jealousy deprived him from Almighty God’s perpetual blessings and he was thereafter
deserted and cursed by Almighty God to become “Satan (Shaitaan)”, the Devil (Lucifer).
Sajdah (Prostrate/Submission): It is an action that exhibits highest degree of humility from a
creature towards his Creator - the Almighty. During the process of Sajdah, man acknowledges that his
creation, return and coming back to life is related to dust. Man therefore is nothing but an inferior
creature in front of the Almighty.
Sajdah is a physical action, which gets the soul of a servant closer to
the Almighty. “Perform the Sajdah and get closer to Me.” (96:19)
Prolonging the Sajdahs reminds the Satan about his disobedience to
the Almighty and the reason for his banishment from Paradise.
Imam Sadiq (pbuh) said: “Indeed when a servant prolongs his Sajdah in a manner that no one sees
him, Satan says: Woe unto me! They are obedient and I disobeyed; they prostrated and I refused.”
Hence Sajdah of a creature is meant for Almighty God only. Above the word ‘Sajdah’ conveys the
meaning of obeisance or respect to Adam in whose seed the lights of Divine Glory were to be manifested.
After being cursed and sent away from Almighty God’s Divine portal, Satan hopelessly begged
Almighty God to give him time to be alive until the Resurrection Day or Judgment Day (Qiyamat) and
the Almighty God accepted Satan’s request and let him live till that specified day.
Then Satan asked three questions: (1.) Where will I live? (2.) Where will I eat? (3.) Where will I sleep?
Almighty God told him that he, Satan would live with the person who did not say: Bism illah ir rah