The Prostration of Angels Before Adam: A Divine Command and Its Significance

Understanding the Prostration of Angels: Obedience to Allah and Honor to Adam

THE PROSTRATION OF THE ANGELS WAS BEFORE ĀDAM BUT THE OBEDIENCE WAS TO ALLĀH

Qatadah commented on ALLAH’S statement,

وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَيِكَةِ اسْجُدُواْ لادَمَ
And (remember) when WE said to the angels:”Prostrate yourselves before Adam”,

“The obedience was for ALLĀH and the prostration was before Adam. ALLĀH honored Adam and commanded the angels to prostrate before him.”

Some people said that this prostration was just a prostration of greeting, peace and honor, hence ALLĀH’S statement,

وَرَفَعَ أَبَوَيْهِ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ وَخَرُّواْ لَهُ سُجَّدَا وَقَالَ يأَبَتِ هَـذَا تَأْوِيلُ رُوْيَـى مِن قَبْلُ قَدْ جَعَلَهَا رَبِّى حَقًّا
And he (Prophet Yusuf) raised his parents to the throne and they fell down before him prostrate. And he said: “O my father! This is the interpretation of my dream for a long time! My Lord has made it come true!” (12:100)

The practice of prostrating was allowed for previous nations, but was repealed for ours.

Mu’adh said to the Prophet (ﷺ): “I visited Ash-Sham and found that they used to prostate before their priests and scholars. You, O Messenger of ALLĀH, are more deserving of prostration.”

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “No. If I was to command any human to prostrate before another human, I would command the wife to prostrate before her husband because of the enormity of his right on her.”

Ar-Razi agreed with this view.

{Tafsi‌r Ibn Kathīr}

#ibnkathir #baqarah (2:34)