The Mahdi Times March 2012 | Page 12

P R O S T R A T I O N BY: HUSSAINTHESHORTCOMER Salam alaykum brothers and sisters, In Islam it is well known in the Qur'an that the Angels (pbut) were ordered to prostrate to Adam (a.s) by the command of Allah (swt). But what does all this mean? And how does it affect us today? Here is one of the Qur'an passages relating it: "Remember when your Lord said to the angels, 'I am going to create a man (Adam) from sounding clay of altered black smooth mud. So when I have fashioned him completely and breathed into him (Adam) the soul which I created for him then fall you down prostrating yourselves unto him.' So the angels prostrated themselves all of them together, except Iblis, he refused to be among the prostrators." The Holy Qur'an (15: 28-31) One can also see a mention of this in the Apocryphal book, The Life of Adam and Eve: “The devil replied, ‘Adam, what dost thou tell me? It is for thy sake that I have been hurled from that place. When thou wast formed, I was hurled out of the presence of God and banished from the company of angels. When God blew into thee the breath of life and thy face and likeness was made in the image of God, Michael also brought thee and made (us) worship thee in the sight of God; and God the Lord spake: 'Here is Adam. I have made him in our image and likeness.” “‘And Michael went out and called all the angels saying: “Worship the image of God as the Lord hath commanded.” 'And Michael himself worshiped first; then he called me and said: 'Worship the image of God the Lord.' And I answered, 'I have no (need) to worship Adam.' And since Michael kept urging me to worship, I said to him, “Why dost thou urge me? I will not worship an inferior and younger being (than I). I am his senior in the Creation, before he was made was I already made. It is his duty to worship me." ‘When the angels who were under me heard this, they refused to worship him. And Michael saith, 'Worship the image of God, but if thou wilt