11 Preface وَلَقَد خَلَقناكُم ثُمَّ صَوَّرناكُم ثُمَّ قُلنا لِلمَلائِكَةِ اسجُدوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدوا إِلّا إِبليسَ لَم يَكُن مِنَ السّاجِدينَYusuf AliIt is We Who created you and gave you shape;1 then We bade the angels bow down to Adam, and they bowed down; not so Iblis; He refused to be of those2 who bow down.Shape or form must be interpreted not only to refer to the physical form, which changes day by day, but also the various forms or shapes which our ideal and spiritual existence may take from time to time according to our inner experiences: Cf. 82:8. It was after Adam (as standing for all mankind) had been so taught that the angels were asked to bow down to him, for, by God’s grace, his status had actually been raised higher. Note the transition from “you” (plural) in the first clause to “Adam” in the second clause: Adam and mankind are synonymous: the plural is reverted to in 7:14, 16-18 (Cf. 40:64). (R).Iblis not only refused to bow down: he refused to be of those who bowed down. In other words he arrogantly despised the angels who bowed down as well as man to whom they bowed down and he was in rebellion against God for not obeying His order. Arrogance, jealousy, and rebellion were his triple crime.