5The Human Race
[15:26] We created the human being from aged mud, like the potter’s clay.
[15:27] As for the jinns, we created them, before that, from blazing fire.
[15:28] Your Lord said to the angels, “I am creating a human being from aged mud, like the potter’s clay.
[15:29] “Once I perfect him, and blow into him from My spirit, you shall fall prostrate before him.”
[15:30] The angels fell prostrate; all of them,
[15:31] except Iblis (Satan). He refused to be with the prostrators.
[15:32] He said, “O Iblis (Satan), why are you not with the prostrators?”
[15:33] He said, “I am not to prostrate before a human being, whom You created from aged mud, like the potter’s clay.”
[15:34] He said, “Therefore, you must get out; you are banished.
[15:35] “You have incurred My condemnation until the Day of Judgment.”
[15:36] He said, “My Lord, respite me until the day they are resurrected.”
[15:37] He said, “You are respited.
[15:38] “Until the specified day and time.”
[15:39] He said, “My Lord, since You have willed that I go astray, I will surely entice them on earth; I will send them all astray.
[15:40] “Except those among Your worshipers who are devoted absolutely to You alone.”
[15:41] He said, “This is a law that is inviolable.
[15:42] “You have no power over My servants. You only have power over the strayers who follow you.
[15:43] “And Hell awaits them all.
[15:44] “It will have seven gates. Each gate will get a specific share of them.”
[15:45] As for the righteous, they will enjoy gardens and springs.
[15:46] Enter therein, peaceful and secure.
[15:47] We remove all jealousy from their hearts. Like one family, they will be on adjacent furnishings.
[15:48] Never will they suffer any fatigue therein; never will they be evicted therefrom.
[15:49] Inform My servants that I am the Forgiver, Most Merciful.
[15:50] And that My retribution is the most painful retribution.
What were the order of events around the Great Feud
- There are God and his creatures (no humans, jinns, angels)
- Satan has supercilious thoughts that he could be a god beside God
- A group of God’s creatures thought maybe there could be a god beside God they became the rebels
- God told the rebels that He is creating an experiment they could come to this experiment as an animal and disavow their egos or come back as a human and decide for themselves if there could be a god beside God
- God creates the heavens and earth and puts the humans and animals to death
- God tells the angels to prostrate (serve) the humans on earth during their interim
- Satan is exposed
- Shows that this experiment was also created to bring out Satan’s claims
By defying God, Satan has set himself up as a god beside God
[6:121] Do not eat from that upon which the name of GOD has not been mentioned, for it is an abomination. The devils inspire their allies to argue with you; if you obey them, you will be idol worshipers.*
Appendix 21
(from: Quran The Final Testament, by Rashad Khalifa, PhD.)
Satan: Fallen Angel
In God’s kingdom, certain creatures are necessarily given the powers needed to perform their duties. Satan believed that his God-given powers qualified him to function as an independent god. As evidenced by the prevalence of misery, disease, accidents, and war in his dominion, we now know that Satan is incompetent.
The Quran clearly states that Satan was an angel, by virtue of the immense powers and rank bestowed upon him. This is why he is addressed as an angel (2:34, 7:11, 15:29, 17:61, 18:50, 20:116, 38:71) prior to his fall. By definition, a jinn is a fallen angel (18:50). Satan’s rebellion teaches us that the angels were created with minds of their own, and absolute freedom of choice (2:34).
http://masjidtucson.org/quran/appendices/appendix21.html
Jeremiah Chapter 18
1 The word which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying, 2 Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. 3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he was making a work on the wheels. 4 And when the vessel that he made of the clay was marred in the hand of the potter, he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. 5 Then the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, 6 O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith Jehovah. Behold, as the clay in the potter’s hand, so are ye in my hand, O house of Israel. 7 At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy it; 8 if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. 9 And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; 10 if they do that which is evil in my sight, that they obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.
[55:14] He created the human from aged clay, like the potter’s clay. [55:15] And created the jinns from blazing fire.
[7:12] He said, “What prevented you from prostrating when I ordered you?” He said, “I am better than he; You created me from fire, and created him from mud.”
[38:76] He said, “I am better than he; You created me from fire, and created him from clay.”
Why does Hell have seven gates?
Appendix 5
(from: Quran The Final Testament, by Rashad Khalifa, PhD.)
Heaven and Hell
The descriptions of Heaven and Hell throughout the Quran are allegorical. And the Quran tells us so whenever such descriptions occur as independent statements, not within a general subject. See 2:24-26, 13:35, and 47:15. The word “Mathal” (allegory) is used in these verses. Linguistically, the word “Mathal” in these verses can be removed, and we still have perfect sentences. But it is there because the descriptions of Heaven and Hell are allegorical.
What Heaven and Hell are really like is far beyond our comprehension. Hence the need for allegory.
How can one describe, for example, the taste of chocolate to a person who never tasted chocolate? Allegory will have to be used. The person has to wait to actually taste chocolate in order to know what chocolate tastes like. Whatever allegory we use to describe the taste of chocolate can never approximate the real thing.
Heaven already exists, since Adam and Eve were placed in it during their days of innocence (2:35). We learn from Sura 55 that there are two “High Heavens” – one for the humans and one for the jinns – and two “Lower Heavens” – one for the humans and one for the jinns (see Appendix 11 for more details).
Hell is not created yet. It will be created on the Day of Judgment (69:17 & 89:23). More details are given in Appendix 11.
The High Heaven vs The Lower Heaven
There are profound differences between the High Heaven and the Lower Heaven. Allegorically, water in the High Heaven flows freely (55:50), while the water of the Lower Heaven needs to be pumped out (55:66).
Allegorically, the High Heaven has all kinds of fruit (55:52), while the Lower Heaven has a limited variety of fruits (55:68).
Allegorically, the pure spouses readily join their spouses in the High Heaven (55:56), while the dwellers of the Lower Heaven must go fetch their spouses (55:72).
Yet, even the Lower Heaven is an incredibly fantastic prize for those who are fortunate enough to escape Hell and end up in the Lower Heaven (3:185) – going to the Lower Heaven is a great triumph. People who depart this life before reaching their 40th birthday, and did not sufficiently develop their souls, will go to the Lower Heaven (46:15, Appendices 11 & 32). The High Heaven is reserved for those who believed, led a righteous life, and developed their souls sufficiently.
| Whoever succeeds in barely missing Hell, and is admitted into Heaven, has attained a great triumph. [3:185] |
http://masjidtucson.org/quran/appendices/appendix5.html
What is the significance of humans being made out of clay and the jinns being made out of fire?
- God created us from dust (stardust) 30:20
- God created us from wet mud (evolution) 37:11
- God created us from inside our mothers bellies (39:6)
- God created us from an embryo 22:5 and 96:2
[30:20] Among His proofs is that He created you from dust, then you became reproducing humans.
[37:11] Ask them, “Are they more difficult to create, or the other creations?” We created them from wet mud.
[39:6] He created you from one person, then created from him his mate. He sent down to you eight kinds of livestock. He creates you in your mothers’ bellies, creation after creation, in trimesters of darkness. Such is GOD your Lord. To Him belongs all sovereignty. There is no other god beside Him. How could you deviate?
[22:5] O people, if you have any doubt about resurrection, (remember that) we created you from dust, and subsequently from a tiny drop, which turns into a hanging (embryo), then it becomes a fetus that is given life or deemed lifeless. We thus clarify things for you. We settle in the wombs whatever we will for a predetermined period. We then bring you out as infants, then you reach maturity. While some of you die young, others live to the worst age, only to find out that no more knowledge can be attained beyond a certain limit. Also, you look at a land that is dead, then as soon as we shower it with water, it vibrates with life and grows all kinds of beautiful plants.
[96:2] He created man from an embryo.
[36:71] Have they not seen that we created for them, with our own hands, livestock that they own?
[39:6] He created you from one person, then created from him his mate. He sent down to you eight kinds of livestock. He creates you in your mothers’ bellies, creation after creation, in trimesters of darkness. Such is GOD your Lord. To Him belongs all sovereignty. There is no other god beside Him. How could you deviate?
- Fire is shapeless
- Fire when it is out of control is destructive, but when it’s in control is productive.
- Clay needs to be molded by a potter
- Clay burns impurities under fire
- Clay can withstand fire
Quran Talk Blog 