Surah Al-A’raf >> Currently viewing Surah Al-A’raf Ayat 11 (7:11)

Surah Al-A’raf Ayat 11 in Arabic Text

وَلَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَٰكُمۡ ثُمَّ صَوَّرۡنَٰكُمۡ ثُمَّ قُلۡنَا لِلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ ٱسۡجُدُواْ لِأٓدَمَ فَسَجَدُوٓاْ إِلَّآ إِبۡلِيسَ لَمۡ يَكُن مِّنَ ٱلسَّـٰجِدِينَ
Wa laqad khalaqnaakum summa sawwarnaakum summa qulnaa lilmalaaa’ikatis judoo li Aadama fa-sajadooo illaaa Ibleesa lam yakum minas saajideen

English Translation

Here you can read various translations of verse 11

Sahih International
And We have certainly created you, [O Mankind], and given you [human] form. Then We said to the angels, “Prostrate to Adam”; so they prostrated, except for Iblees. He was not of those who prostrated.

Yusuf Ali
It is We Who created you and gave you shape; then We bade the angels prostrate to Adam, and they prostrate; not so Iblis; He refused to be of those who prostrate.

Abul Ala Maududi
We initiated your creation, then We gave you each a shape, and then We said to the angels: ‘Prostrate before Adam.’) They all prostrated except Iblis: he was not one of those who fell Prostrate.

Muhsin Khan
And surely, We created you (your father Adam) and then gave you shape (the noble shape of a human being), then We told the angels, “Prostrate to Adam”, and they prostrated, except Iblis (Satan), he refused to be of those who prostrate.

Pickthall
And We created you, then fashioned you, then told the angels: Fall ye prostrate before Adam! And they fell prostrate, all save Iblis, who was not of those who make prostration.

Dr. Ghali
And indeed We already created you, thereafter We fashioned you, thereafter We said to the Angels, “Prostrate to Adam;” so they prostrated, except Iblîs; he was not of the prostrators.

Abdel Haleem
We created you, We gave you shape, and then We said to the angels, ‘Bow down before Adam,’ and they did. But not Iblis: he was not one of those who bowed down.

Muhammad Junagarhi
اور ہم نے تم کو پیدا کیا، پھر ہم ہی نے تمہاری صورت بنائی پھر ہم نے فرشتوں سے کہا کہ آدم کو سجده کرو سو سب نے سجده کیا بجز ابلیس کے، وه سجده کرنے والوں میں شامل نہ ہوا

Quran 7 Verse 11 Explanation

For those looking for commentary to help with the understanding of Surah Al-A’raf ayat 11, we’ve provided two Tafseer works below. The first is the tafseer of Abul Ala Maududi, the second is of Ibn Kathir.

Ala-Maududi

(7:11) We initiated your creation, then We gave you each a shape, and then We said to the angels: ‘Prostrate before Adam.’) [10] They all prostrated except Iblis: he was not one of those who fell Prostrate.


10. These verses should he read in conjunction with (Surah Al-Baqarah, ayat 30-39). The words in which the command to prostrate before Adam is mentioned may give rise to the misapprehension that it was Adam as such who is the object of prostration. This misapprehension should be removed by what has been said here. The text makes it very clear that prostration before Adam was in his capacity, as the representative of all mankind and not in his personal capacity.

The successive stages of man’s creation mentioned in the present verse (‘We initiated your creation, then We gave you each a shape’), means that God first planned the creation of man, made ready the necessary materials for it, and then gave those materials a human form. Then, when man had assumed the status of a living being, God asked the angels to prostrate before him. The Qur’an says: And recall when your Lord said to the angels: ‘I am about to create man from clay. When I have fashioned him (in due proportion) and breathed into him of My spirit then fall You down in prostration before him’ (Surah Sad, ayat 71-72).

Mention has been made in these verses, though in a difterent way, of the same three stages of creation: man’s creation from clay; giving him a proportionate human shape; and bringing Adam into existence by breathing into him God’s spirit. The following verses also have the same import:

And recall when your Lord said to the angels: ‘I am about to create man, from sounding clay moulded into shape from black mud. When I have fashioned him (in due proportion) and breathed into him of My spirit, fall you all down in prostration before him’ (Surah Al-Hijr, ayat 28-29).

It is quite difficult for one to appreciate fully the details of the origin of man’s creation. We cannot fully grasp how man was created out of the elements drawn from the earth; how he was given a form and a well-proportioned one at that and how God’s Spirit was breathed into him. It is quite obvious, though, that the Qur’anic version of man’s creation is sharply at odds with the theory, of creation propounded by Darwin and his followers in our time. Darwinism explains man’s creation in terms of his evolution from a variety of non-human and sub-human stages culminating in homo sapiens. It draws no clear demarcation line that would mark the end of the non-human stage of evolution and the beginning of the species called ‘man’. Opposed to this is the Qur’anic version of man’s creation where man starts his career from the very beginning as an independent species, having in his entire history no essential relationship at all with any non-human species. Also, man is conceived as having been invested by God with full consciousness and enlightenment from the very start of his life.

These are two different doctrines regarding the past of the human species. Both these doctrines give rise to two variant conceptions about man. If one were to adopt the Darwinian doctrine, man is conceived as essentially a species of the animal genre. Acceptance of this doctrine leads man to derive the guiding principles of his life, including moral principles, from the laws governing animal life. Given the basic premises of such a doctrine, animal-like behaviour is to be considered quite natural for man. The only, difference between man and animal lies in the fact that animals act without the help of the tools and instruments used by humans, and their behaviour is devoid of culture.

Were one to accept the other doctrine, man would be conceived as a totally, distinct category. Man is no longer viewed simply as a talking or gregarious animal. He is rather seen as God’s Vicegerent on earth. What distinguishes man from other animals, according to this doctrine, is not his capacity to speak or his gregariousness but the moral responsibility and trust with which he has been invested. Thus, one’s whole perspective with regard to man and everything relating to him is changed. Rather than looking downwards to species of being lower than the human, man will turn his gaze upwards. It is claimed by some that however dignified the Qur’anic doctrine might be from a moral and psychological point of view, Darwinism should still be preferred on the basis of its being scientifically established. However, the very claim that Darwinism has been scientificaly established is itself questionable. Only those who have a very superficial acquaintance with modern science can entertain the misconception that the Darwinian theory of evolution has been scientifically, established. Those who know better are fully, aware that despite the vast paraphernalia of evidence in its support, it remains merely a hypothesis. The arguments marshalled in support of this theory at best succeed in establishing it as a possibility, but certainly not as an incontrovertible fact. Hence at the most what can he said is that the evolution of the species is as much a possibility as its direct creation.

Ibn-Kathir

11. And surely, We created you and then gave you shape; then We told the angels, “Prostrate yourselves to Adam,” and they prostrated, except Iblis (Shaytan), he refused to be of those who prostrated.


Prostration of the Angels to Adam and Shaytan’s Arrogance

Allah informs the Children of Adam about the honor of their father and the enmity of Shaytan, who still has envy for them and for their father Adam. So they should beware of him and not follow in his footsteps. Allah said,

﴿وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَـكُمْ ثُمَّ صَوَّرْنَـكُمْ ثُمَّ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَـئِكَةِ اسْجُدُواْ لأَدَمَ فَسَجَدُواْ﴾

(And surely, We created you and then gave you shape; then We told the angels, “Prostrate yourselves to Adam,” and they prostrated,) This is like His saying,

﴿وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَـئِكَةِ إِنِّى خَـلِقٌ بَشَرًا مِّن صَلْصَـلٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ – فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِى فَقَعُواْ لَهُ سَـجِدِينَ ﴾

(And (remember) when your Lord said to the angels: “I am going to create a man from dried (sounding) clay of altered mud. So, when I have fashioned him completely and breathed into him the soul (which I created for him), then fall (you) down prostrating yourselves unto him.”) ﴿15:28-29﴾. After Allah created Adam with His Hands from dried clay of altered mud and made him in the shape of a human being, He blew life into him and ordered the angels to prostrate before him, honoring Allah’s glory and magnificence. The angels all heard, obeyed and prostrated, but Iblis did not prostrate. We explained this subject in the beginning of Surat Al-Baqarah. Therefore, the Ayah (7:11) refers to Adam, although Allah used the plural in this case, because Adam is the father of all mankind. Similarly, Allah said to the Children of Israel who lived during the time of the Prophet ,

﴿وَظَلَّلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْغَمَامَ وَأَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَنَّ وَالسَّلْوَى﴾

(And We shaded you with clouds and sent down on you manna and the quail,)﴿2:57﴾ This refers to their forefathers who lived during the time of Moses. But, since that was a favor given to the forefathers, and they are their very source, then the offspring have also been favored by it. This is not the case in:

﴿وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الإِنْسَـنَ مِن سُلَـلَةٍ مِّن طِينٍ ﴾

(And indeed We created man out of an extract of clay (water and earth.))﴿23:12﴾ For this merely means that Adam was created from clay. His children were created from Nutfah (mixed male and female sexual discharge). This last Ayah is thus talking about the origin of mankind, not that they were all created from clay, and Allah knows best.

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surah al-a'raf ayat 11
surah al-a'raf ayat 12
surah al-a'raf ayat 13
surah al-a'raf ayat 14
surah al-a'raf ayat 15

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