The angels' prostration to Adam

Sha'rawi holds that the angels' prostration to Adam was obedience to God's command and not worship of Adam ¹, and that when Iblis refused he answered the command with a refusal, which was disbelief ^{2 3}. See al-Baqara 34 and al-Kahf 50.

He holds that worship is obedience to God's commands and avoidance of His prohibitions ¹. He uses the pilgrimage: one kisses a stone and stones another stone, both following a command, so nothing is sacred except God's command and method ¹.

He holds that those who prostrated were the angels who had a task toward humanity, such as the recorders and guardians, and that the command did not include the exalted angels who carry the Throne and guard the heavens ⁴. He says Iblis was of the jinn, who have choice and may obey or disobey ².

He holds that Iblis's disobedience was at the top, since he answered the command and thought himself better than Adam, and that his pride led him from one disobedience to another ³. He cites a report that calls Iblis "the peacock of the angels", and says that vanity was his door ³.

This is Sha'rawi's reading, with objections he reports without naming their holders. No historical or linguistic study of prostration is set out here, the report he cites has not been checked at its source, and none is checked.