Tafsir of Al-Isra 17:61

"And [mention] when We said to the angels": This is a reminder of what transpired from Him, the Exalted, in terms of the command, and from the angels in terms of compliance and obedience without hesitation. It is a confirmation of the content of His saying, the Exalted: "Those whom they invoke seek [the means of] access to their Lord..." (17:57). If the intended meaning of the relative pronoun [in that verse] is the angels, then the matter is clear. If it refers to others, then it is for the sake of comparison. Within this lies an indication of the fate of those who obstinately opposed the truth, demanded signs, and denied the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him; for they are included among the progeny whom Iblis—upon him be the curse—brought under his influence, following him as a shadow follows its owner, in a primary entry, and they are his partners in obstinacy in the most complete sense, to the extent that they said: "If this is the truth from You, then rain down upon us stones from the sky" (8:32). Thus, the relevance of the verse to what precedes it is apparent. It is also said that the relevance lies in the similarity between the Quraysh, who denied the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Iblis, in that both were driven by envy and pride to commit what they did.

Meaning: "And recall the time when We said to the angels: 'Prostrate to Adam'," as a greeting and honor to him, peace be upon him. It is also said the meaning is: "Make him the qiblah (direction) of your prostration to Allah, the Exalted." "So they prostrated" without hesitation, in compliance with His command, the Exalted, "except Iblis." He was counted among them and included under the command to prostrate.

"He said": An isti’naf bayani (an explanatory resumption), as if it were said: "What was his reaction after this refusal?" The answer provided is that he said—after being rebuked with the rebuke which Allah, the Glorified, narrated in other than this place by way of denial and astonishment: "Shall I prostrate"—while you have created me from fire—"to one You created from clay?" The word "clay" is in the accusative case due to the omission of the preposition (i.e., min tin / from clay), as is explicitly stated in another verse. Al-Zajjaj allowed for it to be an adverbial state (hal) of the omitted referent, with the operative verb being "created," so the meaning would be: "Shall I prostrate to one who, at the time of his creation, was clay?" Even though his clay-nature preceded his creation as a human, it was concurrent with the beginning of His connection to him. Al-Zamakhshari also allowed for it to be an adverbial state of the object itself, and the operative verb in that case is "Shall I prostrate," meaning: "Shall I prostrate to him while he is clay?"—that is, his origin is clay. It is stated in al-Kashf that this is more eloquent, as it supports the sense of denial and contains a belittling of him, peace be upon him—and he is far above that—by treating him as if he were nothing but what he was originally, as if that insignificance never departed from him. Being an adverbial state of the referent does not contain this level of hyperbole. You know that being an adverbial state, in any case, is contrary to the apparent meaning because "clay" is a concrete noun, and for this reason, some interpreted it as "inherently" (muta’assilan). Al-Zajjaj also allowed, and Ibn Atiyyah followed him, for it to be a specifier (tamyiz), but this is not apparent. Mentioning the "creation," even though it would have been sufficient for the intended purpose to say, "To one who was from clay," is more emphatic. Furthermore, it contains, as is said, an allusion to another cause: that he is a created being, and prostration is only for the Creator—may His glory be exalted.