OCTOBER 8

Man’s Trial

We created you and gave you form. Then We said to the angels: ‘Prostrate yourselves before Adam.’ They all prostrated themselves except Satan, who did not.

‘Why did you not prostrate yourself when I commanded you?’ Allah asked.

‘I am nobler than Adam,’ he replied. ‘You created me of fire but You created him of clay.’

He said: ‘Begone from here! This is no place for your contemptuous pride. Away with you! Henceforth you shall be humble.’

Satan replied: ‘Reprieve me till the Day of Resurrection.’

‘You are reprieved,’ said He.

‘Because You have led me into sin,’ said Satan, ‘I will waylay Your servants as they walk on Your straight path, and spring upon them from the front and from the rear, from their right and from their left. Then You shall find the greater part of them ungrateful.’

‘Begone!’ said Allah. ‘A despicable outcast you shall henceforth be. With those that follow you I shall fill the pit of Hell’ (7:11-18).

In this world of trial it repeatedly happens that one person rises above another, attaining to a greater share in wealth and honour; sometimes it happens that giving one’s lawful dues amounts to belittling oneself; sometimes God selects an individual to proclaim a truth on behalf of God, whereupon he appears to be superior to those who failed to find the truth. On such occasions Satan arouses jealousy and haughtiness within the human breast. The feeling of ‘I am better than he is’ does not allow one man to give recognition to another. In the eyes of God, one who falls a prey to jealousy and arrogance on such occasions follows the path of Satan. One who crushes such negative feelings produced by Satan finds the straight path which will lead him directly to heaven.