76:1 Has an era come upon man when he was not a thing remembered?
The commentators say that man here means Adam and that era alludes to the days when he was thrown down for forty years as a body without spirit between Mecca and Taif. Someone may ask what wisdom there was in leaving Adam like that for forty years between Mecca and Taif and in delaying his creation. The answer is that although Adam was made outwardly from clay, with which there is no need for delay, delay is needed with the heart. I am not talking about the delay of power, but rather the delay of greatness. Adam was not like the other created things, which were created with "Be!", so it comes to be [2:117]. In creation Adam was the root, and the other creatures were his followers. He created whatever He created for Adam's sake, and He created Adam for Himself: "You I created solitary for the Solitary."
"In Adam's makeup there must be a heart that recognizes Me, a tongue that praises Me, a eye that sees Me, a hand that takes the cup of union, a foot that walks in My road. If I were to bring him into existence in an instant, I would make My power apparent. By putting many years in the midst, I make apparent his greatness and magnificence. I would rather make the greatness of My friends apparent than show My power."
What good fortune and generosity the Exalted Threshold placed before Adam! He brought him into the road with a hundred thousand endearments and exaltations, placing the embroidery of Surely God chose Adam [3:33] on the cape of his good fortune. He fixed the prosperous mole of I blew into him of My spirit [15:29] on the beautiful cheek of his chosenness. He clothed him in the elevated robe of what I created with My two hands [38:75]. He conveyed him to a station where He gave him the wine of love in the row of chosenness on the carpet of witnessing. From the tip of the Pleiades to the end of the earth, He made him the trustee of greatness. He commanded the angels of the Dominion to prostrate themselves before him. Then, despite all this honor done toward him, his greatness, level, and rank had still not appeared. His greatness did not appear until he was addressed by the declaration, "And Adam disobeyed" [20:121]. This is because caressing at the time of conformity is no proof of honor. Caressing at the time of opposition is the proof of exaltation and honor.
When Adam was put on the throne of beauty and perfection, the crown of prosperity on his head and the robe of honor on his breast, why would it be surprising if the angels and the spheres were to serve him? The surprise is that, after he fell to the lowland of his slip and the inscription And Adam disobeyed was written out for him, then, despite this disobedience and opposition, he saw on his head the crown of Then his Lord chose him [20:122].
When a man has a wife and is her companion, he does not know that he loves her, for the love is hidden by the blessings and companionship. Wait until they fall into separation! It is then that friendship appears. Adam was the friend, but his friendship was hidden by the blessings of paradise. Not everywhere that has blessings also has friendship. Byzantium is full of the blessings of gold and silver, but not an iota of love. So, when the veil of paradise was lifted from before Adam, the reality of love became apparent.
When Iblis was Iblis, no one knew he was Iblis, nor did he know. He appeared as a worshiper and a prostrator, the belt of his service bound, his face washed with the water of conformity. When his foot slipped, it became apparent that he was neither friend nor servant. Adam the Chosen was the friend, but the friendship was concealed by blessings. When his foot slipped, it became clear that he was both friend and servant.