[2:34] And when We said to the angels, 'Prostrate yourselves to Adam; so they prostrated themselves, except Iblīs, who refused and disdained; and so he became one of the disbelievers.
The prostration would not be a form of worship to [Adam], in and of himself, but rather a way of conforming to [God's] (s) command. It was as if their prostration to Adam was worship of God because it was by His command. It was a way of showing respect to Adam because He commanded them to do it to honor his affair. So it is as if that was a kind of submission to [Adam], but one that should not be called worship because the true meaning of worship is the utmost submission and that is not appropriate for anything but [God] (s).
It is said He explained that His (s) sanctity is through His Own Majesty (jalāl), not through their acts. What accrues to them is the borrowing of this beauty (tajammul) by their [acts of] sanctification and glorification. He Who is exalted (yajillu) is the One Who has exalted Himself (ajallahu) by His Own exaltation (ijlālihi), not by their acts, and the One who is mighty has been made mighty by His (s) Own power. His power exalts beyond the exaltation of created beings (jalla ʿan ijlāl al-khalq qudruhu) and His mention is magnified beyond the magnification of created beings (ʿazza ʿan iʿzāz al-khalq dhikruhu).
His words, 'So they prostrated themselves, except Iblīs': He refused in his heart (qalb) and disdained to prostrate with his self (nafs). He was among the disbelievers in [God's] prior determination and knowledge. In the time period in which Iblīs was emboldened by his obedience, he used to strut about in the vest of his conformity [to God's command and decree]. [The angels] acknowledged his superior rank and believed in the worthiness of his distinction. His affair became as it is said:
The lamp of communion
was shining between us.
A wind of separation blew on it
and it was extinguished.
He used to consider himself deserving of the claim to superiority and worthy of nearness and special status.
He passed the night well
and the world was peaceful.
He woke up one day
and times had changed.
No prior obedience benefited him, no previous reply freed him, no intercession of any intercessor reached him, and no prior solicitude held him fast. When fate prevails over someone, toil does not benefit (wa-man ghalabahu al-qa?āÌ lā yanfaʿahu al-ʿanāÌ). What originated from Adam was a human error so he experienced a singular mercy. But as for Iblīs, he experienced eternal misery and succumbed to fate and destiny. His hope was lost and his toil was in vain (khāba rajāÌuhu wa-?alla ʿanāÌuhu).