The sequence of these two statements -"We have created you [i.e., "brought you into being as living organisms"] and then formed you" [or "given you your shape", i.e., as human beings]-is meant to bring out the fact of man's gradual development, in the individual sense, from the embryonic stage to full-fledged existence, as well as of the evolution of the human race as such.

As regards God's allegorical command to the angels to "prostrate themselves" before Adam, see 2:30-34, and the corresponding notes. The reference to all mankind which precedes the story of Adam in this surah makes it clear that his name symbolizes, in this context, the whole human race. Western scholars usually take it for granted that the name "Iblis" is a corruption of the Greek word di?bolos, from which the English "devil" is derived. There is, however, not the slightest evidence that the pre-Islamic Arabs borrowed this or any other mythological term from the Greeks-while. on the other hand, it is established that the Greeks derived a good deal of their mythological concepts (including various deities and their functions) from the much earlier South-Arabian civilization (cf. Encyclopaedia of Islam I, 379 f.). One may, therefore, assume with something approaching certainty that the Greek di?bolos is a Hellenized form of the Arabic name for the Fallen Angel, which, in turn, is derived from the root-verb ablasa, "he despaired" or "gave up hope" or "became broken in spirit" (see Lane I, 248). The fact that the noun di?bolos ("slanderer" -derived from the verb diaballein, "to throw [something] across") is of genuinely Greek origin does not, by itself, detract anything from this hypothesis: for it is conceivable that the Greeks, with their well-known tendency to Hellenize foreign names, identified the name "Iblis" with the, to them. much more familiar term di?bolos -As regards Iblis' statement, in the next verse, that he had been created "out of fire", see surah 38. note 60.

Or: "allowed me to fall into error". The term aghwahu denotes both "he caused [or "allowed"] him to err" or "he caused him to be disappointed" or "to fail in attaining his desire" (cf. Lane VI, 2304f.). Since. in this case. the saying of Iblis refers to the loss of his erstwhile position among the angels, the rendering adopted by me seems to be the most appropriate.

Lit., "from between their hands and from behind them". Regarding this idiomatic expression and my rendering of it, see the similar phrase in 2:255 ("He knows all that lies open before men and all that is hidden from them"). The subsequent phrase "from their right and from their left" signifies "from all directions and by all possible means".

See 2:35 and 20:120, as well as the corresponding notes.

Lit., "so as to make manifest to them that of their nakedness which [hitherto] had been imperceptible to them": an allegory of the state of innocence in which man lived before his fall from grace-that is, before his consciousness made him aware of himself and of the possibility of choosing between alternative courses of action, with all the attending temptations towards evil and the misery which must follow a wrong choice.

Lit., "or [lest] you become of those who are enduring": thus instilling in them the desire to live forever and to become. in this respect, like God. (See note 106 on 20:120.)

Take a panoramic view of your common origin. Life began as a single life cell from hydrated inorganic matter (23:13) We made you Adam (Homo sapiens, male and female). And We made the angels (the Universal forces) subservient to you. Satan or Iblees, your own rebellious desires, refused to submit to your higher controls of judgment

Emotions are fiery in relation to sound judgment. The criterion of honor is not lineage, color, caste or nation. It is nothing but good conduct. 49:13

Jahannam = Hell = Fire = Hebrew Gehenna = Destruction of the 'self' in this life and the Hereafter for succumbing to Satan, the selfish desires

Contrary to the popular beliefs that the forbidden Tree was the tree of knowledge, fruit of this plant and that plant, or of sexual charms, it refers to humanity dividing itself like the branches of a tree. 2:35-36, 2:213, 20:120

The selfish desires of humans prompted them to think about their own children rather than the collective good. That would, in a way, give them power and immortality

Satan demonstrated an unjustified pride in something that was not his own work. Racism finds its roots in such a diabolic false pride. See 15:28.

The so-called "problem of evil" has created a great challenge for theologians and philosophers who accept a Benevolent and Omnipotent God. The Christian medieval philosopher St. Augustine, in Enchiridion, has an interesting argument regarding the existence of Satan: "He used the very will of the creature which was working in opposition to the Creator's will as an instrument for carrying out his will…"

Satan is a convicted liar; his followers too (7:20; 6:22-23).

The Quran describes the tree as the tree of eternity. Satan tempted Adam and his mate with the false promise of eternity. The Old Testament, in Genesis 2:1-25 and 3:1-24, narrates the same event with some differences. According to Genesis, the tree is about the knowledge of evil and good, and the one who was first tempted is Eve. The Biblical accusation of Eve for the failure of Adam in this major event, would later be exploited fully by misogynistic clergymen. St. Paul justifies his male chauvinist teaching based on women's serpentine-like role in the original sin. The other major difference in the account of this event is the depiction of the tree. The Bible describes the tree as the tree of knowledge. This depiction might be one of the causes of dogmatic and anti-scientific attitude developed by the Church. Sunni and Shiite mushriks imported and adopted this Judeo-Christian distortion regarding creation and the role of man and woman in our failure, through hadith narrations. These misogynistic ideas later were sneaked into the commentaries of the Quran that relied on hadiths. See 2:36; 20:115-123.