Manners With Allah Most High

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

When Allah created Adam and ordered Iblis and Angels to bow to Adam, the Angels bowed to Adam but Iblis didn't. Iblis made a mistake and he sinned. After that Allah put Adam in Paradise and said not to eat from a particular tree but Adam ate from the tree. He made a mistake. How did Adam and Iblis responded to their respective mistakes?

Adam said to Allah "Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive us not, and bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we shall certainly be of the losers." He sought forgiveness. Iblis said to Allah "You (Allah) misled me."

Both Adam and Iblis said something which is true--that we have a choice and Allah created everything. When Adam made his sin, he looked at the fact that he chose to do what he did. When Iblis made his sin, he looked to the fact that Allah created his action. But the outcome is different. Allah forgave Adam, chose him for his mission on earth. Adam was sent down to earth in honor. Allah cursed Iblis and he was sentenced to eternity to Hell. Iblis was sent down to earth as a trial for us.

Allah says,

فَوَسۡوَسَ لَهُمَا ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنُ لِيُبۡدِىَ لَهُمَا مَا وُ ۥرِىَ عَنۡہُمَا مِن سَوۡءَٲتِهِمَا وَقَالَ مَا نَہَٮٰكُمَا رَبُّكُمَا عَنۡ هَـٰذِهِ ٱلشَّجَرَةِ إِلَّآ أَن تَكُونَا مَلَكَيۡنِ أَوۡ تَكُونَا مِنَ ٱلۡخَـٰلِدِينَ (٢٠) وَقَاسَمَهُمَآ إِنِّى لَكُمَا لَمِنَ ٱلنَّـٰصِحِينَ (٢١) فَدَلَّٮٰهُمَا بِغُرُورٍ۬‌ۚ فَلَمَّا ذَاقَا ٱلشَّجَرَةَ بَدَتۡ لَهُمَا سَوۡءَٲتُہُمَا وَطَفِقَا يَخۡصِفَانِ عَلَيۡہِمَا مِن وَرَقِ ٱلۡجَنَّةِ‌ۖ وَنَادَٮٰهُمَا رَبُّہُمَآ أَلَمۡ أَنۡہَكُمَا عَن تِلۡكُمَا ٱلشَّجَرَةِ وَأَقُل لَّكُمَآ إِنَّ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنَ لَكُمَا عَدُوٌّ۬ مُّبِينٌ۬ (٢٢) قَالَا رَبَّنَا ظَلَمۡنَآ أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمۡ تَغۡفِرۡ لَنَا وَتَرۡحَمۡنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلۡخَـٰسِرِينَ (٢٣) قَالَ ٱهۡبِطُواْ بَعۡضُكُمۡ لِبَعۡضٍ عَدُوٌّ۬‌ۖ وَلَكُمۡ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مُسۡتَقَرٌّ۬ وَمَتَـٰعٌ إِلَىٰ حِينٍ۬ (٢٤) قَالَ فِيہَا تَحۡيَوۡنَ وَفِيهَا تَمُوتُونَ وَمِنۡہَا تُخۡرَجُونَ (٢٥

Then Shaytan (Satan) whispered suggestions to them both in order to uncover that which was hidden from them of their private parts (before); he said: "Your Lord did not forbid you this tree save that you should become angels or become of the immortals." (20) And he [Shaytan (Satan)] swore by Allah to them both (saying): "Verily, I am one of the sincere well-wishers for you both." (21) So he misled them with deception. Then when they tasted of the tree, that which was hidden from them of their shame (private parts) became manifest to them and they began to cover themselves with the leaves of Paradise (in order to cover their shame). And their Lord called out to them (saying): "Did I not forbid you that tree and tell you: Verily, Shaytan (Satan) is an open enemy unto you?" (22) They said: "Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive us not, and bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we shall certainly be of the losers." (23) (Allah) said: "Get down, one of you is an enemy to the other [i.e. Adam, Hawwa (Eve), and Shaytan (Satan),]. On earth will be a dwelling-place for you and an enjoyment, - for a time." (24) He said: "Therein you shall live, and therein you shall die, and from it you shall be brought out (i.e.resurrected)." (25)

(Qur'an Al-Araf 7:20-25)

Allah says,

قَالَ يَـٰٓإِبۡلِيسُ مَا لَكَ أَلَّا تَكُونَ مَعَ ٱلسَّـٰجِدِينَ (٣٢) قَالَ لَمۡ أَكُن لِّأَسۡجُدَ لِبَشَرٍ خَلَقۡتَهُ ۥ مِن صَلۡصَـٰلٍ۬ مِّنۡ حَمَإٍ۬ مَّسۡنُونٍ۬ (٣٣) قَالَ فَٱخۡرُجۡ مِنۡہَا فَإِنَّكَ رَجِيمٌ۬ (٣٤) وَإِنَّ عَلَيۡكَ ٱللَّعۡنَةَ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ (٣٥) قَالَ رَبِّ فَأَنظِرۡنِىٓ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ يُبۡعَثُونَ (٣٦) قَالَ فَإِنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُنظَرِينَ (٣٧) إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡوَقۡتِ ٱلۡمَعۡلُومِ (٣٨) قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَآ أَغۡوَيۡتَنِى لَأُزَيِّنَنَّ لَهُمۡ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَأُغۡوِيَنَّہُمۡ أَجۡمَعِينَ (٣٩) إِلَّا عِبَادَكَ مِنۡہُمُ ٱلۡمُخۡلَصِينَ (٤٠) قَالَ هَـٰذَا صِرَٲطٌ عَلَىَّ مُسۡتَقِيمٌ (٤١

(Allah) said: "O Iblis (Satan)! What is your reason for not being among the prostrators?" (32) [Iblis (Satan)] said: "I am not the one to prostrate myself to a human being, whom You created from dried (sounding) clay of altered mud." (33) (Allah) said: "Then, get out from here, for verily, you are Rajim (an outcast or a cursed one)." [Tafsir At-Tabari] (34) "And verily, the curse shall be upon you till the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of Resurrection)." (35) [Iblis (Satan)] said: "O my Lord! Give me then respite till the Day they (the dead) will be resurrected." (36) Allâh said: "Then, verily, you are of those reprieved, (37) "Till the Day of the time appointed." (38) [Iblis (Satan)] said: "O my Lord! Because you misled me, I shall indeed adorn the path of error for them (mankind) on the earth, and I shall mislead them all. (39) "Except Your chosen, (guided) slaves among them." (40) (Allah) said: "This is the Way which will lead straight to Me." (41)

(Qur'an Al-Hijr 15:32-41)

What we learn from these incidents is our manners with Allah.

So, where do we look when we made a mistake? The manners with Allah and the way of the prophets is to look at ourselves. What comes out of it is repentance. Repentance is beloved to Allah.

If we do a good deed, we look at Allah who created it. What comes out of it is gratitude, humility and fear. You are grateful for your prayer, for example; you are humble before Allah because you won't be able to do it without Him, and you are afraid that He does not help you to perform the next prayer. If you look at yourself for the good deed, pride, arrogance or feeling invincible can result.

When disaster happen, you are patient and look at Allah and say "inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiun" (Verily, to Allah we belong and to Him we return). You don't look at yourself and say "had I done this or that it would not have happen" because bitterness will result.

When reviewing our responsibilities to the commands of Allah, we look at our choices because planning comes about. For example, I have to pray Fajr tomorrow morning so I have to make sure I set my alarm before I go to sleep because I am responsible to fulfill Allah's command.

May Allah guide us. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaaam