also, imam fakhr ar-razi in the tafsir of the same verse [38:75] mentions: 'were the angels commanded to prostrate only those on the earth or also the lofty ones like Gibril..?' and then says: 'most of these arguments were covered in earlier verses of [surah] al-baqarah and others. so, it is just a moot point.
ruH al-bayan: or are you among the `aaliin? that is, those who deserve preeminence and are elevated [tafawwuq wa `uluww]; it is possible that the word `aaliin is meant to describe those vouchsafed, witnessing angels who were not included in the command to prostrate to adam [`alayhi's salam], because they were engrossed and immersed in beholding the [Grandeur of] the Lord, the Haqq; and these were pure souls [arwaH al-mujarradah] as it has been mentioned earlier in surah al-Hijr. and in surah al-Hijr[15:30]: it is possible that those who were ordered to prostrate was a group of angels, like it is said in another verse: 'when the angels said: o maryam,' [aal imran, 3:42] and here it was only Gibril alayhi's salam but the plural was used; however, when the word 'kulluhum' is used, this possibility vanishes. Allah ta'ala knows best.
fakhr ar-razi: the meaning is: 'have you become proud now, or have you always been haughty?' [] tabari: 'or have you always been haughty and proud, arrogant towards your Lord?' [am kunta kadhalika min qabl dha `uluwwin wa takabburin `ala rabbik?] al-qurTubi: that is, `aaliin are those who are arrogant and haugty towards their Lord. [ayy, al mutakabbirin `ala rabbik] further qurTubi says: that is, have you become proud now and you transgress by refusing to prostrate to adam, or are you among those who are haughty and hence you refuse? [ayy, istakbarta bi nafsika Heena abayta `ani's sujudi li aadam am kunta mina'l qawmi'l-ladhina yatakabbaruna fa takabbarta li hadha ] al-bayDawi: are you proud and consider yourself great without deserving it, or are you among those who are higher and deserve to be preeminent. it is also said that:'have you become proud now, or you have been haughty always?' [takabbarta min ghayri istiHqaqin aw kunta mimman `ala wa'staHaqqa't tafawwuq; wa qeel astakbarta'l aan am lam tazal mundhu kunta mina'l mustakbirin;] jalalayn: this is a interrogative statement to reproach..that is, 'are you among those who are haughty?' al-baghawi: this is an interrogative sentence meant to reject [the action] and to reproach. another aspect in ruH al-bayan shall be examined later, inshaAllah. Allah ta'ala knows best.
[FONT=Verdana,Arial] 38:75 ((Allah)) said: "O Iblis! What prevents thee from prostrating thyself to one whom I have created with my hands? Art thou haughty? Or art thou one of the high (and mighty) ones?"قَالَ يَا إِبْلِيسُ مَا مَنَعَكَ أَن تَسْجُدَ لِمَا خَلَقْتُ بِيَدَيَّ أَسْتَكْبَرْتَ أَمْ كُنتَ مِنَ الْعَالِينَ (38:75) --------------------------- [/FONT]in the above aayah kareema, Allah(S) says to iblis that why dont you prostrate to Adam(A) then gives two options or reasons for iblis's refusal. 1. takabbur 2. or are you from 'aaleen' now, ISHARA in kalam Allah cannot be a hypothetical so there are personalities or 'musharun elay' addressed as 'aaleen' same root letter as ALI. however, the reason iblis did not do sajda because either of takabbur or belonging to aaleen. he is obviously not from aaleen; the exempt ones so his refusal was because of pride. it is also clear from Qoran shareef that categorically every single 'angel' prostrated without exeption so aaleen cannot be angels either. therefore the big question is Who are these aaleen. if Allah(S) does ishara then it necessitates that there are its musharun elay in reality who were exempt from prostration.
