Akhlaq
Walking gently on the earth
In the Qur'an's telling, the first sin was not doubt. It was pride.
3 min, Intro, Draft written with AI help: awaiting scholar review
Part 1 of 3
God commanded the angels to bow to Adam. Iblis refused: "I am better than him; You created me from fire and him from clay." In the Qur'an's telling, the first fall came from pride, not ignorance.
Qur'an 7:12
قَالَ مَا مَنَعَكَ أَلَّا تَسۡجُدَ إِذۡ أَمَرۡتُكَۖ قَالَ أَنَا۠ خَيۡرࣰ مِّنۡهُ خَلَقۡتَنِي مِن نَّارࣲ وَخَلَقۡتَهُۥ مِن طِينࣲ ١٢
12 Allah said, “What prevented you from prostrating when I ordered you?” He said, “I am better than him; You created me from fire and created him from clay.”
Lesson
In the Qur'an's telling, the first sin was looking down on someone.
Part 2 of 3
If pride is looking down on others, what does its opposite look like? The Qur'an describes God's servants as those who walk on the earth gently. When the ignorant speak to them harshly, they answer with peace.
Qur'an 25:63
وَعِبَادُ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَمۡشُونَ عَلَى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ هَوۡنࣱا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ ٱلۡجَٰهِلُونَ قَالُواْ سَلَٰمࣱا ٦٣
63 The slaves of the Most Compassionate are those who walk on earth humbly, and when the ignorant address them, they only say words of peace;
Lesson
The Qur'an's humble servants answer harshness with peace.
Part 3 of 3
The Prophet warned that no one with an atom's weight of arrogance in their heart enters Paradise. A man asked about liking fine clothes. The answer: God is beautiful and loves beauty; arrogance is rejecting truth and looking down on people.
Lesson
Arrogance, in this hadith, is rejecting truth and looking down on people, not loving beauty.
Reflect, just for you
Seen by lamplight. It gives more each time.
In the Qur'an's telling, the first sin was not doubt. It was pride.