Islam As It Is
The Trial of Man
~ 119 ~
A man who says, “I am ready to throw myself at the
feet of my Lord, but I will not bow to Adam,” has
become the brother of Satan; his self-prostration has
no value in the eyes of God, because it is negated by
the pride he displays in refusing to bow to Adam.
One who allows pride to be the governing factor in
his life will find indeed, that none of his actions are
acceptable to God.
The story of the first man, which was enacted in the
very presence of God, is now being reenacted over
and over again in everyday life, but now, the
difference is that God has placed a veil between
Himself and mankind, so that He shall remain
unseen. We do not see God right there before us,
but we do have the Holy Book which He
bequeathed to mankind—the Quran—and we also
have the sayings and traditions of the Prophet
Mohammad. We have, moreover, the voice of our
own consciences, which tells us every day that we
must, in our dealings with others, acknowledge
their rights in word and deed. It is as if we heard
the exhortation of God: “Fulfill the obligation you
have to this, your fellow man.” God tells us to bow
before ‘Adam,’ to pay him his due, whether it
