And [mention] when We said to the angels, "Prostrate before Adam"; so they prostrated, except for Iblees. He refused and was arrogant and became of the disbelievers.
Sahih International
Grammar, phrase by phrase
وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ
(And [mention] when We said to the angels,)
Root قول — to say, speak, tell · 1,722 times in the Quran
Root ملك — to possess, to rule; sovereignty, kingship, angels · 206 times in the Quran
وَإِذْword 1
Resumptive Particle · حرف استئنافA resumptive particle is a وَ or فَ that begins a fresh statement after a pause or a shift of topic — it starts the speech anew rather than adding one more item to a list. The prefix وَ · 'and' at the front of وَإِذْ opens such a fresh start. L14 · R1
Time Adverb · ظرف زمانA time adverb is a naming word of time that anchors a sentence to when its action happened. إِذْ means 'when (back then)', anchoring what follows to a past moment: 'when We said…'. Its own written shape stays fixed, closing with the sukūn ـْ — the small circle meaning no vowel sound follows. L16 · R10
قُلْنَاword 2
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action or happening that is always tied to a time — past, present/future, or a command. قُلْ speaks of an action already carried out: 'We said', from the root قول: to say, speak, tell. L1 · R7
Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past-tense verb describes an action already completed — and it shows who by a small ending fastened to the verb's tail. On قُلْنَا that ending is نَا, telling exactly who is meant: 'We said', from the root قول: to say, speak, tell. L8 · R2
Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb is a verb that carries و or ي — the 'weak' letters, which love to soften into long vowels or vanish — among its root letters. The root of قُلْ is قول: to say, speak, tell — and its middle letter is the weak و, so the weakness sits in the middle of the root. L24 · R4
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word for 'I / you / he' that cannot stand alone — it is glued onto the end of another word, and each form carries within it exactly who is meant. نَا · 'us/our' is fastened to the tail of the verb here — قُلْنَا — naming the one who did the action. L3 · R6
Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action, so it stands in the nominative — the doer's form, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. The ending نَا on قُلْنَا is that doer, 'We'; on this attached pronoun the shape is fixed, so no ḍammah appears, but the role it fills is the nominative one. L9 · R4
لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِword 3
Preposition · حرف جرThe small prefix لِ at the front of لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ is a preposition — a little helper word meaning 'to/for' that relates one thing to another. A preposition 'pulls' the naming word after it into the genitive, the ending marked by a kasrah ـِ — a small slanted stroke written below the letter — and لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ ends with exactly that kasrah ـِ. L4 · R1
Definite Article · أل التعريفThe definite article is the prefix ٱلْ at the front of a noun (a naming word); it means 'the' — one specific, known one. The letter after it is a 'moon' letter — a letter not made in the same part of the mouth as ل — so the ل of the prefix keeps its own sound, both written and heard, resting with the sukūn ـْ (a small circle written above the letter): لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ. L2 · R9
Noun · اسمA word ending with the letter ة (tā marbūṭah) is a noun — a naming word. مَلَٰٓئِكَةِ ends in that ة and names beings: the angels, from the root ملك, to possess, rule; angels. L1 · R3
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she', with 'he' — masculine — as the default. مَلَٰٓئِكَةِ is counted masculine: the ة at its end here belongs to this word's plural shape rather than serving as a 'she' marker. L2 · R3
Plural Noun · جمعA plural noun refers to three or more — made either by adding an ending or by reshaping the word from the inside, which is called a broken plural. مَلَٰٓئِكَة is such a broken plural: the singular مَلَك (angel) is reshaped from within. L2 · R6
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the ending a noun (a naming word) takes after a preposition — a little word like 'in' or 'to' — and it is marked by a kasrah ـِ, a small slanted stroke written below the letter. مَلَٰٓئِكَةِ stands right after such a little word, so its final letter carries exactly that kasrah ـِ: لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ. L2 · R12
This ayah mentions the great honor that Allah granted Adam, of which He reminded Adam's offspring.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:34
ٱسْجُدُوا۟ لِـَٔادَمَ
(…"Prostrate before Adam";)
Root سجد — to prostrate · 92 times in the Quran
ٱسْجُدُوا۟word 4
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action or happening that is always tied to a time — past, present/future, or a command. ٱسْجُدُ is a command: 'Prostrate', from the root سجد: to prostrate. L1 · R7
Imperative Verb · فعل أمرAn imperative verb is a direct command addressed to 'you', formed from the present-tense verb by removing its تَـ prefix and adding a helping ٱ when what remains starts with a vowelless letter. ٱسْجُدُوا۟ shows exactly that helping ٱ, commanding a group: 'prostrate!' — the ending وا۟ pointing the order at 'you all'. L10 · R1
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word for 'I / you / he' that cannot stand alone — it is glued onto the end of another word, and each form carries within it exactly who is meant. وا۟ · 'you all/your' is fastened to the tail of the verb here — ٱسْجُدُوا۟ — naming the one who did the action. L3 · R6
Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action, so it stands in the nominative — the doer's form, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. The ending وا۟ on ٱسْجُدُوا۟ is that doer, 'you all'; on this attached pronoun the shape is fixed, so no ḍammah appears, but the role it fills is the nominative one. L9 · R4
لِـَٔادَمَword 5
Preposition · حرف جرThe small prefix لِ at the front of لِـَٔادَمَ is a preposition — a little helper word meaning 'to/for' that relates one thing to another. A preposition 'pulls' the word that follows it into the genitive relationship — the 'of / in / with' role a word plays after such a little helper — though not every word shows that role with the same visible ending. L4 · R1
Noun · اسمA noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea — and in Arabic this includes proper names. ءَادَمَ is a proper name: 'to Adam'. L1 · R6
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the standing a naming word takes after a preposition, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. But ءَادَمَ is a partially flexible word — a non-Arabic proper name, one of the categories that never take tanwīn and show their genitive with a fathah ـَ (a small stroke above the letter) instead of the kasrah. After لِ 'to', it therefore ends in that fathah ـَ. L2 · R14
Qatadah said: the obedience was for Allah and the prostration was before Adam — Allah honored Adam by commanding the angels to prostrate before him; some said it was a prostration of greeting and honor.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:34
So far: “And [mention] when We said to the angels, "Prostrate before Adam";”
فَسَجَدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِبْلِيسَ
(…so they prostrated, except for Iblees.)
Root سجد — to prostrate · 92 times in the Quran
فَسَجَدُوٓا۟word 6
Result Particle · فاء الجوابThe result particle is a فَ introducing what follows from a command or condition, translating as 'so/then'. The prefix فَ here gives the outcome of the command: 'so they prostrated'. L14 · R2
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action or happening that is always tied to a time — past, present/future, or a command. سَجَدُ speaks of an action already carried out: '[so] they prostrated', from the root سجد: to prostrate. L1 · R7
Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past-tense verb describes an action already completed — and it shows who by a small ending fastened to the verb's tail. On فَسَجَدُوٓا۟ that ending is وٓا۟, telling exactly who is meant: '[so] they prostrated', from the root سجد: to prostrate. L8 · R2
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word for 'I / you / he' that cannot stand alone — it is glued onto the end of another word, and each form carries within it exactly who is meant. وٓا۟ · 'them/their' is fastened to the tail of the verb here — فَسَجَدُوٓا۟ — naming the one who did the action. L3 · R6
Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action, so it stands in the nominative — the doer's form, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. The ending وٓا۟ on فَسَجَدُوٓا۟ is that doer, 'they'; on this attached pronoun the shape is fixed, so no ḍammah appears, but the role it fills is the nominative one. L9 · R4
إِلَّآword 7
Exception Particle · أداة الاستثناءAn exception particle carves someone out of a general statement, and إِلَّآ 'except' is the chief one. All the angels prostrated — إِلَّآ pulls one out of that whole: 'except Iblees'. L19 · R2
إِبْلِيسَword 8
Noun · اسمA noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea — and in Arabic this includes proper names. إِبْلِيسَ is a proper name: 'Iblis'. L1 · R6
Accusative · منصوبThe accusative is the ending shown by a fathah ـَ — a small slanted stroke above the last letter. إِبْلِيسَ ends in exactly that fathah ـَ: when a whole group is stated and one is carved out after 'except', the carved-out one wears this accusative ending. L2 · R11
Iblis, though not an angel, was included in the command because he was among them imitating their behavior; Ibn Abbas said that before his sin he was called Azazil, one of the most active worshippers — and he was of the Jinn.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:34
أَبَىٰ وَٱسْتَكْبَرَ
(…He refused and was arrogant)
Root ابي — to refuse, to decline, to reject · 13 times in the Quran
Root كبر — to be great, big, mighty; to be arrogant, proud; elder · 161 times in the Quran
أَبَىٰword 9
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action or happening that is always tied to a time — past, present/future, or a command. أَبَىٰ speaks of an action already carried out: 'He refused', from the root ابي: to refuse, to decline, to reject. L1 · R7
Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past-tense verb describes an action already completed. Its plain base shape — the shape Arabic uses for a single 'he' — carries no who-ending glued to its tail, and أَبَىٰ is exactly that bare base: 'He refused', from the root ابي: to refuse, to decline, to reject. L8 · R1
Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb is a verb that carries و or ي — the 'weak' letters, which love to soften into long vowels or vanish — among its root letters. The root of أَبَىٰ is ابي: to refuse, to decline, to reject — and its last letter is the weak ي, so the weakness sits at the very end of the root. L24 · R7
Hamzated Verb · فعل مهموزA hamzated verb has the hamza ء as one of its root letters. The root of أَبَىٰ is ابي, whose first letter is that hamza — seated on an alif as أَ at the front of the word. L24 · R11
وَٱسْتَكْبَرَword 10
Conjunction · حرف عطفThe prefix وَ at the front of وَٱسْتَكْبَرَ is a conjunction — a small joining word meaning 'and' — linking what follows to what came before; the word it joins in must stand in the same grammatical case as its partner before the joint — the same role in the sentence, even when the two words write that case with different endings. L4 · R4
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action or happening that is always tied to a time — past, present/future, or a command. ٱسْتَكْبَرَ speaks of an action already carried out: 'and was arrogant', from the root كبر: to be great, big, mighty; to be arrogant, proud; elder. L1 · R7
Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past-tense verb describes an action already completed. Its plain base shape — the shape Arabic uses for a single 'he' — carries no who-ending glued to its tail, and ٱسْتَكْبَرَ is exactly that bare base: 'and was arrogant', from the root كبر: to be great, big, mighty; to be arrogant, proud; elder. L8 · R1
Form X Verb · اِسْتَفْعَلَA Form X verb is identified by the addition اِسْتَـ in front of the root letters, typically meaning seeking or requesting the action. ٱسْتَكْبَرَ carries exactly that ٱسْتَـ before its root كبر (greatness): seeking greatness for himself — 'he was arrogant'. L13 · R6
Qatadah said: Iblis, the enemy of Allah, envied Adam because Allah honored him, saying 'I was created from fire, and he was created from clay' — so the first error ever committed was arrogance.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:34
وَكَانَ مِنَ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
(…and became of the disbelievers.)
Root كون — to be, exist, happen · 1,390 times in the Quran
Root كفر — to disbelieve, reject faith; disbelief, ingratitude · 525 times in the Quran
وَكَانَword 11
Conjunction · حرف عطفThe prefix وَ at the front of وَكَانَ is a conjunction — a small joining word meaning 'and' — linking what follows to what came before; the word it joins in must stand in the same grammatical case as its partner before the joint — the same role in the sentence, even when the two words write that case with different endings. L4 · R4
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action or happening that is always tied to a time — past, present/future, or a command. كَانَ speaks of an action already carried out: 'and became', from the root كون: to be, exist, happen. L1 · R7
Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past-tense verb describes an action already completed. Its plain base shape — the shape Arabic uses for a single 'he' — carries no who-ending glued to its tail, and كَانَ is exactly that bare base: 'and became', from the root كون: to be, exist, happen. L8 · R1
Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb is a verb that carries و or ي — the 'weak' letters, which love to soften into long vowels or vanish — among its root letters. The root of كَانَ is كون: to be, exist, happen — and its middle letter is the weak و, so the weakness sits in the middle of the root. L24 · R4
Kāna Verb · كان وأخواتهاكَانَ 'was/became' is an incomplete verb: saying only 'he became' leaves the thought hanging — became WHAT? — so it needs both a topic and a comment to finish its meaning. Here the topic is the understood 'he', Iblees, and the comment is the phrase 'of the disbelievers', which completes it: 'he became of the disbelievers'. L18 · R1
مِنَword 12
Particle · حرفA particle is a small helper word of one to three letters that works like glue — it connects or adjusts other words rather than naming something or describing an action, and it can never be the one a sentence is about. مِنَ · 'from/of' is such a helper. L1 · R9
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little helper word that relates one thing to another; Arabic keeps a short list of them — small words like فِي 'in', مِنْ 'from', and عَلَىٰ 'on'. مِنَ · 'from/of' is one of these relation-words. L4 · R2
ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَword 13
Definite Article · أل التعريفThe definite article is the prefix ٱلْ at the front of a noun (a naming word); it means 'the' — one specific, known one. The letter after it is a 'moon' letter — a letter not made in the same part of the mouth as ل — so the ل of the prefix keeps its own sound, both written and heard, resting with the sukūn ـْ (a small circle written above the letter): ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ. L2 · R9
Noun · اسمA noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea. كَٰفِرِينَ is such a naming word: 'the disbelievers', from the root كفر: to disbelieve, reject faith; disbelief, ingratitude. L1 · R6
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every noun — every naming word — as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. Even as a plural, ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ carries no feminine marker — no ة at its end, no final ى, no اء — so it takes the default and is a masculine noun; its ending is the 'sound' plural ending Arabic reserves for masculine nouns. L2 · R3
Plural Noun · جمعA plural noun refers to three or more of something. The sound masculine plural carries its role in its ending — ـُونَ for the nominative (the 'subject form', with the ḍammah ـُ sound), ـِينَ for the accusative and genitive (the 'object' and 'of' forms); ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ closes with exactly such an ending: not one, but a whole group. L2 · R6
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the 'after-of / after-preposition' family of endings a noun — a naming word — can wear; on most nouns it is shown by a kasrah ـِ, a small slanted stroke written below the final letter. The sound masculine plural carries its role in its ending — ـُونَ for the nominative (the 'subject form', with the ḍammah ـُ sound), ـِينَ for the accusative and genitive (the 'object' and 'of' forms); ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ wears its genitive inside that shared plural ending. L2 · R7
Active Participle · اسم فاعلAn active participle is a naming word built from a verb's root on the pattern فَاعِل to name the doer of the action. كَٰفِر is built on that pattern from the root كفر (to reject faith): ones who disbelieve. L11 · R1
Iblis had disbelief, arrogance, and rebellion, all of which caused him to be expelled from the holy presence of Allah and His mercy.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:34
So far: “And [mention] when We said to the angels, "Prostrate before Adam"; so they prostrated, except for Iblees. He refused and was arrogant and became of the disbelievers.”