Apparently the first announcement...

Apparently the first announcement, “I am going to make in the earth a vice­gerent”, had shown that the said vicegerent would have authority over the angels too. It may be inferred from the command obliging them to prostrate before Adam. Probably on hearing that first announcement some disturbing thought had come into their minds, as it had never occurred to them that any earthly creature could be given authority over everything including themselves. Some Tradition too point to it.

In this context the words, “what you were hiding”, could easily be addressed to the angels. Commentary Qur’an: “Prostrate before Adam” : Apparently it shows that prostration, per se, may be done before other than Allah, if it is done in conformity with Allah's command, as a mark of respect to that person. A similar case is found in the story of Yūsuf (a.s.): And he raised his parents upon the throne and they (all) fell down in prostration before him, and he said: “O my father!

this is the interpretation of my vision of old; my Lord has indeed made it to be true” (12:100). This topic needs some clarification. It was explained in the chapter of The Opening what the worship means. The worshipper places himself in the position of servitude and performs what manifests this status, what clearly shows that he accepts the mastership of his master.

Those acts must be such as to show the master's mastership or the servant's servitude; for example, prostrating before the master, bowing down to him, standing before him when he sits, walking behind him when he walks etc. The more apt an action is to show this status, the more reserved it becomes to the rites of the divine worship.

Prostration is the most significant symbol of the master's status arid the servant's low rank, because the man in this act falls down and puts his forehead on the ground. For this reason, it has the strongest connection with the divine worship. However, prostration is not the same thing as worship. They have two different meanings, and worship is not a quidditative substance of prostration. A quidditative characteristic can never be separated from any being.

But prostration may be done with­out any thought of reverence or worship - for example, just to make fun of someone. Keeping this in view, it may safely be said that although the connection of prostration with divine worship is the strongest, that worship is not its quiddity. There­fore, prostration, per se , cannot be exclusively reserved for Allah.