Reference to Iblis being a Jin and disobeying Almighty Al-Kahf (The Cave) www.islamicity.com.

Iblis story in Al-Hijr (Stoneland City). islamicity.com. Please read through 31-41. The way I put it in words, I didn't read it exactly that way in any text. It was my personal opinion. In Quran Almighty has clearly indicated the reason for his refusal as "arrogance" and pride of being superior. Some scholars have even talked about him being such a strong Monothiest, that he didn't want to prostate in front of anyone except Almighty, so in his self righteousness he even ignored what Almighty wanted from him. So that was the basis for my comments, that worship alone is not enough if we miss the actual point of submitting to Almighty's will.

yeah myst...that's the 'regular' interpretation of the tree story. Iblis tempted them by saying the tree will grant them knowledge.

THe key about the story is GOD didn't say anything about the tree. God just said don't eat from the tree. Did God give a reason for it? Were the trees fruits poisoness?

Do you actually think the tree would have granted such knowledge and God didn't want them to gain it?

Why would GOD deny them a single tree in the first place? That's the real question. Does it have a purpose aside from a test. A lesson perhaps for those who seek earthbound reasons for every command of god.

I leave that as a ponderance.

scamper - i heard another interpretation of the fruit-eating story... rather than it be a sin of disobeying, it is a sin of wanting to be God or seeing yourself as higher than and more important than God. The tree was a tree of knowledge and Adam and Eve wanted that knowledge... well, they got it. Instead of knowing only pleasure and happiness, they learned suffering, death, punishment etc. It is far worse than just disobeying - the REASON they did so is important too :) i kinda like that inturpretation.

Interesting response Decent. You mind pointing to the versus or texts that say these things?

"He had no issue worshipping God, but he didn't realize worship is worthless if you don't obey God."

Perhaps a lesson for us muslims in terms of actions. The same message stems from where adam chooses to eat from the tree. The first human sin is to simply eat from a tree that god forbade.

decentguy, could u post that on the current talkbacks to the vibe?! it turned into a semi-discussion on free will and if muslims are just slaves of God and robots in Islam.

Angels are the only creation, which are born to obey and follow. Humans and Jins are born with free will, they can choose to obey or disobey. Iblis was among Jins. He had the choice to obey, but he didn't. He had no issue worshipping God, but he didn't realize worship is worthless if you don't obey God.

God didn't or doesn't create anybody to cause destruction or disobey, people choose to do that and are thus accountable for their actions. If there was no freedom of choice, accountability would have made no sense.