They were at that time phantoms (ashbahan), not yet having donned the physical human shirts. They were the masters of the science of God—Sublime and Exalted—and His Oneness. So they prostrated to the Name, accepted the command, and obeyed, as He reported of them: {So the angels prostrated—all of them together, ❁ Except Iblis; he refused to be with those who prostrated}¹. This was the first of his opposition and disobedience.

The Meaning—Mighty and Sublime—said to him: {He said, "O Iblis, what prevented you from prostrating to that which I created with My hands? Were you arrogant then, or were you [already] among the High Ones?" ❁ He said, "I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay"}.² This supports what we explained: that the Meaning did not produce or originate anything other than the Name. The dialogue in the outward was his refusal to prostrate to Adam.

Likewise in the inward: the narration appeared that Iblis refused to prostrate to the Name, because the Adversary did not branch out nor show stubbornness from the start of the affair except against the Name, nor was the cause of his rebellion and arrogance anything but envy of the Name.

Reports appeared that the First said to the Meaning—Mighty and Sublime: "Had You appeared through me, I would have obeyed You," because the First is one of the personages of the Second and one of his attributes. God the Almighty said, quoting Iblis: {He said, "I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay"}³. When he disobeyed and was arrogant, God made him fire. Likewise, when the Second transgressed and rebelled—he and his likenesses—He created from his action a dark fire. That darkness was the element and origin of the Black Inverted World.