As a beginning for the mercies of Allah, I will start contemplating the first mercy in the Quran.  This will be an intellectual picnic, as the Quran is a book for contemplators, the reason why some stories are repeated in the Quran. The explanation comes from within Quran, “And verily, it is in the Mother of the Book, in Our Presence, high (in dignity), full of wisdom.” (Al Zughruf 4).  And the first human to receive mercy from God was Adam, “Then learnt Adam from his Lord words of inspiration, and his Lord Turned towards him; for He is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.” (Albaqrah 37). So let us read and contemplate his story. The story begins, “Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: "I will create a vicegerent on earth." They said: "Wilt Thou place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood?- whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy holy (name)?" He said: "I know what ye know not." (Albaqrah 30). Here God (SWT) informed the angels, among them Iblis, with his plan of having vicegerent in earth, but he did not tell them what will happen, saying He (SWT) knows what the angels do not. The word  vicegerent was mentioned again once in the Quran, “O David! We did indeed make thee a vicegerent on earth: so judge thou between men in truth (and justice): Nor follow thou the lusts (of thy heart), for they will mislead thee from the Path of Allah: for those who wander astray from the Path of Allah, is a Penalty Grievous, for that they forget the Day of Account.” (SAD 26). This verse shows that the viceroy is open for all humans.

Allah SWT informed the angels few things about humans, “When he turns his back, His aim everywhere is to spread mischief through the earth and destroy crops and cattle. But Allah loveth not mischief” (Albaqrah 205), “And remember We took your covenant (to this effect): Shed no blood amongst you, nor turn out your own people from your homes: and this ye solemnly ratified, and to this ye can bear witness/  After this it is ye, the same people, who slay among yourselves, and banish a party of you from their homes; assist (Their enemies) against them, in guilt and rancour; and  if they come to you as captives, ye ransom them, though it was not lawful for you to banish them. Then is it only a part of the Book that ye believe in, and do ye reject the rest? but what is the reward for those among you who behave like this but disgrace in this life?- and on the Day of Judgment they shall be consigned to the most grievous penalty. For Allah is not unmindful of what ye do.” (Albaqrah 84-85). Such vocublary, Earth, Corruption, and rancour are words that are rarely mentioned together in the Quran.

And we remember, thank, and worship you, “ And thou wilt see the angels surrounding the Throne (Divine) on all sides, singing Glory and Praise to their Lord. The Decision between them (at Judgment) will be in (perfect) justice, and the cry (on all sides) will be, "Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds!" (Alzumur 75).

“Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: "I will create a vicegerent on earth." They said: "Wilt Thou place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood?- whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy holy (name)?" He said: "I know what ye know not."  (Albaqrah 30). God refers her to Iblis, who was among the angels, and how he will behave later. “And He taught Adam the names of all things; then He placed them before the angels, and said: "Tell me the names of these if ye are right/ They said: "Glory to Thee, of knowledge We have none, save what Thou Hast taught us: In truth it is Thou Who art perfect in knowledge and wisdom/ He said: "O Adam! Tell them their names." When he had told them, Allah said: "Did I not tell you that I know the secrets of heaven and earth, and I know what ye reveal and what ye conceal?"(Albaqrah 31-33). This was a hidden warning for Iblis, telling him that Allah knows what he is thinking of.

Bowing to Adam:

As for this repeated scene, “And behold, We said to the angels: "Bow down to Adam" and they bowed down. Not so Iblis: he refused and was haughty: He was of those who reject Faith. “ (Albaqra 34). Bowing is not physical act, it is obeying God’s order, which is a way of worshipping God, SWT, “Seest thou not that to Allah bow down in worship all things that are in the heavens and on earth,- the sun, the moon, the stars; the hills, the trees, the animals; and a great number among mankind? But a great number are (also) such as are fit for Punishment: and such as Allah shall disgrace,- None can raise to honour: for Allah carries out all that He wills.” (Alhjj 18.)

Why did not Iblis bow:

He thought that there no punishment yet for not bowing, but he did not know that God already knew about it, and once he rejected, God told him the punishment. Only then, Iblis asked God SWT, “""O my Lord! give me then respite till the Day the (dead) are raised/  (Allah) said: "Respite is granted thee/ Till the Day of the Time appointed." (Alhijr 36-38). And once Iblis knew he was live till Judgement day, he announced his plan to drive humans astray. “He said: "Because thou hast thrown me out of the way, lo! I will lie in wait for them on thy straight way/ Then will I assault them from before them and behind them, from their right and their left: Nor wilt thou find, in most of them, gratitude (for thy mercies)/(Allah) said: "Get out from this, disgraced and expelled. If any of them follow thee,- Hell will I fill with you all.” (Alaraf 16-18).

 (Iblis) said: "O my Lord! because Thou hast put me in the wrong, I will make (wrong) fair-seeming to them on the earth, and I will put them all in the wrong/ Except Thy servants among them, sincere and purified (by Thy Grace)/ (Allah) said: "This (way of My sincere servants) is indeed a way that leads straight to Me./For over My servants no authority shalt thou have, except such as put themselves in the wrong and follow thee/And verily, Hell is the promised abode for them all!” (Alhijr 39-43).  And God SWT replied with he already knew: “He said: "Seest Thou? this is the one whom Thou hast honoured above me! If Thou wilt but respite me to the Day of Judgment, I will surely bring his descendants under my sway - all but a few!/ (Allah) said: "Go thy way; if any of them follow thee, verily Hell will be the recompense of you (all)- an ample recompense/ Lead to destruction those whom thou canst among them, with thy (seductive) voice; make assaults on them with thy cavalry and thy infantry; mutually share with them wealth and children; and make promises to them." But Satan promises them nothing but deceit. /As for My servants, no authority shalt thou have over them:" Enough is thy Lord for a Disposer of affairs.” (Alisraa 65). “ And on them did Satan prove true his idea, and they followed him, all but a party that believed.” (Sbaa’ 20).

And God warned us about Satan’s Animosity:

“O ye Children of Adam! Let not Satan seduce you, in the same manner as He got your parents out of the Garden, stripping them of their raiment, to expose their shame: for he and his tribe watch you from a position where ye cannot see them: We made the evil ones friends (only) to those without faith.” (Alaraf 27).

Reasons why Iblis did not bow:

(Iblis) said: "I am better than he: thou createdst me from fire, and him thou createdst from clay." (Sad 76).

What is that fire, that made Iblis so proud of being made of? And made him disobey God, SWT. Fire was mentioned 136 times in the Quran, most of which refer to Hell. But there is this blessed fire, the fire that Jenn were made of.

“But when he came to the (fire), a voice was heard: "Blessed are those in the fire and those around: and glory to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.” (Alnaml 2:30).

“But when he came to the (fire), a voice was heard from the right bank of the valley, from a tree in hallowed ground: "O Moses! Verily I am Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.... “ (Alqassass 30).

“"Verily I am thy Lord! therefore (in My presence) put off thy shoes: thou art in the sacred valley Tuwa.” (Taha 12).

“And we called him from the right side of Mount (Sinai), and made him draw near to Us, for mystic (converse).” (Maryem 52).

This fire was peculiar, Moses did not complain of heat when he looked at it, and when he ran away, God told him not to be scared, and God described with features as if we can reach it and not get heart. I believe it were the angels in it.

He created Jenn from fire described as:

“And the Jinn race, We had created before, from the fire of a scorching wind.” (Alhijr 27).

“ And He created Jinns from fire free of smoke:” (Alrahman 15)

Jinn are a mixture of transparent fire. One can see that God SWT implied to the holey Towa, the blessed tree, “Also a tree springing out of Mount Sinai, which produces oil, and relish for those who use it for food.” (Almoumenen 20). These are implication to the tree of olive.

Let us look at God’s light in The Light Verse:

“Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The Parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche and within it a Lamp: the Lamp enclosed in Glass: the glass as it were a brilliant star: Lit from a blessed Tree, an Olive, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil is well-nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it: Light upon Light! Allah doth guide whom He will to His Light: Allah doth set forth Parables for men: and Allah doth know all things” (Alnour 35).

This is a different kind of light, similar to the blessed fire. And although this fire seems superior to the mud humans were made of, Satan still should not have been arrogant about it, especially in such a sinful way. Iblis sacrificed his future and ours just because he could not get over this pride and arrogance, “ He Who has made everything which He has created most good: He began the creation of man with (nothing more than) clay/ And made his progeny from a quintessence of the nature of a fluid despised.” (Alsajda 7-8).

A picnic in the trees in the Quran

We are on this earth because of a tree. Maybe another tree will be the reason to get back to heaven. And what does a tree mean to us today?

Types of trees mentioned in the Quran:

The Blessed Tree:

“Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The Parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche and within it a Lamp: the Lamp enclosed in Glass: the glass as it were a brilliant star: Lit from a blessed Tree, an Olive, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil is well-nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it: Light upon Light! Allah doth guide whom He will to His Light: Allah doth set forth Parables for men: and Allah doth know all things/ (Lit is such a Light) in houses, which Allah hath permitted to be raised to honour; for the celebration, in them, of His name: In them is He glorified in the mornings and in the evenings, (again and again)/ By men whom neither traffic nor merchandise can divert from the Remembrance of Allah, nor from regular Prayer, nor from the practice of regular Charity: Their (only) fear is for the Day when hearts and eyes will be transformed (in a world wholly new)/ That Allah may reward them according to the best of their deeds, and add even more for them out of His Grace: for Allah doth provide for those whom He will, without measure.(Alnour 35-38).

The Tree of the Holey Spot:

“ But when he came to the (fire), a voice was heard from the right bank of the valley, from a tree in hallowed ground: "O Moses! Verily I am Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.” (Alqasass 30).

The Kind Tree:

“Seest thou not how Allah sets forth a parable? - A goodly word like a goodly tree, whose root is firmly fixed, and its branches (reach) to the heavens,- of its Lord. So Allah sets forth parables for men, in order that they may receive admonition/ It brings forth its fruit at all times, by the leave of its Lord. So Allah sets forth parables for men, in order that they may receive admonition.” (Ibrahim 24-25).

The Tree of Redwan Ultimate Contentment”

“Allah.s Good Pleasure was on the Believers when they swore Fealty to thee under the Tree: He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down Tranquillity to them; and He rewarded them with a speedy Victory.” (Alfath 18).

The Tree of Whose Who Repent:

“And We caused to grow, over him, a spreading plant of the gourd kind.” (Alsafat 146).

The Trees of Our world:

“ It is He who sends down rain from the sky: from it ye drink, and out of it (grows) the vegetation on which ye feed your cattle/With it He produces for you corn, olives, date-palms, grapes and every kind of fruit: verily in this is a sign for those who give thought.” (Alnahl 10-11).

 "The same Who produces for you fire out of the green tree, when behold! ye kindle therewith (your own fires)!” “Ya Sin 80).

“Or, Who has created the heavens and the earth, and Who sends you down rain from the sky? Yea, with it We cause to grow well-planted orchards full of beauty of delight: it is not in your power to cause the growth of the trees in them. (Can there be another) god besides Allah. Nay, they are a people who swerve from justice.” (Alnaml 60).

“Then learnt Adam from his Lord words of inspiration, and his Lord Turned towards him; for He is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.” (Albaqrah 37).

The Prohibited Tree:

“"O Adam! dwell thou and thy wife in the Garden, and enjoy (its good things) as ye wish: but approach not this tree, or ye run into harm and transgression." (Alaraf 19).

The Tree of Iblis’ hopes:

“But Satan whispered evil to him: he said, "O Adam! shall I lead thee to the Tree of Eternity and to a kingdom that never decays?" (Ta HA 120).

The Tree of Sin and Temptation:

“So by deceit he brought about their fall: when they tasted of the tree, their shame became manifest to them, and they began to sew together the leaves of the garden over their bodies. And their Lord called unto them: "Did I not forbid you that tree, and tell you that Satan was an avowed enemy unto you?" (Alaraf 22).

The Evil Tree:

“And the parable of an evil Word is that of an evil tree: It is torn up by the root from the surface of the earth: it has no stability/ Allah will establish in strength those who believe, with the word that stands firm, in this world and in the Hereafter; but Allah will leave, to stray, those who do wrong: Allah doeth what He willeth/ Hast thou not turned thy vision to those who have changed the favour of Allah. Into blasphemy and caused their people to descend to the House of Perdition/ Into Hell? They will burn therein,- an evil place to stay in/ And they set up (idols) as equal to Allah, to mislead (men) from the Path! Say: "Enjoy (your brief power)! But verily ye are making straightway for Hell!" (Ibrahim 26-30).

The Cursed Tree:

“ Behold! We told thee that thy Lord doth encompass mankind round about: We granted the vision which We showed thee, but as a trial for men,- as also the Cursed Tree (mentioned) in the Qur'an: We put terror (and warning) into them, but it only increases their inordinate transgression!/ Behold! We said to the angels: "Bow down unto Adam": They bowed down except Iblis: He said, "Shall I bow down to one whom Thou didst create from clay?" (Alisra’ 60-61).

The Tree of Zaqoum:

“Is that the better entertainment or the Tree of Zaqqum/ For We have truly made it (as) a trial for the wrong-doers/ For it is a tree that springs out of the bottom of Hell-Fire/ The shoots of its fruit-stalks are like the heads of devils/ Truly they will eat thereof and fill their bellies therewith.” (Alsafat 62-66).

Praises to the Allah, God of both worlds