Allah (swt) evokes the frequently discussed matter by human beings about their creation. Allah (swt) says:

 مَّا أَشْهَدتُّهُمْ خَلْقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلَا خَلْقَ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَمَا كُنتُ مُتَّخِذَ الْمُضِلِّينَ عَضُدًا

(I did not make them witness to the creation of the heavens and the earth or to the creation of themselves, and I would not have taken the misguiders as assistants.) (Al-Kahf: 51)

Allah (swt) did not make us witness the exact process of creation as it is a hidden matter. Thus, this matter has always puzzled humans beings, so that Allah (swt) informs us about some of its aspects across different Surahs, including: Al-Baqara, Al-A’raaf, Al-Hijr, Al-Israa, Al-Kahf, Taha, and Sad. The first Surah is Al-Baqara where Alalh (swt) says:

 وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً ۖ قَالُوا أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

(And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.” They said, “Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?” Allah said, “Indeed, I know that which you do not know.”) (Al-Baqara: 30)

This is the first verse that talks about the creation of Adam (PBUH). The creation of mankind that man always asks questions about is the very same creation of Adam (PBUH) because all people are embedded within him (PBUH). After Adam (PBUH) came his sons, then their sons, and their sons after them… and so on. Human population is now at around six and a half billion, and if we go back a century then the number will be less, and the more we go back in time, the fewer the population on earth will be until we reach the first individual who is Adam (PBUH). Thus, the creation of Adam is something of the unseen which cannot be scientifically proven nor observed with the naked eye.

( وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَاكُمْ ثُمَّ صَوَّرْنَاكُمْ) (And We have certainly created you, [O Mankind], and given you [human] form): Allah (swt) mentions the process of creation in many verses. In one Surah, it is stated that the creation of mankind was out of clay, from an altered black mud. In another verse He (swt) states that the creation was from water, and in another one the soil is mentioned. Though humans are not created from soil, it is only our father Adam (PBUH) who is created from them. All these different stages together form the process of creating Adam (PBUH); soil and water gives mud, when the mud is dry is turns into clay, when it is left to dry for some time, it turns into altered black mud. As mentioned, these are the stages of Adam’s (PBUH) creation. It is  logically correct to say that humans are made of water, soil, mud, clay, altered black mud, and all of them together.

( صَوَّرْنَاكُمْ ثُمَّ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ ) (given you [human] form. Then We said to the angels, “Prostrate to Adam”; so they prostrated, except for Iblees): Scholars have different opinions about why Satan was among the Angels although he is definitely a jinn as clarified by Allah (swt) says:

 وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ كَانَ مِنَ الْجِنِّ فَفَسَقَ عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِ ۗ أَفَتَتَّخِذُونَهُ وَذُرِّيَّتَهُ أَوْلِيَاءَ مِن دُونِي وَهُمْ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ ۚ بِئْسَ لِلظَّالِمِينَ بَدَلً

(And [mention] when We said to the angels, “Prostrate to Adam,” and they prostrated, except for Iblees. He was of the jinn and departed from the command of his Lord. Then will you take him and his descendants as allies other than Me while they are enemies to you? Wretched it is for the wrongdoers as an exchange.) (Al-Kahf: 50)

The jinn are creatures with special features. Even if we do not perceive them with our sense, this does not mean that they do not exist. Just like the world of germs and bacteria which we cannot perceive with our senses but they do exist. Similarly, the jinn do exist even if we do not see them.

( ثُمَّ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ) (Then We said to the angels, “Prostrate to Adam”): The prostration to Adam (PBUH) was not a way of showing submission to Adam; rather it was obedience to Allah’s (swt) Commands.

But the reason why Satan was among the Angels is that he is a jinn and is thus given free will, so he either obeys or disobeys. Satan used to be obedient to Allah (swt) and because of how obedient he was, he was allowed to attend the assembly of some Angels whose tasks related to human beings. Other Angels who have higher ranks did not know anything about Adam (PBUH).

( فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ لَمْ يَكُن مِّنَ السَّاجِدِينَ ) (so they prostrated, except for Iblees. He was not of those who prostrated): Satan did not prostrate because he was a jinn. The jinn, just like mankind, are created with free will, and it is possible for them to   disobey or obey, unlike the Angels who never disobey any of Allah’s (swt) commandments and they do whatever they are commanded. This is the biggest proof that Satan was not an Angel, because had he been an Angel, he would obeyed Allah (swt) and have prostrated with them.