15. Surah al-hijr, Mecca 54
The Quranic Text& Ali’s Version:
فَإِذَا
سَوَّيْتُهُ
وَنَفَخْتُ
فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِي
فَقَعُواْ لَهُ
سَاجِدِينَ ﴿٢٩﴾
15: 29. "When I have fashioned him (in due proportion) and breathed into him of My spirit, fall ye down in obeisance unto him."
C1968. Among other passages where the creation of Adam is referred to, cf. the following;
Note that here the emphasis is on three points:
1. the breathing from Allah's spirit into man i.e., the faculty of God-like knowledge and will, which, if rightly used, would give man superiority over other creatures:
2. the origin of evil in arrogance and jealousy on the part of Satan, who saw only the lower side of man (his clay) and failed to see the higher side, the faculty brought in from the spirit of Allah;
3. that this evil only touches those who yield to it, and has no power over Allah's sincere servants, purified by His grace (15:40, 42).
Adam is not here mentioned by name, but only Man, whose symbol is Adam.
فَسَجَدَ
الْمَلآئِكَةُ
كُلُّهُمْ
أَجْمَعُونَ ﴿٣٠﴾
15:30. So the angels prostrated themselves all of them together:
15:31. Not so
C1969. Cf. n. 49 to 2:34.
... إِبْلِيسَ...
Iblis:
C1970. lblis: the name has in it the root-idea of desperateness or rebellion.
Cf. n. 52 to 2:36.
...أَبَى أَن يَكُونَ مَعَ السَّاجِدِينَ ﴿٣١﴾
he refused to be among those who prostrated themselves.
C1971. Apparently Iblis's arrogance had two grounds:
- that man was made of clay while he was made of fire;
- that he did not wish to do what others did.
Both grounds were false;
- because man had the spirit of Allah breathed into him;
- because contempt of the angels who obeyed Allah's words showed not Iblis's superiority but his inferiority.
The word "bashar" for man (verse 33) suggests a gross physical body.
قَالَ
يَا إِبْلِيسُ
مَا لَكَ أَلاَّ
تَكُونَ مَعَ
السَّاجِدِينَ ﴿٣٢﴾
15:32. (Allah) said: "O Iblis! what is your reason for not being among those who prostrated themselves?"
قَالَ
لَمْ أَكُن
لِّأَسْجُدَ
لِبَشَرٍ خَلَقْتَهُ
مِن صَلْصَالٍ
مِّنْ حَمَإٍ
مَّسْنُونٍ ﴿٣٣﴾
15:33. (Iblis) said:
"I am not one to prostrate myself to man, whom thou didst create from sounding clay, from mud molded into shape."
قَالَ
فَاخْرُجْ
مِنْهَا فَإِنَّكَ
رَجِيمٌ ﴿٣٤﴾
15:34. (Allah) said:
"Then get thee out from here;
for thou art rejected, accursed.
وَإِنَّ
عَلَيْكَ اللَّعْنَةَ
إِلَى يَوْمِ
الدِّينِ ﴿٣٥﴾
15:35. "And the Curse shall be on thee till the Day of Judgment."
C1972. After the Day of Judgment the whole constitution of the universe will be different. There will be a new world altogether, on a wholly different plane. (Cf. 21:104).
قَالَ
رَبِّ فَأَنظِرْنِي
إِلَى يَوْمِ
يُبْعَثُونَ ﴿٣٦﴾
15:36. (Iblis) said: "O my Lord! give me then respite till the Day the (dead) are raised."
C1973. What was this respite?
The curse on Iblis remained, i.e. he was deprived of Allah's grace and became in the spiritual world what an outlaw is in a political kingdom. An earthly kingdom may not be able to catch and destroy an outlaw. But Allah is Omnipotent, and such power as Iblis may have can only come through the respite granted by Allah. The respite then is what is expressed in 15:39 below.
In Allah's grant of limited free-will to man is implied the faculty of choosing between good and evil, and the faculty is exercised through the temptations and allurements put forward by Satan, "the open enemy" of man. This is for the period of man's probation on this earth.
Even so, no temptations have power over the sincere worshippers of Allah, who are purified by His grace.
قَالَ
فَإِنَّكَ مِنَ
الْمُنظَرِينَ ﴿٣٧﴾
15:37. (Allah) said:
"Respite is granted thee --
إِلَى
يَومِ الْوَقْتِ
الْمَعْلُومِ ﴿٣٨﴾
15:38. "Till the Day of the Time Appointed."
قَالَ
رَبِّ بِمَآ
أَغْوَيْتَنِي
لأُزَيِّنَنَّ
لَهُمْ فِي
الأَرْضِ...
15:39. (Iblis) said:
"O my Lord! because Thou hast put me in the wrong, I will make (wrong) fair-seeming to them on the earth,
C1974. Agwaitani: 'thrown me out of the way, put me in the wrong': Cf. 7:16.
Satan cannot be straight or truthful even before Allah. By his own arrogance and rebellion he fell; he attributes this to Allah. Between Allah's righteous judgment and Satan's snares and temptations there cannot be the remotest comparison. Yet he presumes to put them on an equal footing. He is taking advantage of the respite.
...وَلأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ ﴿٣٩﴾
and I will put them all in the wrong --
C1975. Iblis (the Satan) is powerless against Allah. He turns therefore against man and becomes Satan (the Enemy).
إِلاَّ
عِبَادَكَ
مِنْهُمُ
الْمُخْلَصِينَ ﴿٤٠﴾
15:40. "Except Thy servants among them, sincere and purified (by Thy grace)."
قَالَ
هَذَا صِرَاطٌ
عَلَيَّ مُسْتَقِيمٌ ﴿٤١﴾
15:41. (Allah) said:
"This (Way of My sincere servants) is indeed a Way that leads straight to Me.
C1976. To be sincere in the worship of Allah is to obtain purification from all stain of evil and exemption from all influence of evil. It changes the whole nature of man. After that, evil cannot touch him. Evil will acknowledge him to be beyond its power and will not even tempt him.
Apart from such purified souls, everyone who worships Allah invites Allah's grace to protect him. But if he puts himself in the way of wrong and deliberately chooses evil, he must take the consequences. The blame is not even on Satan, the power of evil, it is on the sinner himself, who puts himself into his power; 14:22: 15:42.
إِنَّ عِبَادِي
لَيْسَ لَكَ
عَلَيْهِمْ
سُلْطَانٌ...
15:42. "For over My servants no authority shalt thou have,
...إِلاَّ مَنِ اتَّبَعَكَ مِنَ الْغَاوِينَ ﴿٤٢﴾
except such as put themselves in the wrong and follow thee."
15: 29
Pickthall So, when I have made him and have breathed into him of My spirit, do ye fall down, prostrating yourselves unto him.
Yuksel "So when I perfect him, and blow of My Spirit in him, you shall fall prostrate to him."*
Transliteration Fa iza-stawaituhu_ wa nafakhtu fihi mir ru_hi fa qa'u_ lahu_ sa_jidin(a).
15: 30
Pickthall So the angels fell prostrate, all of them together
Yuksel Thus, all of the angels fell prostrate to him,
Transliteration Fasajadal mala_'ikatu kulluhum ajma'u_n(a),
15: 31
Pickthall Save Iblis. He refused to be among the prostrate.
Yuksel Except for Satan, he refused to be with the prostrators.
Transliteration Illa_ iblis(a), aba_ ay yaku_na ma'as sa_jidin(a).
15: 32
Pickthall He said: O Iblis! What aileth thee that thou art not among the prostrate?
Yuksel He said, "O Satan, what is the matter that you are not with the prostrators?"
Transliteration Qa_la ya_ iblisu ma_ laka alla_ taku_na ma'as sa_jidin(a).
15: 33
Pickthall He said: Why should I prostrate myself unto a mortal whom Thou hast created out of potter's clay of black mud altered?
Yuksel He said, "I am not to prostrate to a human You have created from a hardened clay of aged mud."
Transliteration Qa_la lam akul li'asjuda li basyarin khalaqtahu_ min salsa_lim min hama'im masnu_n(in).
15: 34
Pickthall He said: Then go thou forth from hence, for verily thou art outcast.
Transliteration Qa_la fa-khruj minha_ fa innaka rajim(uw),
15: 35
Pickthall And lo! the curse shall be upon thee till the Day of Judgment.
Transliteration Wa inna 'alaikal la'nata ila_ yaumid din(i).
15: 36
Pickthall He said: My Lord! Reprieve me till the day when they are raised.
Transliteration Qa_la rabbi fa anzirni ila_ yaumi yub'asu_n(a).
15: 37
Pickthall He said: Then lo! thou art of those reprieved
Transliteration Qa_la fa innaka minal munzarin(a),
15: 38
Pickthall Till an appointed time.
Transliteration Ila_ yaumil waqtil ma'lu_m(i).
15: 39
Pickthall He said: My Lord, Because Thou has sent me astray, I verily shall adorn the path of error for them in the earth, and shall mislead them every one.
Transliteration Qa_la rabbi bima_ agwaitani la uzayyinanna lahum fil ardi wa la'ugwiyannahum ajma'in(a),
15: 40
Pickthall Save such of them as are Thy perfectly devoted slaves.
Transliteration Illa_ 'iba_daka minhumul mukhlasin(a).
15: 41
Pickthall He said: This is a right course incumbent upon Me:
Transliteration Qa_la ha_za_ sira_tun 'alayya mustaqim(un).
15: 42
Pickthall Lo! as for My slaves, thou hast no power over any of them save such of the froward as follow thee,
Transliteration Inna 'iba_di laisa laka 'alaihim sulta_nun illa_ man-ittaba'aka minal ga_win(a).
=====================================
38. Surah Saad
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ...
38: 74. Not so Iblis:
... اسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنْ الْكَافِرِينَ ﴿٧٤﴾
he was haughty, and became one of those who reject Faith.
C4228. Arrogance (self-love) is thus the root of Evil and of Unfaith.
قَالَ يَا إِبْلِيسُ مَا مَنَعَكَ أَن تَسْجُدَ لِمَا خَلَقْتُ بِيَدَيَّ...
38: 75. (Allah) said:
"O Iblis!
what prevents thee from prostrating thyself to one whom I have created with My hands?
C4229. Man, as typified by Adam, is in himself nothing but frail clay. But as fashioned by Allah's creative power into something with Allah's spirit breathed into him, his dignity is raised above that of the highest creatures.
... أَسْتَكْبَرْتَ أَمْ كُنتَ مِنَ الْعَالِينَ ﴿٧٥﴾
Art thou haughty?
Or art thou one of the high (and mighty) ones?"
C4230. If, then, Satan refuses, it is a rebellion against Allah. It arises from arrogance or haughtiness, an exaggerated idea of Self.
Or, it is asked, are you really sufficiently high in rank to dispute with the Almighty?
Of course he was not.
قَالَ أَنَا خَيْرٌ مِّنْهُ...
38: 76. (Iblis) said:
"I am better than he:
... خَلَقْتَنِي مِن نَّارٍ وَخَلَقْتَهُ مِن طِينٍ ﴿٧٦﴾
Thou createdst me from fire, and him Thou createdst from clay."
قَالَ فَاخْرُجْ مِنْهَا فَإِنَّكَ رَجِيمٌ ﴿٧٧﴾
38: 77. (Allah) said:
"Then get thee out from here: for thou art rejected, accursed.
Asad’s Version:
(38:74) save Iblis: he gloried in his arrogance, and [thus] became one of those who deny the truth. 57
38:75 Said He: "O Iblis! What has kept thee from prostrating thyself before that [being] which I have created with My hands? 58 Art thou too proud [to bow down before another created being], or art thou of those who think [only] of themselves as high?" 5 '
38:76 Answered [Iblis): "I am better than he: Thou hast created me out of fire,' whereas him Thou hast created out of clay."
38:77 Said He: "Go forth, then, from this [angelic state] - for, behold, thou art henceforth accursed,
7. Sura al-Araf
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَلَقَدْ
خَلَقْنَاكُمْ
ثُمَّ
صَوَّرْنَاكُمْ
...
7: 11. It is We who created you and gave you shape;
C996. Shape or form must be interpreted not only to refer to the physical form, which changes day by day, but also the various forms or shapes which our ideal and spiritual existence may take from time to time according to our inner experience; Cf. 82:8.
It was after Adam (as standing for all mankind) had been so taught that the angels were asked to prostrate to him, for, by Allah's grace, his status had actually been raised higher.
Note the transition from "you" (plural) in the first clause to "Adam" in the second clause: Adam and mankind are synonymous: the plural is reverted to in 7:14, 16-18. (R).
... ثُمَّ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلآئِكَةِ اسْجُدُواْ لآدَمَ فَسَجَدُواْ إِلاَّ إِبْلِيسَ...
then We bade the angels bow down to Adam, and they bowed down; not so Iblis;
...لَمْ يَكُن مِّنَ السَّاجِدِينَ ﴿١١﴾
he refused to be of those who bow down.
C997. Iblis not only refused to bow down: he refused to be of those who prostrated.
In other words he arrogantly despised the angels who prostrated as well as man to whom they prostrated and he was in rebellion against Allah for not obeying His order.
Arrogance, jealousy, and rebellion were his triple crime.
قَالَ
مَا
مَنَعَكَ
أَلاَّ
تَسْجُدَ
إِذْ
أَمَرْتُكَ...
7: 12. (Allah) said: "What prevented thee from bowing down when I commanded thee?"
...قَالَ أَنَاْ خَيْرٌ مِّنْهُ...
He said:
"I am better than he:
...خَلَقْتَنِي مِن نَّارٍ وَخَلَقْتَهُ مِن طِينٍ ﴿١٢﴾
thou didst create me from fire and him from clay."
C998. Notice the subtle wiles of Iblis: his egotism in putting himself above man, and his falsehood in ignoring the fact that Allah had not merely made man's body from clay, but had given him spiritual form, - in other words, had taught him the nature of things and raised him above the angels.
قَالَ
فَاهْبِطْ
مِنْهَا
فَمَا
يَكُونُ
لَكَ
أَن
تَتَكَبَّرَ
فِيهَا
...
7: 13. (Allah) said:
"Get thee down from this: it is not for thee to be arrogant here:
C999. "This": the situation as it was then- a rebellious creature impertinent to His Creator. At every step Iblis falls lower;
- arrogance,
- jealousy,
- disobedience,
- egotism and
- untruth.
...فَاخْرُجْ إِنَّكَ مِنَ الصَّاغِرِينَ ﴿١٣﴾
get out, for thou art of the meanest (of creatures)."
قَالَ
فَأَنظِرْنِي
إِلَى
يَوْمِ
يُبْعَثُونَ
﴿١٤﴾
7: 14. He said: "Give me respite till the day they are raised up."
قَالَ
إِنَّكَ
مِنَ
المُنظَرِينَ
﴿١٥﴾
7: 15. (Allah) said: "Be thou among those who have respite."
C1000. Are there others under respite?
Yes, Iblis has a large army of wicked seducers, and those men who are their dupes. For though degradation takes effect at once, its appearance may be long delayed.
قَالَ
فَبِمَا
أَغْوَيْتَنِي
لأَقْعُدَنَّ
لَهُمْ
صِرَاطَكَ
الْمُسْتَقِيمَ
﴿١٦﴾
7: 16. He said:
"Because Thou hast thrown me out of the way, lo! I will lie in wait for them on Thy straight way.
C1001. Another instance of Iblis's subtlety and falsehood.
He waits till he gets the respite. Then he breaks out into a lie and impertinent defiance.
- The lie is in suggesting that Allah had thrown him out of the Way, in other words misled him: whereas his own conduct was responsible for his degradation.
- The defiance is in his setting snares on the Straight Way to which Allah directs men.
Iblis now falls a step lower than the five steps mentioned in n. 999. His sixth step is defiance.
ثُمَّ
لآتِيَنَّهُم
مِّن
بَيْنِ
أَيْدِيهِمْ
وَمِنْ
خَلْفِهِمْ
وَعَنْ
أَيْمَانِهِمْ
وَعَن
شَمَآئِلِهِمْ
...
7: 17. "Then will I assault them from before them and behind them from their right and their left:
...وَلاَ تَجِدُ أَكْثَرَهُمْ شَاكِرِينَ ﴿١٧﴾
nor wilt Thou find, in most of them, gratitude (for Thy mercies).
C1002. The assault of evil is from all sides. It takes advantage of every weak point, and sometimes even our good and generous sympathies are used to decoy us into the snares of evil.
Man has every reason to be grateful to Allah for all His loving care and yet man in his folly forgets his gratitude and does the very opposite of what he should do.
قَالَ
اخْرُجْ
مِنْهَا
مَذْؤُومًا
مَّدْحُورًا...
7: 18. (Allah) said:
"Get out from this, disgraced and expelled.
...لَّمَن تَبِعَكَ مِنْهُمْ لأَمْلأنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ ﴿١٨﴾
If any of them follow thee, hell will I fill with you all."
Others version:
7: 11
Asad Yea, indeed, We have created you, and then formed you [note 9]; and then We said unto the angels, “Prostrate yourselves before adam!” –whereupon they [all prostrated themselves, save Iblis: he was not among those who prostrated themselves [note 10].
Yusuf Ali It is We who created you and gave you shape; then We bade the angels bow down to Adam and they bowed down; not so Iblis; he refused to be of those who bow down.
Pickthall And We created you, then fashioned you, then told the angels: Fall ye prostrate before Adam! And they fell prostrate, all save Iblis, who was not of those who make prostration.
Transliteration Wa laqad khalaqna_kum summa sawwarna_kum summa qulna_ lil mala_'ikatisjudu_ li a_dama fasajadu_ illa_ iblis(a), lam yakum minas sa_jidin(a).
[[ Ruby’s note – There is much deeper meaning in this statement than is being explained and elaborated so far. I think what it means it that God has created the essence of a human being by creating the soul, the genetic formula that would help shape the human first and then the shape was given. The nature or the spirit was created first before the shape of a human being.]]
[[ Asad’s note 9 – The sequence of these two statements – “We have created you”……and then formed you” …is meant to bring about the fact of man’s gradual development, in the individual sense, from the embryonic stage to full-fledged existence, as well as of the evolution of the human race as such.
Note 10 – As regards God’s allegorical command to the angels to “prostrate themselves” before Adam, see 2:30-34, and the corresponding notes. The reference to all mankind which precedes the story of Adam in this surah makes it clear that his name symbolizes, in this context, the whole human race.]
[[ Ali’s notes - 996 It was after Adam (as standing for all mankind) had been so taught that the angels were asked to prostrate to him, for, by Allah's grace, his status had actually been raised higher. Note the transition from "you" (plural) in the first clause to "Adam" in the second clause: Adam and mankind are synonymous: the plural is reverted to in vii. 14, 16-18. (7.11)
997 Iblis not only refused to bow down: he refused to be of those who prostrated. In other words he arrogantly despised the angels who prostrated as well as man to whom they prostrated and he was in rebellion against Allah for not obeying His order. Arrogance, jealousy, and rebellion were his triple crime. (7.11)
7: 12
Asad [And God] said: “What has kept you from prostrating yourself when I commanded you?”
Answered [Iblis] : “I am better than he: You have created me out of fire, whereas him You have created out of clay.”
Pickthall He said: What hindered thee that thou didst not fall prostrate when I bade thee? (Iblis) said: I am better than him. Thou createdst me of fire while him Thou didst create of mud.
Transliteration Qa_la ma_ mana'aka alla_ tasjuda iz amartuk(a), qa_la ana khairum minh(u), khalaqtani min na_riw wa khalaqtahu_ min tin(in).
7: 13
Asad [God] said: “Down with you, then, from this [state] – for it is not meet for you
to show arrogance here! Go forth, then: verily, among the humiliated shall you be!”
Pickthall He said: Then go down hence! It is not for thee to show pride here, so go forth! Lo! thou art of those degraded.
Transliteration Qa_la fahbit minha_ fama_ yaku_nu laka an tatakabbara fiha_ fakhruj innaka minas sa_girin(a).
7: 14
Asad Said [Iblis] : “Grant me a respite till the Day when all shall be raised from the dead.”
Pickthall He said: Reprieve me till the day when they are raised (from the dead).
Transliteration Qa_la anzirni ila_ yaumi yub'asu_n(a).
7: 15
Asad [And God] replied: “Verily, you shall be among those who are granted a respite.”
Pickthall He said: Lo! thou art of those reprieved.
Transliteration Qa_la innaka minal munzarin(a).
7: 16
Asad [Whereupon Iblis ] said: ‘Now that You have thwarted me, I shall most certainly lie in ambush for them all along your Straight way, and shall most certainly fall upon the openly as well as in a manner beyond their ken, and from their right and from their left:
and most of them You will find ungrateful.”
Pickthall He said : Now, because Thou hast sent me astray, verily I shall lurk in ambush for them on Thy Right Path.
Transliteration Qa_la fabima_ agwaitani la aq'udanna lahum sira_takal mustaqim(a).
7: 17
Pickthall Then I shall come upon them from before them and from behind them and from their right bands and from their left hands, and Thou wilt not find most of them beholden (unto Thee).
Transliteration Summa la a_tiyannahum mim baini aidihim wa min khalfihim wa 'an aima_nihim wa 'an syama_'ilihim, wa la_ tajidu aksarahum sya_kirin(a).
7: 18
Asad [And God] said: “ God forth from here, disgraced and disowned ! [And ] as for such of them as follow you – I will most certainly fill hell with you all!
Pickthall He said: Go forth from hence, degraded, banished. As for such of them as follow thee, surely I will fill hell with all of you.
Transliteration Qa_lakhruj minha_ maz'u_mam madhu_ra_(n), laman tabi'aka minhum la'amla'anna jahannama minkum ajma'in(a).