Surah 18. Al-Kahf

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Verses [Section]: 1-12[1], 13-17 [2], 18-22 [3], 23-31 [4], 32-44 [5], 45-49 [6], 50-53 [7], 54-59 [8], 60-70 [9], 71-82 [10], 83-101 [11], 102-110 [12]

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Quran Text of Verse 50-53وَ اِذْAnd whenقُلْنَاWe saidلِلْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةِto the AngelsاسْجُدُوْاProstrateلِاٰدَمَto Adamفَسَجَدُوْۤاso they prostratedاِلَّاۤexceptاِبْلِیْسَ ؕIblisكَانَ(He) wasمِنَofالْجِنِّthe jinnفَفَسَقَand he rebelledعَنْagainstاَمْرِthe Commandرَبِّهٖ ؕ(of) his LordاَفَتَتَّخِذُوْنَهٗWill you then take himوَ ذُرِّیَّتَهٗۤand his offspringاَوْلِیَآءَ(as) protectorsمِنْother than Meدُوْنِیْother than Meوَ هُمْwhile theyلَكُمْ(are) to youعَدُوٌّ ؕenemiesبِئْسَWretchedلِلظّٰلِمِیْنَfor the wrongdoersبَدَلًا (is) the exchange مَاۤNotاَشْهَدْتُّهُمْI made them witnessخَلْقَthe creationالسَّمٰوٰتِ(of) the heavensوَ الْاَرْضِand the earthوَ لَاand notخَلْقَthe creationاَنْفُسِهِمْ ۪(of) themselvesوَ مَاand notكُنْتُI Amمُتَّخِذَthe One to takeالْمُضِلِّیْنَthe misleadersعَضُدًا (as) helper(s) وَ یَوْمَAnd the DayیَقُوْلُHe will sayنَادُوْاCallشُرَكَآءِیَMy partnersالَّذِیْنَthose whoزَعَمْتُمْyou claimedفَدَعَوْهُمْthen they will call themفَلَمْbut notیَسْتَجِیْبُوْاthey will respondلَهُمْto themوَ جَعَلْنَاAnd We will makeبَیْنَهُمْbetween themمَّوْبِقًا a barrier وَ رَاَAnd will seeالْمُجْرِمُوْنَthe criminalsالنَّارَthe Fireفَظَنُّوْۤاand they (will be) certainاَنَّهُمْthat theyمُّوَاقِعُوْهَاare to fall in itوَ لَمْAnd notیَجِدُوْاthey will findعَنْهَاfrom itمَصْرِفًا۠a way of escape

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Translation of Verse 50-53

(18:50) And recall when We said to the angels: "Prostrate yourselves before Adam"; all of them fell prostrate, except Iblis.⁴⁷ He was of the jinn and so disobeyed the command of his Lord.⁴⁸ Will you, then, take him and his progeny as your guardians rather than Me although they are your open enemies? What an evil substitute are these wrong-doers taking!

(18:51) I did not call them to witness the creation of the heavens and the earth, nor in their own creation.⁴⁹ I do not seek the aid of those who lead people astray.

(18:52) What will such people do on the Day when the Lord will say: "Now call upon all those whom you believed to be My partners?"⁵⁰ Thereupon they will call upon them, but they will not respond to their call; and We shall make them a common pit of doom,⁵¹

(18:53) and the guilty shall behold the Fire and know that they are bound to fall into it, and will find no escape from it.

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Commentary

47, This is an allusion to the story of Adam and Satan. The purpose of alluding to it in the present context is to draw man’s attention to a folly that he is wont to commit. That Satan is man’s sworn enemy is well-known. And yet, man tends to turn away from God, Who is clement, and compassionate; man also turns away from the Prophets who are his sincere well-wishers. Ironically enough, after turning away from God and His Prophets man falls into the trap of his eternal enemy, Satan, who has always been consumed with envy of man.

48. This means that Satan did not belong to the species of angels. Instead, he was a jinn. Accordingly, it was possible for him to disobey God’s command.

The Qur’an categorically states that the nature of angels is so constituted that they can only obey God: ‘. . . they do not disobey Allah and do what they are bidden’ (al-Tahrim 66: 6). Likewise, the angels are elsewhere described in the Qur’an: ‘. . . as never do they behave in arrogant defiance. They hold their Lord, Who is above them, in fear, and do as they are bidden’ (al-Nahl 16: 49-50).

In contrast to angels, the jinn — like human beings — are invested with free will. They are not inherently obedient; instead, they have the freedom to choose between belief and unbelief, between obedience and disobedience.

This is the point which is spelled out clearly here: that since Iblis (Satan) was a jinn, it was possible for him to choose disobedience and transgression. This clarification should put an end to the common misconceptions that Satan was an angel. (For further elaboration see al-Hijr 15: 27 and al-Jinn 72:13-15.) Here another question naturally arises. If Satan was not an angel, why does the Qur’4n state: ‘And when We ordered the angels: ‘‘Prostrate yourselves — before Adam’’, all of them fell prostrate, except Iblis...’ (al-Bagarah 2:34). It must be appreciated that the command to the angels to prostrate themselves before Adam also signified that all other earthly creatures which lived in the jurisdiction of the angels should also acknowledge their subservience to man.

And indeed all creatures did actually prostrate themselves before man along with the angels. Iblis, however, refused to go along with the rest of the creatures in carrying out the order to prostrate. (For the meaning of the word Iblis see al-Mu’ minun 23, n. 73.)

49. The verse puts a straight question to man: ‘What right do the satans have to be obeyed and served by men?’ For, far from having any share in the creation of the heavens and the earth, they were themselves created by God.

50. This is a recurring Qur’anic theme — that to follow someone’s command and guidance other than God’s amounts to associating others with God in His divinity. It is irrelevant whether one verbally brands such a being as a partner in God’s divinity or not. Even if a person curses someone while following his commands in disregard of God’s, he is guilty of associating him with God in His. divinity. This point is best illustrated with reference to satans. As we know, everyone curses satans but at the same time follows them. The Qur'an, therefore, charges people with associating satans with God in, His Divinity.

This form of polytheism is not related to belief; it is rather linked with action.

The Qur’an, nevertheless, denounces it as a form of polytheism. (For further details see al-Nisd’ 4, nn. 91 and 145; al-An‘am 6, nn. 87 and 107; al-Tawbah 9, n. 31; Ibrahim 14, n. 32; Maryam 19, n. 27; al-Mu’minun 23, n. 41; al-Furqan 25, n. 56; al-Qasas 28, n. 86; Saba’ 34, nn. 59-63; Ya Sin 36, n. 53; al-Shura 42, n. 38 and al-Jathiyah 45, n. 30.)

51. Commentators on the Qur’an have given two different interpretations of this verse. One of these is reflected in our translation of the text above. The second interpretation is that God will cause enmity among them; that is, the friendship which they enjoyed among themselves during this worldly life will change into severe enmity in the Hereafter.