Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 38 Sad, Ayat 69-88

مَا كَانَ لِىَ مِنۡ عِلۡمٍۢ بِالۡمَلَاِ الۡاَعۡلٰٓى اِذۡ يَخۡتَصِمُوۡنَ‏  ﴿38:69﴾ اِنۡ يُّوۡحٰۤى اِلَىَّ اِلَّاۤ اَنَّمَاۤ اَنَا۟ نَذِيۡرٌ مُّبِيۡنٌ‏ ﴿38:70﴾ اِذۡ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلۡمَلٰٓـئِكَةِ اِنِّىۡ خَالِـقٌ ۢ بَشَرًا مِّنۡ طِيۡنٍ‏  ﴿38:71﴾ فَاِذَا سَوَّيۡتُهٗ وَنَفَخۡتُ فِيۡهِ مِنۡ رُّوۡحِىۡ فَقَعُوۡا لَهٗ سٰجِدِيۡنَ‏  ﴿38:72﴾ فَسَجَدَ الۡمَلٰٓـئِكَةُ كُلُّهُمۡ اَجۡمَعُوۡنَۙ‏ ﴿38:73﴾ اِلَّاۤ اِبۡلِيۡسَؕ اِسۡتَكۡبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ الۡكٰفِرِيۡنَ‏ ﴿38:74﴾ قَالَ يٰۤـاِبۡلِيۡسُ مَا مَنَعَكَ اَنۡ تَسۡجُدَ لِمَا خَلَقۡتُ بِيَدَىَّ​ ؕ اَسۡتَكۡبَرۡتَ اَمۡ كُنۡتَ مِنَ الۡعَالِيۡنَ‏ ﴿38:75﴾ قَالَ اَنَا خَيۡرٌ مِّنۡهُ​ ؕ خَلَقۡتَنِىۡ مِنۡ نَّارٍ وَّخَلَقۡتَهٗ مِنۡ طِيۡنٍ‏ ﴿38:76﴾ قَالَ فَاخۡرُجۡ مِنۡهَا فَاِنَّكَ رَجِيۡمٌ  ۖ​ ۚ‏ ﴿38:77﴾ وَّاِنَّ عَلَيۡكَ لَعۡنَتِىۡۤ اِلٰى يَوۡمِ الدِّيۡنِ‏ ﴿38:78﴾ قَالَ رَبِّ فَاَنۡظِرۡنِىۡۤ اِلٰى يَوۡمِ يُبۡعَثُوۡنَ‏ ﴿38:79﴾ قَالَ فَاِنَّكَ مِنَ الۡمُنۡظَرِيۡنَۙ‏ ﴿38:80﴾ اِلٰى يَوۡمِ الۡوَقۡتِ الۡمَعۡلُوۡمِ‏ ﴿38:81﴾ قَالَ فَبِعِزَّتِكَ لَاُغۡوِيَنَّهُمۡ اَجۡمَعِيۡنَۙ‏ ﴿38:82﴾ اِلَّا عِبَادَكَ مِنۡهُمُ الۡمُخۡلَصِيۡنَ‏ ﴿38:83﴾ قَالَ فَالۡحَقُّ  وَالۡحَقَّ اَ قُوۡلُ​ ۚ‏ ﴿38:84﴾ لَاَمۡلَئَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنۡكَ وَمِمَّنۡ تَبِعَكَ مِنۡهُمۡ اَجۡمَعِيۡنَ‏  ﴿38:85﴾ قُلۡ مَاۤ اَسۡـئَـلُكُمۡ عَلَيۡهِ مِنۡ اَجۡرٍ وَّمَاۤ اَنَا مِنَ الۡمُتَكَلِّفِيۡنَ‏  ﴿38:86﴾ اِنۡ هُوَ اِلَّا ذِكۡرٌ لِّلۡعٰلَمِيۡنَ‏ ﴿38:87﴾ وَلَتَعۡلَمُنَّ نَبَاَهٗ بَعۡدَ حِيۡنِ‏ ﴿38:88﴾

(38:69) (Tell them): “I had no knowledge of the High Council when they were disputing. (38:70) I am told (about matters) by means of revelation only because I am a clear warner.” (38:71) When your Lord said to the angels:59 “Verily I am creating a human being from clay.60 (38:72) After I have created him and breathed into him of My spirit,61 fall you down, prostrating yourselves to him.”62 (38:73) Then the angels, all of them, prostrated themselves before Adam (38:74) except Iblis. He waxed proud and became one of the unbelievers.63 (38:75) The Lord said: “O Iblis, what prevented you from prostrating yourself before him whom I created of My Two Hands.64 Are you waxing proud, or fancy yourself to be too exalted?” (38:76) He replied: “I am nobler than he. You created me from fire and created him from clay.” (38:77) He said: “Get out of here;65 surely you are accursed,66 (38:78) and My curse shall remain upon you till the Day of Resurrection.”67 (38:79) Satan said: “My Lord, then grant me respite till the Day that they are raised up.” (38:80) He said: “You are of those who have been granted respite (38:81) till the Day whose Hour I know.” (38:82) (Iblis) said: “By Your glory, I shall mislead them all (38:83) except those of Your servants, the chosen ones from amongst them.”68 (38:84) He (i.e. Allah) said: “This is the Truth � and I only speak the Truth � (38:85) I will certainly fill the Gehenna with you69 and with all those among them who follow you.”70 (38:86) (O Prophet), tell them: “I do not ask you for any recompense for the performance of this task;71 nor am I given to affectation.72 (38:87) This is nothing but an Admonition for all people the world over. (38:88) You will know the truth of the matter after a while.”73

Notes

59. This is the explanation of the dispute referred to about, and the dispute implies Satan’s dispute with God, as becomes evident from the verses that follow. In this regard, one should bear in mind the fact that “the exalted” implies the angels, and the dialogue between Allah and Satan was not direct but it took place through some angel. Therefore, no one should have the misunderstanding that Allah also was included among the exalted ones. This story has already been narrated at the following places: (Surah Al- Baqarah, Ayats 30-39); (Surah Al-Aaraf, Ayats 11-25); (Surah Al-Hijr, Ayats 26-44); (Surah Bani Israil, Ayats 61-65); (Surah Al-Kahf, Ayat 50); (Surah TaHa, Ayats 116-126).

60. Lexically, bashar means a gross body whose surface is bare and uncovered by anything else. After the creation of man this word has been used for man himself, but mentioning him by the word bashar before his creation and making him from clay clearly means: I am about to make an image of clay, which will be without any feathers and hair, etc. whose skin will not be covered by wool or hair or feathers like the skin of other animals.

61. For explanation, see (Surah Al-Hijr, Ayats 29-30), and (E.N. 16 of Surah As-Sajdah).

62. For explanation, see (Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayats 34); (Surah Al-Aaraf, Ayat 11) and the E.Ns thereof.

63. For explanation, see (Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayat 34); (Surah Al-Kahf, Ayat 50) and the E.Ns. thereof.

64. These words have been used to point out the honor, rank and glory bestowed on man by his Creator. In other words, Allah did not get man created through his angels but created him by Himself because his creation was a highly noble task. Therefore, what is meant to be said is: What has prevented you from prostrating yourself before him whom I have made directly Myself?

The words be-yadaiia (both hands) probably are meant to refer to the fact that this new creation combines in itself two important aspects of Allah’s power of creation: (1) That man has been given an animal body on account of which he belongs to the animal kingdom. (2) That on account of the Spirit breathed into him, he has been characterized with qualities which place him in honor and merit above all earthly creations and creatures.

65. “Out of it”: From the place where Adam was created and where the angels were commanded to bow down before Adam, and where Iblis committed disobedience of Allah.

66. Lexically, the word rajim, as used in the original, means “cast off” or “smitten”; in common usage it is used for the person, who has been thrown down from a place of honor and humiliated. In Surah Al-Aaraf, the same thing has been expressed thus: Get out: you are indeed one of those who wish themselves ignominy. (verse 13).

67. This does not mean that there will be no curse on him after the Day of Judgment, but rather it means: He will remain accursed till the Day of Judgment because of his disobedience, and after the Day of Judgment he will be punished for the sins which he will have committed from the creation of Adam until Resurrection.

68. This does not mean: I will not lead Your chosen servants astray, but it means: I shall have no power over Your chosen servants.

69. “With you” is not only addressed to Iblis but to the whole species of satans. That is, Iblis and his whole army of the satans who will be joining him in misleading mankind till Resurrection.

70. This entire story has been related in answer to this saying of the chiefs of the Quraish: Was he the only (fit) person among us to whom Allah’s admonition should have been sent down? Its first answer was the one given in verses 9-10, saying: Are you the owners of the treasures of the mercy of your Mighty and Bounteous Lord? And does the kingdom of the heavens and the earth belong to you, and is it for you to decide as to who should be appointed God’s Prophet and who should not be appointed? In the second answer the chiefs of the Quraish have been told: Your jealousy, your pride and arrogance against Muhammad (peace be upon him) are similar to the jealousy and arrogance of Iblis against Adam (peace be upon him). Iblis had also refused to acknowledge the right of Allah to appoint anyone He pleased as His vicegerent, and you are also refusing to acknowledge His right to appoint anyone He pleases as His Messenger. Iblis disobeyed the command to bow down before Adam, and you are disobeying the command to follow Muhammad (peace be upon him). Your resemblance with him does not end here, but your fate also will be the same as has been pre-ordained for him, i.e. the curse of God in the world and the fire of Hell in the Hereafter.

Besides, in connection with this story, two other things also have been stressed: (1) Whoever is disobeying Allah in this world, is in fact, falling a prey to Iblis, his eternal enemy, who has resolved to mislead and misguide mankind since the beginning of creation. (2) The one who disobeys Allah on account of arrogance and persists in His disobedience is under His wrath: such a one has no forgiveness from Him.

71. That is, I am a selfless person: I have no vested interest in preaching this message.

72. That is, I am not one of those who arise with false claims for the sake of vanity and pose to be what actually they are not. The Prophet (peace be upon him) has not been made to say this merely for the information of the disbelievers of Makkah but this is testified by his whole life which he lived among the same people for forty years before his advent as a Prophet. Every child of Makkah was a witness that Muhammad (peace be upon him) was not an impostor. Never had anybody from among the people of Makkah ever heard anything from him which might have caused somebody the doubt that he aspired to be a great man and was planning and scheming for that end.

73. That is, those of you who live will see for themselves within a few years that what I am saying is fulfilled. Those who die will come to know as soon as they pass through the gate of death that the truth is the same which I am preaching.