Al-Hijr 15:39
The Rocky Tract · Juz 14 · Page 264
قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَآ أَغۡوَيۡتَنِي لَأُزَيِّنَنَّ لَهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَأُغۡوِيَنَّهُمۡ أَجۡمَعِينَ ٣٩
[Iblees] said, "My Lord, because You have put me in error, I will surely make [disobedience] attractive to them [i.e., mankind] on earth, and I will mislead them all
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 15:31–41
The Command to Prostrate was Given to Angels - Iblis was to Follow Suit
Addressing Iblis in Surah Al-A` raf, it was said: مَا مَنَعَكَ أَلَّا تَسْجُدَ إِذْ أَمَرْتُكَ (What stopped you from prostrating when I ordered you? - 7:12). This shows that the command to prostrate was given, along with the angels, to Iblis as well. However, the verses you have gone through a little earlier apparently give the sense that the command was particular to the an-gels. This could mean that the command was originally given to the angels but, as Iblis too was present among the angels, therefore, he too was covered by this command as a corollary - because, when the command went forth for the most august creation of Allah Ta’ ala, that is, the an-gels, that they pay their homage to Sayyidna 'Adam (علیہ السلام) ، it was obvious that any other creation was bound to follow suit under this command. It was for this reason that Iblis did not respond by saying that he was never asked to prostrate to begin with, so he could not be charged with the crime of non-compliance of the order. Perhaps, the words of the Qur’ an here: ' أَبَىٰ أَن يَكُونَ مَعَ السَّاجِدِينَ ' (He refused to be among those who prostrated - 30) may contain a hint in that direction. Rather than say: أَبَىٰ أَن یَّسجُدَ 1 that is, 'he refused to prostrate', what was actually said was: ' أَبَىٰ أَن يَكُونَ مَعَ السَّاجِدِينَ ' he refused to be among those who prostrated. This indicates that the main prostraters were after all the angels but Iblis too, being present with them, was reason-bound to join the prostrating an-gels. So, the Divine wrath was against his failure to join.
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15:32
قَالَ يَٰٓإِبۡلِيسُ مَا لَكَ أَلَّا تَكُونَ مَعَ ٱلسَّٰجِدِينَ ٣٢
[Allāh] said, "O Iblees, what is [the matter] with you that you are not with those who prostrate?"
15:33
قَالَ لَمۡ أَكُن لِّأَسۡجُدَ لِبَشَرٍ خَلَقۡتَهُۥ مِن صَلۡصَٰلٖ مِّنۡ حَمَإٖ مَّسۡنُونٖ ٣٣
He said, "Never would I prostrate to a human whom You created out of clay from an altered black mud."
15:34
قَالَ فَٱخۡرُجۡ مِنۡهَا فَإِنَّكَ رَجِيمٞ ٣٤
[Allāh] said, "Then depart from it,1 for indeed, you are expelled.
1 translator’s note
- Your position in the heavens. ↩
15:35
وَإِنَّ عَلَيۡكَ ٱللَّعۡنَةَ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ ٣٥
And indeed, upon you is the curse until the Day of Recompense."
15:36
قَالَ رَبِّ فَأَنظِرۡنِيٓ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ يُبۡعَثُونَ ٣٦
He said, "My Lord, then reprieve me until the Day they are resurrected."
15:37
قَالَ فَإِنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُنظَرِينَ ٣٧
[Allāh] said, "So indeed, you are of those reprieved
15:38
إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡوَقۡتِ ٱلۡمَعۡلُومِ ٣٨
Until the Day of the time well-known."
15:39
قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَآ أَغۡوَيۡتَنِي لَأُزَيِّنَنَّ لَهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَأُغۡوِيَنَّهُمۡ أَجۡمَعِينَ ٣٩
[Iblees] said, "My Lord, because You have put me in error, I will surely make [disobedience] attractive to them [i.e., mankind] on earth, and I will mislead them all
15:40
إِلَّا عِبَادَكَ مِنۡهُمُ ٱلۡمُخۡلَصِينَ ٤٠
Except, among them, Your chosen servants."
15:41
قَالَ هَٰذَا صِرَٰطٌ عَلَيَّ مُسۡتَقِيمٌ ٤١
[Allāh] said, "This is a path [of return] to Me [that is] straight.
15:42
إِنَّ عِبَادِي لَيۡسَ لَكَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ سُلۡطَٰنٌ إِلَّا مَنِ ٱتَّبَعَكَ مِنَ ٱلۡغَاوِينَ ٤٢
Indeed, My servants - no authority will you have over them, except those who follow you of the deviators.
15:43
وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمَوۡعِدُهُمۡ أَجۡمَعِينَ ٤٣
And indeed, Hell is the promised place for them all.
15:44
لَهَا سَبۡعَةُ أَبۡوَٰبٖ لِّكُلِّ بَابٖ مِّنۡهُمۡ جُزۡءٞ مَّقۡسُومٌ ٤٤
It has seven gates; for every gate is of them [i.e., Satan's followers] a portion designated."
15:45
إِنَّ ٱلۡمُتَّقِينَ فِي جَنَّٰتٖ وَعُيُونٍ ٤٥
Indeed, the righteous will be within gardens and springs,
15:46
ٱدۡخُلُوهَا بِسَلَٰمٍ ءَامِنِينَ ٤٦
[Having been told], "Enter it in peace, safe [and secure]."
15:47
وَنَزَعۡنَا مَا فِي صُدُورِهِم مِّنۡ غِلٍّ إِخۡوَٰنًا عَلَىٰ سُرُرٖ مُّتَقَٰبِلِينَ ٤٧
And We will remove whatever is in their breasts of resentment,1 [so they will be] brothers, on thrones facing each other.
1 translator’s note
- See footnote to 7:43. ↩
15:48
لَا يَمَسُّهُمۡ فِيهَا نَصَبٞ وَمَا هُم مِّنۡهَا بِمُخۡرَجِينَ ٤٨
No fatigue will touch them therein, nor from it will they [ever] be removed.
15:49
۞ نَبِّئۡ عِبَادِيٓ أَنِّيٓ أَنَا ٱلۡغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ٤٩
[O Muḥammad], inform My servants that it is I who am the Forgiving, the Merciful,
15:50
وَأَنَّ عَذَابِي هُوَ ٱلۡعَذَابُ ٱلۡأَلِيمُ ٥٠
And that it is My punishment which is the painful punishment.
15:51
وَنَبِّئۡهُمۡ عَن ضَيۡفِ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ ٥١
And inform them about the guests of Abraham,