Al-Hijr 15:42
The Rocky Tract · Juz 14 · Page 264
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.
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 15:42–43
The Meaning of Shaitan Having No Power over Special Servants of Allah
From the verse: إِنَّ عِبَادِي لَيْسَ لَكَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَانٌ (My servants are such that you have no power over them - 42), we learn that there are special and chosen servants of Allah Ta’ ala who are not affected by Shaitanic deception. But, within this event relating to Sayyidna 'Adam ill, it has also been said that the deception of Shaitan worked in the case of Sayyidna 'Adam and Hawwa' (علیہما السلام) . Similarly, about the noble Companions, the Qur’ an has said: إِنَّمَا اسْتَزَلَّهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ بِبَعْضِ مَا كَسَبُوا ۖ (Shaitan had but made them slip for some of their deeds - 3:155) which tells us that there was an occasion (during the Battle of Uhud) when the evil plan of the Shaitan worked against the Companions as well.
Therefore, in the present verse, the sense of saying that the special servants of Allah are such that Shaitan has no power over them is that their hearts and minds never come under the power and sway of Shaitan to the extent that would just not become alerted to their error at all, be-cause of which, they would remain deprived of necessary repentance for ever, or that they fall into some sin the forgiveness of which would be-come impossible.
As for the events mentioned above, they offer no contradiction be-cause 'Adam and Hawwa' (علیہما السلام) made their Taubah and this repentance was accepted. Similarly, the noble Companions referred to above had also made their Taubah. Thus, whatever sin they fell into because of the mechanization of Shaitan was forgiven.
Page 264
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,