The Rock, Stoneland, Rock City — Verse 40

The Threat of Iblis to tempt Mankind, and Allah's Promise of Hell for him Allah informed about the rebellion and arrogance of Iblis, in that he said to the Lord: بِمَآ أَغْوَيْتَنِى (Because You misled me,) i.e., because You misled me and misguided me. لأُزَيِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ (I shall indeed adorn the path of error for them) meaning, for the progeny of Adam. فِى الاٌّرْضِ (on the earth,) meaning - I will make sin dear to them, and will encourage, provoke and harass them to commit sin. وَلأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ (and I shall mislead them all.) meaning - just as You have misled me and have ordained that for me. إِلاَّ عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِينَ (Except Your chosen, (guided) servants among them.) This is like the Ayah: أَرَءَيْتَكَ هَـذَا الَّذِى كَرَّمْتَ عَلَىَّ لَئِنْ أَخَّرْتَنِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَـمَةِ لأَحْتَنِكَنَّ ذُرِّيَّتَهُ إَلاَّ قَلِيلاً ("Do you see this one whom You have honored above me, if You give me respite until the Day of Resurrection, I will surely seize and mislead his offspring, all but a few!") (17:62). قَالَ ((Allah) said), i.e., threatening and warning Iblis. هَذَا صِرَطٌ عَلَىَّ مُسْتَقِيمٌ (This is the way which will lead straight to Me.) means, `all of you will return to Me, and I will reward or punish you according to your deeds: if they are good then I will reward you, and if they are bad then I will punish you.' This is like the Ayah: إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَبِالْمِرْصَادِ (Verily, your Lord is ever watchful.) (89:14) and وَعَلَى اللَّهِ قَصْدُ السَّبِيلِ (And it is up to Allah to show the right way.) (16:9) إِنَّ عِبَادِى لَيْسَ لَكَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَـنٌ (Certainly, you shall have no authority over My servants) meaning, `you will have no way to reach those for whom I have decreed guidance.' إِلاَّ مَنِ اتَّبَعَكَ مِنَ الْغَاوِينَ (except those of the astray who follow you.) Ibn Jarir mentioned that Yazid bin Qusayt said: "The Prophets used to have Masjids outside their cities, and if a Prophet wanted to consult with his Lord about something, he would go out to his place of worship and pray as Allah decreed. Then he would ask Him about whatever was concerning him. Once while a Prophet was in his place of worship, the enemy of Allah - meaning Iblis - came and sat between him and the Qiblah (direction of prayer). The Prophet said, `I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Shaytan.' The enemy of Allah said, `Do you know who you are seeking refuge from Here he is!' The Prophet said, `I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Shaytan', and he repeated that three times. Then the enemy of Allah said, `Tell me about anything in which you will be saved from me.' The Prophet twice said, `No, you tell me about something in which you can overpower the son of Adam' Each of them was insisting that the other answer first, then the Prophet said, Allah says, إِنَّ عِبَادِى لَيْسَ لَكَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَـنٌ إِلاَّ مَنِ اتَّبَعَكَ مِنَ الْغَاوِينَ (Certainly, you shall have no authority over My servants, except those of the astray who follow you.) The enemy of Allah said, `I heard this before you were even born.' The Prophet said, `And Allah says, وَإِمَّا يَنَزَغَنَّكَ مِنَ الشَّيْطَـنِ نَزْغٌ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ (And if an evil whisper comes to you from Shaytan then seek refuge with Allah. Verily, He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing) (7: 200). By Allah, I never sense that you are near but I seek refuge with Allah from you.' The enemy of Allah said, `You have spoken the truth. In this way you will be saved from me.' The Prophet said, `Tell me in what ways you overpower the son of Adam.' He said, `I seize him at times of anger and times of desire.' وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمَوْعِدُهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ (And surely, Hell is the place promised for them all.) meaning, Hell is the abode designated for all those who follow Iblis, as Allah says in the Qur'an: وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِهِ مِنَ الاٌّحْزَابِ فَالنَّارُ مَوْعِدُهُ (but those of the sects (Jews, Christians and all the other non-Muslim nations) that reject it (the Qur'an), the Fire will be their promised meeting place.)(11:17) The Gates of Hell are Seven Then Allah tells us that Hell has seven gates: لِكُلِّ بَابٍ مِّنْهُمْ جُزْءٌ مَّقْسُومٌ (for each of those gates is a (special) class (of sinners) assigned.) means, for each gate a portion of the followers of Iblis have been decreed, and they will have no choice in the matter. May Allah save us from that. Each one will enter a gate according to his deeds, and will settle in a level of Hell according to his deeds. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Samurah bin Jundub reported from the Prophet about, لِكُلِّ بَابٍ مِّنْهُمْ جُزْءٌ مَّقْسُومٌ (for each of those gates is a class assigned.) He said, «إِنَّ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ مَنْ تَأْخُذُهُ النَّارُ إِلَى كَعْبَيْهِ، وَإِنَّ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ تَأْخُذُهُ النَّارُ إِلَى حُجْزَتِهِ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ تَأْخُذُهُ النَّارُ إِلَى تَرَاقِيه» (Among the people of Hell are those whom the Fire will swallow up to the ankles, and those whom it will swallow up to the waist, and those whom it will swallow up to the collarbone.) The degree of which will depend upon their deeds. This is like the Ayah; لِكُلِّ بَابٍ مِّنْهُمْ جُزْءٌ مَّقْسُومٌ (for each of those gates is a class assigned.)

except those servants of Yours who are sincerely devoted to You’ namely believers.

except those servants of Yours, that is, [except] those who are specific to You those whom You have rid of the blemishes of the attributes of the soul and whom You have purified of the filth of attachment to nature and caused to be disengaged, by [their] becoming oriented towards You, from the remnants of their attributes and essences; or those whom You have devoted their deeds sincerely to You without their being any share [in those deeds] for any other than You.

except those servants of Yours, that is, [except] those who are specific to You those whom You have rid of the blemishes of the attributes of the soul and whom You have purified of the filth of attachment to nature and caused to be disengaged, by [their] becoming oriented towards You, from the remnants of their attributes and essences; or those whom You have devoted their deeds sincerely to You without their being any share [in those deeds] for any other than You.

قال إبليس: ربِّ بسبب ما أغويتني وأضللتني لأحسِّنَنَّ لذرية آدم معاصيك في الأرض، ولأضلنهم أجمعين عن طريق الهدى، إلا عبادك الذين هديتهم فأخلصوا لك العبادة وحدك دون سائر خلقك.

إلا عبادك منهم المخلصين " كقوله " أرأيتك هذا الذي كرمت علي لئن أخرتن إلى يوم القيامة لأحتنكن ذريته إلا قليلا " " قال "الله تعالى له متهددا ومتوعدا.

وقوله - سبحانه - ( إِلاَّ عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ المخلصين ) اعتراف من إبليس بأن من عباد الله - تعالى - قومًا لا يستطيع أن يغويهم ، ولا يقدر على إضلالهم .وكلمة ( المخلصين ) قرأها نافع وحمزة وعاصم والكسائى - بفتح اللام - ، فيكون المعنى : لأغوينهم أجمعين إلا عبادك الذين استخلصتهم لطاعتك ، وصنتهم عن اقتراف ما نهيتهم عنه .وقرأها ابن كثير وابن عامر وأبو عمرو - بكسر اللام - ، فيكون المعنى : لأضلنهم جميعًا ، إلا عبادك الذين أخلصوا لك العمل ، وابتعدوا عن الرياء فى أقوالهم وأفعالهم .وهذا الاستثناء الذى اعترف به إبليس بعد أن أدرك أنه لا محيص له عنه - هو سنة الله - تعالى - فى خلقه ، فقد جرت سنته التى لا تغيير ولا تبديل لها ، بأن يستخلص لذاته من يخلص له قلبه ، وأن يرعى من يرعى حدوده ، ويحفظ من يحفظ تكاليفه .

( إِلا عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِينَ ) يقول: إلا من أخلصته بتوفيقك فهديته، فإن ذلك ممن لا سلطان لي عليه ولا طاقة لي به. وقد قرئ: ( إِلا عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِينَ ) فمن قرأ ذلك كذلك، فإنه يعني به: إلا من أخلص طاعتك، فإنه لا سبيل لي عليه.وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك ، قال أهل التأويل.* ذكر من قال ذلك:حدثني المثنى، قال: ثنا إسحاق، قال: ثنا أبو زهير، عن جويبر، عن الضحاك ( إِلا عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِينَ ) يعني: المؤمنين.حدثني المثنى، قال: ثنا إسحاق، قال: ثنا هشام، قال: ثنا عمرو، عن سعيد، عن قتادة ( إِلا عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِينَ ) قال قتادة: هذه ثَنِيَّة الله تعالى ذكره.

( إلا عبادك منهم المخلصين ) المؤمنين الذين أخلصوا لك الطاعة والتوحيد ، ومن فتح اللام ، أي : من أخلصته بتوحيدك واصطفيته .

وجعل المُغْوَيْن هم الأصل ، واستثنى منهم عباد الله المخلصين لأن عزيمته منصرفة إلى الإغواء ، فهو الملحوظ ابتداء عنده ، على أن المُغوَيْن هم الأكثر . وعكسه قوله تعالى : { إن عبادي ليس لك عليهم سلطان إلا من اتبعك } [ سورة الحجر : 42 ]. والاستثناء لا يُشعر بقلّة المستثنى بالنسبة للمستثنى منه ولا العكس .وقرىء { المخلصين } بفتح اللام لنافع وحمزة وعاصم والكسائي على معنى الذين أخلصتَهم وطهّرتهم . و بكسر اللام لابن كثير وابن عامر وأبي عَمرو ، أي الذين أخلَصوا لك في العمل .

تفسير الآيتين 39 و40 :ـ{ قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَا أَغْوَيْتَنِي لَأُزَيِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ } أي: أزين لهم الدنيا وأدعوهم إلى إيثارها على الأخرى، حتى يكونوا منقادين لكل معصية. { وَلَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ } أي: أصدهم كلهم عن الصراط المستقيم، { إِلَّا عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِينَ } أي: الذين أخلصتهم واجتبيتهم لإخلاصهم، وإيمانهم وتوكلهم.

قوله تعالى : إلا عبادك منهم المخلصين قرأ أهل المدينة وأهل الكوفة بفتح اللام ; أي الذين استخلصتهم وأخلصتهم . وقرأ الباقون بكسر اللام ; أي الذين أخلصوا لك العبادة من فساد أو رياء . حكى أبو ثمامة أن الحواريين سألوا عيسى - عليه السلام - عن المخلصين لله فقال : ( الذي يعمل ولا يحب أن يحمده الناس ) .

An opportunity was presented to Satan to take a test and he failed in it. Now the best course would have been to admit his failure. Instead of that he levelled allegations against God, that whatever He had done was meant to misguide him. He wanted to blame God for that which had proved his own weakness. To blame others for one’s defeat amounts to following this characteristic of Satan. The reason given by Satan for refusing to prostrate himself before a human being was that the human being was made from earth, while he (Satan) had been made from fire. There is no particular reason to believe that fire is superior to earth. But according to Satan’s way of thinking, earth became contemptible and fire became a thing of a higher grade. This is known as glorification (taz’in). This is a psychological error and not a rational stand. Instead of admitting his mistake, Satan decided that he would make others commit the same mistake; that he would make all human beings suffer from that psychological weakness of which he himself was a victim. Satan said that he would misguide all except the selected servants of God. And who are these selected servants of God? They are those who have adopted the straight path commanded by God, that is, the path of submission. In other words, Satan would not be successful in leading astray those men and women who have realised their real position, that is, a position of total helplessness in comparison to that of the All-Powerful God.

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.

(Save such of them as are Thy perfectly devoted slaves) those who are protected from me; it is also said that this means: those who profess monotheism.

[All] except those servants of Yours who are sincerely devoted to You. He [Sahl] said:All people are dead, except the learned (ʿulamāʾ) among them; all the learned are asleep, except those among them who act; all those who act are deluded, except the sincere (mukhliṣūn) among them, and the sincere are in great danger. His words, Exalted is He: