Those Who Set The Ranks, Drawn up in Ranks, The Rangers — Verse 164

No One believes what the Idolators say except Those Who are even more misguided than They Allah says, addressing the idolators: فَإِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ - مَآ أَنتُمْ عَلَيْهِ بِفَـتِنِينَ - إِلاَّ مَنْ هُوَ صَالِ الْجَحِيمِ (So, verily you and those whom you worship cannot lead astray, except those who are predestined to burn in Hell!) meaning, `the only ones who will believe what you say and follow your misguided ways of false worship are those who are more misguided than you and are created for Hell.' لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ لاَّ يَفْقَهُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ أَعْيُنٌ لاَّ يُبْصِرُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ ءَاذَانٌ لاَّ يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَآ أُوْلَـئِكَ كَالأَنْعَـمِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ أُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْغَـفِلُونَ (They have hearts wherewith they understand not, and they have eyes wherewith they see not, and they have ears wherewith they hear not (the truth). They are like cattle, nay even more astray; those! They are the heedless ones.) (7:179). This is the parable of the people who follow the belief and ideas of Shirk, disbelief and misguidance, as Allah says: إِنَّكُمْ لَفِى قَوْلٍ مُّخْتَلِفٍ - يُؤْفَكُ عَنْهُ مَنْ أُفِكَ (Certainly, you have different ideas. Turned aside therefrom is he who is turned aside (by the decree of Allah).) (51:8-9) meaning, the one who is misled by it is the one who is turned aside. The Place of the Angels and Their Ranks glorify Allah Then Allah says, declaring the angels to be above the position attributed to them by those who disbelieved in them and told lies about them -- that they are the daughters of Allah -- وَمَا مِنَّآ إِلاَّ لَهُ مَقَامٌ مَّعْلُومٌ (And there is not one of us (angels) but has his known place;) meaning, each one has his own place in the heavens and in the places of worship, which he does not overstep. Ad-Dahhak said in his Tafsir: وَمَا مِنَّآ إِلاَّ لَهُ مَقَامٌ مَّعْلُومٌ "(And there is not one of us (angels) but has his known place;) Masruq used to narrate that `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, `The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «مَا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا مَوْضِعٌ إِلَّا عَلَيْهِ مَلَكٌ سَاجِدٌ أَوْ قَائِم» (There is no place in the lower heaven without an angel standing or prostrating in it.) This is what Allah says: وَمَا مِنَّآ إِلاَّ لَهُ مَقَامٌ مَّعْلُومٌ (And there is not one of us (angels) but has his known place (or position))." It was reported that Ibn Mas`ud said, "In the heavens there is one heaven in which there is no space a hand span wide but there is the forehead or the foot of an angel on it. " Then he recited: وَمَا مِنَّآ إِلاَّ لَهُ مَقَامٌ مَّعْلُومٌ (And there is not one of us (angels) but has his known place;) Sa`id bin Jubayr similarly said: وَإِنَّا لَنَحْنُ الصَّآفُّونَ (And we (angels), we stand in rows.) means, we stand in rows to worship, as we have already seen in the Ayah وَالصَّـفَّـتِ صَفَّا (By those ranged in ranks (or rows)) Abu Nadrah said, "When the Iqamah had been given, `Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, would turn to face the people and say: `Make your rows straight, for Allah wants you to follow the ways of the angels.' Then he would say, وَإِنَّا لَنَحْنُ الصَّآفُّونَ (And verily, we stand in rows;) `Move back, O so-and-so, move forward, O so-and-so.' Then he would go forward and say `Allahu Akbar"' This was recorded by Ibn Abi Hatim and Ibn Jarir. In Sahih Muslim it is narrated that Hudhayfah, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, «فُضِّلْنَا عَلَى النَّاسِ بِثَلَاثٍ: جُعِلَتْ صُفُوفُنَا كَصُفُوفِ الْمَلَائِكَةِ،وَجُعِلَتْ لَنَا الْأَرْضُ مَسْجِدًا، وَتُرْبَتُهَا طَهُورًا» (We have been favored above mankind in three things: our rows have been made like the rows of the angels; the whole earth has been made a place of prayer for us; and its soil is a means of purification for us.)" وَإِنَّا لَنَحْنُ الْمُسَبِّحُونَ (And verily, we indeed are those who glorify.) means, `we stand in rows and glorify the Lord, praising Him, sanctifying Him and declaring Him to be above any faults or shortcomings. We are servants of Him and in need of Him, humbling ourselves before Him.' The Quraysh wished that They could have a Reminder as had the Men of old وَإِن كَانُواْ لَيَقُولُونَ - لَوْ أَنَّ عِندَنَا ذِكْراً مِّنَ الاٌّوَّلِينَ لَكُنَّا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ الْمُخْلَصِينَ- (And indeed they used to say: "If we had a reminder as had the men of old, we would have indeed been the chosen servants of Allah!") means, `they used to wish -- before you, O Muhammad, came to them -- that they would have someone to remind them about Allah and what happened in earlier times, and to bring them the Book of Allah.' This is like the Ayat: وَأَقْسَمُواْ بِاللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَـنِهِمْ لَئِن جَآءَهُمْ نَذِيرٌ لَّيَكُونُنَّ أَهْدَى مِنْ إِحْدَى الاٍّمَمِ فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمْ نَذِيرٌ مَّا زَادَهُمْ إِلاَّ نُفُوراً (And they swore by Allah their most binding oath that if a warner came to them, they would be more guided than any of the nations (before them); yet when a warner came to them, it increased in them naught but flight (from the truth).) (35:42), and أَن تَقُولُواْ إِنَّمَآ أُنزِلَ الْكِتَـبُ عَلَى طَآئِفَتَيْنِ مِن قَبْلِنَا وَإِن كُنَّا عَن دِرَاسَتِهِمْ لَغَـفِلِينَ - أَوْ تَقُولُواْ لَوْ أَنَّآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا الْكِتَـبُ لَكُنَّآ أَهْدَى مِنْهُمْ فَقَدْ جَآءَكُمْ بَيِّنَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن كَذَّبَ بِآيَـتِ اللَّهِ وَصَدَفَ عَنْهَا سَنَجْزِى الَّذِينَ يَصْدِفُونَ عَنْ آيَـتِنَا سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَصْدِفُونَ (Lest you should say: "The Book was sent down only to two sects before us, and for our part, we were in fact unaware of what they studied." Or lest you should say: "If only the Book had been sent down to us, we would surely have been better guided than they." So now has come unto you a clear proof from your Lord, and a form of guidance and a mercy. Who then does more wrong than one who rejects the Ayat of Allah and turns away therefrom We shall requite those who turn away from Our Ayat with an evil torment, because of their turning away.) (6:156-157) Allah says here: فَكَفَرُواْ بِهِ فَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ (But they disbelieve therein, so they will come to know!) This is a definite and stern threat because of their disbelief in their Lord and their rejection of His Messenger . وَلَقَدْ سَبَقَتْ كَلِمَتُنَا لِعِبَادِنَا الْمُرْسَلِينَ - إِنَّهُمْ لَهُمُ الْمَنصُورُونَ - وَإِنَّ جُندَنَا لَهُمُ الْغَـلِبُونَ - فَتَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ حَتَّى حِينٍ - وَأَبْصِرْهُمْ فَسَوْفَ يُبْصِرُونَ أَفَبِعَذَابِنَا يَسْتَعْجِلُونَ فَإِذَا نَزَلَ بِسَاحَتِهِمْ فَسَآءَ صَبَاحُ الْمُنْذَرِينَ وَتَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ حَتَّى حِينٍ

Gabriel said to the Prophet s And there is not one of us us the company of angels but has a known station in the heavens in which he worships God and which he does not transgress.

None of us there is but has a known station. In the tongue of the Tariqah this verse alludes to the states of encounter and the unveilings of the masters of the Haqiqah. One is gratitude for ecstasies, another the lightning of unveiling, another the bewilderment of witnessing, another the light of proximity, another the friendship of finding, another the splendor of togetherness, and another the reality of solitariness. These are seven oceans placed at the top of tawḤīd's street. As long as the traveler in the road does not pass over these seven oceans, he will not be allowed to reach the end of the street. He must seek water from these oceans through the seven thresholds of the Qur'an, about which MuṣṬafā reported: “The Qur'an was sent down according to seven letters, each of which is a suf- ficiency and a healing. Every verse has an outwardness and an inwardness, and each letter has a limit and an overview.” The sincerely truthful and the wayfarers on the road have said that you must pass over these oceans to reach tawḤīd. Concerning these seven oceans, the command has come: “Pass through the gate of the message brought by that paragon of the world. From every wave, take a signet from his Shariah, and from every drop, seek the help of his covenant. Then you will be worthy for the way stations of Our friends.” This is what the Pir of the Tariqah intimated with his words, “When any reality sticks up its head from the recognizer's breast, it is not acceptable to the Real until two witnesses from the Shariah bear witness to its correctness.”

None of us there is but has a known station. In the tongue of the Tariqah this verse alludes to the states of encounter and the unveilings of the masters of the Haqiqah. One is gratitude for ecstasies, another the lightning of unveiling, another the bewilderment of witnessing, another the light of proximity, another the friendship of finding, another the splendor of togetherness, and another the reality of solitariness. These are seven oceans placed at the top of tawḤīd's street. As long as the traveler in the road does not pass over these seven oceans, he will not be allowed to reach the end of the street. He must seek water from these oceans through the seven thresholds of the Qur'an, about which MuṣṬafā reported: “The Qur'an was sent down according to seven letters, each of which is a suf- ficiency and a healing. Every verse has an outwardness and an inwardness, and each letter has a limit and an overview.” The sincerely truthful and the wayfarers on the road have said that you must pass over these oceans to reach tawḤīd. Concerning these seven oceans, the command has come: “Pass through the gate of the message brought by that paragon of the world. From every wave, take a signet from his Shariah, and from every drop, seek the help of his covenant. Then you will be worthy for the way stations of Our friends.” This is what the Pir of the Tariqah intimated with his words, “When any reality sticks up its head from the recognizer's breast, it is not acceptable to the Real until two witnesses from the Shariah bear witness to its correctness.”

None of us there is but has a known station. In the tongue of the Tariqah this verse alludes to the states of encounter and the unveilings of the masters of the Haqiqah. One is gratitude for ecstasies, another the lightning of unveiling, another the bewilderment of witnessing, another the light of proximity, another the friendship of finding, another the splendor of togetherness, and another the reality of solitariness. These are seven oceans placed at the top of tawḤīd's street. As long as the traveler in the road does not pass over these seven oceans, he will not be allowed to reach the end of the street. He must seek water from these oceans through the seven thresholds of the Qur'an, about which MuṣṬafā reported: “The Qur'an was sent down according to seven letters, each of which is a suf- ficiency and a healing. Every verse has an outwardness and an inwardness, and each letter has a limit and an overview.” The sincerely truthful and the wayfarers on the road have said that you must pass over these oceans to reach tawḤīd. Concerning these seven oceans, the command has come: “Pass through the gate of the message brought by that paragon of the world. From every wave, take a signet from his Shariah, and from every drop, seek the help of his covenant. Then you will be worthy for the way stations of Our friends.” This is what the Pir of the Tariqah intimated with his words, “When any reality sticks up its head from the recognizer's breast, it is not acceptable to the Real until two witnesses from the Shariah bear witness to its correctness.”

None of us there is but has a known station. In the tongue of the Tariqah this verse alludes to the states of encounter and the unveilings of the masters of the Haqiqah. One is gratitude for ecstasies, another the lightning of unveiling, another the bewilderment of witnessing, another the light of proximity, another the friendship of finding, another the splendor of togetherness, and another the reality of solitariness. These are seven oceans placed at the top of tawḤīd's street. As long as the traveler in the road does not pass over these seven oceans, he will not be allowed to reach the end of the street. He must seek water from these oceans through the seven thresholds of the Qur'an, about which MuṣṬafā reported: “The Qur'an was sent down according to seven letters, each of which is a suf- ficiency and a healing. Every verse has an outwardness and an inwardness, and each letter has a limit and an overview.” The sincerely truthful and the wayfarers on the road have said that you must pass over these oceans to reach tawḤīd. Concerning these seven oceans, the command has come: “Pass through the gate of the message brought by that paragon of the world. From every wave, take a signet from his Shariah, and from every drop, seek the help of his covenant. Then you will be worthy for the way stations of Our friends.” This is what the Pir of the Tariqah intimated with his words, “When any reality sticks up its head from the recognizer's breast, it is not acceptable to the Real until two witnesses from the Shariah bear witness to its correctness.”

None of us there is but has a known station.In the tongue of the Tariqah this verse alludes to the states of encounter and the unveilings of the masters of the Haqiqah. One is gratitude for ecstasies, another the lightning of unveiling, another the bewilderment of witnessing, another the light of proximity, another the friendship of finding, another the splendor of togetherness, and another the reality of solitariness.These are seven oceans placed at the top of tawḤīd's street. As long as the traveler in the road does not pass over these seven oceans, he will not be allowed to reach the end of the street. He must seek water from these oceans through the seven thresholds of the Qur'an, about which MuṣṬafā reported: �The Qur'an was sent down according to seven letters, each of which is a suf- ficiency and a healing. Every verse has an outwardness and an inwardness, and each letter has a limit and an overview.�The sincerely truthful and the wayfarers on the road have said that you must pass over these oceans to reach tawḤīd. Concerning these seven oceans, the command has come: �Pass through the gate of the message brought by that paragon of the world. From every wave, take a signet from his Shariah, and from every drop, seek the help of his covenant. Then you will be worthy for the way stations of Our friends.�This is what the Pir of the Tariqah intimated with his words, �When any reality sticks up its head from the recognizer's breast, it is not acceptable to the Real until two witnesses from the Shariah bear witness to its correctness.�

قالت الملائكة: وما منا أحدٌ إلا له مقام في السماء معلوم، وإنا لنحن الواقفون صفوفًا في عبادة الله وطاعته، وإنا لنحن المنزِّهون الله عن كل ما لا يليق به.

أي له موضع مخصوص في السموات ومقامات العبادات لا يتجاوزه ولا يتعداه وقال ابن عساكر في ترجمته لمحمد بن خالد بسنده إلى عبد الرحمن بن العلاء بن سعد عن أبيه وكان ممن بايع يوم الفتح أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال يوما لجلسائه "أطت السماء وحق لها أن تئط ليس فيها موضع قدم إلا عليه ملك راكع أو ساجد" ثم قرأ صلى الله عليه وسلم ""وما منا إلا له مقام معلوم وإنا لنحن الصافون وإنا لنحن المسبحون"" وقال الضحاك في تفسيره "وما منا إلا له مقام معلوم" قال كان مسروق يروي عن عائشة رضي الله عنها أنها قالت: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم "ما من السماء الدنيا موضع إلا عليه ملك ساجد أو قائم" فذلك قوله تعالى "وما منا إلا له مقام معلوم" وقال الأعمش عن أبي إسحاق عن مسروق عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنه قال: إن في السماوات لسماء ما فيها موضع شبر إلا عليه جبهة ملك أو قدماه ثم قرأ عبدالله رضي الله عنه "وما منا إلا له مقام معلوم" وكذا قال سعيد بن جبير وقال قتادة كانوا يصلون الرجال والنساء جميعا حتى نزلت "وما منا إلا له مقام معلوم" فتقدم الرجال وتأخر النساء.

ثم بين - سبحانه - أن الملائكة معترفون اعترافا تاما بطاعتهم لله - تعالى - وبمداومتهم على عبادته وتسبيحه فقال : ( وَمَا مِنَّآ إِلاَّ لَهُ مَقَامٌ مَّعْلُومٌ . وَإِنَّا لَنَحْنُ الصآفون . وَإِنَّا لَنَحْنُ المسبحون )أى : لقد اعترف الملائكة بطاعتهم الكاملة لله - تعالى - وقالوا : وما منا أحد إلا له مقام معلوم فى عبادة الله - تعالى - وطاعته .

وقوله ( وَمَا مِنَّا إِلا لَهُ مَقَامٌ مَعْلُومٌ ) وهذا خبر من الله عن قيل الملائكة أنهم قالوا: وما منا معشر الملائكة إلا من له مقام في السماء معلوم.وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل.* ذكر من قال ذلك:حدثنا محمد بن الحسين، قال: ثنا أحمد بن المفضل، قال: ثنا أسباط، عن السديّ، في قوله ( وَمَا مِنَّا إِلا لَهُ مَقَامٌ مَعْلُومٌ ) قال: الملائكة.حدثني يونس، قال: ثنا أسباط، عن السديّ في قوله ( وَمَا مِنَّا إِلا لَهُ مَقَامٌ مَعْلُومٌ ) قال الملائكة.حدثني يونس، قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب، قال: قال ابن زيد، في قوله ( وَمَا مِنَّا إِلا لَهُ مَقَامٌ مَعْلُومٌ ) هؤلاء الملائكة.حُدثت عن الحسين، قال: سمعت أبا معاذ يقول: أخبرنا عبيد، قال: سمعت الضحاك يقول في قوله وَإِنَّا لَنَحْنُ الصَّافُّونَ * وَإِنَّا لَنَحْنُ الْمُسَبِّحُونَ كان مسروق بن الأجدع يروي عن عائشة أنها قالت: قال نبيّ الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم : " ما فِي سَماءِ الدُّنْيا مَوْضِعُ قَدَمٍ إلا عَلَيْه مَلَكٌ ساجِد أوْ قائم ". فذلك قول الملائكة: وَمَا مِنَّا إِلا لَهُ مَقَامٌ مَعْلُومٌ * وَإِنَّا لَنَحْنُ الصَّافُّونَ * وَإِنَّا لَنَحْنُ الْمُسَبِّحُونَحدثني موسى بن إسحاق الحَبَئِيُّ المعروف بابن القوّاس، قال: ثنا يحيى بن عيسى الرملي، عن الأعمش عن أبي يحيى، عن مجاهد، عن ابن عباس، قال: لو أن قطرة من زقوم جهنم أنـزلت إلى الدنيا، لأفسدت على الناس معايشهم، وإن ناركم هذه لتعوذ من نار جهنم.حدثنا موسى بن إسحاق، قال: ثنا يحيى بن عيسى، عن الأعمش، عن زيد بن وهب، قال: قال عبد الله بن مسعود: إن ناركم هذه لما أنـزلت، ضربت في البحر مرتين ففترت، فلولا ذلك لم تنتفعوا بها.

قوله عز وجل : ( وما منا إلا له مقام معلوم ) يقول جبرائيل للنبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - وما منا معشر الملائكة إلا له مقام معلوم ، أي : ما منا ملك إلا له مقام معلوم في السماوات يعبد الله فيه .قال ابن عباس : ما في السماوات موضع شبر إلا وعليه ملك يصلي أو يسبح .وروينا عن أبي ذر عن النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - قال : " أطت السماء ، وحق لها أن تئط ، والذي نفسي بيده ما فيها موضع أربعة أصابع إلا وملك واضع جبهته ساجدا لله "قال السدي : إلا له مقام معلوم في القربة والمشاهدة .وقال أبو بكر الوراق : إلا له مقام معلوم يعبد الله عليه ، كالخوف والرجاء والمحبة والرضا .

وَمَا مِنَّا إِلَّا لَهُ مَقَامٌ مَعْلُومٌ (164) فيجوز أن يكون عطفاً على قوله : { إلاَّ عبادَ الله المخلصين } [ الصافات : 160 ] على أول الوجهين في المعنيّ بعباد الله المخلَصين فيكون عطفاً على معنى الاستثناء المنقطع لأن معناه أنهم ليسوا أولاد الله تعالى ، وعُطف عليه أنهم يتبرأون من ذلك فالواو عاطفة قولاً محذوفاً يدل عليه أن ما بعد الواو لا يصلح إلا أن يكون كلام قائل . والتقدير : ويقولون ما منّا إلا له مقام معلوم وإنا لنحن الصّافون وإنّا لنحن المسبّحون ، وهذا الوجه أوفق بالصفات المذكورة من قوله : { إلاَّ له مقام معلوم }

هذا [فيه] بيان براءة الملائكة عليهم السلام، عما قاله فيهم المشركون، وأنهم عباد اللّه، لا يعصونه طرفة عين، فما منهم من أحد إلا له مقام وتدبير قد أمره اللّه به لا يتعداه ولا يتجاوزه، وليس لهم من الأمر شيء.

قوله تعالى : وما منا إلا له مقام معلومهذا من قول الملائكة تعظيما لله عز وجل ، وإنكارا منهم عبادة من عبدهم . وإنا لنحن الصافون . وإنا لنحن المسبحون قال مقاتل : هذه الثلاث الآيات نزلت ، ورسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - عند سدرة المنتهى ، فتأخر جبريل ، فقال النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - : أهنا تفارقني فقال : ما أستطيع أن أتقدم عن مكاني . وأنزل الله تعالى حكاية عن قول الملائكة : وما منا إلا له مقام معلوم الآيات . والتقدير عند الكوفيين : وما منا إلا من له مقام معلوم . فحذف الموصول . وتقديره عند البصريين : وما منا ملك إلا له مقام معلوم ، أي : مكان معلوم في العبادة ، قاله ابن مسعود وابن جبير . وقال ابن عباس : ما في السماوات موضع شبر إلا وعليه ملك يصلي ويسبح . وقالت عائشة رضي الله عنها : قال النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - : ما في السماء موضع قدم إلا عليه ملك ساجد أو قائم . وعن أبي ذر قال : قال رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - : إني أرى ما لا ترون ، وأسمع ما لا تسمعون ، أطت السماء وحق لها أن تئط ، ما فيها موضع أربع أصابع إلا وملك واضع جبهته ساجدا لله ، والله لو تعلمون ما أعلم لضحكتم قليلا ، ولبكيتم كثيرا ، وما تلذذتم بالنساء على الفرش ، ولخرجتم إلى الصعدات تجأرون إلى الله ، لوددت أني كنت شجرة تعضد خرجه أبو عيسى الترمذي وقال [ ص: 124 ] فيه : حديث حسن غريب . ويروى من غير هذا الوجه أن أبا ذر قال : لوددت أني كنت شجرة تعضد . ويروى عن أبي ذر موقوفا . وقال قتادة : كان يصلي الرجال والنساء جميعا حتى نزلت هذه الآية : وما منا إلا له مقام معلوم . قال : فتقدم الرجال وتأخر النساء .وقيل : وما منا إلا له مقام معلوم من قول الرسول - صلى الله عليه وسلم - والمؤمنين للمشركين ، أي : لكل واحد منا ومنكم في الآخرة مقام معلوم وهو مقام الحساب . وقيل : أي : منا من له مقام الخوف ، ومنا من له مقام الرجاء ، ومنا من له مقام الإخلاص ، ومنا من له مقام الشكر . إلى غيرها من المقامات .قلت : والأظهر أن ذلك راجع إلى قول الملائكة : وما منا إلا له مقام معلوم والله أعلم .

A belief has it, that the ‘jinn’ are both the opponents and equals of God. But those who hold this belief are greatly misguided. They also think that the forces of evil are in the hands of the jinn and forces of righteousness are in the hands of the angels; both having the power to create trouble or bring success to anybody they like. Similarly, the Zoroastrians believe in the duality of the godhead. According to them, Yazdan is the god of righteousness and Aherman is the god of evil. Man, on the basis of his false assumptions, worships angels when angels themselves proclaim the greatness of the one and only God, at all times.

In verse 158, it was said: وَجَعَلُوا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ الْجِنَّةِ نَسَبًا (And they have made up between Him and the Jinns some kinship). There are two explanations of this sentence. According to the first Tafsir, this is a description of the false belief held by the Mushriks of Arabia that the daughters of the chieftains of the Jinns are mothers of the angels. As if, God forbid, the daughters of the chieftains of the Jinns have marital relations with Allah Ta’ ala and, as a result of this bond, angels have come to exist. Hence, it appears in an exegetical narration when the Mushriks of Arabia declared angels to be the daughters of Allah, Sayyidna Abu Bakr 4 asked, "Who is their mother?" They said, "Daughters of the Jinns" (Tafsir ibn Kathir, p. 23, v. 4). But, this Tafsir leaves an unresolved difficulty behind: The verse is talking about the attribution of kinship between Allah Ta’ ala and the Jinns, while the marital relationship of a husband and wife is not based on kinship. For this reason, another Tafsir that has been reported from Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas, Hasan al-Basri and Dahhak seems to be weightier. According to this Tafsir, some of the people of Arabia also believed that, God forbid, Iblis was a brother to Allah Ta’ ala who was the creator of good while he was the creator of evil. Here, this very false belief has been refuted (please see Tafsir ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Qurtubi and Tafsir Kabir). Immediately next within verse 158 it was said: وَلَقَدْ عَلِمَتِ الْجِنَّةُ إِنَّهُمْ لَمُحْضَرُ‌ونَ 158) ', while the Jinns already know that they are bound to appear (before Him).' Here, 'they' could be referring to the kinds of Mushriks who took Jinns and Shaitans as equals of God, meaning thereby that the Jinns know that these Mushriks will appear before Allah Ta’ ala for being punished, and could also refer to the Jinns themselves. In this situation, the sense of the verse would come to be that 'the Shaitans and Jinns you have taken to be associated with Allah in one or the other form already know very well that they are going to face a terrible fate in the Hereafter. For example, Iblis is perfectly aware of his evil end. Now, someone who himself believes that he has to taste his punishment could hardly be the equal of God and taking him to be so would certainly be a gross lack of good sense.

(There is not one of us) said Gabriel (pbuh) (but hath his known position) a known position in heaven.