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Towards Understanding the Quran
With kind permission: Islamic Foundation UK
Introduction to Tafheem | Glossary | Verbs
Tafsirs: Maarif | Dawat | Ishraq | Clear

 Surah Al-Isra 17:61-65 [7/12]
  
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Verse Summary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
وَإِذْAnd when
قُلْنَاWe said
لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِto the Angels,
ٱسْجُدُواْ"Prostrate
لِأَدَمَto Adam."
فَسَجَدُوٓاْSo they prostrated
إِلَّآexcept
إِبْلِيسَIblis.
قَالَHe said,
ءَأَسْجُدُ"Shall I prostrate
لِمَنْto (one) whom
خَلَقْتَYou created
طِينًا(from) clay?"
﴿٦١﴾
قَالَHe said,
أَرَءَيْتَكَ"Do You see
هَـٰذَاthis
ٱلَّذِىwhom
كَرَّمْتَYou have honored,
عَلَىَّabove me?
لَئِنْIf
أَخَّرْتَنِYou give me respite
إِلَىٰtill
يَوْمِ(the) Day
ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ(of) the Resurrection,
لَأَحْتَنِكَنَّI will surely destroy
ذُرِّيَّتَهُۥٓhis offspring
إِلَّاexcept
قَلِيلاًa few."
﴿٦٢﴾
قَالَHe said,
ٱذْهَبْ"Go,
فَمَنand whoever
تَبِعَكَfollows you
مِنْهُمْamong them
فَإِنَّthen indeed,
جَهَنَّمَHell
جَزَآؤُكُمْ(is) your recompense -
جَزَآءًa recompense
مَّوْفُورًاample.
﴿٦٣﴾
وَٱسْتَفْزِزْAnd incite
مَنِwhoever
ٱسْتَطَعْتَyou can
مِنْهُمamong them
بِصَوْتِكَwith your voice,
وَأَجْلِبْand assault
عَلَيْهِم[on] them
بِخَيْلِكَwith your cavalry
وَرَجِلِكَand infantry
وَشَارِكْهُمْand be a partner
فِىin
ٱلْأَمْوَٲلِthe wealth
وَٱلْأَوْلَـٰدِand the children,
وَعِدْهُمْ‌ۚand promise them."
وَمَاAnd not
يَعِدُهُمُpromises them
ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُthe Shaitaan
إِلَّاexcept
غُرُورًاdelusion.
﴿٦٤﴾
إِنَّ"Indeed,
عِبَادِىMy slaves
لَيْسَnot
لَكَfor you
عَلَيْهِمْover them
سُلْطَـٰنٌ‌ۚany authority.
وَكَفَىٰAnd sufficient
بِرَبِّكَ(is) your Lord
وَكِيلاً(as) a Guardian."
﴿٦٥﴾


وَاِذۡ قُلۡنَا لِلۡمَلٰۤـئِكَةِ اسۡجُدُوۡا لِاٰدَمَ فَسَجَدُوۡۤا اِلَّاۤ اِبۡلِيۡسَ قَالَ ءَاَسۡجُدُ لِمَنۡ خَلَقۡتَ طِيۡنًا​ ۚ‏  قَالَ اَرَءَيۡتَكَ هٰذَا الَّذِىۡ كَرَّمۡتَ عَلَىَّ لَـئِنۡ اَخَّرۡتَنِ اِلٰى يَوۡمِ الۡقِيٰمَةِ لَاَحۡتَنِكَنَّ ذُرِّيَّتَهٗۤ اِلَّا قَلِيۡلًا‏  قَالَ اذۡهَبۡ فَمَنۡ تَبِعَكَ مِنۡهُمۡ فَاِنَّ جَهَـنَّمَ جَزَآؤُكُمۡ جَزَآءً مَّوۡفُوۡرًا‏  وَاسۡتَفۡزِزۡ مَنِ اسۡتَطَعۡتَ مِنۡهُمۡ بِصَوۡتِكَ وَاَجۡلِبۡ عَلَيۡهِمۡ بِخَيۡلِكَ وَرَجِلِكَ وَشَارِكۡهُمۡ فِى الۡاَمۡوَالِ وَالۡاَوۡلَادِ وَعِدۡهُمۡ​ ؕ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ الشَّيۡطٰنُ اِلَّا غُرُوۡرًا‏  اِنَّ عِبَادِىۡ لَـيۡسَ لَـكَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ سُلۡطٰنٌ​ ؕ وَكَفٰى بِرَبِّكَ وَكِيۡلًا‏  

Translation
(17:61) And recall when We asked the angels73 to prostrate themselves before Adam; all prostrated themselves except Iblis,74 who said: "Shall I prostrate myself before him whom You created of clay?" (17:62) He then continued: "Look! This is he whom You have exalted above me! If you will grant me respite till the Day of Resurrection I shall uproot the whole of his progeny75 except only a few." (17:63) Thereupon He retorted: "Be gone! Hell shall be the recompense - and a most ample one - of whosoever of them who follows you. (17:64) Tempt with your call all whom you wish.76 Muster against them all your forces - your cavalry and your foot soldiers;77 share with them riches and offspring,78 and seduce them with rosy promises - and Satan's promise is nothing but a deception79 - (17:65) but know well that you will have no power against My servants.80 Your Lord suffices for them to place their trust in."81

Commentary

73. That is, We showed you such things during the Miraj so that they should have the first hand knowledge of the reality from a truthful and honest man like you and be warned by it to the right way. They, however, began to make fun of you, though We had already warned them through you that their evil ways would force them to eat of the Az-zaqqum. Instead of this they began to scoff at you, saying, just consider the logic of this man. On the one hand, he says that there is an awful fire burning in Hell and, on the other, he says that trees are growing in it.

74. Please also refer to (Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayats 30-39); (Surah An-Nisa, Ayats 117-122); (Surah Al-Aaraf, Ayats 11- 25); (Surah Ibrahim, Ayat 22); (Surah Al-Hijr, Ayats 26-43). This story has been cited here to impress upon the disbelievers that their attitude of arrogance and indifference towards Allah is exactly the same as was adopted by Satan. As a matter of fact, they were following Satan who is the avowed enemy of man, and were being entangled in the snare spread by him who had challenged the progeny of Adam at the very beginning of human history that he would allure and ruin them.

75. That is, I will uproot them from the high position of divine vicegerency which demands steadfastness in obedience. Their removal from that high position is just like the tearing of a tree from its roots.

76. The literal meaning of the Arabic text is: You may sweep away those whom you find superficial and weak minded.

77. Here, Satan has been likened to that robber who assaults a habitation with cavalry and infantry and orders them to rob. The cavalry and the infantry of Satan are those jinns and human beings who are engaged in numerous forms and positions in carrying out his mission.

78. This is a very meaningful sentence which depicts a true and perfect picture of the relationship between Satan and his followers. On the one hand, Satan becomes a partner with the one who follows him in the earning and spending of his money without putting in any labor in it. On the other hand, he does not become a partner in bearing the consequences of his error, crime and sin. But his foolish dupe follows his instructions as if he were a partner, nay, a stronger party. Again in regard to the children of such a man, the father himself bears the whole burden of bringing them up, but under the misguidance of Satan he trains them in wrong and unmoral ways as if he alone was not their father but Satan as well was a partner in it.

79. Satan entices them with false promises of success and entangles them in the snare of false expectations.

80. It has two meanings: (1) You will have no power over human beings to force them to follow your way. What you are allowed to do is that you may delude them by false counsel and entice them by false promises, but they will have the option to follow or not to follow your counsel. You will not have the power over them to force them to follow your way against their will. (2) You will not succeed in alluring My righteous people. Though the weak minded will be enticed by you. My righteous people who are steadfast in My obedience will not succumb to you.

81. That is, those who will trust in Allah and believe in His guidance and help, will not stand in need of any other support in their trial by Satan for Allah will guide them, protect them and help them to be safe from his allurements. On the other hand, those people, who will place their trust in their own power or that of any other than Allah, will not come out successful in their trial by Satan.