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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 Sad 38:65-76 [5/5]
  
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Verse Summary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
قُلْSay,
إِنَّمَآ`Only
أَنَا۟I am
مُنذِرٌ‌ۖa warner,
وَمَاand not
مِنْ(is there) any
إِلَـٰهٍgod
إِلَّاexcept
ٱللَّهُAllah,
ٱلْوَٲحِدُthe One
ٱلْقَهَّارُthe Irresistible,
﴿٦٥﴾
رَبُّLord
ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ(of) the heavens
وَٱلْأَرْضِand the earth
وَمَاand whatever
بَيْنَهُمَا(is) between them,
ٱلْعَزِيزُthe All-Mighty,
ٱلْغَفَّـٰرُthe Oft-Forgiving.
﴿٦٦﴾
قُلْSay,
هُوَ`It (is)
نَبَؤٌاْa news
عَظِيمٌgreat,
﴿٦٧﴾
أَنتُمْYou
عَنْهُfrom it
مُعْرِضُونَturn away
﴿٦٨﴾
مَاNot
كَانَis
لِىَfor me
مِنْany
عِلْمِۭknowledge
بِٱلْمَلَإِ(of) the chiefs,
ٱلْأَعْلَىٰٓthe exalted
إِذْwhen
يَخْتَصِمُونَthey were disputing.
﴿٦٩﴾
إِنNot
يُوحَىٰٓhas been revealed
إِلَىَّto me
إِلَّآexcept
أَنَّمَآthat only
أَنَا۟I am
نَذِيرٌa warner
مُّبِينٌclear.`
﴿٧٠﴾
إِذْWhen
قَالَsaid
رَبُّكَyour Lord
لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِto the Angels,
إِنِّى`Indeed, I Am
خَـٰلِقُۢgoing to create
بَشَرًاa human being
مِّنfrom
طِينٍclay.
﴿٧١﴾
فَإِذَاSo when
سَوَّيْتُهُۥI have proportioned him
وَنَفَخْتُand breathed
فِيهِinto him
مِنof
رُّوحِىMy spirit,
فَقَعُواْthen fall down
لَهُۥto him
سَـٰجِدِينَprostrating.`
﴿٧٢﴾
فَسَجَدَSo prostrated
ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُthe Angels
كُلُّهُمْall of them
أَجْمَعُونَtogether.
﴿٧٣﴾
إِلَّآExcept
إِبْلِيسَIblis;
ٱسْتَكْبَرَhe was arrogant
وَكَانَand became
مِنَof
ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَthe disbelievers.
﴿٧٤﴾
قَالَHe said,
يَـٰٓإِبْلِيسُ`O Iblis!
مَاWhat
مَنَعَكَprevented you
أَنthat
تَسْجُدَyou (should) prostrate
لِمَاto (one) whom
خَلَقْتُI created
بِيَدَىَّ‌ۖwith My Hands?
أَسْتَكْبَرْتَAre you arrogant
أَمْor
كُنتَare you
مِنَof
ٱلْعَالِينَthe exalted ones.`
﴿٧٥﴾
قَالَHe said,
أَنَا۟`I am
خَيْرٌbetter
مِّنْهُ‌ۖthan him.
خَلَقْتَنِىYou created me
مِنfrom
نَّارٍfire
وَخَلَقْتَهُۥand You created him
مِنfrom
طِينٍclay.`
﴿٧٦﴾


قُلۡ اِنَّمَاۤ اَنَا مُنۡذِرٌ ​​ۖ  وَّمَا مِنۡ اِلٰهٍ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ الۡوَاحِدُ الۡقَهَّارُ​ ۚ‏  رَبُّ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالۡاَرۡضِ وَمَا بَيۡنَهُمَا الۡعَزِيۡزُ الۡغَفَّارُ‏  قُلۡ هُوَ نَبَؤٌا عَظِيۡمٌۙ‏  اَنۡتُمۡ عَنۡهُ مُعۡرِضُوۡنَ‏  مَا كَانَ لِىَ مِنۡ عِلۡمٍۢ بِالۡمَلَاِ الۡاَعۡلٰٓى اِذۡ يَخۡتَصِمُوۡنَ‏   اِنۡ يُّوۡحٰۤى اِلَىَّ اِلَّاۤ اَنَّمَاۤ اَنَا۟ نَذِيۡرٌ مُّبِيۡنٌ‏  اِذۡ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلۡمَلٰٓـئِكَةِ اِنِّىۡ خَالِـقٌ ۢ بَشَرًا مِّنۡ طِيۡنٍ‏   فَاِذَا سَوَّيۡتُهٗ وَنَفَخۡتُ فِيۡهِ مِنۡ رُّوۡحِىۡ فَقَعُوۡا لَهٗ سٰجِدِيۡنَ‏   فَسَجَدَ الۡمَلٰٓـئِكَةُ كُلُّهُمۡ اَجۡمَعُوۡنَۙ‏  اِلَّاۤ اِبۡلِيۡسَؕ اِسۡتَكۡبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ الۡكٰفِرِيۡنَ‏  قَالَ يٰۤـاِبۡلِيۡسُ مَا مَنَعَكَ اَنۡ تَسۡجُدَ لِمَا خَلَقۡتُ بِيَدَىَّ​ ؕ اَسۡتَكۡبَرۡتَ اَمۡ كُنۡتَ مِنَ الۡعَالِيۡنَ‏  قَالَ اَنَا خَيۡرٌ مِّنۡهُ​ ؕ خَلَقۡتَنِىۡ مِنۡ نَّارٍ وَّخَلَقۡتَهٗ مِنۡ طِيۡنٍ‏ 

Translation
(38:65) Tell them, (O Prophet):56 “I am nothing but a warner.57 There is no deity but Allah, the One, the Supreme, (38:66) the Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that is in between them, the Most Mighty, the Most Forgiving.” (38:67) Say: “This is a tiding of tremendous import (38:68) from which you are turning away.”58 (38:69) (Tell them): “I had no knowledge of the High Council when they were disputing. (38:70) I am told (about matters) by means of revelation only because I am a clear warner.” (38:71) When your Lord said to the angels:59 “Verily I am creating a human being from clay.60 (38:72) After I have created him and breathed into him of My spirit,61 fall you down, prostrating yourselves to him.”62 (38:73) Then the angels, all of them, prostrated themselves before Adam (38:74) except Iblis. He waxed proud and became one of the unbelievers.63 (38:75) The Lord said: “O Iblis, what prevented you from prostrating yourself before him whom I created of My Two Hands.64 Are you waxing proud, or fancy yourself to be too exalted?” (38:76) He replied: “I am nobler than he. You created me from fire and created him from clay.”

Commentary

56. Now the discourse turns to the same theme with which it began. One should read it with (1-14 verses) in order to understand the meaning fully.

57. In verse 4 it was said: The people wonder that a warner from among themselves has come to them. Here it is being said: Tell them: I am only a warner. That is: I do not command an army that I may forcibly pull you from a wrong way and put you on the right way. If you do not listen to me and do not accept my message, you will only be causing a loss to yourselves. If you like to remain ignorant, you may continue to be heedless, for you will see your end yourselves.

58. This is the answer to what the disbelievers said in verse 5: Has he made just One God in place of all the gods? This is indeed a strange thing. It means: You may frown and scowl as you like, but this is a reality of which I am informing you, and your frowning and scowling cannot change it.

This answer not only contains the statement of the truth, but it also contains the argument for it. The mushriks said: Deities are many of whom one is Allah also. How is it that you have done away with all other deities and kept only One Allah? In answer it was said: The real Deity is One Allah alone, for He is dominant over everything: He is the Owner of the earth and the heavens, and everything in the Universe belongs to Him. Every being other than Him, whom you have set up as other gods in the Universe, is dominated and subdued before Him; therefore, the subservient beings cannot be associates in the Godhead of the Dominant and All-Mighty God. Therefore, there is no ground for which they may be regarded as deities.

59. This is the explanation of the dispute referred to about, and the dispute implies Satan’s dispute with God, as becomes evident from the verses that follow. In this regard, one should bear in mind the fact that “the exalted” implies the angels, and the dialogue between Allah and Satan was not direct but it took place through some angel. Therefore, no one should have the misunderstanding that Allah also was included among the exalted ones. This story has already been narrated at the following places: (Surah Al- Baqarah, Ayats 30-39); (Surah Al-Aaraf, Ayats 11-25); (Surah Al-Hijr, Ayats 26-44); (Surah Bani Israil, Ayats 61-65); (Surah Al-Kahf, Ayat 50); (Surah TaHa, Ayats 116-126).

60. Lexically, bashar means a gross body whose surface is bare and uncovered by anything else. After the creation of man this word has been used for man himself, but mentioning him by the word bashar before his creation and making him from clay clearly means: I am about to make an image of clay, which will be without any feathers and hair, etc. whose skin will not be covered by wool or hair or feathers like the skin of other animals.

61. For explanation, see (Surah Al-Hijr, Ayats 29-30), and (E.N. 16 of Surah As-Sajdah).

62. For explanation, see (Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayats 34); (Surah Al-Aaraf, Ayat 11) and the E.Ns thereof.

63. For explanation, see (Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayat 34); (Surah Al-Kahf, Ayat 50) and the E.Ns. thereof.

64. These words have been used to point out the honor, rank and glory bestowed on man by his Creator. In other words, Allah did not get man created through his angels but created him by Himself because his creation was a highly noble task. Therefore, what is meant to be said is: What has prevented you from prostrating yourself before him whom I have made directly Myself?

The words be-yadaiia (both hands) probably are meant to refer to the fact that this new creation combines in itself two important aspects of Allah’s power of creation: (1) That man has been given an animal body on account of which he belongs to the animal kingdom. (2) That on account of the Spirit breathed into him, he has been characterized with qualities which place him in honor and merit above all earthly creations and creatures.