Tafsir of Al-Isra 17:65

(إن عبادي): The attribution [of the servants] to Him is for glorification, indicating that these servants are specifically the sincere ones (al-mukhlisin), as has been explicitly stated in another verse. This is further supported by the context that Allah—Exalted is He—is a Wakil (Guardian/Protector) for them, shielding them from the evil of Satan; for whoever is in such a state must be a servant honored and specifically attached to the Exalted Truth. It is frequently said of one overcome by the love of a thing, to the point of being led by it, that he is a "servant" of that thing—hence the expressions "servant of the dinar and dirham," "servant of the garment," and "servant of his stomach." Thus, it is said of one who follows Satan that he is a "servant of Satan." Therefore, there is no need to suggest that there is a suppressed adjective in the speech—i.e., "that my sincere servants..."

Al-Jubba’i claimed that "My servants" is general, applying to all those who are tasked with obligations, and that there is no suppressed adjective. He argued that the omission of an exception (i.e., "except the sincere") was done relying on its explicit mention elsewhere. This, however, is of no substance. In this attribution [of the servants to Allah] lies an indication of the cause for the establishment of the decree in His—the Glorified's—saying: {You have no authority over them}—that is, no dominance or power to lead them astray. The decree is emphasized despite the adversary's own admission of it, for the sake of greater attention.

{And sufficient is your Lord as a Guardian (Wakil)}: [Guardian] for them; they rely upon Him—Glorified and Exalted is He—and seek aid from Him, the Exalted, in finding salvation from your seduction, so He, the Glorified, protects them from him. The address in this sentence is said to be directed toward Satan, as in the previous sentence. The mention of the attribute of Lordship—which signifies absolute ownership and total disposal—along with the attribution to His pronoun, serves to intimate the nature of His—the Exalted's—sufficiency and protection of them against him, namely, the stripping away of his power to seduce them.

Others say it is addressed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, or to mankind. It is as if, once He—the Glorified—explained the condition of Satan as He did, and fear entered hearts, He—the Glorified—said: "And sufficient is your Lord, O Prophet, or O human, as a Guardian." He, the Majestic, repels the plot of Satan and guards against him. The heart leans toward the view that it is not addressed to Satan, even if the preceding [sentence] was. From the verse, it is inferred that the one protected is the one whom Allah—the Exalted—protects, and that a human being cannot, by his own self, guard against the sites of misguidance; otherwise, it would have been said, "And sufficient is man as a Guardian for his own self."

Here, there are two questions mentioned by the Imam along with their answers:

The First: Was Iblis aware that the One who spoke to him with these threats was the Lord of the worlds, or was he unaware? If the former, how could he persist in [his] intense threats—through the verse: {Indeed, Hell is your reward, an ample reward}—which should have prevented him from disobedience, despite hearing it directly from Allah, the Majestic, without an intermediary? And if the latter, how did he say: {Do You see this whom You have honored above me}? The Answer: Perhaps he was doubting everything, speaking in each instance according to what crossed his mind by way of conjecture. I say: the deficiency in this answer is not hidden. The truth of the matter is that he was certain that the One who spoke to him was the Lord of the worlds, Glorified and Exalted; however, he was overcome by his wretchedness, for which his own essence had become prepared. Thus, the warning did not serve to prevent him [from sin]. This is why, when the snares are set for his destruction and his time arrives, and he witnesses the torment he witnesses, and the earth—despite its vastness—is constricted for him, he is told: "Prostrate today to Adam, peace be upon him, so that you may be saved," yet he does not prostrate. He says: "I did not prostrate to him while he was alive; how shall I prostrate to him while he is dead?"—as has been reported in some traditions. This is no more astonishing than the condition of the disbelievers who are tormented on the Day of Resurrection with the severest torment for their disbelief, yet they ask to return in order to believe, even though Allah—the Exalted—informed that if they were returned, they would return to that which they were forbidden. It is sometimes said that the Accursed One, despite this warning, retains a hope of salvation. It is narrated that our master Abdullah al-Tustari asked Allah—the Exalted—to show him Iblis. He saw him and asked him: "Do you hope for Allah's mercy?" He replied: "How could I not hope for it when Allah—the Exalted—says: {And My mercy encompasses all things}, and I am one of the things?" Al-Tustari said: "Woe to you! Allah—the Exalted—placed a restriction at the end of the verse." Iblis said to him: "Woe to you! How ignorant you are; the restriction is for you, not for Him!" Perhaps he believes that the verses of warning are absolutely conditioned by [Divine] Will, even if not explicitly stated, as some of the Ash'aris say regarding the verses of warning for disobedient believers.

The Second: What is the wisdom in Allah—the Exalted—granting him respite until the Day of Resurrection and enabling him to whisper? If a Wise One intends a matter and knows that there is an obstacle preventing its attainment, he does not strive to bring about that obstacle. The Answer: On our doctrine, it is clear. As for the Mu'tazilah, Al-Jubba'i among them said: "Allah—the Exalted—knew that those who disbelieve upon Iblis's whispering would have disbelieved anyway, even if he did not exist; therefore, his existence held no additional corruption." Abu Hashim said: "It is not unlikely that his existence causes additional corruption; however, He—the Exalted—retained him to intensify the burden of obligation on the creation, so that they may deserve greater reward." I say: Iblis is not an obstacle to what Allah—the Majestic and Exalted—intends. Whatever Allah—the Glorified—willed, occurred, and whatever He did not will, did not occur. Allah—Blessed and Exalted—created the creation according to His knowledge, and He knew them according to what they are in themselves. Understand this, and Allah knows best.