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Know that the purpose of mentioning this story is to prohibit envy (Hasad) and arrogance (Kibr). This is because Iblis fell into what he fell into due to envy and arrogance, and the disbelievers disputed with the Prophet (peace be upon him) due to envy and arrogance. Therefore, Allah mentioned this story here so that hearing it would serve as a deterrent against these two blameworthy traits.

In summary, Allah encouraged the accountable to engage in reflection and reasoning (Nazar and Istidlal) and forbade them from obstinacy and blind imitation (Israr and Taqlid). He mentioned four points in establishing this:

It is a great news (Naba' 'Azim), so caution is necessary in dealing with it.
The story of the angels asking about the wisdom behind creating humankind indicates that the original wisdom for creating Adam was knowledge and obedience, not ignorance and arrogance.
Iblis disputed with Adam (peace be upon him) only because of envy and arrogance. Thus, the intelligent person must guard against these two traits.

This is the rationale for the coherence of these verses. Know that the explanation of this story has already been covered in many Surahs, so there is no benefit in repetition except what is necessary. Within this story are several issues:

Issue 1: Regarding His saying, {Indeed, I am creating a human being from clay}

There are several questions:

First: This phrasing is only correct if it is possible to create a human being from something other than clay, just as if one says, "I will make a bracelet from gold," which is only sound if it is possible to make it from silver.

Second: Here it is mentioned that He created the human from clay (Tīn), but in other verses, it is mentioned that He created him from other things, such as His saying about Adam: "from dust (Turāb)" (e.g., Surah Ar-Rum, 20), and His saying: {from sounding clay (Ṣalṣāl min ḥamā’in masnūn)} (Al-Hijr, 26), and His saying: {created man from haste (ʿajūl)} (Al-Anbiya, 37).

Third: This verse indicates that when Allah informed the angels that He was creating a human from clay, they said nothing. However, in the other verse where He said: {Indeed, I will place upon the earth a successor (Khalīfah)} (Al-Baqarah, 30), it is mentioned that they raised an objection and received a response. This appears contradictory.

The Answers:

To the first: The implied meaning is that Allah first described to them that the human is a being combining bestial, predatory, satanic, and angelic powers. When He said, {Indeed, I am creating a human being from clay}, it was as if He meant: That being, possessing all those characteristics, I am creating from clay.
To the second: The most distant material is dust, closer is clay, closer still is sounding clay, and closest is the refined clay (Ḥamā’ Masnūn). Thus, there is no contradiction among them.
To the third: In the verse mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah, He clarified that He would place a successor on Earth. In this verse, He clarified that this successor is a human being created from clay.

Issue 2: He said, {And when I have fashioned him and breathed into him of My spirit}

This indicates that the creation of a human is not complete except through two matters: first, fashioning (Taswiyah), and second, breathing the spirit (Nafkh al-Rūḥ). This is true because man is composed of a body (Jasad) and a soul (Nafs).

As for the body, it is generated from semen, which is generated from menstrual blood, which is generated from the four humors, which are generated from the four elements. For this fashioning to occur, there must be a precise measure for each element, a specific manner of their mixture and composition, and a duration during which this temperament is achieved, which prepares the body to receive the rational soul.

As for the soul, it is indicated by His saying: {and breathed into him of My spirit}. By attributing the spirit to Himself, it indicates that it is a noble, lofty, sacred essence. The Ḥulūliyyah (those who believe in indwelling) argued that the preposition min (of/from) indicates partiality (Tab'īḍ). This suggests that the spirit is a part of Allah Almighty, which is the utmost corruption, because everything that has parts and limits is composite, contingent in itself, and created.

Regarding the manner of breathing the spirit: The closest understanding is that the essence of the soul consists of luminous, transparent, lofty-elemental, sacred-essence bodies that permeate the body like light permeates air or fire permeates charcoal. This much is known. As for the how of that breathing, only Allah knows.

Issue 3: The Fā’ (then) in His saying, {So fall down to him in prostration}

The Fā’ indicates that immediately upon the spirit being breathed into the body, the command of Allah regarding prostration was directed to them.

There are deep discussions regarding whether those commanded to prostrate were the angels of the Earth, or if the angels of the heavens were included, such as Gabriel and Michael, and the Great Spirit mentioned in {The Day the Spirit and the angels stand in ranks} (An-Naba, 38).

Some Sufis said that the angels commanded to prostrate to Adam were the vegetative, sensory, and motor animal powers, as they serve the rational soul within the human body. And Iblis, who did not prostrate, was the imaginative power (Quwwah Wahmiyyah), which contends with the essence of intellect. The discussion on this is lengthy.

As for the remaining issues—such as the manner of the angels' prostration to Adam, whether it indicates his superiority over the angels, whether Iblis was one of the angels, and whether he was originally a disbeliever—all of these have been covered in Surah Al-Baqarah and elsewhere.

Issue 4: Those who affirm physical limbs and members for Allah Almighty

They argue based on His saying: {What has prevented you from prostrating to that which I created with My two hands?} to establish two hands for Allah, saying the apparent meaning of the verse indicates this, so we must adhere to it. Numerous verses align with this verse, necessitating certainty in it.

Know that the proofs demonstrating that Allah is not a composite body made of parts and limbs have already preceded. However, we will mention here some points serving as apparent refutations:

First: Whoever claims He is composed of limbs and parts must either affirm only the limbs mentioned in the Qur'an without addition, or add to them.

If the first case, he must affirm a form that cannot be improved upon in ugliness. This implies affirming a face (because of {Everything will perish except His Face} [Al-Qasas, 88]), and on that face, numerous eyes (because of {it flows under Our eyes} [Al-Qamar, 14]), and affirming a single side/flank (Janb) (because of {My regret over what I neglected concerning the side of Allah} [Az-Zumar, 56]), and on that flank, numerous hands (because of {from what Our hands have made} [Ya-Sin, 71]). If he affirms two hands, they must both be on one side (based on the Hadith: "The Black Stone is the right hand of Allah on Earth"). He must also affirm a single leg (because of {The Day the Shin is uncovered} [Al-Qalam, 42]). The resulting form would be merely a patch of a face with many eyes, one flank with many hands, and one leg. This is clearly the ugliest of forms; if this were a slave, no one would desire to buy him, so how can an intelligent person say the Lord of the Worlds is described by this form?
If the second case, he does not limit himself to the limbs mentioned in the Qur'an but adds or subtracts based on interpretation. In this case, his doctrine of relying solely on the apparent meaning is invalidated, and he must accept the proofs of reason.

Second Argument: Refuting their claim that if they affirm a male limb for Allah, He is male; if they affirm female limbs, He is female; and if they deny both, He is eunuch or impotent. Exalted is Allah above what the wrongdoers say!

Third Argument: In His Essence, Allah is either a solid body that cannot be immersed at all, making Him a hard stone, or He is susceptible to immersion, making Him soft and prone to dispersion and tearing. Allah is exalted above that.

Fourth Argument: If He cannot move from His place, He is like a paralyzed, incapable being. If He can move from His place, He is subject to changes, thus falling under {I do not love those that set} (Al-An'am, 76).

Fifth Argument: If He does not eat, drink, sleep, or move, He is like the dead. If He does these things, He is a human highly suspected of needing food, drink, and sexual intercourse, which is false.

Sixth Argument: They say He descends every night from the Throne to the lowest heaven. We ask them: While descending, does He remain the Sustainer of the Throne and the Sustainer of the lowest heaven as He was when on the Throne? If so, the descent serves no purpose. If He ceases to be the Sustainer of the Throne, then upon descending, He is deposed from the divinity of the Throne and the heavens.

Seventh Argument: They say He is greater than the Throne, and the Throne has no proportion to the greatness of the Footstool (Kursī), and so on, down to the lowest heaven. If this is the case, the lowest heaven, relative to Allah's greatness, is like an atom relative to the sea. If He descends, either the Deity becomes small enough to fit in the lowest heaven (which is impossible), or the lowest heaven becomes greater than the Throne (which is also false).

Eighth Argument: It is established that the world is a sphere. If "above" is relative to one group of people, it is "below" relative to another group. This is false. If "above" is relative to all, then He must be a body encompassing this world from all sides, meaning the God of the world, according to this view, is a celestial sphere (Falak).

Ninth Argument: Since the Earth is a sphere and the heavens are spheres, at any given hour, it is one-third night for certain groups of inhabitants on the sphere of the transient world. If He descends from the Throne during one-third of the night, He must remain perpetually descended from the Throne and never return to it.

Tenth Argument: We only invalidated the divinity of the sun and moon due to three types of flaws: first, being composed of parts and limbs; second, being limited and finite; and third, being described by movement, rest, rising, and setting. If the God of the Mushabbihah (those who liken Allah to creation) is composed of limbs and parts, He is composite. If He is on the Throne, He is limited and finite. If He descends from and returns to the Throne, He is described by movement and rest. If these three attributes negate divinity, then the Deity must be purified from all of them, which invalidates the view of the Mushabbihah. If these attributes do not negate divinity, then no one can object to the divinity of the sun and moon.

Eleventh Argument: His saying: {Say, He is Allah, [who is] One} (Al-Ikhlas, 1). The word Aḥad (One) is an intensification of unity, which contradicts being composed of parts and limbs.

Twelfth Argument: His saying: {And Allah is the Self-Sufficient, and you are the needy} (Muhammad, 38). If He were composed of parts and limbs, He would need them, which prevents Him from being absolutely Self-Sufficient.

Thus, by these means, it is established that affirming limbs and parts for Allah is impossible. Since the necessity of purifying Allah from these limbs has been established by certain proofs, we state what the scholars have said regarding the word Hand (Yad):

The Hand means Power (Qudra): Arabs say, "I have no hand in this matter," meaning no power or ability. Allah says: {or the one in whose hand is the marriage knot} (Al-Baqarah, 237).
The Hand means Blessing (Ni'mah): One says, "The favors (Ayādī) of so-and-so are apparent concerning so-and-so," meaning blessings. The two hands mean the apparent and hidden blessings, or the blessings of religion and the world.
The Hand is used for Emphasis: Like when one says to someone who offended with their tongue, "This is what your hands have earned," or His saying: {between the hands of His mercy} (Al-A'raf, 57).

However, one might argue that interpreting the hand as Power here is not permissible, for several reasons:

First: The apparent meaning of the verse requires affirming two hands. If the hand meant power, it would necessitate affirming two powers for Allah, which is false.
Second: The verse implies that Adam being created by the two hands necessitates his virtue and being prostrated to by the angels. If the hand meant power, Adam would be created by power. But all things are created by Allah's power. Just as Adam (PBUH) was created by Allah's hand, Iblis was also created by Allah's hand. If it meant power, this reason would not make Adam more deserving of prostration than Iblis, thus disrupting the coherence of the verse.
Third: It is stated in the Hadith that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Both of His hands are right hands." This description is clearly not suitable for power.

As for the second interpretation, taking the two hands to mean two blessings, this is also false for several reasons:

First: Allah's blessings are numerous, as He says: {And if you should count the favors of Allah, you could not enumerate them} (Ibrahim, 34). The apparent meaning of the verse indicates the hand is not more than two.
Second: If the hand meant blessing, then the blessing is created by Allah. In that case, Adam would not be created by Allah, but by one of His creations, which would be a cause for greater deficiency rather than perfection.
Third: If the hand meant blessing, then {Blessed is He in Whose Hand is the dominion} (Al-Mulk, 1) would mean "Blessed is He by Whose blessing is the dominion." And {His hands are outstretched} (Al-Ma'idah, 64) would mean "Two outstretched blessings." All of this is clearly corrupt.

As for the third interpretation, that the word hand is sometimes used for emphasis: We say that the word hand is used for someone who possesses this limb and for someone who does not.

For the first case (one who possesses the limb), like saying about someone who offended with their tongue, "This is what your hands earned." The reason is that the locus of power is the hand, so the name of the hand was applied to power. Under this interpretation, the meaning of the word hand becomes power, which we have already refuted.
For the second case (one who does not possess the limb), like {before the severe punishment} (Saba, 46) or {before the Hour}. We say that this metaphor using this word is established, and metaphors cannot be generalized or treated as consistent rules. Therefore, it is not permissible to say that the meaning in {created with My two hands} is achieved by the "hand of punishment" or the "hand of the Hour." We concede that in {Do not put yourselves forward in front of Allah and His Messenger} (Al-Hujurat, 1), emphasis might be intended. However, the word used here is {created with My two hands}. If analogy in metaphors is invalid, then your argument collapses entirely. This concludes the discussion on this topic.

What I have concluded in this section is that the Great Sovereign cannot perform any action with his hand unless his utmost attention is directed to that action. Since intense attention is a necessary condition for action by the hand, it is possible to use it metaphorically when overwhelming evidence dictates it. This is what we summarized in this section. And Allah knows best.

Regarding His saying, {Were you arrogant, or were you one of the high ones?}

The meaning is: Did you become arrogant now, or were you always among the arrogant, high ones? Iblis answered by saying: {I am better than him; You created me from fire, and You created him from clay}.

The meaning is: If I were equal to him in nobility, my command to prostrate to him would be ugly. How much more so when I am better than him? He then explained his superiority by stating his origin is fire, and fire is nobler than clay. Thus, his origin is better than Adam's origin, and whoever has a better origin is better than the other.

These are three premises:

First Premise: Iblis was created from fire. This is indicated by his saying, recounting what he said: {You created me from fire, and You created him from clay}, and by Allah’s saying: {And the jinn We created before from smokeless fire} (Al-Hijr, 27).

Second Premise: Fire is superior to clay. This is indicated by several points:

Celestial bodies are nobler than elemental bodies, and fire is the element closest to the celestial spheres, while Earth is the farthest. Thus, fire must be superior to Earth.
Fire is the successor to the sun and moon in illuminating this world when they are absent, and the sun and moon are nobler than the Earth, so their successor in illumination is better than the Earth.
The primary active quality is either heat or cold, and heat is better than cold because heat is compatible with life, while cold is compatible with death.
Earth is dense (Kathīf), and fire is subtle (Latīf). Subtlety is nobler than density.
Fire is luminous, and Earth is dark. Light is better than darkness.
Fire is light and resembles the spirit, while Earth is heavy and resembles the body. The spirit is better than the body, so fire is better than Earth. This is why physicians agree that the two heavy elements are more helpful in composing bodies, and the two light elements are more helpful in generating spirits.
Fire moves upward, and Earth moves downward. The upward is better than the downward.
The first zodiac sign is Aries, which begins at the northern celestial equator. Aries is of the nature of fire. The noblest animal organs are the heart and spirit, both of which are of the nature of fire. The basest animal organ is bone, which is cold, dry, and earthy.
Earthly bodies, the more luminous and fire-like they are, the nobler they are. The more dusty, dense, dark, and earth-like they are, the baser they are. Example of fire-like bodies: gold, ruby, and pure luminous stones, and silk garments. The baseness of earth-like bodies is evident.
The faculty of sight is of the utmost nobility and majesty, and its function is only completed by rays, which are a body similar to fire.
The noblest physical body in the world is the sun, which is undoubtedly similar to fire in form, nature, and effect.
Ripening, digestion, and life are only completed by heat; without the power of heat, temperament would not be established, and composites would not be generated.
Fire is the strongest of the four elements in the power of action, and Earth is the most complete in the power of reception. Action is superior to reception, so fire is better than Earth.

Those who prefer Earth over fire also mentioned arguments:

Earth is a trustworthy preserver; if you entrust a seed to it, it returns it to you as a fruit-bearing tree, whereas fire is treacherous, spoiling whatever is entrusted to it.
The sense of touch praises fire, so let it listen to what the sense of touch says (This seems to be a transcription error in the source, likely meant to contrast with sight).
Earth overcomes fire, as it extinguishes fire, whereas fire does not affect pure earth.

Third Premise: Whoever has a better origin is better than the other. Know that this premise is very false. The origin of ash is fire, and the origin of gardens, orchards, and fruit-bearing trees is clay. It is self-evident that fruit-bearing trees are better than ash. Even if considering this aspect confers virtue, it can be countered by another aspect that confers preference. For example, a person of noble lineage devoid of all virtues might be considered superior due to his lineage. However, someone without lineage but possessing vast knowledge and asceticism might be superior to that noble person by limitless degrees. The false premise in the syllogism Iblis presented is this third premise.

If someone asks: Grant that Iblis erred in this syllogism, but how did disbelief (Kufr) become incumbent upon him due to this deviation?

The explanation of this question has several aspects:

His saying {Prostrate!} is a command. A command does not necessitate obligation, but rather recommendation (Nadb). Violating a recommendation does not necessitate disobedience, let alone disbelief. Furthermore, even those who say the command implies obligation admit that it is apparently open to recommendation. With this apparent possibility, how can disobedience, let alone disbelief, be necessitated?
Even if it implies obligation, Iblis was not one of the angels, so the command to the angels to prostrate to Adam did not include Iblis.
Even if it included him, specializing a general ruling by analogy (Qiyās) is permissible, so he specialized himself out of the generality of that command by analogy.
Even if he did not prostrate while knowing he was commanded, this degree only necessitates disobedience, not disbelief. How then did disbelief become incumbent?

The Answer: Even if the form of the command does not indicate obligation, accompanying circumstances (Qarā'in) might indicate obligation. Here, those circumstances were present: His saying, {Were you arrogant, or were you one of the high ones?} When Iblis presented his flawed syllogism, it indicated that he used that syllogism as a means to disparage Allah's command and ruling, which necessitates disbelief.

Once this is known, Allah said: {Get out of it, for indeed, you are accursed} (Sad, 78).

Know that it is established in the principles of jurisprudence that mentioning a ruling immediately following a relevant description indicates that the ruling is conditioned (Mu'allal) by that description. Here, the ruling of being accursed (Rajīm) came immediately after what was narrated of him specializing the text by analogy. This indicates that specializing the text by analogy necessitates this ruling.

His saying {Get out of it} means from Paradise or from the heavens. And Al-Rajīm means the one who is pelted/stoned. There are two views:

It is a metaphor for expulsion (Ṭard), because typically, one who is expelled might be pelted with stones (stoning/Rajm). Since stoning is a consequence of expulsion, Rajm became a metaphor for expulsion. If they say expulsion means cursing (La'n), then His subsequent saying, {And indeed, upon you is My curse until the Day of Recompense}, would be redundant repetition. The answer is twofold:
- We interpret Rajm as expulsion from Paradise or the heavens, and La'n as expulsion from Allah's Mercy.
- We interpret Rajm as expulsion, and {And indeed, upon you is My curse until the Day of Recompense} means that this expulsion extends until the end of the Resurrection, providing an additional meaning and not being mere repetition.
The second view is to take Rajīm literally, meaning that devils are pelted with shooting stars. And Allah knows best.

If it is asked: The word ilā (until) denotes the limit of a goal. So, {until the Day of Recompense} implies the cessation of that curse upon the Day of Recompense. The author of Al-Kashshāf answered that the curse remains upon him in this world. When the Day of Recompense comes, types of torment are added to the curse, making the curse seem forgotten in the presence of that torment.

Know that when Iblis became accursed, he said: {Then reprieve me until the Day they are sent forth} (Sad, 79). It is said he requested reprieve until the Day of Resurrection so that he might be saved from death. If he is reprieved until the Day of Resurrection, he will not die before it, and when the Day of Resurrection comes, he will not die then either, thus escaping death. Allah replied: {Indeed, you are among those reprieved * Until the Day of the Appointed Time} (Sad, 80-81). This means you are reprieved until a Day that Allah knows, and no one else knows it.

Then Iblis said: {By Your might, I will surely mislead them all} (Sad, 82). Here, he attributes the misleading to himself, which aligns with the doctrine of Qadar (Free Will). At another time, he said: {My Lord, because You have misguided me} (Al-Hijr, 39), attributing the misleading to Allah, which aligns with the doctrine of Jabr (Predestination). This indicates he is confused on this issue.

Regarding His saying, {Except Your servants among them who are purified [sincere]}

There are benefits in this:

First Benefit: It is said that Iblis's purpose in mentioning this exception was to avoid lying in his speech. If he had not mentioned this exception and claimed he would mislead everyone, his lie would become apparent when he failed to mislead Allah's righteous servants. So, Iblis said: I mentioned this exception only so that my speech would not contain a lie. From this, it is said that lying is something Iblis shuns; how then is it fitting for a Muslim to rush toward it?

If it is asked: How do we reconcile this verse with His saying: {And We have not sent before you any messenger or prophet except that when he wished, Satan threw [doubt] into his wish} (Al-Hajj, 52)? We answer that Iblis did not say, "I will not intend to mislead the righteous servants of Allah." Rather, he said, "I will mislead them." Although he intended to mislead, he will not actually mislead them.

Second Benefit: This verse indicates that Iblis does not mislead Allah's purified (sincere) servants. Allah described Joseph by saying: {Indeed, he was one of Our chosen servants} (Yusuf, 24). From the combination of these two verses, we conclude that Iblis did not mislead Joseph (PBUH), which indicates the falsehood of what the Ḥashawiyyah attribute to Joseph (PBUH) regarding shameful acts.

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Know that when Iblis finished speaking, Allah said: {Then the truth, and the truth I say— I will surely fill Hell with you and those among them who follow you, all of them} (Sad, 84-85). There are issues here:

Issue 1: Recitation of {So the truth...}

'Asim and Hamzah read {Fa-l-Ḥaqqu} with the nominative case (Rafʿ), and {wa-l-Ḥaqqa} with the accusative case (Naṣb). The rest read both in the accusative case.

The Rafʿ reading implies: "The Truth is My oath."
The Naṣb reading is for an oath, like saying, "By Allah, I will surely do..."
As for {wa-l-Ḥaqqa aqūl} (And the truth I say), the word {al-Ḥaqqa} is in the accusative case because of the verb {aqūl} (I say).

Issue 2: Meaning of {from you} and {those who follow you}

{from you} means from your kind, which are the devils. {and those who follow you from them} means from the progeny of Adam.

If it is asked: Why is the word {ajma'īn} (all of them) used as emphasis? We reply that it might emphasize the pronoun in {minhum} (from them), or the Kāf in {minka} (from you) along with those who follow you. The meaning is: I will surely fill Hell with the followed and the followers; I will leave none of them behind.

Issue 3: Proof for Divine Decree (Qaḍā’)

Our scholars used this verse as proof for the issue that everything occurs by Allah's decree in several ways:

Allah said regarding Iblis: {So get out of it, for indeed, you are accursed. And indeed, upon you is My curse until the Day of Recompense} (Sad, 78-80). This is a report from Allah that he will not believe. If he were to believe, Allah's true report would become a lie, which is impossible. Thus, the occurrence of belief from him is impossible, even though he was commanded to believe.
Allah said: {By Your might, I will surely mislead them all}. Allah knew he would mislead them, heard this claim from him, and was capable of preventing him from doing so. When the capable one refrains from preventing, it implies consent. If they say: Perhaps preventing him would cause harm (Mafsadah), we reply: This is a false statement, because preventing him would save Iblis from misguiding and save the children of Adam from misguidance, which is the very essence of benefit (Maṣlaḥah).
Allah informed that He will fill Hell with the disbelievers. If they did not disbelieve, Allah's report would be false, and He would be ignorant, which is impossible.
If Allah willed that the disbeliever should not disbelieve, the Prophets and the righteous would have to remain, and Iblis and the devils would have to die. Since the opposite occurred, we know that [the idea of preventing disbelief] is false.
The command to those disbelievers to believe implies commanding them to believe in these verses, which indicate they will never believe. This necessitates that they are commanded to believe that they will never believe, which is commanding the impossible. And Allah knows best.

7 < { Say, "I ask of you no reward for this [message], nor am I one who pretends [to be something I am not]. * It is not but a reminder to the worlds. * And you will surely know its information after a while." } > 7 !

Regarding His saying, {Say, "I ask of you no reward for this [message]}

This verse addresses the Prophet (PBUH) commanding him to declare that he seeks no payment for conveying the Message.

Regarding His saying, {nor am I one who pretends [to be something I am not]}

This means: I am not one of those who burden themselves with things they are not commanded to do, nor do I claim knowledge I do not possess, nor do I invent falsehoods and attribute them to Allah.

Regarding His saying, {It is not but a reminder to the worlds}

This means: This Qur'an is nothing but a reminder and admonition for all mankind and jinn.

Regarding His saying, {And you will surely know its information after a while}

This means: You will know the truth of what I have informed you about the consequences of your actions, whether in this world or the Hereafter, after a short time.

Tafsir of Sad 38:71

Mafatih al-Ghayb