Tafsir of As-Saffat 37:8

"They cannot listen to..." The pronoun in "they cannot listen" refers to "every devil," because it carries the meaning of "devils." It has been recited both with the light form (la yasma‘un) and the emphatic form (la yassamma‘un). Its root is yatasamma‘un. Tasammu‘ means seeking to listen; it is said: "He sought to listen (tasamma‘a), so he listened (sami‘a), or he did not listen."

Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "They seek to listen, but they do not listen." This supports the light form over the emphatic one.

If you ask: How does "they cannot listen" connect to what precedes it? I say: It must either be an adjective for "every devil" or a new beginning (isti’naf). As an adjective, it is invalid, because "protection from devils who do not listen and do not seek to listen" makes no sense. Likewise, as a new beginning, it is invalid; for if a questioner asked, "Why are they protected from the devils?" and the answer was "because they do not listen," it would not be sound.

Therefore, it remains a disconnected, independent statement, narrating the state of those who steal a hearing: that they are unable to listen to the speech of the angels, nor can they seek to listen while they are being pelted with shooting stars and driven away from it—except for the one who is granted respite until he snatches a snatching and steals a theft; at that moment, destruction hastens upon him, followed by a piercing flame.

If you ask: Is the claim valid that its origin was li-alla yasma‘u (so that they might not listen), where the lam was dropped—as it is dropped in your saying "I came to you an (that) you honor me"—leaving an la yasma‘u, then an was dropped and its function nullified, as in the poet’s saying: "O you who chide me for attending the battle"? I say: Each of these two omissions is not rejected individually, but their combination is one of the most rejected of things. Furthermore, protecting the Quran from such forced interpretations is mandatory.

If you ask: What is the difference between "I heard (sami‘tu) so-and-so speaking," "I listened to (sami‘tu ila) him speaking," "I heard his speech," and "I listened to his speech"? I say: That which is transitive by itself (sami‘tu) denotes perception, while that which is transitive by ila denotes listening with attention alongside perception.

"The Exalted Assembly" (al-mala' al-a‘la): The angels, because they inhabit the heavens. Mankind and the Jinn are the "Lower Assembly," because they are the inhabitants of the earth. Ibn Abbas said: "They are the recording angels." He also said: "The noble ones among the angels."

"From every side": From all directions of the sky, from whichever side they ascend to steal a hearing.

"Driven away" (duhuran): A verbal noun for the cause (maf‘ul lahu), meaning: they are pelted for the sake of being driven away (duhur), which is expulsion. Or it is a state (hal), meaning "driven away" (madhurin). Or, because pelting and driving away are close in meaning, it is as if it were said: "They are driven away" or "as a pelting." Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami recited it with a fatha on the dal (dahran), meaning: "a pelting that is a driving away." Or it is as if it came in the manner of al-qabul (acceptance) and al-wulu‘ (eagerness).

"Everlasting" (wasib): Perpetual. It is said wasaba al-amru wusuban. It means they are pelted with shooting stars in this world, and in the Hereafter, a type of punishment is prepared for them that is constant and never-ending.

"Except" (man): In the place of the nominative case, as a substitute for the waw in "they cannot listen." That is: the devils do not listen, except for the devil who "snatches a snatching." It has been recited as khattafa (with a kasra on the kha and ta, and shadda) and khatifa (with a fatha on the kha and kasra on the ta, and shadda). Their root is ikhtatafa. It has also been recited as fa-atba‘ahu and fa-taba‘ahu.

"Then ask them: Are they stronger in structure or those whom We created? Indeed, We created them from sticky clay."