Surah Al-A'raf 7:16
ﱭ ﱮ ﱯ ﱰ ﱱ ﱲ ﱳ
[Satan] said, "Because You have put me in error, I will surely sit in wait for them on Your straight path.
Tafsir of Al-A'raf 7:16
Tafsir
Al-Kashshaf
Verse range: 7:16
{فبما أغويتني} "Because of Your causing me to go astray." That is, because of Your leading me into error—which was His tasking him with that which caused him to fall into error, and he did not remain steadfast as the angels did, despite them being superior to him and to Adam in essence and rank.
Al-Asamm said: "You commanded me to prostrate, and my pride drove me to disobey You." The meaning is: "Because of my falling into error, I will strive to lead them astray so that they may be corrupted because of me, just as I was corrupted because of them."
If you ask: To what does the ba (in bi-ma) attach? For if it attaches to la-aq‘udanna (I will surely sit), the oath-lam prevents it. You do not say: "By Allah, for Zayd, I will surely strike." I say: It attaches to a deleted verb of swearing. The estimation is: "Because You have led me astray, I swear by Allah that I will surely sit." That is, "Because of Your leading me astray, I swear." It is also permissible that the ba is for the oath itself, meaning: "I swear by Your leading me astray that I will surely sit." He swore by the "leading astray" because it was a divine tasking, and tasking is among the best of Allah’s actions, as it is an exposure to eternal happiness; thus, it was worthy of being sworn by.
Among the lies of the Mujbira (determinists) is what they narrated about Tawus: that he was in the Sacred Mosque when a prominent jurist who leaned toward Qadar (free will) came and sat near him. Tawus said to him, "Either you leave, or I will be made to leave." The man left. It was said to him, "Do you say this to a jurist?" He replied, "Iblis is more of a jurist than he. He said, 'My Lord, because You have led me astray,' while this man says, 'I lead myself astray.'" What do you think of a people whose desperation to attribute evils to Allah, the Exalted, has reached the point that they fabricate lies against the Messenger, the Companions, and the Successors?
It is said: Ma is for interrogation, as if it were said: "For what thing have You led me astray?" Then he begins with: "I will surely sit." The retention of the alif when a preposition is attached to the interrogative ma is rare and anomalous.
The root of ghayy (error) is corruption. From this is: ghawa al-fasil (the young camel became sick from overeating). Bashm is corruption in the stomach.
{لأقعدن لهم صراطك المستقيم} "I will surely sit for them on Your straight path." I will intercept them on the path of Islam, just as an enemy intercepts a road to cut it off from travelers. Its accusative case is as an adverb of place, like the saying: "As the fox trots the path." Al-Zajjaj likened it to their saying: "Zayd struck the back and the belly," meaning *on* the back and the belly.
From the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): "Satan sat for the son of Adam on his paths: he sat for him on the path of Islam and said, 'Will you abandon the religion of your fathers?' But he disobeyed him and accepted Islam. Then he sat for him on the path of migration and said, 'Will you abandon your homes and go into exile?' But he disobeyed him and migrated. Then he sat for him on the path of Jihad and said, 'Will you fight and be killed, so your wealth is divided and your wife is married off?' But he disobeyed him and fought."
{ثم لآتينهم} "Then I will surely come to them" from the four directions from which an enemy usually comes. This is a metaphor for his whispering to them and his seduction of them as much as he is able and capable, like His saying: "And incite whoever you can among them with your voice, and assault them with your horses and foot soldiers" (Al-Isra: 64).
If you ask: How is it said: {min bayni aydihim} (from before them) and {min khalfihim} (from behind them) with the preposition of origin (min), while {‘an aymanihim} (from their right) and {‘an shama’ilihim} (from their left) use the preposition of departure (‘an)? I say: The verb is made transitive to the adverbial object just as it is made transitive to the direct object. Just as the prepositions of transitivity differ in the latter, they differ in the former. It is a language to be learned, not measured by analogy. One only investigates the correctness of its placement. When we heard them say: "He sat ‘an his right and ‘ala his right," we said: the meaning of ‘ala is that he is established on the right side like one who is above something, while ‘an means he sat distanced from the person on the right, deviating from him, not touching him. Then it became common until it was used for both, as we mentioned regarding ta‘ala.
Similarly, regarding the direct object: "I shot ‘an the bow, ‘ala the bow, and min the bow," because the arrow moves away from it, is above it when placed on its grip for shooting, and the shooting originates from it. Likewise, they said: "He sat bayna yadayhi (before him) and khalfahu (behind him)," meaning in them, because they are adverbs for the action. And min bayni aydihim and min khalfihim because the action occurs in some of those directions, just as you say: "I came to him min the night," meaning in some part of the night.
From Shaqiq: "There is no morning but that Satan sits for me at four observation posts: from before me, from behind me, from my right, and from my left. As for from before me, he says: 'Do not fear, for Allah is Forgiving, Merciful,' so I recite: 'And indeed, I am the Perpetual Forgiver of whoever repents and believes and does righteousness' (Ta-Ha: 82). As for from behind me, he makes me fear poverty for those I leave behind, so I recite: 'And there is no creature on earth but that upon Allah is its provision' (Hud: 6). As for from my right, he comes to me through praise, so I recite: 'And the [best] outcome is for the righteous' (Al-A‘raf: 128). As for from my left, he comes to me through desires, so I recite: 'And a barrier will be placed between them and what they desire' (Saba: 54)."