Peace be upon you!
In today’s talk I wanted to look at a specific statement made by Iblis (who is referred to as satan or the adversary) to God. We shall start out by looking at the context and then focus on the wording of Iblis’ promise which is highly significant.
And when thy Lord said to the angels: “I am creating a mortal from sounding clay, from dark slime transmuted,
“And when I have formed him and breathed into him of My Spirit, then fall down, to him in submission,”
Then the angels submitted, all of them together.
Not so Iblīs; he refused to be with those who submit.
He said: “O Iblīs: what ails thee that thou art not with those who submit?”
Said he: “I am not one to submit to a mortal whom Thou hast created from sounding clay, from dark slime transmuted.”
He said: “Then go thou forth from it, for thou art accursed.
“And the curse is upon thee until the Day of Judgment.”
Said he: “My Lord: grant Thou me respite until the day they are raised.”
He said: “Thou art of those granted respite
“Until the day of the known time.”
Said he: “My Lord: because Thou hast caused me to err, I will make it fair to them in the earth; and I will cause them to err all together,
“Save Thy sincere servants among them.”
He said: “This is a straight path to Me:
“My servants — thou hast no authority over them save those who follow thee among those who err,
“And Gehenna is their promised place all together.
(15:28-43)
What did Iblis mean by making it fair?
To answer this question we look for the word “fair” across the whole text of the Qur’an and come up with a list of things which are made fair to the unbelievers. I have not included all the verses but the following should suffice to make it clear what the satan has made fair to men and serve as a warning to the believers.
Made fair is the life of this world for those who ignore warning; and they deride those who heed warning. But those who are in prudent fear will be above them on the Day of Resurrection. And God gives provision to whom He wills without reckoning.
(2:212)
Made fair for men is the love of lusts — for women, and sons, and amassed fortunes of gold and silver, and branded horses, and cattle, and tilth: that is the provision of the life of this world — but God, with Him is the best journey’s end.
(3:14)
Say thou: “Have you considered: if the punishment of God comes upon you, or the Hour comes upon you, will you call to other than God, if you be truthful?”
The truth is, to Him will you call; and He will remove that for which you call to Him if He wills; and you will forget that to which you ascribe a partnership.
And We have sent to communities before thee; then We took them with affliction and adversity, that they might humble themselves.
Oh, that when Our disaster came upon them they had but humbled themselves! But their hearts hardened, and the satan made fair to them what they were doing.
(6:40-43)
And they make for God, of what He creates of tilth and cattle, a portion; they say: “This is for God,” — according to their claim — “and this is for our partners”. And what is for their partners, it does not reach God; and what is for God, it reaches their partners. Evil is what they judge.
And thus have their partners made fair to many among the idolaters the killing of their children, to bring them to ruin, and to obfuscate their doctrine for them. And had God willed, they would not have done it; so leave thou them and what they fabricate.
(6:136-137)
And when the satan made their deeds fair to them, and said: “None among men can defeat you this day, when I am at your side,” then when the two companies came within sight of one another, he turned on his heels and said: “I am quit of you; I see what you see not. I fear God”; and God is severe in retribution.
(8:48)
And when affliction touches man, he calls to Us on his side, or sitting, or standing; but when We remove from him his affliction, he passes by as though he had not called to Us about an affliction which touched him; thus is made fair to the committers of excess what they do.
(10:12)
Is then He who stands over every soul for what it earns[…]? But they have made for God partners. Say thou: “Name them: — if you would inform Him of what He knows not in the earth; or if it is a show of speaking.” The truth is: their scheme has been made fair to those who ignore warning, and they have been turned away from the path; and whom God sends astray, for him there is no guide;
(13:33)
By God, We sent messengers to communities before thee! But the satan made their deeds fair to them; and he is their ally this day, and they have a painful punishment.
(16:63)
Those who believe not in the Hereafter, We have made their deeds fair to them, so they wander blindly.
(27:4)
Those who ignore warning: they have a severe punishment; and those who heed warning and do righteous deeds: they have forgiveness and a great reward.
Is then he to whom the evil of his deeds is made fair to him so he sees it as good[…]? And God leads astray whom He wills, and guides whom He wills; so let not thy soul go out to them in regrets; God knows what they do.
(35:7-8)
Is then he who is on clear evidence from his Lord — like: him to whom has been made fair the evil of his deeds, and they follow their vain desires?
(47:14)
As I mentioned in my last video, the satan will use all the means that are available to him to divert men from the straight path of God. We must remain vigilant about not following the lusts that continuously tempt us lest we slip from the straight path of God and taste God’s chastisement.
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