Peace be upon you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nAnd when thy Lord said to the angels: \u201cI am creating a mortal from sounding clay, from dark slime transmuted,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd when I have formed him and breathed into him of My Spirit, then fall down, to him in submission,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then the angels submitted, all of them together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not so Ibl\u012bs; he refused to be with those who submit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said: \u201cO Ibl\u012bs: what ails thee that thou art not with those who submit?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Said he: \u201cI am not one to submit to a mortal whom Thou hast created from sounding clay, from dark slime transmuted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said: \u201cThen go thou forth from it, for thou art accursed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd the curse is upon thee until the Day of Judgment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Said he: \u201cMy Lord: grant Thou me respite until the day they are raised.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said: \u201cThou art of those granted respite<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUntil the day of the known time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Said he: \u201cMy Lord: because Thou hast caused me to err, I will make it fair to them<\/strong> in the earth; and I will cause them to err all together,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSave Thy sincere servants among them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said: \u201cThis is a straight path to Me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy servants \u2014 thou hast no authority over them save those who follow thee among those who err,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd Gehenna is their promised place all together.<\/p>\n(15:28<\/a>-43)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
What did Iblis mean by making it fair?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nMade 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.<\/p>\n(2:212<\/a>)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\nMade fair for men is the love of lusts \u2014 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 \u2014 but God, with Him is the best journey\u2019s end.<\/p>\n(3:14)<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\nSay thou: \u201cHave 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?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And We have sent to communities before thee; then We took them with affliction and adversity, that they might humble themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n(6:40<\/a>-43)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\nAnd they make for God, of what He creates of tilth and cattle, a portion; they say: \u201cThis is for God,\u201d \u2014 according to their claim \u2014 \u201cand this is for our partners\u201d. 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n(6:136<\/a>-137)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\nAnd when the satan made their deeds fair to them, and said: \u201cNone among men can defeat you this day, when I am at your side,\u201d then when the two companies came within sight of one another, he turned on his heels and said: \u201cI am quit of you; I see what you see not. I fear God\u201d; and God is severe in retribution.<\/p>\n(8:48<\/a>)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\nAnd 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.<\/p>\n(10:12)<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\nIs then He who stands over every soul for what it earns[\u2026]? But they have made for God partners. Say thou: \u201cName them: \u2014 if you would inform Him of what He knows not in the earth; or if it is a show of speaking.\u201d 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;<\/p>\n(13:33)<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\nBy 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.<\/p>\n(16:63)<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\nThose who believe not in the Hereafter, We have made their deeds fair to them, so they wander blindly.<\/p>\n(27:4)<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\nThose who ignore warning: they have a severe punishment; and those who heed warning and do righteous deeds: they have forgiveness and a great reward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is then he to whom the evil of his deeds is made fair to him so he sees it as good[\u2026]? 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.<\/p>\n(35:7<\/a>-8)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\nIs then he who is on clear evidence from his Lord \u2014 like: him to whom has been made fair the evil of his deeds, and they follow their vain desires?<\/p>\n(47:14)<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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 … <\/p>\n