TAFSIR IBN KATHIR

 The Story of Adam and Iblis

Allah points out to the Children of Adam the enmity of Iblis towards them and their father before them, and rebukes those who follow him and go against their Creator and Master. It is He who created them from nothing and sustains and nourishes them by His kindness, yet they still took Iblis as their friend and declared their enmity towards Allah. So Allah says:

﴿ وَإِذۡ قُلۡنَا لِلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕكَةِ ﴾

(And (remember) when We said to the angels), meaning all the angels, as was mentioned in the beginning of Surat Al-Baqarah.

﴿ ٱسۡجُدُواْ لِأَدَمَ ﴾

(Prostrate yourselves unto Adam) a prostration of respect and honour, as Allah says:

﴿ وَإِذۡ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕكَةِ إِنِّى خَـٰلِقُۢ بَشَرً۬ا مِّن صَلۡصَـٰلٍ۬ مِّنۡ حَمَإٍ۬ مَّسۡنُونٍ۬ • فَإِذَا سَوَّيۡتُهُ ۥ وَنَفَخۡتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِى فَقَعُواْ لَهُ ۥ سَـٰجِدِينَ ﴾

(And (remember) when your Lord said to the angels, "I am going to create a human (Adam) from dried (sounding) clay of altered mud. So, when I have fashioned him completely and breathed into him the soul which I created for him, then fall (you) down prostrating yourselves unto him.) (15:28-29)

﴿ فَسَجَدُوٓاْ إِلَّآ إِبۡلِيسَ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ ﴾

(So they prostrated themselves except Iblis. He was one of the Jinn;) meaning, his original nature betrayed him. He had been created from smokeless fire, whereas the angels had been created from light, as is stated in Sahih Muslim where it is reported that `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said that the Messenger of Allah said:

« خُلِقَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ مِنْ نُورٍ، وَخُلِقَ إِبْلِيسُ مِنْ مَارِجٍ مِنْ نَارٍ، وَخُلِقَ آدَمُ مِمَّا وُصِفَ لَكُم »

(The angels were created from light, Iblis was created from smokeless fire, and Adam was created from that which has been described to you.) When matters are crucial, every vessel leaks that which it contains and is betrayed by its true nature. Iblis used to do what the angels did and resembled them in their devotion and worship, so he was included when they were addressed, but he disobeyed and went against what he was told to do. So Allah points out here that he was one of the Jinn, i.e., he was created from fire, as He says elsewhere:

﴿ أَنَا۟ خَيۡرٌ۬ مِّنۡهُ‌ۖ خَلَقۡتَنِى مِن نَّارٍ۬ وَخَلَقۡتَهُ ۥ مِن طِينٍ۬ ﴾

(I am better than he. You created me from fire, and You created him from clay.) (38:76) Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "Iblis was not one of the angels, not even for a second. He was the origin of the Jinn just as Adam, upon him be peace, was the origin of mankind.'' This was narrated by Ibn Jarir with a Sahih chain.

﴿ فَفَسَقَ عَنۡ أَمۡرِ رَبِّهِۦۤ‌ۗ ﴾

(he disobeyed the command of his Lord. ) meaning by stepping beyond the bounds of obedience to Allah. Fisq (disobeying) implies going out or stepping beyond. When the date emerges from its flower, the verb used in Arabic is Fasaqat; the same verb is used to describe a mouse coming out of its hole when it comes out to do damage. Then Allah says, rebuking those who follow and obey Iblis:

﴿ أَفَتَتَّخِذُونَهُ ۥ وَذُرِّيَّتَهُ ۥۤ أَوۡلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِى ﴾

(Will you then take him and his offspring as protectors and helpers rather than Me) meaning, instead of Me. This is why Allah says:

﴿ بِئۡسَ لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ بَدَلاً۬ ﴾

(What an evil is the exchange for the wrongdoers.) This is like the Ayah in Surah Ya Sin where, after mentioning the Resurrection and its terrors, and the ultimate end of the blessed and the doomed, Allah then says:

﴿ وَٱمۡتَـٰزُواْ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ أَيُّہَا ٱلۡمُجۡرِمُونَ ﴾

((It will be said): "And O you the criminals! Get you apart this Day (from the believers).) until;

﴿ أَفَلَمۡ تَكُونُواْ تَعۡقِلُونَ ﴾

(Did you not then understand))36:59-62(

﴿ مَّآ أَشۡہَدتُّہُمۡ خَلۡقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَا خَلۡقَ أَنفُسِہِمۡ وَمَا كُنتُ مُتَّخِذَ ٱلۡمُضِلِّينَ عَضُدً۬ا ﴾

(51. They did not witness the creation of the heavens and the earth nor their own creation, nor did I take those who mislead as `Adudan.)

His traveling and reaching the Place where the Sun sets (the West)

﴿ فَأَتۡبَعَ سَبَبًا ﴾

(So he followed a way.) Ibn `Abbas said that he followed different routes to achieve what he wanted.

﴿ فَأَتۡبَعَ سَبَبًا ﴾

(So he followed a way.) Mujahid said that he followed different routes, east and west. According to one report narrated from Mujahid, he said:

﴿ سَبَبًا ﴾

(a way) means, "A route through the land.'' Qatadah said, "It means he followed the routes and landmarks of the earth.''

﴿ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ مَغۡرِبَ ٱلشَّمۡسِ ﴾

(Until, when he reached the setting place of the sun,) means, he followed a route until he reached the furthest point that could be reached in the direction of the sun's setting, which is the west of the earth. As for the idea of his reaching the place in the sky where the sun sets, this is something impossible, and the tales told by storytellers that he traveled so far to the west that the sun set behind him are not true at all. Most of these stories come from the myths of the People of the Book and the fabrications and lies of their heretics.

﴿ وَجَدَهَا تَغۡرُبُ فِى عَيۡنٍ حَمِئَةٍ۬ ﴾

(he found it setting in a spring of Hami'ah) meaning, he saw the sun as if it were setting in the ocean. This is something which everyone who goes to the coast can see: it looks as if the sun is setting into the sea but in fact it never leaves its path in which it is fixed. Hami'ah is, according to one of the two views, derived from the word Hama'ah, which means mud. This is like the Ayah:

﴿ إِنِّى خَـٰلِقُۢ بَشَرً۬ا مِّن صَلۡصَـٰلٍ۬ مِّنۡ حَمَإٍ۬ مَّسۡنُونٍ۬ ﴾

("I am going to create a man (Adam) from dried clay of altered Hama'h (mud)) (15:28), which means smooth mud, as we have discussed above.

﴿ وَوَجَدَ عِندَهَا قَوۡمً۬ا‌ۗ ﴾

(And he found near it a people.) meaning a nation. They mentioned that they were a great nation from among the sons of Adam.

﴿ قُلۡنَا يَـٰذَا ٱلۡقَرۡنَيۡنِ إِمَّآ أَن تُعَذِّبَ وَإِمَّآ أَن تَتَّخِذَ فِيہِمۡ حُسۡنً۬ا ﴾

(We (Allah) said (by inspiration): "O Dhul-Qarnayn! Either you punish them or treat them with kindness'') means, Allah gave him power over them and gave him the choice: if he wanted to, he could kill the men and take the women and children captive, or if he wanted to, he could set them free, with or without a ransom. His justice and faith became apparent in the ruling he pronounced:

﴿ أَمَّا مَن ظَلَمَ ﴾

(As for him who does wrong,) meaning who persists in his Kufr and in associating others in worship with his Lord,

﴿ فَسَوۡفَ نُعَذِّبُهُ ۥ ﴾

(we shall punish him,) Qatadah said, i.e., by killing him.

﴿ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِۦ فَيُعَذِّبُهُ ۥ عَذَابً۬ا نُّكۡرً۬ا ﴾

(and then he will be brought back unto his Lord, Who will punish him with a terrible torment.) meaning a severe, far-reaching and painful punishment. This implies a confirmation of the Hereafter and the reward and punishment.

﴿ وَأَمَّا مَنۡ ءَامَنَ ﴾

(But as for him who believes), meaning `who follows us in our call to worship Allah Alone with no partner or associate,'

﴿ فَلَهُ ۥ جَزَآءً ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰ‌ۖ ﴾

(he shall have the best reward,) meaning in the Hereafter, with Allah.

﴿ وَسَنَقُولُ لَهُ ۥ مِنۡ أَمۡرِنَا يُسۡرً۬ا ﴾

(and we (Dhul-Qarnayn) shall speak unto him mild words.) Mujahid said, `(words of) kindness.'

﴿ ثُمَّ أَتۡبَعَ سَبَبًا • حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ مَطۡلِعَ ٱلشَّمۡسِ وَجَدَهَا تَطۡلُعُ عَلَىٰ قَوۡمٍ۬ لَّمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّهُم مِّن دُونِہَا سِتۡرً۬ا • كَذَٲلِكَ وَقَدۡ أَحَطۡنَا بِمَا لَدَيۡهِ خُبۡرً۬ا ﴾

(89. Then he followed (another) way,) (90. Until, when he came to the rising place of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We (Allah) had provided no shelter against the sun.) (91. So (it was)! And We knew all about him (Dhul-Qarnayn).)