This passage delves into the origin of evil by recounting the story of Iblis (Satan), his disobedience due to arrogance, and the consequent eternal enmity he declared against humanity. It then connects this directly to the state of the disbelievers on the Day of Judgment.
Arabic Text (Verses 18:50-53)
وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ كَانَ مِنَ الْجِنِّ فَفَسَقَ عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِ ۗ أَفَتَتَّخِذُونَهُ وَذُرِّيَّتَهُ أَوْلِيَاءَ مِن دُونِي وَهُمْ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ ۚ بِئْسَ لِلظَّالِمِينَ بَدَلًا
مَا أَشْهَدتُّهُمْ خَلْقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلَا خَلْقَ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَمَا كُنتُ مُتَّخِذَ الْمُضِلِّينَ عَضُدًا
وَيَوْمَ يَقُولُ نَادُوا شُرَكَائِيَ الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُمْ فَدَعَوْهُمْ فَلَمْ يَسْتَجِيبُوا لَهُمْ وَجَعَلْنَا بَيْنَهُم مَّوْبِقًا
وَرَءَا الْمُجْرِمُونَ النَّارَ فَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُم مُّوَاقِعُوهَا وَلَمْ يَجِدُوا عَنْهَا مَصْرِفًا
Translation (English – Approximate Meaning)
- And [remember] when We said to the angels, “Prostrate before Adam,” and they prostrated, except for Iblis. He was of the jinn and departed from the command of his Lord. Then will you take him and his descendants as allies other than Me, while they are enemies to you? How wretched for the wrongdoers is the exchange!
- I did not make them witnesses to the creation of the heavens and the earth nor to their own creation, and I would not have taken the misguiders as assistants.
- And [warn them of] the Day when He will say, “Call upon those ‘partners’ you claimed [besides Me].” And they will call upon them, but they will not respond to them. And We will place between them a place of destruction.
- And the criminals will see the Fire and be certain that they are to fall therein. And they will not find from it a way of escape.
Explanation & Commentary (Based on Tafheem-ul-Qan)
Verse 50: The Origin of the Enemy
· This verse answers an implicit question: Who is it that misleads people into denying the Hereafter and chasing worldly life? The answer points to Iblis (Satan).
· The Command and Disobedience: Allah recounts the foundational event: the order to prostrate to Adam as a sign of respect for the knowledge Allah granted him. All angels obeyed, but Iblis refused.
· Crucial Clarification: “He was of the jinn…” Maududi emphasizes this is a key point. Iblis was not a fallen angel, as angels are by nature obedient. He was from the jinn, a creation made from fire with free will, who had risen in status due to his worship but whose inner pride was exposed by this command.
· “He departed from (فسق عن) the command of his Lord.” The word Fasaqa implies a willful, rebellious transgression.
· The Direct Rebuke: Allah then addresses humanity with powerful logic: “Then will you take him and his descendants as allies other than Me, while they are enemies to you?” The core of Shirk (associating partners with Allah) and sin is ultimately taking guidance from Satan and his followers. They are not helpers but sworn enemies.
· “How wretched for the wrongdoers is the exchange!” To trade Allah’s protection and guidance for the enmity of Satan is the ultimate foolishness and loss.
Verse 51: Why Allah Needs No “Partners”
· This verse refutes the pagans’ rationale for taking idols/partners (shuraka).
· “I did not make them witnesses to the creation…” The false gods were not present at creation; they have no knowledge or power over it. They did not even create themselves.
· “And I would not have taken the misguiders as assistants.” This is a decisive argument. If Allah needed help in creation or governance, why would He choose beings who are themselves misguiders and incapable? This exposes the absurdity of Shirk.
Verse 52: The Day of Exposure and Abandonment
· The scene returns to the Day of Judgment. Allah will command the disbelievers to call upon the partners they claimed besides Allah—their idols, their wealth, their leaders, their egos, or Satan himself—to save them.
· The call will go unanswered. These false objects of worship will have no power or existence to respond.
· “And We will place between them a place of destruction.” Maududi explains this as a chasm of utter ruin—both physical and metaphorical—that separates the disbelievers from their false gods, finalizing their abandonment and hopelessness.
Verse 53: The Inescapable Reality
· This verse depicts the final, psychological state of the criminals (Mujrimoon).
· “They will see the Fire and be certain that they are to fall therein.” All delusion is gone. The sight of Hell instills an absolute, terrifying certainty of their fate. Their own deeds and choices lead them there.
· “And they will not find from it a way of escape.” This is the culmination of their journey: from denial of the Hour, to being presented before Allah, to seeing their record, to calling for false help, to finally gazing upon their destination with the sure knowledge that there is no exit, no alternative, and no reprieve.
Key Themes from Tafheem-ul-Qan in these Verses:
- The Historical Root of Misguidance: Evil in the world stems from Iblis’s rebellion, rooted in arrogance (kibr)—the same sin that afflicted the owner of the two gardens and the Meccan disbelievers.
- The Logic of Tawheed (Monotheism): Taking Satan or his influences as allies over Allah is irrational. Allah, the Sole Creator, has no need for partners, especially not those who are themselves misguiders.
- The Ultimate Betrayal: On the Day of Judgment, all false objects of worship and sources of misguidance will abandon their followers. The disbeliever will face the consequences alone.
- From Denial to Certain Despair: The psychological progression is key: the criminal moves from arrogant denial in this world to absolute, horrified certainty of punishment in the Hereafter. This is the ultimate outcome of choosing the enemy (Satan) over the True Protector (Allah).
These verses connect the personal arrogance shown in the parable of the two gardens to its cosmological source (Iblis) and show its inevitable end (Hellfire with no escape). They serve as a profound warning about choosing one’s allegiance in this life.
Messages from Quran 