بِسْم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Verses 34-39 - The Struggle between Adam عليه السلام and Iblees
We are the children of Adam عليه السلام. We should thus have honour for Adam عليه السلام. He is the source of our honour as human beings. Allah created him with His own Hands and taught him the names of everything and made the angels prostrate to him. You are involved in this story; Allah is talking about your father.
The first story that we teach our children should be the story of Adam عليه السلام.
Verse 34:
وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ أَبَىٰ وَاسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ
“And (remember) when We said to the angels: "Prostrate yourselves before Adam.". And they prostrated except Iblis (Satan), he refused and was proud and was one of the disbelievers (disobedient to Allah)”
Because Iblees refused to prostrate and was arrogant, Allah considered him to be one of the disbelievers. This means that whoever refuses to obey the command of Allah out of pride is considered one of the disbelievers. Allah judged him to be a disbeliever not because he did not prostrate to Adam عليه السلام, but because he rejected the commanded of Allah. We have to differentiate between two things:
1) A person whom the command of Allah comes to and he completely refuses to accept (إباء). A person is considered a disbeliever in this case.
2) A person who accepts but says he cannot do it. A person is considered a sinner in this case.
Acceptance is one of the conditions of لا اله الا الله.
By Iblees’s refusal, it is as if he is saying that he knows better than Allah and is able to decide above Him. This is similar to the mentality of many people nowadays.
The struggle between Adam عليه السلام and Iblees began at this point.
Verse 35:
وَقُلْنَا يَا آدَمُ اسْكُنْ أَنتَ وَزَوْجُكَ الْجَنَّةَ وَكُلَا مِنْهَا رَغَدًا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمَا وَلَا تَقْرَبَا هَٰذِهِ الشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُونَا مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
And We said: "O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in the Paradise and eat both of you freely with pleasure and delight of things therein as wherever you will, but come not near this tree or you both will be of the Zalimun (wrong-doers)."
There are omitted events between this verse and the previous verses, such as when Allah questioned Iblees as to why he didn’t prostrate and his response. This is because the context the story is mentioned in is about Allah’s favour upon humankind.
“قلنا”
This is another honour for Adam عليه السلام; that Allah spoke to him and told him to dwell with his wife in Paradise and eat from wherever he wishes, except for one tree.
This is the first verse mentioning the wife of Adam عليه السلام. How she was created is not mentioned.
“و كلا منها رغدا حيث شئتما و لا تقربا هذه الشجرة”
The example of Adam عليه السلام is an example of us. Allah made everything on earth lawful for us, except for certain prohibitions. Iblees and his followers, however, magnify the few Haraam matters.
This verse puts the concept of freedom in the right perspective. Freedom is not to be a slave to your desires. If you are a slave of Allah, everything is lawful for you except a few things which are not good for you which He prohibited.
This was a test for Adam عليه السلام which showed his weakness, the weakness of his offspring, and the reality of Iblees.
Verse 36:
فَأَزَلَّهُمَا الشَّيْطَانُ عَنْهَا فَأَخْرَجَهُمَا مِمَّا كَانَا فِيهِ ۖ وَقُلْنَا اهْبِطُوا بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ ۖ وَلَكُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ مُسْتَقَرٌّ وَمَتَاعٌ إِلَىٰ حِينٍ
Then the Shaitan (Satan) made them slip therefrom (the Paradise), and got them out from that in which they were. We said: "Get you down, all, with enmity between yourselves. On earth will be a dwelling place for you and an enjoyment for a time."
Allah created the earth as our dwelling place, nowhere else, for an appointed time - until death or the Resurrection. There is no life of eternity on this earth.
Allah sent Adam عليه السلام to earth while he is aware of:
- The enmity of Iblees
- The delights of Paradise
- That he will be tested on earth as he was tested in Paradise
It does not please Iblees to see the sons of Adam in happiness, so he does his best to cause them even the slightest grief or fear, to the extent he makes someone suddenly wake up from their sleep out of anxiety. He does not want them to be in delight. What he did with Adam عليه السلام is what he does with his children. He does not like them to remember Allah because he knows there is a delight in it. He neither wants them to enjoy this life or the Hereafter.
If you are aware of the enmity of the Shaytan you will be careful and not act upon his evil suggestions. But if you are not aware you will fall into his trap.
When the Shaytan made Adam عليه السلام slip from Paradise, what happened?
Verse 37:
فَتَلَقَّىٰ آدَمُ مِن رَّبِّهِ كَلِمَاتٍ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ
“Then Adam received from his Lord Words . And his Lord pardoned him (accepted his repentance). Verily, He is the One Who forgives (accepts repentance), the Most Merciful.”
These words are mentioned in Surah Al-A’raf [7:23]:
قَالَا رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَا أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ
“They said: "Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive us not, and bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we shall certainly be of the losers."
It is also an honour for Adam عليه السلام that Allah taught him these words of remorse and repentance.
Adam عليه السلام did wrong and repented, and Allah accepted his repentance.
Iblees did wrong but persisted in sin without repenting.
“التوّاب الرحيم”
From the impacts of the name of Allah التوّاب:
1) He endears repentance to the hearts of His slaves who are truthful in repentance. He opens the breast of the believers who are truthful to repent.
2) He decrees situations for his servants where He reminds them of their previous sins so they will repent. Allah never hastens the punishment for His servants.
Allah gives His slaves respite and opens the gates of performance of good deeds until they are aware of their sins and repent. He is a forbearing God. This only happens only when a person is truthful; when they want to repent but cannot because of their weakness.
There are people who reached 80 or 90 and then they embrace Islam and repent and then Allah takes their lives and they die on repentance. This is an impact of the names of Allah التواب، الحليم، الرحيم. Never give up because the Shaytan may magnify your sins until you despair in Allah’s mercy.
3) If a person returns to Allah in repentance, Allah will accept his repentance.
4) If he returns to the sin and repents again, Allah accepts his repentance again. Allah’s name التوّاب implies كثيرة التوبة. We keep sinning and repenting until we die.
Verse 38:
قُلْنَا اهْبِطُوا مِنْهَا جَمِيعًا ۖ فَإِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُم مِّنِّي هُدًى فَمَن تَبِعَ هُدَايَ فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
“We said: "Get down all of you from this place (the Paradise), then whenever there comes to you Guidance from Me, and whoever follows My Guidance, there shall be no fear on them, nor shall they grieve.”
This verse tells us that the earth is a place of test. This test consists of:
1) A person who undergoes the test
2) A methodology
They are tested in the guidance Allah sent to them.
3) A Recompense
If they follow the guidance they will be recompensed accordingly, and likewise if they reject the guidance.
We are tested in all the events Allah decrees for us. How should we deal with every decree that comes to us? According to the guidance that has come to us from Allah.
E.g. You are constricted in your provision. In order to pass the test, you need to follow the guidance. What does guidance say? That Allah is الرزاق ذوا القوة المتين
These verses teach us that if we want provision, we should ask Allah الرزاق
E.g. You are tested with sickness. The guidance teaches us that Allah is الشافي and there are means which Allah prescribed for us in the guidance.
You live according to the هدى of Allah. If you live in this way, the recompense will be:
“لا خوف عليهم و لا هم يحزنون” - No fear and no sadness for you.
Verse 39:
وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَكَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُون
“But those who disbelieve and belie Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) such are the dwellers of the Fire, they shall abide therein forever.”
This takes us to the beginning of the Surah, where Allah says in Surah Al-Baqarah [2:2]:
ذَٰلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لَا رَيْبَ ۛ فِيهِ ۛ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ
“This is the Book (the Quran), whereof there is no doubt, a guidance to those who are Al-Muttaqun”
Allah did not leave humankind without guidance. He sent it in the form of Messengers and Books. The people, however, towards the guidance of Allah divided into two categories:
1) Those who followed the guidance - For them there is no fear and grief (on the Day of Resurrection)
2) Those who disbelieve and belie - They are the dwellers of the Fire
This is an honour for Adam عليه السلام. He will not descend onto earth without knowing his enemy.
The place of Adam عليه السلام is not Paradise, it is earth, but He admitted him into Paradise to know the delights, the enmity of Iblees, the test. It is the final abode for the believing men and jinn after succeeding the test in this world.
All people ask what their purpose is in life, their origin, and where their final destination is. Through the Story of Adam عليه السلام, Allah answers these questions.
The Connection between the Context of the story and the story of Adam عليه السلام:
“والذين من قبلكم” x Adam عليه السلام came before us
“ و إن كنتم في ريب مما نزلنا على عبدنا” x “فإما يأتينكم مني هدى”
“فاتقوا النار....و بشر الذين ءامنوا” x “لا خوف عليهم و لا هم يحزنون ، والذين كفروا و كذبوا”
Part 2
Calling Bani Israeel to embrace Islam
Verse 40 to 162
The word إسلام in the Qur’an refers to one of three things:
1) A name for the Religion of all the Prophets
2) A name for the Religion of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
All the Religions was Islam, but the Jews changed it to يهوديا and the Christians changed it to نصرانية. Only the Muslim nation kept the name Islam for their Religion.
3) One of the levels of the Religion of Islam
The Religion is divided into three levels: Islam (which consists of the 5 Pillars of Islam), Eeman, Ihsan.
The evidence for that is the Hadith of Jibreel عليه السلام.
Islam means
إستسلام لله بالتوحيد - Submission to Allah with Tawheed
و الانقياد له بالطاعة - Obeying Him
و الخلوص من الشرك و أهله - Disassociating from Shirk and it’s people
Everything that Allah commanded us with is worship. We should show submission towards what He commanded us. As one’s obedience increases, as his submission increases.
What makes the submission of the slave increase? Two main things:
1) الشعور بالمنّة - Feeling Allah’s favour upon him
The more a person feels Allah’s favour upon Him, the more he will submit to Allah.
2) الشعور بعظمة الله - Feeling the greatness of Allah
The more you know about Allah’s greatness and that everything is in His Hand and He is perfect, this will make you show humility to Allah and submit to Him more.
-> In the first part, Allah calls all of mankind to accept Islam then He enumerated His favours of creating them, sustaining them, etc. Then He enumerated His favour of honouring Adam عليه السلام.
In the second part, Allah calls Bani Israeel to accept Islam and then enumerated His favors towards them.
Bani Israeel are entailed in mankind, but Allah particularized them again with special favors. The more Allah particularizes a person with favours, the more he should submit to Allah. Allah particularized Bani Israeel with many favours which He didn’t give anyone else. For example,
They are the only nation whom Allah made ruled by Prophet after Prophets
They were made the best nation of their time
They are great in number. In the Hadith of the 70,000
Etc.
This should have made them even more obedient to Allah.
-> At the end of the story of Adam عليه السلام, Allah said: “فمن اتبع هدايا فلا خوف عليهم و لا هم يحزنون”
Allah said to Bani Israeel, “و ءامنوا بما أنزلت مصدقا لما معكم و لا تكونوا أولا كافر به”
The Torah has come to Bani Israeel, but did they follow the guidance of Allah? After verse 38 and 39 Allah gives us an example of those who did not follow the Manhaj of Allah, then later He gives us the good example of Ibrahim عليه السلام who said “أسلمت وجهي لله”
-> Calling Bani Israeel would affect the call of all mankind to Islam. They were people of scripture, had knowledge from Allah, and were great in number. If they believed then all of mankind would believe. But the Jews disbelieved. The Prophet ﷺ said if 10 of the Jews believe, all of the Jews would. But even 10 didn’t believe and they raised doubts and confused the people.
Whenever Allah gives us any example in the Qur’an, what should we do?
We should see exactly what they said and did to follow them if they are good examples and avoid their characteristics if they are bad people. Many people think that they are not from Bani Israeel and it does not concern them, not realizing that we should avoid their characteristics to not be like them.
This part is further divided into subdivisions:
مقدّمة (Introduction) - Verses 40 to 48
Verse 40:
يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَوْفُوا بِعَهْدِي أُوفِ بِعَهْدِكُمْ وَإِيَّايَ فَارْهَبُونِ
“O Children of Israel! Remember My Favour which I bestowed upon you, and fulfill (your obligations to) My Covenant (with you) so that I fulfill (My Obligations to) your covenant (with Me), and fear none but Me.”
The Scholars call this verse أية فذّة (The peerless/unique verse) because although it is short, it consists of three distinctive qualities:
1) إكرام و رفعة - Honour and Exaltation
2) ترغيب و ترهيب - Encouragement and Warning
3) Commands
“يا بني إسرائيل
This is an honour for them: O children of the righteous man Israeel.
It is as if it is hoped for them to be righteous as their father was righteous.
“اذكروا نعمتي التي أنعمت عليكم”
Allah suffixed the favour to Himself. They were special people to Allah at that time.
“أوفوا بعهدي”
Allah also affixed the covenant to Him. It’s His covenant with them.
Allah had took a covenant with Bani Israeel. If they fulfilled their covenant with Allah, Allah promised that He would fulfill His covenant with them.
This is another word for submit to Allah with Tawheed. In the first part Allah said: اعبدوا ربكم. Allah called that here the fulfilment of the covenant. All the worship to Allah is considered fulfillment of the covenant. Not abiding to the covenant is considered treachery.
“و إياي فارهبون”
This is توحيد الخوف
There are 3 commands in this verse:
اذكروا
أوفوا
فارهبون
Some of the detailed elements of the covenant are mentioned in Verses 41 to 48.
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