• The Holy Prophet, Muhammad a Warner to Mankind

• There is no God but the Only True God, the Almighty

• The Great Tiding

• Man’s creation and Iblis’ refusal to pay obeisance to Man

• Iblis cursed and outcasted but respited

• Iblis and his followers shall enter Hell

Surah Saad (Sad) Verses 65 – 88

قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ مُنذِرٌ وَمَا مِنْ إِلَـٰهٍ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ ٱلْوَٰحِدُ ٱلْقَهَّارُ

Say thou (O’ Our Apostle Muhammad!): “I am only a warner and there is no god but God the One, The Almighty!” (38:65)1

رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْغَفَّـٰرُ

Lord of the heavens and the earth, and what is between them two, the Almighty, the Most Forgiving. (38:66)

قُلْ هُوَ نَبَؤٌا۟ عَظِيمٌ

Say thou: “It is a message of (great) importance, (38:67)2

أَنتُمْ عَنْهُ مُعْرِضُونَ

(And) ye are turning away from it. (38:68)3

مَا كَانَ لِىَ مِنْ عِلْمٍۭ بِٱلْمَلَإِ ٱلْأَعْلَىٰٓ إِذْ يَخْتَصِمُونَ

I had no knowledge of the exalted4chiefs when they disputed! (38:69)5

إِن يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ إِلَّآ أَنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ

It is revealed unto me save that I am an open Warner. (38:70)

إِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ إِنِّى خَـٰلِقٌۢ بَشَرًا مِّن طِينٍ

Remember when thy Lord said unto the angels: “Verily I am about to create man from clay,” (38:71)

فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُۥ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِى فَقَعُوا۟ لَهُۥ سَـٰجِدِينَ

And when I have completed and have breathed into him of My spirit, then fall ye prostrating6in obeisance unto him. (38:72)7

فَسَجَدَ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ كُلُّهُمْ أَجْمَعُونَ

And did fall prostrating in obeisance the angels all together, (38:73)8

إِلَّآ إِبْلِيسَ ٱسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ

Save Iblis; he was proud and was of the disbelievers.9(38:74)10

قَالَ يَـٰٓإِبْلِيسُ مَا مَنَعَكَ أَن تَسْجُدَ لِمَا خَلَقْتُ بِيَدَىَّ أَسْتَكْبَرْتَ أَمْ كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلْعَالِينَ

Said (God): “O’ Iblis! what prevented thee that thou shouldst not prostrate in obeisance unto him whom I created with My two hands?11Art thou proud or art thou of the exalted 12ones?” (38:75)

قَالَ أَنَا۠ خَيْرٌ مِّنْهُ خَلَقْتَنِى مِن نَّارٍ وَخَلَقْتَهُۥ مِن طِينٍ

Said he: “I am better than he:13Thou hast created me of fire and Thou didst create him from clay.” (38:76)14

قَالَ فَٱخْرُجْ مِنْهَا فَإِنَّكَ رَجِيمٌ

Said (God): “Begone thou out of it,15for verily thou art the outcast one!” (38:77)16

وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكَ لَعْنَتِىٓ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ

And verily on thee shall be My curse to the Day of Judgment. (38:78)

قَالَ رَبِّ فَأَنظِرْنِىٓ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ

He said: “O’ my Lord! then Respite me to the Day when they (Adam and his posterity) will be raised,” (38:79)

قَالَ فَإِنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلْمُنظَرِينَ

Said (God): “Verily then thou art of the respited ones,” (38:80)

إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْوَقْتِ ٱلْمَعْلُومِ

Till the day of the time made known!” (38:81)17

قَالَ فَبِعِزَّتِكَ لَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ

Said he: “Then by Thy Might, I will certainly beguile them all, (38:82)18

إِلَّا عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ ٱلْمُخْلَصِينَ

Save Thy servants from among them the freed19ones,” (38:83)20

قَالَ فَٱلْحَقُّ وَٱلْحَقَّ أَقُولُ

He21said: “Then it is the truth - and the truth do I speak, (38:84)

لَأَمْلَأَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنكَ وَمِمَّن تَبِعَكَ مِنْهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ

Certainly, will I fill hell with thee and with those who follow thee, all (together)” (38:85)

قُلْ مَآ أَسْـَٔلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلْمُتَكَلِّفِينَ

Say thou (O’ Our Apostle Muhammad!) “I ask ye not for any recompense for it; nor am I of the imposters (38:86)22

إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ لِّلْعَـٰلَمِينَ

It is naught but a Reminder unto the worlds23(38:87)

وَلَتَعْلَمُنَّ نَبَأَهُۥ بَعْدَ حِينٍۭ

And certainly ye will come to know about it after a time.” (38:88)

Commentary

Verse 67

According to the Ahl Al-Bayt the great message of importance, is the vicegerency of man on earth - the Imamat over the creatures of God. This interpretation is supported by verse 78:3, which was the disputed one, and this was the subject of dispute among the angels24 - and in verse 68 - wherein the turning away of man is referred to, again - there is the reference to the dispute in the angelical sphere about it.25 It is a fact of history that man always revolted and disputed about the vicegerency in the earth.

Of the theological doctrines forwarded in the Holy Qur’an, the great and the important one, in its comprehensive or all-embracing nature, is the doctrine of absolute theocracy over the entire universe, represented on the earth by the most accomplished man, chosen by God Himself, who is always in communion with God, due to his absolute submission and at the same time closer to every one’s self than the individuals themselves.

This doctrine has been put forward in the Holy Qur’an in various ways and this is the doctrine which was the subject of the dispute even among the angels, resulting subsequently in the submission of the angels and the revolt of Satan for ever. This condition of acceptance and rejection, continued to manifest in the life of the children of Adam - in various forms and manners - displayed in the Holy Qur’an as apostles and their opponents. (A.P.).

Verse 72

‘Taswiya’ and its derivations have been used in Qur’an for Adam and for the Holy Prophet and the apostles26- it refers to the state of establishment of the cognitive self in such a zenith of realization which enables to have an equal view of all things and that was the state with which Adam was honoured and the angels view was only one-sided. (A.P.).

Verse 75

Refers to the two aspects of the spiritual and the physical realms – one as the manifestation of His name ‘Az Zaahir’, the Manifest, and the other manifestation of His name ‘Al-Baatin’ - the Hidden. (A.P.).

Verse 76

He was proud of the power of the activity of the nature of the fire he was made of, and despised the infinite power of recipiency of the clay of which Adam was made. (A.P.).

Verse 86

There is no doubt that the Holy Prophet was commanded to ask for a recompense27 as an exception to other prophets and as pointed out in 24:47 - the reward asked for was in the interest of the people themselves, i.e., the people who wanted to find a way towards their Lord.28 But this roused an objection as in the clause ‘Imposter’ is implied. (A.P.).

Verse 87

‘It’ refers to the recompense asked for in verse 42:23. (A.P.).

Verse 88

History records the guidance the world has and will have to the end of the world, by the Ahl Al-Bayt. (A.P.).

• 1. Refer to verse 12:39.
• 2. Refer to verses 78:2-3.
• 3. Refer to verse 78:3.
• 4. The heavenly beings.
• 5. Refer to verse 78:3.
• 6. Note: the prostration to Adam ordained by God Himself - Every prostration is not polytheism.
• 7. Refer to note on verses 15:29, 28:14, 48:29, 53:6 & 30:34.
• 8. Refer to verses 7:11-12, 40:67, 2:34, 15:28 & 18:50.
• 9. Note: Refusal to prostrate to the Vicegerent of God is ‘Kufr’ infidelity.
• 10. Refer to verse 2:30.
• 11. Hands refer to the two aspects Spiritual & physical excellence endowed in Adam. See note.
• 12. Indicates that there are some exalted ones who need not prostrate to Adam. Refer to verse 33:33.
• 13. Adam.
• 14. Refer to verse 7:12.
• 15. God’s grace or Heavenly Bliss.
• 16. Refer to verse 15:34.
• 17. Refer to verses 7:16, 15:38 & 15:39.
• 18. Refer to verses 15:38-40 & 7:16.
• 19. Refer to note on verse 33:33 freed from sinning.
• 20. Refer to verses 15:40 & 15:64.
• 21. God.
• 22. Refer to verses 24:47, 25:57 & 42:23.
• 23. i.e., to mankind as a whole.
• 24. See verse 2:30.
• 25. See verse 38:69.
• 26. See verses 15:29, 48:29, 53:6 & 28:14.
• 27. See verse 42:23.
• 28. See verse 25:57.