Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 36

(Ayah 36) ➊ The details of this deception by Satan are in Surah Al-A'raf (20).
➋ { بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ:} That is, Adam (peace be upon him), Iblis, and their progeny are enemies to one another. [ الکہف: ۵۰ ۔ یٰسٓ : ۶۰ ] This meaning is also correct that the children of Adam are enemies to one another, as in the story of the two sons of Adam (peace be upon him). [ المائدۃ: ۲۷ ] The angels also mentioned this enmity in { «وَ يَسْفِكُ الدِّمَآءَ » }.
➌ { وَ لَكُمْ فِي الْاَرْضِ مُسْتَقَرٌّ: } These words are evidence that the Paradise in which Adam (peace be upon him) was placed was in the heavens; he came to earth after being expelled from Paradise. The same point is derived from { ”اهْبِطُوْا“ }. This was a Friday. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The best day on which the sun rises is Friday; on this day Adam (peace be upon him) was created, on this day he was admitted to Paradise, and on this day he was expelled from it." [ مسلم، الجمعۃ، باب فضل یوم الجمعۃ : ۸۵۴، عن أبی ہریرۃ رضی اللہ عنہ ]
➍ {اِلٰى حِيْنٍ:} That is, until death, because after death it is not possible for a human to benefit from the earth. "For a time" indicates that residence on earth is temporary, not permanent.

36. 1. Whether Satan entered Paradise and deceived them face to face or through whispering, there is no clarification regarding this. However, it is clear that just as at the time of the command to prostrate, he used analogy in opposition to the divine command and refused to prostrate, in the same way, on this occasion, by interpreting the command of Allah (وَلَا تَقْرَبَا), he succeeded in causing Adam (peace be upon him) to slip, the details of which will come in Surah Al-A'raf. Thus, the first to employ analogy and oppose the text in the face of the divine command was also Satan.

36. 2. The reference is to Adam (peace be upon him) and Satan, who are enemies of each other.

In the end, Satan [53] tempted both Adam and Hawwa (Eve) to eat from that tree, and caused them to be expelled from the state they were in [54]. Then We said: "All of you, get down from here. You are enemies to one another [55]. And now, for a fixed period (until death or the Day of Resurrection), you will live and subsist on the earth."

[53]
The Reality of Satan:

This Satan is in fact Iblis himself, who was from the species of jinn and was created from fire. To understand the reality of Satan, know that angels were created from light and jinn from fire or flame. The substance of both light and fire is the same, that is, both contain light and brightness. The difference is only this: if the intensity and heat are less or absent and the element of brightness is dominant, then it is light; and if the element of brightness is less and the element of heat and intensity is dominant, then it is fire. Now, one common attribute of the jinn is similar to the angels, that is, they can change their forms, and on this basis, Iblis used to be included among the angels. And one common attribute is similar to humans, that is, both jinn and humans are responsible beings [51: 56] and possess free will and intention. On this basis, Iblis refused to prostrate. But none of the angels could ever do such a thing. Now, among the jinn or humans, whoever misuses this power of free will and intention and becomes rebellious and disobedient to Allah, he is a Satan. Thus, there are both jinn Satans and human Satans. Then, the word Satan began to be used for every evil spirit, wicked, and harmful thing. The snake is also called [10: 27] for this reason. However, it is certain that the Satan who is from the jinn has more means to mislead and corrupt others than the human Satan. The jinn Satan can change forms, enter inside, and cast whispers to mislead others, whereas the human Satan is not capable of these things.

The Different Types of Angels and Their Responsibilities:

Many types and attributes of angels and jinn are mentioned in the Quran and authentic hadiths. The first type of angels are the Muqarrabeen (the nearest angels). Among them, some angels are those who carry the Throne, and they are four. On the Day of Resurrection, when Allah will descend to take account of the people, then those angels will be eight. Then there are some angels who always surround the Throne of Allah. Among these Muqarrabeen, some angels are chiefs of many angels. For example, one type of angels are messengers, and their chief is Jibreel, whose many attributes are mentioned in the Quran. He is very powerful and trustworthy. His name is also Ruh, Ruh al-Ameen, and Ruh al-Qudus. It is Jibreel who brought Allah’s word to the hearts of the Prophets (peace be upon them). The second chief is Mika’il or Mikail, who is in charge of clouds, rain, thunder, etc. The third chief is Azra’il, whose other name is Azazeel, and in the Quran he is also called Malak al-Mawt (the Angel of Death). He is also the chief of the entire group of angels who take souls, because not just one, but several angels come to take a person’s soul. Among them, one chief is Israfil, who is in charge of the events of the Day of Resurrection, the first and second blowing of the trumpet, and according to some, the third blowing as well. All these angels are also called the Highest Assembly (Mala’ al-A‘la).

Then, after them, within the seven heavens, there are countless groups of angels who are in charge of the management and administration of the heavens, the universe, or celestial bodies. When a command is sent from Allah, there is a commotion among them, and fear and awe overcome them, and that fear is removed when Allah’s command reaches the relevant heaven, and the lower angels ask the upper ones what command has come from Allah. They are told that whatever the command is, it is based on solid facts, and then they become ready to carry it out. Then there are some angels who are always engaged in the glorification, praise, and sanctification of Allah.

After them are those angels who reside below the sky of the world and near our earth. Among them are those angels whom Allah has appointed to protect every human being. There are also those who record the deeds of humans. There are also those who come to help Allah’s servants in time, and those who spread their wings in the path of Allah, for example, for jihad or for seeking knowledge while traveling. Such angels are also called the angels of the earth (Mala’ikah Arziyyah). Then there are some angels who are busy decorating Paradise and managing its affairs, and some are in charge of Hell. Their number is nineteen, meaning there will be nineteen types of punishments in Hell, each managed by one angel. The chief of these nineteen angels is called Malik, and the name of the entire staff or department in charge of the punishment of Hell is Zabaniyah.

Types of Angels According to Their Attributes:

There are also many types of angels according to their attributes. Some angels have two wings, some three, some four. Even when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw Jibreel in his original form, he had six hundred wings, and as we have already mentioned, the creation of angels is from light, which is a very subtle thing. The most subtle is the Being of Allah, then the carriers of the Throne, those who surround it, and the Muqarrabeen angels. Then after them are the angels of the heavens, then after them comes the turn of the angels of the earth. Thus, there are also many degrees of light and its subtlety. The angels of the earth are relatively less subtle. However, all these angels have some common attributes. For example, all angels are created from light. All angels are obedient to Allah and worshippers, and their worship is involuntary, not by choice. That is, they cannot disobey Allah because the element of evil does not exist in them. Also, all these angels are invisible, cannot be seen by humans, and all these angels can change their forms and reach every place.

Types and Attributes of Jinn:

The story of the jinn is that their creation is from fire or flame instead of light, which is in any case less subtle than light. Then, in terms of subtlety and attributes, they also have many types. Some jinn live in human settlements; they are called ‘Amir’. Among them is a type that always stays with every human, incites him to evil deeds, and casts whispers; in our language, this is called ‘Hamzad’. This type is called Satan. About whom the Prophet said that Satan runs in the veins of man like blood. Then there are some jinn who trouble children; the Arabs call them ‘Arwah’, and we call them ghosts or spirits, and those who shout and scream in the jungle are called ‘Hatf’, and those who show lost travelers the way are called ‘Rijal al-Ghaib’, and sometimes a torch-like thing is seen in the jungle, they are called ‘Shihabah’.

Jinn, like humans, are responsible beings, that is, both good and evil are present in their nature. Some jinn are righteous and faithful, and most are wicked and evil-doers. They are called Satan, and those who are very rebellious are called ‘Marid’, and those who are very large and powerful in size are called ‘Ifrit’. Among the jinn, the more subtle are those who can reach the heavenly world, and the denser are those who live only on earth. According to some people, Iblis was a righteous and devout jinn who mingled with the angels of the earth. When the angels were commanded to prostrate, his vein of evil was inflamed due to rivalry with Adam ؑ. His ego did not allow him to accept the superiority of an earthly creature, and this very ego and arrogance destroyed him. And since the jinn also have procreation, therefore, from the very first day, Iblis and his progeny have been at odds with Adam ؑ and his progeny. And since in the matter of prostration to Adam, Iblis did not act as a righteous jinn but as a Satanic jinn, therefore, in the Quran, Iblis is called Satan at several places.

The Deniers of the Existence of Angels and Their Interpretations:

We had to give this lengthy detail about angels and Iblis because they are the main characters in the story of Adam and Iblis. Also, because believing in the existence of angels is extremely necessary according to the Quran and is a part of faith in the unseen. But despite all these Quranic clarifications, some Muslims do not believe in the external existence and personal identity of angels. In our country, the leader of this group is Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, who has already been mentioned in the footnote at the end of Surah Al-Fatiha.

Sir Syed’s Awe of Western Thought:

He was greatly overawed by Western thoughts and ideas. He not only denied miracles and supernatural matters but also denied angels and jinn by making various interpretations, and when he was severely criticized by the scholars, he said in a speech: “Gentlemen! My belief is the same as that of the predecessors. But at this time, Islam is facing such a calamity from modern sciences as it faced from Greek philosophy in the Abbasid era. Just as the scholars of that time created ‘Ilm al-Kalam’ to answer them, I have laid the foundation of ‘Kalam Jadid’ to remove these objections, and the present calamity is much greater than before. Because earlier, the scholars would sit in their rooms and make imaginary arguments to remove them, but now the opponents show observations through telescopes and other instruments.” From this excerpt, it is clearly known how overawed he was by Western thought, and also what were the real motives behind his resolve to distort the face of Islam. Then consider his argument: with telescopes, only observable and material things can be observed, whereas both angels and jinn are outside the realm of the observable. In fact, without fear or hesitation, we can confidently say that Islam has not presented any such theory that can be refuted by scientific instruments or modern sciences. In any case, the strange interpretations he presented regarding angels and jinn are not the place to detail here, and I have already presented these interpretations in detail in my book “Aina-e-Parveziyat”. However, I want to review those interpretations regarding angels which his worthy successor, Mr. Parvez, has presented in his book “Qissa Adam wa Iblis”. Mr. Parvez, at various places, presents different interpretations or meanings of angels, which are as follows:

By Angels is Meant the External Forces of Nature:

1. By angels is meant those forces which are appointed to run the great machinery of the universe, that is, the forces of nature, which are bound by the chain of God’s law so that man can use them. That is why it is said in the story of Adam that the angels prostrated to Adam ؑ. The meaning is that the forces of nature have been made subservient to man. [ابليس و آدم 144]

Now the question is, if by angels is meant the forces of nature, then these forces of nature are by no means subservient to man. Hundreds of people die from storms and rain, houses are destroyed, roofs are blown away, crops prepared are destroyed by earthly and heavenly calamities. Does man have any control over these forces of nature at that time? Then how did man become the one to whom such “angels” prostrated?

And the second question is, no atheist denies the forces of the universe. Then what does it mean to have faith in such “angels” as part of faith in the unseen?

In the Holy Quran, it is said that on the Day of Resurrection, eight angels will be carrying the Throne of Allah [69: 17]. Now listen to the explanation of this by Mr. Parvez:

Explanation of the Angels Carrying the Throne:

“The Throne is the center of God’s government, where the affairs of the universe are managed, and since this management of affairs is carried out through the angels, therefore, the angels are the carriers of the Divine Throne and those who are girded around it.” [ايضاً ص 147] Now see, in this explanation, Mr. Parvez has mixed up verses from two different places in the Quran. The mention of eight angels carrying the Divine Throne is in Surah Al-Haqqah (69), verse 7, and the mention of the surrounding angels is in Surah Az-Zumar (39), the last verse, number 75, and `haffeen` has been translated as 'those who go around', which is also incorrect; its correct translation is “those who surround”, not “those who go around”. Moreover, surrounding or going around is a different act, and carrying the Throne is a different act; those who are carrying the Throne cannot be going around, and those who are going around cannot be the carriers. Whatever the case, both these verses prove the external existence and personal identity of angels, which is contrary to your first theory of “forces of nature”.

3. “Therefore, these angels are our own internal forces, that is, the effects of our actions which keep manifesting on our being, and when the results of human actions appear in tangible form, the Quran calls it the Resurrection.” [ايضاً ص 162]

By Angels is Meant Internal Forces:

Now see, in this brief excerpt, Mr. Parvez has solved many complex issues, for example:

1. Our internal forces, such as the power of sight, touch, taste, hearing, repulsion, memory, etc., or whatever they are—if these very forces are angels, then the Quranic demand to have faith in the unseen regarding them becomes invalid. Because even disbelievers and atheists accept these internal forces.

2. According to your first definition, angels meant external forces. Now, according to this definition, angels have become the internal forces of man.

3. Now, even from these internal forces, the meaning is: “the effects of our actions which keep manifesting on our being.” Thus, the third definition of angels is “the effects manifesting on our being.”

4. You have explained the concept of Resurrection as: when the results of human actions appear in tangible form, the Quran calls it Resurrection. This means that if a farmer sows a seed, when a sprout emerges from it, or at most when the crop ripens and the result of his action appears in tangible form, then according to the Quran, his Resurrection has come. This clarification also sheds light on your concept of faith in the Resurrection.

“From these places, it is clear that the natural changes that occur in the human body, whose ultimate result is the natural death of man, are also described as the forces of angels.” [ايضاً ص 159]

By Angels is Meant Natural Changes:

Now see, these natural changes are of two types. One is those that appear as a result of some action, for example, drinking water quenches thirst, eating food satisfies hunger, walking and exercise strengthen the body and maintain health. The second type of natural changes are those in which human action has no role, such as a child growing into a youth, then becoming old, then dying. All these matters have nothing to do with faith in the unseen, because they are natural and will inevitably occur. Then how can these natural changes be described as angels? Even atheists accept these natural changes. Then what does it mean to have faith in such angels as part of faith in the unseen?

4. Consider these places (i.e., the descent of three thousand angels at Badr or similar verses). Regarding “the help of angels”, it is said that it gave comfort to the hearts of the believers and strengthened their resolve. On the other hand, the hearts of the enemies were filled with fear and their courage failed. This shows that in these places, angels mean those psychological motivators that affect human hearts. [ايضاً ص 155]

By Angels is Meant Psychological Motivators:

Now see, in this excerpt too, Mr. Parvez tries to mislead by calling psychological motivators an internal thing. When the matter is internal, Allah presents it in that way, as He said for the believers: ﴿فَاَنْزَلَ اللّٰهُ سَكِيْنَتَهُ عَلَيْهِ﴾ [40: 9] and for the disbelievers: ﴿وَقَذَفَ فِيْ قُلُوْبهِمُ الرُّعْبَ﴾ [2: 59]. But the matter of the Battle of Badr is not internal; rather, it was external help or motivators. For example, if one person abuses another, he becomes enraged, or if someone removes another’s fear, he becomes satisfied and grateful for the relief from that trouble. This is exactly what happened at Badr. Now, if the meaning is taken as Mr. Parvez says, then what would be the case for the help of five thousand angels for three hundred and thirteen fighters?

“If, on the one hand, angels, on the basis of faith and steadfastness, spread the light of Allah’s mercy, then on the other hand, for disbelief and rebellion, they are also the bearers of Allah’s punishment. By ‘Allah’s punishment’ is meant the destructive consequences of the upbringing of wrong nations. Therefore, in this context, angels mean those forces that, according to the law of Allah, are active in bringing about the results of human actions.” [ايضاً 158]

Mercy and Punishment Angels: Now see, angels came to Lut ؑ and told him to leave the town. When he left, those angels overturned the town of Lut’s people for the crime of sodomy. Now, if only the laws of Allah and cause and effect are relied upon, then every sodomite nation should meet the same fate, because the laws of Allah do not change. But we see that in England, the same act of the people of Lut exists and is even legally sanctioned. Now, according to the laws of Allah, those forces (angels) should certainly bring about the same result for their actions as happened to the people of Lut, but this is not happening. The clear result is that the being who brings about the results of actions is a conscious being who brings about results according to His will, who is not bound by His own laws, and neither are angels lifeless and unconscious forces that bring about fixed results. They are living and conscious beings and obey the command of the Lord, not the law of the Lord. That is why the same angels, when they come to Sayyiduna Ibrahim ؑ and Sayyiduna Lut ؑ, are angels of mercy, and the same angels become angels of punishment for the people of Lut.

“Mention of angels with two, three, and four wings is intended to indicate the different degrees and ranks of angels according to their strength.” [ايضاً 167]

Angels with Two, Three, Four Wings and Their Strength and Ranks:

So, according to Mr. Parvez, just as an electric motor is of 2 horsepower, some are of three horsepower, and some are of four, the same is the case with angels. But the problem is that “strength” and “ranks” are both Arabic words and are used in the Quran in their well-known meanings. Then why was it necessary to use the word “ajniha” (wings) for angels instead of strength and rank?

Moreover, a sparrow also has two wings and so does an eagle, but despite both having two wings, there is a big difference in strength. And the matter of different ranks is best known to Mr. Parvez himself. We only know that every human has two arms, but the strength of each is different, and so are the ranks. Ranks depend not on arms but on piety.

So this is faith in the unseen regarding angels. The real issue was whether angels are a separate creation or not, and whether they have any external identity or not. Since this issue is supernatural, you have to make interpretations at every point. All the interpretations of angels presented by Parvez are accepted by humans, even by disbelievers and atheists. Therefore, they have nothing to do with faith in the unseen, nor are they the clear teachings of the Quran.

[54] The Deception of Adam by Satan: From the above statement, it becomes clear that Satan (Iblis), who became the rival and enemy of Adam ؑ from the very first day, must have done everything to mislead Adam and incite him to disobey Allah. Satan kept casting whispers, and Sayyiduna Adam ؑ kept avoiding them. Finally, after a long time, Satan enticed Adam ؑ with many temptations and trapped him in his web of deception. Therefore, he said to Adam ؑ: “By Allah! I am your well-wisher, and if you eat from the tree you are avoiding, you will live forever in Paradise and become close to Allah.” Sayyiduna Adam ؑ was deceived by him, ate the fruit of the tree, and immediately his heavenly clothing was taken away, and he began to cover his body with the leaves of Paradise, and at once he realized his mistake.

Incidentally, the question also arises whether prophets can make mistakes or not. In this regard, Allah says: ﴿ فَنَسِيَ وَلَمْ نَجِدْ لَهُ عَزْمًا ﴾ [115: 20] Adam ؑ (due to the long passage of time, forgot the covenant of Allah), and We did not find in him (the intention of disobedience). Thus, it is understood that prophets can make mistakes, errors, lapses, or disobedience, but not intentionally, and the meaning of the infallibility of prophets is only that if a prophet makes a mistake or error, it is forgiven, and if there is any matter that can be rectified, it is rectified through revelation.

[55] That is, the reason for Satan being the enemy of man from the very first day has been clearly stated, so if man truly considers Satan as an enemy, only then can he hope for salvation, and the place of enmity and hatred can be the world, not Paradise. Therefore, all were expelled from Paradise and ordered to go to the world.