سُوْرَةُ الْكَهْفِ
Surah Al-Kahf (18) — Ayah 50
وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ ٱسْجُدُوا۟ لِـَٔادَمَ فَسَجَدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِبْلِيسَ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْجِنِّ فَفَسَقَ عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِۦٓ ۗ أَفَتَتَّخِذُونَهُۥ وَذُرِّيَّتَهُۥٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِى وَهُمْ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّۢ ۚ بِئْسَ لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ بَدَلًا ﴿50﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And (remember) when We said to the angels: "Prostrate yourselves unto Adam." So they prostrated themselves except Iblîs (Satan). He was one of the jinn; he disobeyed the Command of his Lord. Will you then take him (Iblîs) and his offspring as protectors and helpers rather than Me while they are enemies to you? What an evil is the exchange for the Zâlimûn (polytheists, and wrong-doers).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَإِذْ
wa-idh
And when
قُلْنَا
qul'nā
We said
لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ
lil'malāikati
to the Angels
ٱسْجُدُوا۟
us'judū
Prostrate
لِـَٔادَمَ
liādama
to Adam
فَسَجَدُوٓا۟
fasajadū
so they prostrated
إِلَّآ
illā
except
إِبْلِيسَ
ib'līsa
Iblis
كَانَ
kāna
(He) was
مِنَ
mina
of
ٱلْجِنِّ
l-jini
the jinn
فَفَسَقَ
fafasaqa
and he rebelled
عَنْ
ʿan
against
أَمْرِ
amri
the Command
رَبِّهِۦٓ ۗ
rabbihi
(of) his Lord
أَفَتَتَّخِذُونَهُۥ
afatattakhidhūnahu
Will you then take him
وَذُرِّيَّتَهُۥٓ
wadhurriyyatahu
and his offspring
أَوْلِيَآءَ
awliyāa
(as) protectors
مِن
min
other than Me
دُونِى
dūnī
other than Me
وَهُمْ
wahum
while they
لَكُمْ
lakum
(are) to you
عَدُوٌّۢ ۚ
ʿaduwwun
enemies
بِئْسَ
bi'sa
Wretched
لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
lilẓẓālimīna
for the wrongdoers
بَدَلًۭا
badalan
(is) the exchange
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
50. 1 This verse of the Quran has made it clear that Shaytan was not an angel; if he had been an angel, he would not have had the audacity to disobey the command of Allah, because Allah has described the attribute of angels as (لَّا يَعْصُوْنَ اللّٰهَ مَآ اَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُوْنَ مَا يُؤْمَرُوْنَ) 66. At-Tahrim:6). They do not disobey Allah in what He commands them and do what they are commanded. In this case, the question remains: if he was not an angel, then he was not even addressed by Allah’s command, because the addressees were the angels, and it was they who were commanded to prostrate. The author of Ruh al-Ma‘ani has said that he was certainly not an angel, but he used to live among the angels and was counted among them, so he too was addressed by the command "prostrate to Adam," and it is definite that he was addressed with the command to prostrate to Adam. The statement of Allah is: ma mana‘aka alla tasjuda idh amartuka. When I commanded you, then why did you not prostrate?
50. 2 The meaning of fisq is to go out; when a mouse comes out of its hole, it is said: fasqat al-fa’rah min juhriha. Shaytan also, by refusing the prostration of respect and greeting, went out of obedience to his Lord.
50. 3 That is, is it right for you to befriend such a person and his progeny who is the enemy of your father Adam (علیہ السلام), your enemy, and the enemy of your Lord, and to obey this Shaytan instead of Allah?
50. 4 Another translation of this is: "How evil is the exchange the wrongdoers have chosen," meaning, leaving the obedience and friendship of Allah and adopting the obedience and friendship of Shaytan is a very evil exchange that these wrongdoers have adopted.
50. 2 The meaning of fisq is to go out; when a mouse comes out of its hole, it is said: fasqat al-fa’rah min juhriha. Shaytan also, by refusing the prostration of respect and greeting, went out of obedience to his Lord.
50. 3 That is, is it right for you to befriend such a person and his progeny who is the enemy of your father Adam (علیہ السلام), your enemy, and the enemy of your Lord, and to obey this Shaytan instead of Allah?
50. 4 Another translation of this is: "How evil is the exchange the wrongdoers have chosen," meaning, leaving the obedience and friendship of Allah and adopting the obedience and friendship of Shaytan is a very evil exchange that these wrongdoers have adopted.
