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 al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 50) ➊ { وَ اِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةِ۠ اسْجُدُوْا …:} In this context, the relevance of mentioning the story of Adam and Iblis is to warn the disbelievers that the path of arrogance and pride you are treading, and your looking down upon the poor Muslims, is the very path that Shaytan took before you. Then see what his end was.
➋ In {كَانَ مِنَ الْجِنِّ فَفَسَقَ عَنْ اَمْرِ رَبِّهٖ : ’’ فَفَسَقَ ‘‘}, the "fa" is for reasoning, i.e., to state the cause, as in: {’’سَرَقَ فَقُطِعَتْ يَدُهُ‘‘} "He stole, so his hand was cut off." That is, Shaytan was from among the jinn, so he disobeyed the command of his Lord. If he had been from the angels, he would never have disobeyed, because angels neither disobey Allah nor do anything without His command. See Anbiya (26–28) and Tahrim (6). Thus, to say about Iblis that he was originally an angel, his name was Azazil, or that he was a jinn but became the teacher of angels due to excessive worship, is completely baseless. As for the question that the command to prostrate was given to the angels, not to the jinn, see the tafsir of Surah A'raf (12) and Surah Baqarah (34).
➌ { اَفَتَتَّخِذُوْنَهٗ وَ ذُرِّيَّتَهٗۤ … :} From this it is known that Iblis has offspring, but how their lineage increased and how it continues to increase, we have no knowledge from any authentic source.
➍ The subject of {بِئْسَ لِلظّٰلِمِيْنَ بَدَلًا : ’’ بِئْسَ ‘‘} is the pronoun {’’هُوَ‘‘}, which refers back to Iblis, i.e., you took Iblis as a friend instead of Allah, so you have obtained a very evil substitute.
➋ In {كَانَ مِنَ الْجِنِّ فَفَسَقَ عَنْ اَمْرِ رَبِّهٖ : ’’ فَفَسَقَ ‘‘}, the "fa" is for reasoning, i.e., to state the cause, as in: {’’سَرَقَ فَقُطِعَتْ يَدُهُ‘‘} "He stole, so his hand was cut off." That is, Shaytan was from among the jinn, so he disobeyed the command of his Lord. If he had been from the angels, he would never have disobeyed, because angels neither disobey Allah nor do anything without His command. See Anbiya (26–28) and Tahrim (6). Thus, to say about Iblis that he was originally an angel, his name was Azazil, or that he was a jinn but became the teacher of angels due to excessive worship, is completely baseless. As for the question that the command to prostrate was given to the angels, not to the jinn, see the tafsir of Surah A'raf (12) and Surah Baqarah (34).
➌ { اَفَتَتَّخِذُوْنَهٗ وَ ذُرِّيَّتَهٗۤ … :} From this it is known that Iblis has offspring, but how their lineage increased and how it continues to increase, we have no knowledge from any authentic source.
➍ The subject of {بِئْسَ لِلظّٰلِمِيْنَ بَدَلًا : ’’ بِئْسَ ‘‘} is the pronoun {’’هُوَ‘‘}, which refers back to Iblis, i.e., you took Iblis as a friend instead of Allah, so you have obtained a very evil substitute.
