17:61 Al-Israa (The Night Journey)

ينبه تبارك وتعالى عباده على شدة عداوة الشيطان وحرصه على إضلالهم وأنه لما خلق الله آدم استكبر عن السجود له و { قَالَ } متكبرا: { أَأَسْجُدُ لِمَنْ خَلَقْتَ طِينًا } أي: من طين وبزعمه أنه خير منه لأنه خلق من نار. وقد تقدم فساد هذا القياس الباطل من عدة أوجه.

يذكر تبارك وتعالى عداوة إبليس لعنه الله لآدم وذريته وأنها عداوة قديمة منذ خلق آدم فإنه تعالى أمر الملائكة بالسجود لآدم فسجدوا كلهم إلا إبليس استكبر وأبى أن يسجد له افتخارا عليه واحتقارا له "قال أأسجد لمن خلقت طينا" كما قال في الآية الأخرى "أنا خير منه خلقتني من نار وخلقته من طين" وقال أيضا أرأيتك يقول للرب جراءة وكفرا والرب يحلم وينظر.

The Story of Adam and Iblis

Allah mentions here the enmity of Iblis, may the curse of Allah be upon him and his progeny. This is an ancient hatred, dating from the time that Allah created Adam, when He commanded the angels to prostrate to Adam, and all of them prostrated except Iblis, who was too arrogant and he haughtily refused to prostrate to him. He said in a tone indicating contempt:

قَالَ أَءَسْجُدُ لِمَنْ خَلَقْتَ طِينًا

(He said: "Shall I prostrate myself to one whom You created from clay") According to another Ayah, he said:

أَنَاْ خَيْرٌ مِّنْهُ خَلَقْتَنِي مِن نَّارٍ وَخَلَقْتَهُ مِن طِينٍ

(I am better than he. You created me from fire, and You created him from clay.) 7:12 He also said, speaking to the Lord with disbelief and insolence, but the Lord bore it patiently:

قَالَ أَرَءَيْتَكَ هَـذَا الَّذِى كَرَّمْتَ عَلَىَّ

(He said: "See this one whom You have honored above me...") `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said, "He is saying, `I am going to dominate his offspring, all but a few."' Mujahid said (it means), "I am going to surround them." Ibn Zayd said (it means), "I am going to lead them astray." All of them are close in meaning, and the meaning of the Ayah is, "Do You see this one whom You have honored and made greater than me If You give me time, I will lead his descendants astray, all but a few of them."

And mention when We said to the angels ‘Prostrate yourselves before Adam’ a prostration of salutation by inclining oneself and so they all prostrated themselves except Iblīs he said ‘Shall I prostrate myself before one whom You have created from clay?’ tīnan is in the accusative because the operator of the oblique min ‘of’ has been omitted in other words it would normally be min tīnin.

Commentary

The word fitnah' (فِتنَہ) appearing in verse 60: وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الرُّ‌ؤْيَا الَّتِي أَرَ‌يْنَاكَ إِلَّا فِتْنَةً لِّلنَّاسِ (And We showed you the scene [ in the Night of Ascent - al-Mi` raj ] only to make it a test for the people) is used in the Arabic language to convey many different meanings. It could mean falling into error and going astray, or trial or test or some disorder or upheaval as well. At this place, the probability of all these meanings exists. Early Tafsir authorities - Sayyidah ` A'ishah, Sayyidna Mu` awiyah, Hasan, Mujahid and others - have taken fitnah' as carrying the last sense given above. They have said that this fitnah' was that of apostasy (Irtidad) which relates to the time when the Holy Prophet ﷺ told people about Mi` raj, how he went on his nocturnal journey to Baitul-Maqdis, to the heavens from there and his return to Makkah al-Mukarramah before dawn. There were many neo-Muslims who had yet to become staunch in their faith fell into the error of belying his statement and turned apostates. (Qurtubi)

It also stands proved from this event that the word رُّ‌ؤْيَا (ru'ya) is though also used in the Arabic language in the sense of dream but, at this place, what is being recounted is no matter of some dream. Had that been the case, there was no reason why people would become apostates. Dreams are dreams. Everyone can see such dreams. In fact, the purpose of employing the word: رُّ‌ؤْيَا (ru'ya) at this place is to show that the marvel was witnessed while awake. While commenting on this verse, some commentators have interpreted it to be referring to other events too besides the event of Mi` raj. But, they do not apply here as a whole. Therefore, the majority of commentators have declared the event of Mi` raj alone as the relevant subject of this verse. (As described in detail by al-Qurtubi)