7-11 And We indeed created you, then We fashioned you, then We said to the angels: Make submission to Adam. So they submitted, except Iblis; he was not of those who submitted.a
وَلَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَـٰڪُمۡ ثُمَّ صَوَّرۡنَـٰكُمۡ ثُمَّ قُلۡنَا لِلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕكَةِ ٱسۡجُدُواْ لِأَدَمَ فَسَجَدُوٓاْ إِلَّآ إِبۡلِيسَ لَمۡ يَكُن مِّنَ ٱلسَّـٰجِدِينَ (١١)
7-11a: In this section, the need for prophethood is discussed and the story of Adam, previously narrated in detail in Surah Baqarah, is recalled with new light being shed on aspects of the story.
The matter of Adam and the son of Adam is the same: The first thing to note is that in the previous verses the address is general and the same is continued in this verse. It is first stated that, “We indeed created you, then We fashioned you,” and then it is said that the angels were asked to make submission to Adam. This clearly shows that in a sense every son of Adam is Adam and the submission of angels to Adam includes their submission to the son of Adam as well. The real purpose of the Quran is to educate people and a little deliberation makes one realize that the story of Adam would not be in the Quran unless the events in people’s lives replicate what befell Adam. The lesson taught in the narration of Adam is that by virtue of being the children of Adam, humans will face the same kind of situation that Adam faced. Just as the son of Adam does not see Satan physically because the modus operandi of Satan is to whisper in the hearts of men, the incident with Adam should be conceived as having taken place in the same way. For further details about the incident with Adam see 2-34a, b and c.
7-12 He said: What hindered thee that thou didst not submit when I commanded thee?a He said: I am better than he; Thou hast created me of fire, while him Thou didst create of dust.b
قَالَ مَا مَنَعَكَ أَلَّا تَسۡجُدَ إِذۡ أَمَرۡتُكَۖ قَالَ أَنَا۟ خَيۡرٌ۬ مِّنۡهُ خَلَقۡتَنِى مِن نَّارٍ۬ وَخَلَقۡتَهُ ۥ مِن طِينٍ۬ (١٢)
7-12a: On the face of it, wherever the command to make submission is given, it is given to the angels. The term إِذۡ أَمَرۡتُك (when I commanded thee) shows that the command applied to Satan as well. Because the angels are higher beings than jinn or devils, hence a command to the angels includes these lower beings as well.
7-12b: The creation of jinn from fire and the humans from dust: In Surah Baqarah, it is stated that the devil refused and was proud and this has been further elucidated here that he considered himself superior to Adam and the reason that he gives for this is that Adam is created from dust and he is created from fire. Elsewhere in the Quran there is a general statement about jinn: وَٱلۡجَآنَّ خَلَقۡنَـٰهُ مِن قَبۡلُ مِن نَّارِ ٱلسَّمُومِ (And the jinn, We created before of intensely hot fire) (15:27). The earth too initially was a ball of fire. Hence for the first creation to be of the same type is credible and by virtue of being from fire, they are invisible to the eye. Apart from this, the creation from fire and dust also implies that this is the dominant attribute respectively of the two beings, as, for example, it is stated for humans خُلِقَ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنُ مِنۡ عَجَلٍ۬ (Man is created of haste) (21:37), that is man is hasty, and خَلَقَكُم مِّن ضَعۡفٍ۬ (created you from a state of weakness) (30:54). Now, the attribute of dust is humility and meekness and a saying of Arabs is: مَرَرۡت بصحیفةٍ طین ختمھا which means لَیِّن خاتمھا , that is by dust is meant gentleness (LA). Elsewhere in the Quran the statement is posed as a question: أَسۡجُدُ لِمَنۡ خَلَقۡتَ طِينً۬ا (Shall I submit to him whom Thou hast created of dust) (17:61) (LA). The attribute of fire is fierceness, and a hadith states: اتقوا الغضب فانه جمرۃ توقد فی قلب ابن آدم (Eschew anger because it is a spark which is lit in the heart of the son of Adam). So, the devil says that how can he having a fiery attribute submit to humans who have the attribute of meekness.
7-13 He said: Then get forth from this (state), for it is not for thee to behave proudly therein. Go forth, therefore, surely thou art of the abject ones.a
قَالَ فَٱهۡبِطۡ مِنۡہَا فَمَا يَكُونُ لَكَ أَن تَتَكَبَّرَ فِيہَا فَٱخۡرُجۡ إِنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰغِرِينَ (١٣)
7-13a: ٱلصَّـٰغِرِينَ – The opposite of صِغۡر is کبر (eminence). It also means younger or older by age and also smaller or bigger in physique or status. صاغر is one who is satisfied with his abject state (R).
The meaning of expelling the devil: What does the pronoun in مِنۡہَا refers to, that is what is the devil being sent forth from? Some commentators have said from سماء (heaven), and some have said from the group of angels. However, both opinions have neither any testimony nor are they based on any reasonable supposition. There is no mention of سماء in the lead up to this narrative nor was this expulsion from a physical place. There is mention of angels in the lead up but a couple of verses earlier and in any case, the devil was not from among the angels as is clear from the decisive dictum: كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ (He was of the jinn) (18:50). The closest mention to the expulsion is of the devil alleging his superiority and his going forth is from this state. The devil had said: أَنَا۟ خَيۡرٌ۬ مِّنۡهُ (I am better than he) and Allah told him to get out of this state. The words immediately following support this interpretation because it is said that it is not possible for goodness and pride to be together in one place. A proud person is abject as is also stated in a hadith: من تواضع للّٰه رفعه اللّٰه و من تکبر وضعه اللّٰه (the person who bows in submission to Allah, Allah raises him to eminence and the person who is proud Allah renders him abject). The real lesson for man is that the consequence of pride is abjection. The more one tries to flaunt his superiority before others, the more contemptible he becomes in their eyes.
7-14 He said: Respite me till the day when they are raised.a
قَالَ أَنظِرۡنِىٓ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ يُبۡعَثُونَ (١٤)
7-14a: What is meant by يَوۡمِ يُبۡعَثُونَ : If it is taken to be the Day of Resurrection, when the dead will be raised to life, there is no objection in that because as long as this world exists, physical desires and the coexistence of the devil with those desires is necessary. However the word بعث is used in a very wide sense: والبعث یکون بعثا للقوم الی وجه من الوجوہ (LA) و تاویل البعث ازالُة ما کان یحبسه من التصرف (LA), that is, removing or doing away with anything that stops change in an affair is also بعث . So the meaning of يَوۡمِ يُبۡعَثُونَ can be every person’s spiritual change, that is the time when a person gets complete control over the devil.
What is meant by the devil asking for respite: As has been shown in 2-30a, the narration is not a real dialog. The devil who is far removed from the mercy of Allah cannot be dialoging with Allah. It is only the manifestation of a state. As is testified by a hadith in Muslim that every person has a dedicated angel and a devil. Even the Holy Prophet is reported to have said that his devil has become a Muslim. So, if one the one hand there is an indication in يَوۡمِ يُبۡعَثُونَ to the children of Adam, on the other there is also an indication to the progeny of the devil because the suggestion to do evil is made by the devil who is with a person all the time. The respite requested by the devil is for his progeny. Just as the progeny of Adam is included in the narration of Adam, similarly the progeny of the devil is included in his mention. Including everyone in this verse and the next although it is only the story of Adam that is being narrated shows clearly that in the mention of Adam, it is the story of the human race that is the objective.
7-15 He said: Thou art surely of the respited ones.
قَالَ إِنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُنظَرِينَ (١٥)
7-15a: إِنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُنظَرِينَ – The form of the narration shows clearly that the respite was a matter already decided. It is not the case that the request of the devil was granted. When the necessity arose to provide humans with physical desires for their earthly life, the existence of a stimulant for these desires in the form of the devil also became necessary. Apart from this, no success is real success without opposition, struggle and overcoming the enemy. In dominating the devil and the enemy lies the real success of man. If there was no struggle, the excellence of man would not have become manifest.
7-16 He said: As Thou hast adjudged me to be erring, I will certainly lie in wait for them in Thy straight path,
قَالَ فَبِمَآ أَغۡوَيۡتَنِى لَأَقۡعُدَنَّ لَهُمۡ صِرَٲطَكَ ٱلۡمُسۡتَقِيمَ (١٦)
7-16a: أَغۡوَيۡتَنِى – It is derived from غی whose meaning Imam Raghib gives as: من اعتقادٍ فاسد that is غی is that ignorance that is born out of pernicious beliefs. For this reason, the meaning of غَوَىٰ in عَصَىٰٓ ءَادَمُ رَبَّهُ ۥ فَغَوَىٰ (And Adam disobeyed his Lord and was disappointed) (20:121), is taken to be جَہِلَ (ignorant). Other meanings of غَوَىٰ have been taken to be خاب (remained unsuccessful) and فسد عیشه (his life was destroyed). In إِن كَانَ ٱللَّهُ يُرِيدُ أَن يُغۡوِيَكُمۡۚ (if Allah intends to destroy you) (11:34) the meaning of یغوی has been taken in two ways یعاقبکم علی غیّکم (punish you for your ignorance) or یحکم علیکم بغیکم (He will declare you as ignorant). It is one of these two meanings that is appropriate here. According to Ibn Jarir, the meaning of أَغۡوَيۡتَنِى is اھلکتنی (caused me to perish). The meaning of أَغۡواء as making an evil suggestion or to misguide someone are not applicable here because nowhere in the Quran is there any indication that Allah had commanded the devil not to be submissive. The order as a matter of fact was to be submissive.
لَأَقۡعُدَنَّ لَهُمۡ – The meaning of قعود is to lie in wait or to be ready to ambush (R).
7-17 Then I shall certainly come upon them from before them and from behind them, and from their right and from their left; and Thou wilt not find most of them thankful.
ثُمَّ لَأَتِيَنَّهُم مِّنۢ بَيۡنِ أَيۡدِيہِمۡ وَمِنۡ خَلۡفِهِمۡ وَعَنۡ أَيۡمَـٰنِہِمۡ وَعَن شَمَآٮِٕلِهِمۡۖ وَلَا تَجِدُ أَكۡثَرَهُمۡ شَـٰكِرِينَ (١٧)
7-17a: The meaning of the devil coming at the man from all directions is to make all kinds of evil suggestions, as is mentioned later with Adam فَوَسۡوَسَ لَهُمَا ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنُ (But the devil made an evil suggestion) (7:20) and is also clear from ٱلۡوَسۡوَاسِ ٱلۡخَنَّاسِ (whispering of the slinking (devil)) (114:4). The meaning is not that the devil will have mastery over man from all directions. The devil does not have the mastery over humans as stated elsewhere in the Quran: إِنَّ عِبَادِى لَيۡسَ لَكَ عَلَيۡہِمۡ سُلۡطَـٰنٌ (As regards My servants, thou hast no authority over them) (15:42). The interpretation of the four directions by which the devil will ambush humans have separately been interpreted as follows: مِّنۢ بَيۡنِ أَيۡدِيہِمۡ (from before them) means this life, that is will incite worldly greed in them, خَلۡفِهِمۡ means the Hereafter, that is will suggest to them that requital in the next world is a hoax, عَنۡ أَيۡمَـٰنِہِمۡ from the right means will stop them from doing good deeds, and شَمَآٮِٕلِهِمۡۖ from the left means will incite them to do evil (IJ).
7-18 He said: Get out of it, despised, driven away. Whoever of them will follow thee, I will certainly fill hell with you all.a
قَالَ ٱخۡرُجۡ مِنۡہَا مَذۡءُومً۬ا مَّدۡحُورً۬اۖ لَّمَن تَبِعَكَ مِنۡہُمۡ لَأَمۡلَأَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنكُمۡ أَجۡمَعِينَ (١٨)
7-18a: مَذۡءُومً۬ا – Its meaning is despicable or condemnable, that is blemished or flawed (R) because زأم means blemish.
مَّدۡحُورً۬ا – دَحۡر means to turn one out and to distance oneself, as in: وَيُقۡذَفُونَ مِن كُلِّ جَانِبٍ۬ دُحُورً۬اۖ (they are reproached form every side, driven off) (37:8-9).
Evil and its personification, the devil, is undoubtedly contemptible and despicable. If evil is separated from the doer of evil, then even the doer will not consider the evil as something good. No liar considers the lies of others as commendable. No adulterer considers the adultery of another as good. Even though evil doers will remain on this earth, evil will always be considered as despicable and repulsive. In short, the devil and what he calls to is repulsive to human nature but still people commit evil.
7-19 And (We said): O Adam, dwell thou and thy wife in the garden, so eat from whence you desire, but go not near this tree, lest you become of the unjust.
وَيَـٰٓـَٔادَمُ ٱسۡكُنۡ أَنتَ وَزَوۡجُكَ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ فَكُلَا مِنۡ حَيۡثُ شِئۡتُمَا وَلَا تَقۡرَبَا هَـٰذِهِ ٱلشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُونَا مِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ (١٩)
7-20 But the devil made an evil suggestion to them that he might make manifest to them that which had been hidden from them of their shame,a and he said: Your Lord has forbidden you this tree, lest you become angels or become of the immortals.b
فَوَسۡوَسَ لَهُمَا ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنُ لِيُبۡدِىَ لَهُمَا مَا وُ ۥرِىَ عَنۡہُمَا مِن سَوۡءَٲتِهِمَا وَقَالَ مَا نَہَٮٰكُمَا رَبُّكُمَا عَنۡ هَـٰذِهِ ٱلشَّجَرَةِ إِلَّآ أَن تَكُونَا مَلَكَيۡنِ أَوۡ تَكُونَا مِنَ ٱلۡخَـٰلِدِينَ (٢٠)
7-20a: وَسۡوَسَ – وَسۡواس literally is the faint sound produced by a breeze, and the sounds of the footsteps of a hunter is also called وَسۡواس (LA). So وسوسة are bad or worthless thoughts that enter a person’s heart (R).
سواٰت – It is the plural of سَوۡأۃ which means genitalia and also خلة قبیحة (T) that is a repulsive disposition. Its root is سوء that is evil. Lace has given the meaning of سَوۡأۃ in the translation of this verse as: کلُّ عملٍ و اَمۡر شائنٍ (Any action or affair that creates a blemish) (LA). One of the meanings Ibn Al Athir gives of this word is کلُّ امرٍ یُسۡتَحیَا منه (Every affair that is shameful whether a word or action) (N). Bahar al-Muhit gives the meaning of سَوۡأۃ as ما یسوء ھما من المعصیة (Disobedience that is the source of their grief).
This shows that the devil caused Adam’s disobedience by tempting him with an evil suggestion, just as the devil causes every person to slip by the same technique. The purpose of making the evil suggestion is stated here to be to manifest their shame which had been kept hidden from them. Is it literally meant that they were dressed in clothes that the devil purposed to take off? It is obvious that if this was physical dress, its staying on or taking off would have no relationship with eating fruit from a forbidden tree. The commentators too have found this troubling to explain. Ibn Jarir cites a statement of Dahb bin Mumba that they were enveloped in a light because of which their shame could not be seen. It is obvious that the shame that light can cover is not the physical genitalia but hidden blemishes and repulsive traits. This meaning of سَوۡأۃ has been explained earlier. The key to understanding this verse is in verse 7:27 where it is stated: يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ لَا يَفۡتِنَنَّڪُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنُ كَمَآ أَخۡرَجَ أَبَوَيۡكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡجَنَّةِ يَنزِعُ عَنۡہُمَا لِبَاسَہُمَا لِيُرِيَهُمَا سَوۡءَٲتِہِمَآ (O children of Adam, let not the devil seduce you, as he expelled your parents from the garden, pulling off from them their clothing that he might show them their shame). According to a narration of Mujahid the dress that was taken off was ھو لباس التقویٰ (the dress of piety and righteousness). So the intended meaning of سَوۡأۃ can only be hidden blemishes and repulsive traits. This word has been used in exactly this sense in a hadith where the following statement occurs with regard to Mughira bin Shuba ھل غَسَلۡتَ سواتك الا اَمس where the indication in سَوۡأۃ is to the infidelity shown by Mughira towards his companions during the Period of Ignorance (N). In Ruh al-Maani a saying has been quoted in the explanation of this word: قیل ھو کنایة عن ازالة الحرمة داسقاط الجاہ that is to disgrace and humiliate. In short, it is apparent from the Quran, the Hadith and the opinion of the commentators that the intended meaning of سَوۡأۃ here is their faults and weaknesses and the purpose of the devil in making them slip was to make manifest their weaknesses which ordinarily lie hidden within a person.
7-20b: The devil lied to them and suggested that evil had been forbidden so that they may not become angels or become immortals. The devil embellishes evil and makes it look so beautiful that a person starts thinking that this is the way to escape death. The first inclination of a person towards evil arises because he thinks he will get some pleasure from it or thinks that this is a means of obtaining things for this life. Because the devil is a liar, it suggests that the consequences will be opposite of what they would be. Evil takes a person from angelic attributes towards the attributes of an animal, and from life to death. So, the devil suggests the opposite that the evil doer will become an angel and immortal.
7-21 And he swore to them both: Surely I am a sincere adviser to you—a
وَقَاسَمَهُمَآ إِنِّى لَكُمَا لَمِنَ ٱلنَّـٰصِحِينَ (٢١)
7-21a: قَاسَمَ – Bab mufaliah is used to show that the devil was vehement in his oaths to convince them.
7-22 Thus he caused them to fall by deceit. So when they had tasted of the tree, their shame became manifest to them, and they both began to cover themselves with the leaves of the garden. And their Lord called to them: Did I not forbid you that tree, and say to you that the devil is surely your open enemy?a
فَدَلَّٮٰهُمَا بِغُرُورٍ۬ۚ فَلَمَّا ذَاقَا ٱلشَّجَرَةَ بَدَتۡ لَهُمَا سَوۡءَٲتُہُمَا وَطَفِقَا يَخۡصِفَانِ عَلَيۡہِمَا مِن وَرَقِ ٱلۡجَنَّةِۖ وَنَادَٮٰهُمَا رَبُّہُمَآ أَلَمۡ أَنۡہَكُمَا عَن تِلۡكُمَا ٱلشَّجَرَةِ وَأَقُل لَّكُمَآ إِنَّ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنَ لَكُمَا عَدُوٌّ۬ مُّبِينٌ۬ (٢٢)
7-22a: دلّٰی – دَلۡو is a small bucket and اِدۡلاء means lowering the bucket into the well and pulling it back up and metaphorically it means mediation. For details see 2-188a. تَدَلِّی is to come down from high to low or from eminence to abjection. The meaning of دلّٰی here has also been taken to be اِطماع greed for this world’s life like a thirsty person whose thirst drives him to the well but finds it has no water. Yet another meaning given to it is اَوۡقَع that is to drop or cause to fall (L).th i
يَخۡصِفَانِ – خَصَفَ means stitching the shoe or putting its one piece over another. Thus, it is stated in a hadith: انّه کانن یَخۡصِفُ نَعۡلَه that is the Holy Prophet would sew his own shoes (LA).
وَرَقِ – It means the leaves of the tree and its singular is وَرۡقَةٌ as in مَا تَسۡقُطُ مِن وَرَقَةٍ (there falls not a leaf) (6:59). وَرَق also means a dirham as in: فَٱبۡعَثُوٓاْ أَحَدَڪُم بِوَرِقِكُمۡ هَـٰذِهِ (Now send one of you with this silver (coin) of yours) (18:19). اَوۡرَقَ فَلانٌ which literally means that person became one who has leaves has the metaphorical meaning of he was unable to achieve the objective he wanted, that is, he was like a tree with leaves and no fruit. Wealth is called ثمر (R).
What is meant by covering themselves with leaves: When it has been proven from the foregoing explanation that the clothes that were pulled off were not physical clothes but metaphorically the dress of piety and the سوات that were revealed were internal weaknesses, the covering with the leaves of the garden also cannot be literal and must be taken metaphorically to mean trying to hide their weaknesses. By bringing in the leaves of the garden in the description, it is conveyed that this is a normal human effort to hide weakness but that such an attempt cannot take the person to the desired objective. This is what is meant by becoming one with leaves, that is not achieving the desired objective. Another way of putting it is that in this way one gets no fruit, just leaves. What gives fruit is Divine revelation. Initially an evil act causes distress and anxiety, and this is what Adma and his wife felt. When they realized their weakness, they embarked on the human effort to hide it.
It is worth remembering that what appears to be a physical act actually points to a spiritual matter. Indulging in transgressions and sins does not strip one’s clothes but it does create an awareness that one has exhibited weakness. To further clarify this point, the first verse of the next section has a reference to clothes: يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ قَدۡ أَنزَلۡنَا عَلَيۡكُمۡ لِبَاسً۬ا يُوَٲرِى سَوۡءَٲتِكُمۡ وَرِيشً۬اۖ وَلِبَاسُ ٱلتَّقۡوَىٰ ذَٲلِكَ خَيۡرٌ۬ (O children of Adam. We have indeed send down to you clothing to cover your shame, and (clothing) for beauty, and clothing that guards against evil- that is the best) (7:26). This clearly shows that the clothes referred to in the narration of Adam are clothing that guard against evil. Accordingly, Mujahid has stated that in يَنزِعُ عَنۡہُمَا لِبَاسَہُمَا (pulling off from them their clothing (7:27) that the clothing that was pulled off was ھو لِبَاسُ ٱلتَّقۡوَىٰ (it was the dress of piety). So, the purport of trying to hide with the leaves of the garden is the human effort to rectify and hide the situation because it is a feature of human nature that if it gets knocked down by temptation once, it tries to rise again but this human effort is not enough to accomplish this. The real remedy for it is أَنزَلۡنَا عَلَيۡكُمۡ لِبَاسً۬ا (We have indeed send down to you clothing), that is, Allah remedies and treats this failing with Divine revelation.
It is also apparent that there are two separate things here, namely food and clothes. It cannot be that by eating something the clothes are pulled off and therefore it becomes necessary to interpret food and clothes as spiritual matters. That is by eating means the commission of some evil and by clothes being taken off means the realization of a weakness. This is a phenomenon that is seen in the children of Adam all the time. Hence assigning a separate meaning to the story of Adam is to negate the human experience.
7-23 They said: Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves; and if Thou forgive us not, and have (not) mercy on us, we shall certainly be of the losers.
قَالَا رَبَّنَا ظَلَمۡنَآ أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمۡ تَغۡفِرۡ لَنَا وَتَرۡحَمۡنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلۡخَـٰسِرِينَ (٢٣)
7-24 He said: Go forth — some of you, the enemies of others. And there is for you in the earth an abode and a provision for a time.
قَالَ ٱهۡبِطُواْ بَعۡضُكُمۡ لِبَعۡضٍ عَدُوٌّ۬ۖ وَلَكُمۡ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مُسۡتَقَرٌّ۬ وَمَتَـٰعٌ إِلَىٰ حِينٍ۬ (٢٤)
7-25 He said: Therein shall you live, and therein shall you die, and therefrom shall you be raised.
قَالَ فِيہَا تَحۡيَوۡنَ وَفِيهَا تَمُوتُونَ وَمِنۡہَا تُخۡرَجُونَ (٢٥)
7-25a: It is conveyed in فِيہَا تَحۡيَوۡنَ (therein shall you live) that the earthly life is a necessity for humans, that is it is a means for the progress of human life. Life is ended by death, and not in any other way. After death, there is resurrection and requital for deeds done in the earthly life. This verse is a firm testimony that the earthly life of humans on this earth is restricted to this earth. The corporeal elevation of Jesus into heaven is contrary to this verse. Similarly, the termination of earthly life is by death. So, the earthly life of a person comes to an end only after tasting death and not by any other way.
Bayan-ul-Quran 