Session 2 Briefing — Al-A'raf 11–18

Welcome0:00

Assalamu alaikum, and welcome to our second IMATX halaqa.

Last week we read the first ten ayat of Surah Al-A'raf. This week we continue with ayat eleven to eighteen. These verses tell us how Allah created and shaped us, how Iblis refused the command to prostrate to Adam and argued against it, and what he vowed to do with the time he was given.

We'll take the passage one ayah at a time, each one recited by Mishary Rashid Alafasy before we look at it, with two questions to carry into our discussion.

If you have any questions, bring them along to the halaqa.

Where we are0:40

Surah Al-A'raf tells the stories of earlier prophets and how their people responded to them. Those first ten ayat set out the themes those accounts carry: following Allah's guidance, answering for our actions, and recognizing His blessings.

This passage begins the first of those accounts, and it is the earliest of them, reaching back before any prophet was sent, to the creation itself.

Ibn Kathir reads the whole passage as a reminder of two things at once. The first is what Allah gave to our father. The second is the enmity of the one who envied him and envies us still, so that we do not follow in his footsteps.

Ayah eleven - the shaping, and the one who refused1:24

Al-A'raf 7:11 · Recitation: Mishary Rashid Alafasy. Read the verses.

Allah reminds us that He created us and then shaped us. He then told the angels to prostrate to Adam. They all prostrated, except Iblis, who was not among those who prostrated.

The ayah speaks to all of us in the plural, then tells the story of one man. Ibn Kathir explains that Adam is the father of all mankind, so what was given to him was given to his children. Al-Jalalayn reads it more directly: Adam was shaped with his descendants already deposited in him.

A question that often comes up here is whether Iblis was an angel. Surah Al-Kahf, ayah fifty, describes him as being of the jinn. He was among the angels when the command was given.

Al-Jalalayn also notes that the prostration was a bow of greeting, not an act of worship.

Many of us measure our worth by what we achieve, or by how other people see us. This ayah describes an honour that was given before anyone had earned it. It is worth asking ourselves where we think our own value comes from.

Ayah twelve - I am better than him2:56

Al-A'raf 7:12 · Recitation: Mishary Rashid Alafasy. Read the verses.

Allah asks Iblis what prevented him from prostrating when he had been commanded to do so.

Iblis replies that he is better than Adam because Allah created him from fire and created Adam from clay. He uses that comparison to justify his disobedience.

Ibn Kathir explains that Iblis focused on the material from which Adam was created and disregarded the honour Allah had given him. His claim that fire made him superior did not give him a reason to reject Allah's command.

Ibn Kathir also answers the comparison on its own terms. Clay, he says, carries forbearance, patience and steadiness, and things grow in it. Fire carries burning, recklessness and haste. He adds that it was the origin of Adam's creation that brought Adam back to Allah in repentance.

The issue here is his insistence that his own judgment of his worth should determine whether he obeys.

We can recognize a related problem in ourselves when we dismiss sound advice because of who offers it. A person's age, background, education, or position can affect how willing we are to listen. This ayah gives us reason to examine whether pride is preventing us from accepting what is right.

Ayah thirteen - the sentence4:36

Al-A'raf 7:13 · Recitation: Mishary Rashid Alafasy. Read the verses.

Allah orders Iblis to descend and leave, telling him that he has no right to be arrogant there. He is now among the humiliated.

Ibn Kathir explains this as a consequence fitting his arrogance. Iblis claimed a higher standing for himself, and his refusal brought him disgrace.

The reversal shows in the Arabic. The word addressed to him, tatakabbara, is the one Indonesian took as takabur, and as-saghirin is the word behind the humiliated.

A related hadith in Sahih Muslim helps us understand what arrogance means. The Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, explains it as rejecting the truth and looking down on people. In that narration, he also clarifies that liking good clothes and shoes is not itself arrogance.

Both parts of that definition are relevant here. Iblis rejected Allah's command and treated Adam as beneath him.

For us, humility includes being willing to accept correction and treating people with respect, even when we think we know more or hold a higher position. It becomes especially important when admitting the truth means admitting that we were wrong.

Ayah fourteen - the request for respite6:09

Al-A'raf 7:14 · Recitation: Mishary Rashid Alafasy. Read the verses.

Iblis asks Allah to allow him to remain until the day human beings are raised from the dead.

Al-Jalalayn glosses the request simply as asking for his affair to be postponed.

His request is for a delay. At this point in the account, he does not ask for forgiveness or acknowledge that his refusal was wrong. He asks for more time, and the verses that follow show how he intends to use it.

This gives us something practical to consider. When we have done wrong, we may also put off dealing with it. Having more time gives us an opportunity to seek forgiveness and make amends. What matters is whether we use that opportunity.

Ayah fifteen - the answer7:04

Al-A'raf 7:15 · Recitation: Mishary Rashid Alafasy. Read the verses.

Allah answers him in a single sentence. He is among those given respite.

The word here, al-munzarin, is built from the same root as his request in the previous ayah. It means the ones who have been given respite.

The question this raises is why the request was granted at all. Ibn Kathir answers it without speculation. Allah gave him what he asked for by His wisdom and His decree, which nothing prevents and nothing resists.

Al-Jalalayn adds that another ayah qualifies the term. Surah Sad, ayah eighty-one, says until the day of an appointed time, which it reads as the first blast of the Trumpet.

The request was granted, but nothing in the answer approves of him. We sometimes treat the absence of consequences as a sign that what we are doing is acceptable. A delay is not approval.

Ayah sixteen - the vow8:11

Al-A'raf 7:16 · Recitation: Mishary Rashid Alafasy. Read the verses.

Iblis responds by saying that, because Allah has caused him to go astray, he will lie in wait for people on Allah's straight path.

Ibn Kathir records explanations of the opening phrase, fa-bima aghwaytani, as being led astray or brought to ruin. Al-Jalalayn reads its opening particle as the particle of an oath, making what follows a vow. The reprieve has been followed by further rebellion.

Ibn Kathir reports Mujahid explaining the straight path here as the truth, and reads Iblis's vow as an intention to divert people from it.

A narration in Sunan an-Nasa'i illustrates this. The Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, describes Shaytan trying to discourage a person from accepting Islam by reminding him of his ancestors' religion, and from emigrating for Allah's sake by reminding him of the home he would leave behind. In each case, the person resists him and proceeds.

This helps us understand that temptation can include being discouraged from doing something good. Fear of disapproval or reluctance to give something up may hold us back from a responsibility we recognize. We can ask Allah for help and take the step that obedience requires.

Ayah seventeen - the four directions9:41

Al-A'raf 7:17 · Recitation: Mishary Rashid Alafasy. Read the verses.

Iblis continues his vow. He says he will approach people from in front of them, from behind them, and from their right and left. He then claims that Allah will not find most of them grateful.

Ibn Kathir reports an explanation from Ibn Abbas that connects these directions with different forms of temptation: doubts about the Hereafter, attachment to worldly life, confusion about religion, and enticement to sin.

The ayah ends with the word shakirin, meaning grateful, the word Indonesian took as syukur. Ibn Kathir reports Ibn Abbas explaining this here as those who worship Allah alone. Gratitude in this passage is closely connected with recognizing Allah and being faithful to Him.

That brings us back to the end of our previous session, where Allah reminded us how little gratitude we show for His provision. Here, we learn that turning us away from gratitude is part of Iblis's aim.

We can respond by thanking Allah, remaining attentive to our worship, and using His blessings responsibly. We should also ask for His protection. A morning and evening supplication recorded in Sunan Abi Dawud includes asking Allah to guard us from in front, behind, right, left, and above, and seeking refuge in His greatness from sudden harm beneath us.

Ayah eighteen - the expulsion, and who it names11:32

Al-A'raf 7:18 · Recitation: Mishary Rashid Alafasy. Read the verses.

Allah orders Iblis to leave, disgraced and expelled. He then warns that those among humanity who follow Iblis will share in the punishment of Hell.

The two words describing his expulsion are madh'uman and madhuran, and the first appears nowhere else in the Qur'an. Ibn Kathir records explanations of both as expressing disgrace and banishment. His claim to superiority has ended in rejection, and the warning now includes those who follow him.

The passage began with the honour given to Adam. It closes by warning Adam's descendants against following the one who refused to honour him.

Taken together, the passage asks us to take Allah's guidance seriously, resist the pride that makes correction difficult, and seek His help against temptation. When we recognize a fault, we should acknowledge it and turn back to Him.

What to bring on Tuesday12:48

Before we meet, here are two questions to think about.

First, Iblis's claim to be better than Adam led him to reject a clear command. In everyday life, what makes it difficult for us to accept correction, and what would help us respond with humility?

Second, the narration described Shaytan sitting on the road to something good, at the moment it was about to cost something. When have you felt discouraged from something good you meant to do, and what helped you go ahead?

We'll use these questions to begin our discussion. You're also welcome to bring questions about any of the ayat we've covered. No preparation is required.

Close13:32

We'll meet on Tuesday at seven in the evening, Central time, on Google Meet. The session will last an hour, and the joining link is on the session website.

Everyone is welcome, including anyone who is new to studying the Qur'an.

Next session, we'll continue from ayah nineteen, with Adam and his wife in the Garden and the whispering that follows.

Thank you for listening. We look forward to seeing you at the halaqa, in sha Allah.

Wassalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.