Topic: Evil, Rebellious

Commentary:

The words, They desire to seek judgement from the rebellious, need not be taken as referring to any particular incident; they speak of a general tendency among hypocrites.

Important Words:

الطاغوت (the Evil One). See 2:257.

Important Words:

اناثا (lifeless objects) is the plural of انثی which is derived from انث which means, it was or became female or feminine; or it (iron, etc.) was or became soft. انثی means, female; feminine; of the female sex or feminine gender. اناث, which is the plural of انثی, also means, inanimate or lifeless things; small stars (Lane).

مریدا (rebellious) is derived from مرد i.e. he was or became rebellious and transgressed proper limits. مارد means, one who rebels and transgresses proper limits. مرید means, mischievous, haughty and rebellious (Aqrab).

Commentary:

The word اناث (lifeless objects) explained above includes all false deities, whether living or dead. The word has been used to point to the utter weakness and helplessness of the false deities.

The use of the word "Satan" in the verse signifies that idolaters, while invoking their deities, in reality invoke Satan, because it is at his bidding that they invoke false gods.

The verse provides two reasons for the statement made in the previous verse: (1) the worship of false gods does the idolaters no good; (2) it positively does them harm, because it strengthens their relation with Satan, who is the avowed enemy of a man and a rebel against the true God.

6:143; 24:22; 36:61.

Commentary:

عبادة which is noun-infinitive from the verb عبد does not consist only in prostrating before God or an idol, but also signifies blindly or unthinkingly following a person or accepting an idea or belief without subjecting it to sane and searching criticism. This significance of the word is clear from the verse itself, because nobody has ever been seen to worship Satan in the sense that he prostrates before him and prays to him. It also appears from this verse that the word شیطان (Satan) here does not mean the 'Devil' or even the idols. Here it only signifies evil inclinations, wrong ideas and beliefs and bad associates and evil spirits. According to these meanings of the words عبادة and شیطان the verse would signify that one should not follow blindly or unthinkingly evil inclinations, wrong beliefs or bad friends or associates. Such an attitude on one’s part is tantamount to giving them Divine status and to worshipping them.

The word عصیا (rebel) also indicates that شیطان in this verse does not signify idols made of wood or stone because idols of stone do not disobey God. From the previous verse one may have been led to think that Abraham had advised his father against idol-worship only. This verse belies that idea and indicates that he advised him also against blindly following evil inclinations, wrong beliefs and association with evil persons. The words الشیطان (Satan) includes all these things.

13:14; 22:9; 31:21; 40:70.

Important Words:

مرید (rebellious) is derived from مرد (marada) which means, he exalted himself; he was insolent and audacious in pride and in acts of disobedience; he was excessively proud or disobedient or rebellious; he was refractory; he outstripped others in pride or disobedience. مرد (marida), means it (the tree) became denuded of its leaves. شجر أمرد means, a tree devoid of leaves, المارد or المرید means, one who is destitute of good (Lane & Aqrab). See also 9:101.

Commentary:

The verse shows that true knowledge is a great divine boon and all misguidance is the result of the lack of it. At another place (35:29) the Quran states that the realization of the Diving Being is vouchsafed only to those who are possessed of true knowledge. The present verse is of general application and applies to no particular person. The words فی الله (concerning Allah) mean, concerning the person, power and attribute of God.

It may be noted here that شیطان (Satan) or ابلیس (Iblis) is the being who has been created by God to incite men to do evil deeds as angels have been created to exhort them to do good deeds and thus he is the exact opposite of the angels, and the object of his creation is to try and test the mettle of men. He has his representatives in every time and age. It is this inciter to evil deeds and his representatives who have been mentioned in the Quran in connection with Adam’s story. This inciter to evil deeds will live as long as the world lasts but his representatives in the form of wicked men die and others take their place.

It may also be mentioned here that Satan will not be punished for inciting men to evil deeds as angels will not be rewarded for exhorting them to do good deeds. Punishment is awarded for deeds which are against the laws of nature or of the Shari‘ah but to incite men to bad deeds is ingrained in the very nature of Satan and is a part of his being. So the question of punishment in regard to him does not arise. It is true that according to the Quran, Satan will go to Hell just as the angels will go to Heaven but the fire of Hell will cause him no pain or suffering just as the rewards of heaven will give no joy or happiness to the angels. Having been created of fire (7:13) Satan is immune from the effects of burning. He is no doubt hated and condemned and denounced because he represents evil and sin but he deserves and will receive no punishment for what is a part of his nature and what he has been created to do. His representatives from among men, however, will certainly be punished for their wicked deeds. See also 2:35, 37.

6:143; 19:45; 36:61.

Commentary:

This verse sheds some light on how vice spreads and becomes disseminated and diffused. The propagation of vice begins with something which is apparently quite petty and harmless. As there is implanted in human nature an inherent sense of hesitancy and horror at committing what is clearly and manifestly an evil act; to begin with, Satan avoids tempting a man to commit a manifestly immoral act. He leads his victim to his moral ruin gradually and in stages, beginning with what apparently seems to be quite a harmless act. The victim is tempted to talk to others what he hears from someone else about an immoral act done by an individual. Soon after, scandal-mongering leads him to the forging of slanders, and the next step is the commission of the very offence which he had begun by foisting on others. Islam has cut at the very root of all evil by strictly prohibiting and condemning and even punishing scandal-mongering, as it ultimately leads to the moral disintegration of a community.

The words, "Allah is Hearing, Knowing," mean that when a man loses his way and prays to God, He listens to him and answers his prayer; and when one who is in distress responds to the Divine voice and follows it, Divine knowledge comes to his rescue and guides and leads him to his deliverance.

Commentary:

The verse reverts to the subject dealt with in vv. 211-213 above. Generally two charges were made against the Holy Prophet; viz. (a) that satans descended upon him and (b) that he was a poet. The first charge has been effectively rebutted in vv. 211-213 above. The present verse, however, deals with another aspect of the same charge. It purports to say that satans cannot descend upon the Holy Prophet because he is a paragon of piety and righteousness. They only descend upon their own prototypes and counterparts—confirmed liars and habitual sinners. See next verse.

15:18; 41:13; 67:6.

Important Words:

مارد (rebellious) is active participle from مرد which means, he exalted himself; he was insolent and audacious in pride and in acts of disobedience; he was excessively proud or rebellious; he was refractory; he outstripped others in pride or disobedience; مارد therefore means, rebellious, excessively proud, insolently disobedient (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The analogy between the physical and spiritual systems, which was begun in the preceding verse, is continued in the present one. We are here told that just as each star serves as an ornament for the physical heaven and guards it by gravitation and other means which are yet unknown to man, similarly every Prophet is an ornament for the spiritual heaven, and by appearing at a time when his presence is urgently needed, helps to guard the same. Moreover, every Prophet fights and routs those wicked people who seek to distort the Word of God and frustrate His designs. The word "satans" in the verse refers to disbelievers who refuse to obey their Prophet and seek to make spiritual progress independently of him. Against such people the doors of spiritual heaven are firmly barred.

'Satans' who carry on a wicked campaign against the Word of God are of two categories: (a) Internal enemies of the Muslim Community such as "the hypocrites," etc. They are called شیطان مارد (the rebellious satan) in the Quran and (b) external enemies or disbelievers who are described in the Quran as شیطان رجیم (satan, the rejected). The words شیطان مارد (rebellious satan) may also refer to astrologers and soothsayers who in time of spiritual darkness before the advent of a Divine Reformer, ply their evil trade and to a certain extent succeed in deceiving simple-minded people.