Surah 38. Sad

Adding, 'Our Lord! Whoever brought this upon us, double their punishment in the Fire.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

They will say: "Our Lord! Whoever brought this upon us add to him a double Penalty in the fire!" ⁴²¹⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. vii. 38, and n. 1019. See also xi. 20. The evil ones now vent their spite on others. Here they ask for a double penalty for their misleaders, but they forget their own personal responsibility. In the next verse, they express their surprise that others have escaped the torments, which they themselves have earned!

The tyrants will ask 'one another', 'But why do we not see those we considered to be lowly?

  - Mustafa Khattab

And they will say: "What has happened to us that we see not men whom we used to number among the bad ones? ⁴²¹⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The bad ones: i.e., the ones whom they (evil ones) ridiculed as fools sure to come to an evil end, because they refused to join in with the evil ones in their plots. The values are now reversed. The good ones are among the Blessed, and are not to be seen in the "Bed of Misery". The ridicule is now against the evil ones.

Were we wrong in mocking them 'in the world'?¹ Or do our eyes 'just' fail to see them 'in the Fire'?'

  - Mustafa Khattab

 In other words, did we underestimate them?

"Did we treat them (as such) in ridicule or have (our) eyes failed to perceive them?"

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

This dispute between the residents of the Fire will certainly come to pass.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Truly that is just and fitting the mutual recriminations of the People of the Fire! ⁴²¹⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The mutual recriminations and spite are themselves a part of the Penalty, for such feelings increase their unhappiness.

Say, 'O Prophet,' 'I am only a warner. And there is no god 'worthy of worship' except Allah- the One, the Supreme.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Say: "Truly am I a Warner: no god is there but the One Allah Supreme and Irresistible ⁴²¹⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. xii. 39, where Joseph preaches to the men in prison. The one supreme Message of importance to mankind was (and is) the Unity of Allah: that He is the Creator and Sustainer of all: that His Will is supreme; that He can carry out His Will without question, and no powers of Evil can defeat it; and that He forgives by His grace again and again. This Message the holy Prophet came to deliver, and he delivered it.

'He is the' Lord of the heavens and the earth and everything in between- the Almighty, Most Forgiving.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

"The Lord of the heavens and the earth and all between Exalted in Might Able to enforce His will forgiving again and again." ^{4220 4221}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

In n. 2818 to xxii. 40, I have explained the full import of 'Aziz as a title applied to Allah, and I have expressed two of the leading ideas involved, in the two lines here. The argument in this Sura turns upon the contrast between earthly Power and the Divine Power: the one is impotent and the other is supreme.

Gaffar is the emphatic intensive form, and I have accordingly translated it as "forgiving again and again". Cf. xx. 82.

Say, 'This 'Quran' is momentous news,

  - Mustafa Khattab

Say: "That is a message supreme (above all)

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

from which you 'pagans' are turning away.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

"From which ye do turn away! ⁴²²²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The Message which is of supreme import to mankind,-from that they turn away. Instead of profiting by it, they turn away to side issues, or unprofitable speculation: such as: what is the origin of Evil; when will Judgment come? etc.

'And say,' 'I had no knowledge of the highest assembly 'in heaven' when they differed 'concerning Adam'.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 When the angels obeyed Allah’s orders to prostrate before Adam, whereas Satan refused to comply.

"No knowledge have I of the Chiefs on high when they discuss (matters) among themselves. ⁴²²³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The hierarchy of angels in Heaven, discuss questions of high import in the Universe. Those are not necessarily revealed to men, except in so far as it is good for men to know, as in verses 71-85 below. But the chief thing for man is to know that Allah is Most Merciful, that He forgives again and again, and that Evil has no power over those who trust in Allah.

What is revealed to me is that I am only sent with a clear warning.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

"Only this has been revealed to me: that I am to give warning plainly and publicly." ⁴²²⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Two things are implied in Mubin: (1) that the warning should be clear and perspicuous; there should be no mincing of matters, no ambiguity, no compromise with evil, vii. 184; (2) that the warning should be delivered publicly, before all people, in spite of opposition and persecution, xxvi. 115. Both these ideas I have tried to express in this passage.

'Remember, O Prophet' when your Lord said to the angels, 'I am going to create a human being from clay.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Behold thy Lord said to the angels: "I am about to create man from clay: ^{4225 4226}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Two passages may be compared with this: viz.: (1) ii. 30-39, where merely the first stages of the Rebellion against Allah and its consequences to mankind are mentioned, and (2) xv. 29-40, where the further intrusion of evil in man's life here below is referred to, and an assurance is given that Evil will have no power except over those who yield to it. The latter is the passage most relevant here, as we are now dealing with the spiritual power of Revelation to defeat the machinations of Evil.

This shows that the material world round us was created by Allah before Allah fashioned man and breathed of His soul into him. Geology also shows that man came on the scene at a very late stage in the history of this planet.

So when I have fashioned him and had a spirit of My Own 'creation' breathed into him, fall down in prostration to him.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

"When I have fashioned him (in due proportion) and breathed into him of My spirit fall ye down in obeisance unto him." ⁴²²⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

See n. 1968 to xv. 29, where the spiritual significance of this is explained.

So the angels prostrated all together-

  - Mustafa Khattab

So the angels prostrated themselves all of them together;

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

but not Iblîs,¹ who acted arrogantly,² becoming unfaithful.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 See footnote for 2:34.

 The command to bow down was a test of obedience. Satan arrogantly refused to comply because he believed he was superior to Adam (ﷺ).

Not so Iblis: he was haughty and became one of those who reject Faith. ⁴²²⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Arrogance (self-love) is thus the root of Evil and of Unfaith.

Allah asked, 'O Iblîs! What prevented you from prostrating to what I created with My Own Hands? Did you 'just' become proud? Or have you always been arrogant?'

  - Mustafa Khattab

(Allah) said: "O Iblis! what prevents thee from prostrating thyself to one whom I have created with My hands? Art thou haughty? Or art thou one of the high (and mighty) ones?" ^{4229 4230}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Man, as typified by Adam, is in himself nothing but frail clay. But as fashioned by Allah's creative power into something with Allah's spirit breathed into him, his dignity is raised above that of the highest creatures.

If, then, Satan refuses, it is a rebellion against Allah. It arises from arrogance or haughtiness, an exaggerated idea of Self. Or, it is asked, are you really sufficiently high in rank to dispute with the Almighty? Of course he was not.