Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Section 3: Man’s Creation - Satan’s Arrogance

Surah Al-Hijr - Verses 26 - 27

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الإِنسَانَ مِن صَلْصَالٍ مّـِنْ حَمَأٍ مَّسْنُونٍ

وَالْجَآنَّ خَلَقْنَاهُ مِن قَبْلُ مِن نَّارِ السَّمُومِ

26. “And certainly We created man of raw clay, of black mud moulded.”

27. “And the jinn We created before, of intensively burning fire.”

The Arabic term /sals al/ refers to a dry and raw kind of clay in which once blown, the sound of whistling comes out of it.1

The Qur’anic term /hama’/ refers to dark mud, and the word /masnūn/ means varying and moulded. The Arabic word /sumūm/ refers to a hot wind which infiltrates into the depth of one’s entity like poison.

This verse either makes allusions to the creation of the first man, namely Hadrat-i-Adam, or the objective is the process of creation of all human beings in which case, the materials within the earth are transformed through food and sperm into human beings.

As Qur’an in Surah Al-Kahf, No. 18, verse 37, implies that man was first in the from of dust, then it was turned into semen (sperm-drop) and it was finally turned into a (complete) man.

In the Qur’anic literature, ‘jinn’ is a responsible being which has been addressed by Allah:

“O’ assembly of the jinn and mankind!…”2

And Jinn understands the Qur’an:

“…a party of the jinn listened, and they said: Verily we have heard a wonderful Qur’an.”3

Jinns also have passions like human beings.

According to this verse, the creation of jinn took place before man and it was created out of fire.

Allah says:

Iblis is also one of Jinns:

“…he was of the Jinn…”4

and Iblis will go into Hell like other evil Jinns.

“…Certainly I will fill Hell with the Jinn and the mankind together.”5

In conclusion, the Qur’an implies that Allah has created man out of raw and dry clay (like tile or ceramic) which is extracted out of a kind of black clay. Prior to this, He had created Jinns out of hot and burning fire.

The verse says:

“And certainly We created man of raw clay, of black mud moulded.”

“And the jinn We created before, of intensively burning fire.”

Surah Al-Hijr - Verses 28 - 31

وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلآئِكَةِ إِنّـِي خَالِقٌ بَشَراً مّـِن صَلْصَالٍ مّـِنْ حَمَأٍ مَّسْنُونٍ

فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِي فَقَعُوا لَهُ سَاجِدِينَ

فَسَجَدَ الْمَلآئِكَةُ كُلُّهُمْ أَجْمَعُونَ

إِلآَّ إِبْلِيسَ أَبَي أَن يَكُونَ مَعَ السَّاجِدِينَ

28. “And (remember) when your Lord said to the angels: ‘Verily, I am about to create man of raw clay, of black mud moulded’.”

29. “So when I have completed him and I have breathed into him of My Spirit, fall you down, prostrating yourselves unto him.

30. “So the angels fell prostrate, all of them together,”

31. “Except ’Iblis; he refused to be with those who prostrated (in obedience).”

The statement of the Qur’an returns to the issue of creation of man once again and continues Allah’s speaking with the angels which took place before the man’s creation.

It says as follows:

“And (remember) when your Lord said to the angels: ‘Verily, I am about to create man of raw clay, of black mud moulded’.”

Addressing the Divine angels, He continues: And when I completed the creation process and I blow into him a noble, clean and splendid soul out of My Own, all and each one of you prostrate before him.

The verse says:

“So when I have completed him and I have breathed into him of My Spirit, fall you down, prostrating yourselves unto him.”

The creation of man then was over and man was provided for with whatever of body and soul was required for him. Everything was accomplished: At this moment, all angels prostrated without any exceptions before him.

The Qur’an says:

“So the angels fell prostrate, all of them together,”

The only one who did not obey this order was ’Iblis. Therefore, it adds:

“Except ’Iblis; he refused to be with those who prostrated (in obedience).”

Note Two Issues with Respect to This matter

The objective meaning of the blowing of Allah’s spirit into man is not the state of being alive and to breathe, for animals also do the same thing. However, the purpose is the bestowal of such qualifications as creativity, will, and knowledge from the part of Allah accorded to human beings.

The attributing of spirit to Allah is for the sake of elevation of the position of spirit, such as the words as /bayt-ul-lah/ (House of Allah) and /šahr-ul-lah/ (the month of Allah).

The prostration of the angels before man was not a ceremonial kind of prostration. It was meant to present the modesty of angels when confronting man himself and the human generations. That is, the angels are also at the service of man and submissive to him.6

Surah Al-Hijr - Verses 32 - 35

قَالَ يَآ إِبْلِيسُ مَالَكَ اَلاَّ تَكُونَ مَعَ السَّاجِدِينَ

قَالَ لَمْ أَكُن لاَسْجُدَ لِبَشَرٍ خَلَقْتَهُ مِن صَلْصَالٍ مِنْ حَمَأٍ مَّسْنُونٍ

قَالَ فَاخْرُجْ مِنْهَا فإِنَّكَ رَجِيمٌ

وإِنَّ عَلَيْكَ اللَّعْنَةَ إِلَي يَوْمِ الدّ‌ِينِ

32. “He said: ‘O’ Iblis! What is your reason for not being with those who prostrated (in obedience)?’”

33. “(’Iblis) said: ‘I am not such that I prostrate myself unto a man whom You have created of raw clay, of black mud moulded’.”

34. “He said: ‘Then get out of it, for verily you are driven away accursed’.”

35. “And, verily, the curse will be on you until the Day of Judgment.”

It was on this occasion that ’Iblis was interrogated, in the course of which he was addressed as follows:

“He said: ‘O’ Iblis! What is your reason for not being with those who prostrated (in obedience)?’”

’Iblis who was selfishly engaged in matters of pride and egoism, so much so that he had lost his wisdom, responded to the Lord in a rude way, as the verse says:

“(’Iblis) said I am not such that I prostrate myself unto a man whom you have created of raw clay, of black mud moulded’.”

He who had not been kept in touch with the secrets of creation due to his pride and egoism, and who fell down suddenly from the climax of his position, was no more eligible to be among the ranks of the angels.

Therefore, he was immediately addressed by Allah, as such:

“He said: ‘Then get out of it, for verily you are driven away accursed’.”

And Satan was warned to beware that his arrogance served as the source of his disbelief. This disbelief made his cast off for ever.

The verse says:

“And, verily, the curse will be on you until the Day of Judgment.”

Surah Al-Hijr - Verses 36 - 38

قَالَ رَبّ‌ِ فَاَنظِرْنِي إِلَي يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ

قَالَ فَإِنَّكَ مِنَ الْمُنظَرِينَ

إِلَي يَوْمِ الْوَقْتِ الْمَعْلُومِ

36. “(’Iblis) said: ‘O’ Lord! Respite me then till the day when they are raised?”

37. “Said He: ‘Then verily you are of the respited ones’.”

38. “Till the day of the appointed time.”

As ’Iblis found himself an outcast from the threshold of the Allah’s court and felt that man’s creation caused his misfortune, the flames of hatred started within him so as to take vengeance on the sons of Adam.

It was why, as the verse says:

“(’Iblis) said: ‘O’ Lord! Respite me then till the day when they are raised?”

This the Satan asked not for the sake of repenting, or for the sake of regretting as to what he had done, seeking to compensate for everything, but rather in order to continue his obstinacy, hostility, and his stiff-neckedness.

So did Allah accept this request of ’Iblis.

The verse says:

“Said He: ‘Then verily you are of the respited ones’.”

However, this respite does not extend in time as far as the Day of Judgment on which all mankind will be raised, as ’Iblis requested, but for ‘a definite time’.

The verse says:

“Till the day of the appointed time.”

The objective in mind when mentioning

“Till the day of the appointed time.”,

is the end of this world and the rolling up of the designated duration of the duties.

Surah Al-Hijr - Verses 39 - 40

قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَا أَغْوَيْتَنِي لَأُزَيِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ

إِلاَّ عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْـمُخْلَصِينَ

39. “(’Iblis) said: ‘O’ Lord! because You have left me to stray, certainly I will adorn (evil) to them on the earth, and certainly I will cause them all to go astray’.”

40. “Except Your chosen servants among them.”

Here we find ’Iblis revealed and exposed his true hidden intention, though nothing was hidden from Him, when ’Iblis answered Allah implying that He refused him and it was this ‘man’ who paved the ground for his misfortunes, ’Iblis should be engaged from then on in attracting them to the material blessings of this world by decorating and vanishing them, thus seeking to make them engaged in them.

Therefore, ultimately, he would cause them all to be misled.

The verse says:

“(’Iblis) said: ‘O’ Lord! because You have left me to stray, certainly I will adorn (evil) to them on the earth, and certainly I will cause them all to go astray’.”

Nevertheless, he knew well that his mischief would never leave any impact on the devotee servants of Allah.

Therefore, he soon made an exception to his saying, and said:

“Except Your chosen servants among them.”

These are those who have attained the highest levels of Faith and practice which have been brought about after going through a thorough educational curriculum and struggle against their ‘egotistic selves’.

There are two points raised in here which are worth mentioning:

Allah never leads anyone astray. However, if someone seeks willingly to accept the deviant path, Allah may leave him alone. This abandoning is the utmost case of the Divine punishment and outrage. As ’Iblis also willingly selected the path of arrogance and obstinacy, Allah left him to his own means.

Then the objective in saying /’aqwaytani/ (you have left me to stray) is meant in the same sense. That is, now that You no longer locate me within the reach of Your blessings and You left me alone to my own devices for the sake of my obstinate behavior, I will then do this and that.

’Iblis knows that a group of people are among the Divine selected ones. (That is, he has also accepted the legitimacy of ‘Prophethood’ and ‘Imamate’ as one can conclude from the clause:

“O’ Lord! because You have left me to stray”

that he has also accepted Allah. And as one also concludes from his prayer to be given a second chance “…till the day when they are raised”, he has also accepted the principle of Resurrection.

Therefore, ’Iblis was right in his ideological principles. However, his main fault was his arrogance and his not having a spirit of submission and servitude.

Thus, it is not enough to embrace merely the Faith and to have knowledge of something; but also practice, submission to the Will of Allah, and servitude are necessary.

Surah Al-Hijr - Verses 41 - 42

قَالَ هَذَا صِرَاطٌ عَلَيَّ مُسْتَقِيمٌ

إِنَّ عِبَادِي لَيْسَ لَكَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَانٌ إِلاَّ مَنِ اتَّبَعَكَ مِنَ الْغَاوِينَ

41. “Said He: ‘This is for Me a straight path (which I have undertaken)’.”

42. “Verily, (as regards) My (devoted) servants, there is not for you over them any authority, except those who follow you of the deviators.”

In the previous verse, ’Iblis announced that he would mislead all except the selected devotee individuals. In this verse, Allah remarks: The reason as to why ’Iblis does not have the power to dominate His servants is because of His Straight Path and His way of treatment.

That is, Allah’s way of treatment is such that He Himself guarantees their protection, and this does not imply that ’Iblis would have nothing to do with them. On the contrary, he might not be in a position to exercise any power over them.

The verse says:

“Said He: ‘This is for Me a straight path (which I have undertaken)’.”

Thus, the Satan has got no power over those who are devoted to Allah and are submissive to Him. If we can enter the circle of Allah’s servants through our worshipping and virtue, we may be insured and can be rest assure.

The verse says:

“Verily, (as regards) My (devoted) servants, there is not for you over them any authority, except those who follow you of the deviators.”

Incidentally, the Satan’s job is engaging man in mischief and not exercising or exerting his domination:

“…there is not for you over them any authority…”.

In the resurrection day, the Satan, answering the people’s protests, will say:

“I only invited you; I did not put you under any obligation or domination.”

Anyway, in order to despise the Satan and to reinforce the position of the truth-seeking individuals and those who are the followers of the path of monotheism, He said that the straight path which He has undertaken is His usual way of treatment and that Satan will have no authority or domination over His servants except on those misled ones who may voluntarily follow his footsteps.

That is, it is not indeed Satan who is able to seduce people. Rather, it is the deviants who willingly accept Satan’s call and follow his footsteps.

Surah Al-Hijr - Verses 43 - 44

وإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمَوْعِدُهُمْ أَجْمَعينَ

لَهَا سَبْعَةُ أَبْوَابٍ لّـِكُلّ‌ِ بَابٍ مّـِنْهُمْ جُزْءٌ مَّقْسُومٌ

43. “And verily Hell is certainly the promised place of them all.”

44. “It has seven gates, for every gate there shall be a (separate) party of them assigned.”

Allah has directed His most explicit threats towards the followers of the Satan, saying:

“And verily Hell is certainly the promised place of them all.”

Let them not conjecture that they can escape punishment or their accounts would not be scrutinized. It is the same Hell which has got seven gates, and each of which is allocated to one category of the followers of Satan.

The verse says:

“It has seven gates, for every gate there shall be a (separate) party of them assigned.”

These are, in fact, the gates of the sins through which men will be led into Hell. As is the case with those categories of people who enter Paradise, having with them a bag back of righteous deeds and struggles, which qualify them for entering Paradise.

The seven gateways of the Hell probably signifies that the number of the factors for those going to Hell is abundant. That is, there are numerous ways which predispose one to go to Hell.

Like verse 27 of Surah Luqman No. 31 which says:

“And were every tree that is in the earth (made into) pens and the sea (to supply it with ink), with seven more seas to increase it, the words of Allah would not come to an end…”

This means that they cannot write out all Allah’s words, and here an allusion is made to the fact that Allah’s creatures are so enormous in quantity that they are not to be accounted.

Messages

Each of the Paradise and Hell has some doorways.

“It has seven gates…”

(We read in Nahj-ul-Balaghah that the strugglers in the path of Allah will have got a particular entrance to Paradise.)

Hell, just like Paradise, has also got different levels and grades, and each person will be punished in it according to his own offence.

Notes

1. Tafsir Al-Mizan

2. Surah Al-’An‘ am, No. 6, verse 130

3. Surah Al-Jinn, No. 72,verse 1

4. Surah Al-Kahf, No. 18, verse 50

5. Surah Hūd, No. 11,verse 119

6. Tafsir Al-Mizan, vol. 12, p. 165

Section 4: Reward for the Righteous - Angles Give Abraham the Tidings of a Son

Surah Al-Hijr - Verses 45 - 48

إِنَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ فِي جَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ

ادْخُلُوهَا بِسَلاَمٍ ءَامِنِينَ

وَنَزَعْنَا مَا فِي صُدُورِهِم مِنْ غِلٍّ إِخْوَاناً عَلَي سُرُرٍ مُتَقابِلِينَ

لاَ يَمَسُّهُمْ فِيهَا نَصَبٌ وَمَا هُم مّـِنْهَا بِمُخْرَجِينَ

45. “Verily, the pious ones shall be amidst gardens and watersprings.”

46. “(They will be addressed:) ‘Enter you therein in peace, secure’.”

47. “And We remove whatever rancour may be in their breasts. (They will be as) brothers upon coaches, face to face.”

48. “No toil there shall afflict them in it, nor shall they be ever cast out of it.”

Through these holy verses, Allah has stated eight heavenly rewards for the people of virtue. They are: gardens, springs, health, security, removal of all hatred, brotherhood, face to face coaches, being aloof from any kind of harm or toil, and immortality.

The Qur’an says:

“Verily, the pious ones shall be amidst gardens and watersprings.”

“(They will be addressed:) ‘Enter you therein in peace, secure’.”

In the previous verse, we read that except those sincere believers selected by Allah, all people will be targeted by the Satan’s temptations. In these verses the Qur’an implies that if man does not reach the heights already achieved by those who are devoted and selected, but attains the objectives for the hierarchy of virtues, he will still be covered by the kinds of Divine blessings.

The Qur’an says:

“And We remove whatever rancour may be in their breasts. (They will be as) brothers upon coaches, face to face.”

What is of importance in this stage is the assembling of all blessings in one unit. In this world one finds gardens in one place, while there may be no springs therein, sometimes there are streams to be found there but there is no security over there; at times all are present with together, though there may not be authenticity or sincerity furnished there.

At times, it happens that all those blessings are coupled with different kinds of hardships and are tedious to obtain. At other times, when all blessings are brought together, one has to abdicate them all and leave them behind. However, what differentiates Hereafter from this world is that all material, spiritual, social and psychological blessings are eternal in Heaven.

The verse says:

“No toil there shall afflict them in it, nor shall they be ever cast out of it.”

Attention: The Arabic term /qill/ mentioned in verse 47 signifies secret infiltration. Therefore, evil characteristics set in their roots secretly in human beings. The Qur’anic terms /surur/ amd /sarir/ are derived from the word /surūr/ which means ‘throne’. One concludes that accession to the throne is pleasant and causes one’s rejoicing.

Surah Al-Hijr - Verses 49 - 50

نَبّـِئْ عِبَادِي أَنّـِي أَنَا الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

وَاَنَّ عَذَابِي هُوَ الْعَذَابُ الاَلِيمُ

49. “(O Prophet!) Inform My servants (that) verily I am the Forgiving, the Merciful,”

50. “And that My chastisement is the painful chastisement.”

Now, it may be possible that some sinners and deviant individuals sink in their own depression, saying:

“We wish we could also reap parts of such blessings.”

It is at this moment that Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful, opens up the gateways of Paradise to them, but with some conditions.

Addressing affectionately and with utmost caressing His Prophet, He says:

“(O Prophet!) Inform My servants (that) verily I am the Forgiving, the Merciful,”

Note

In these holy verses, the blissful Qur’an divides all people into 4 categories:

The devotees (prophets and the saints) over whom ’Iblis has no domination.

The pious ones who will be dwelling in Paradise.

The repenting sinners whom the Prophet (S) talks about their amnesty in this verse.

The disobedient sinners who have been warned as against their severe and painful chastisement.

The verse says:

“And that My chastisement is the painful chastisement.”

Surah Al-Hijr - Verses 51 - 52

وَنَبّـِئْهُمْ عَن ضَيْفِ إبْرَاهِيمَ

إِذْ دَخَلُوا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالُوا سَلاَماً قَالَ إِنَّا مِنكُمْ وَجِلُونَ

51. “And inform them of the guests of Abraham.”

52. “When they entered upon him and said: ‘Peace’, he said: ‘Verily we are scared of you!’”

From this verse on, the Qur’an discusses some instructive parts of the history of great prophets and the disobedient nations as clear examples of the devotee servants and the followers of Satan.

It begins with the story of ‘Ibrahim’s guests, saying:

“And inform them of the guests of Abraham.”

These uninvited guests were the same angels who anonymously called on ‘Ibrahim first, and said /salam/ (peace) to him.

The verse says:

“When they entered upon him and said: ‘Peace’, he said: ‘Verily we are scared of you!’”

‘Ibrahim got ready to receive them, as is the case with a great and kind host, and prepared immediately a proper food for them. But when he spread the dinner table, the unknown guests did not stretch their hands to take food.

Abraham terrified by this act and, without concealing his terror, he explicitly told them that he was afraid of them:

“Verily we are scared of you.”.

This kind of fear was because of a tradition prevalent at that time and at later times, even at the present among some nations that whenever someone eats out of someone else’s bread and salt, he would feel safe from his side for he feels he owes him something.

It was for this reason that when the angels did not eat the food, ‘Ibrahim reasoned it as the sign of having ill-intentions, rancour, and enmity with regard to him.

Surah Al-Hijr - Verses 53 - 54

قَالُوا لاَ تَوْجَلْ إِنَّا نُبَشّـِرُكَ بِغُلاَمٍ عَلِيمٍ

قَالَ أَبَشَّرْتُمُونِي عَلَي أَن مَسَّنِيَ الْكِبَرُ فَبِمَ تُبَشّـِرُونَ

53. “They said: ‘Be not afraid! Verily we give you the good news of a son endowed with knowledge.”

54. “He said: ‘Do you give me such good news (of a son) while old age has touched me? Of what do you give me good news?”

One of the examples of the Divine blessings and Divine outrage is the story of prophet ‘Ibrahim (as) in which we have the angels, on one hand, giving good news of a son to him, while on the other hand, we have their news concerning the annihilation of the people of Lot as well, when by the latter Abraham was worried.

However, before long the angels stopped ‘Ibrahim from worrying, commending him not to be frightened, for they were giving him good news of fathering a wise son.

The verse says:

“They said: ‘Be not afraid! Verily we give you the good news of a son endowed with knowledge.”

However, Abraham knew that, from the point of the natural laws, the birth of such a child by him was a remote matter. Yet, there is nothing impossible for the Power of Allah. So, regarding the normal circumstances and natural laws, he said:

“He said: ‘Do you give me such good news (of a son) while old age has touched me?…”

Then Abraham continued his statement by saying:

“…Of what do you give me good news?”

Is this news from Allah’s side or is it you who are giving me the news by yourselves? State clearly so as I can be sure.

Surah Al-Hijr - Verses 55 - 56

قَالُوا بَشَّرْنَاكَ بِالْحَقّ‌ِ فَلاَ تَكُن مّـِنَ الْقَانِطِينَ

قَالَ وَمَن يَقْنَطُ مِن رَّحْمَةِ رَبّـِهِ إِلاَّ الضَّآلُّونَ

55. “They (the guests) said: ‘We give you good news of the Truth. Therefore, be you not of the despairing ones’.”

56. “He said: ‘And who despairs of the mercy of his Lord save those who are astray?’”

Let us take didactic lessons, sweet and bitter ones, from history. The best histories are the ones which concern the life of the prophets (as) and the best historians are the prophets themselves.

Sometimes the angels appear in the form of human beings by the Divine Will and get in touch with man, among which one may refer to this very story of Hadrat Abraham (as) in which the angels felt that Abraham became scared.

Therefore, the angels did not give any further chances to Abraham to wonder or hesitate more. They told him explicitly and decisively that they were carrying the news of the Truth to provide him with. The kind of good news coming from Allah, and by His order, is the Truth, and nothing but the truth, that is why it is identical with the Truth and is certain as well.

The verse says:

“They (the guests) said: ‘We give you good news of the Truth…”

Following that and to stress further presuming ‘Ibrahim having not been overtaken by any fear and depression, they declared: Now that such is the case, do not be among the desperate.

The verse continues saying:

“…Therefore, be you not of the despairing ones’.”

Nonetheless, Abraham quickly alienated this thinking from their minds that he might be overtaken by hopelessness from the Divine grace. On the contrary, his sole astonishment concentrated on the issues of natural laws. Therefore, he explicitly stated in an interrogative sentence, implying who on earth despairs from Allah’s grace except those who are misled?

The verse says:

“He said: ‘And who despairs of the mercy of his Lord save those who are astray?’”

These are those seduced people who have not rightly come to know Allah and have not realized the dimensions of His indefinite powers.

That Lord Who creates such an amazing and smashing being called ‘man’ out of some tiny particles of dust, and brings into existence such a prestigious child out of insignificant semen. He Who turns and transforms burning fires into a rose-garden. Who can then doubt the ability of such a Lord or despair from His grace?

Surah Al-Hijr - Verses 57 - 58

قَالَ فَمَا خَطْبُكُمْ أَيُّهَا الْمُرْسَلُونَ

قَالُوا إِنَّآ اُرْسِلْنَآ إِلَي قَوْمٍ مُّجْرِمِينَ

57. “He said: ‘What is your business, then, O’ you (Divine) messengers?’”

58. “They said: ‘Verily we have been sent unto a guilty people (to annihilate them)’,”

Before starting their mission, the angels used to brief the Divine leaders about their own missions.

Therefore, after hearing about this good news, Abraham (as) started thinking as to the fact that the angels, under those circumstances, had not merely come there to give him simply the news of having a son.

Definitely, they had come to achieve a more important mission, and the conveying of the good news could be regarded only as a part of that mission.

It was for this reason that he went on asking them:

“He said: ‘What is your business, then, O’ you (Divine) messengers?’”

The angels responded that they had been sent to a sinful nation to annihilate them.

The Qur’an announces their answer, as the verse says:

“They said: ‘Verily we have been sent unto a guilty people (to annihilate them)’,”

Thus they made him understand that they had come to destroy the sinful people of Lot, for the angels were not sent down to that nation but for their destruction.

Surah Al-Hijr - Verses 59 - 60

إِلآَّ ءَالَ لُوطٍ إِنَّا لَمُنَجُّوهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ

إِلاَّ امْرَأَتَهُ قَدَّرْنَآ إِنَّهَا لَمِنَ الْغَابِرِينَ

59. “Save the family of Lot, We shall surely rescue them all.”

60. “Except his wife, of whom we decreed that she should be among those who remain behind (in the chastisement).”

Hadrat-i-’Ibrahim (as) and Hadrat-i-Lot (as) did not recognize the angels in their first encounter.

Therefore, Abraham said:

“Verily we are scared of you!”,1

and Lot said:

“Verily you are an unknown people.”2

Certainly, these angels became as Lot’s guests while appearing in the form of some handsome youths with smart and beautiful faces, and that prophet got worried about such guests because of the corruption which was prevalent in that society.

And it was for this reason that the angels, knowing about the curiosity of Abraham, especially in such matters and issues, would not be content with such a brief answer, instantly added that such an offensive nation is no other than the Lot’s people.

They also remarked that they were sent on the mission to wipe out that evil-begotten and shameless villains, pounding them thoroughly and to exterminate them altogether, except Lot’s family members whom they should rescue all.

The verse says:

“Save the family of Lot, We shall surely rescue them all.”

However, as the Arabic phrase /’ alalūt/ (the family of Lot) with an emphasis on /’ajma‘in/ (them all), included all of his family members encompassing even his misguided wife, who cooperated with the pagans, and perhaps with the awareness of ‘Ibrahim of the matter, the angels immediately made her an exception to the rule, and said:

“Except his wife, of whom we decreed that she should be among those who remain behind (in the chastisement).”

Explanations

The Arabic term /qabirin/ is the plural of /q abir/ which means; ‘the remaining ones’ and the remaining soil is called dust.

One may conclude from the concept of the noble verse that she (Lot’s wife) was among those who had got to stay in the town and was to be killed like other inhabitants of the town.

Notes

1. The current Surah, verse 52

2. Ibid, verse 62