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qāla qarīnuhū rabbanā mā ʾaṭghaytuhū wa-lākin kāna fī ḍalālin baʿīdin
His companion [devil] will say, ‘Our Lord! I did not incite him to rebel [against You], but he was [himself] in extreme error.’
— Ali Quli Qarai
50QāfقVerse 27 of 45
Qaf50. Qāfق
Qāf
Qaf
MeccanVerse 27 of 45
Surah Qaf - Verses 27-29
27. His companion [Satan] will say: “Our Lord! I did not push him to transgression, but he was himself in error far astray.”
28. [Allah] will say:”Dispute not in front of Me, I had already sent you the warning.
29. The Sentence [as to casting disbelievers into Hell] that comes from Me cannot be changed, and I am not unjust to [My] servants.”
Imam Sadiq (as) is quoted as saying:
“[The word]
companion [attested]
in this Verse refers to Satan.” 1
It is attested elsewhere that Satan becomes the companion of certain evil-doers.2 One of the factors leading man to Hell is bad company, as the Qur’anic Verses makes mention of Satan as a companion leading man to Hell. Complaints of the people of the Hell include their regret for bad company in this world, as it is attested in the Holy Qur’an3:
“Ah! Woe unto me! Would that I had never taken so-and-so as an intimate friend!”
There will be disputes on the Day of Resurrection amongst evil-doers with one another, between evil-doers and corrupt leaders, and between evil-doers and Satan each of whom make attempts at putting the blame of their own sins on the other. Like scenes are to be found in the Holy Qur’an. At times they say unto one another:
“Had it not been for you, we should certainly have been believers!” 4 .
“They will reply: “Nay you yourselves were not believers” 5 .
In another scene, they will say unto corrupt leaders:
“Indeed, we were following you. Can you avail us anything against Allah’s torment?” 6
They censure Satan in another scene and he says:
“Therefore, blame me not, but blame yourselves. I cannot help you, nor can you help me. I deny your former deed in associating me as a partner with Allah” 7 .
The blessed Verse 27 says:
“Our Lord! I did not push him to transgression, but he was himself in error far astray.”
The Hell repeatedly says: “Is there any more,” as the people of Hell used to repeat the same in worshipping mammon, i.e. mundane property and worldly offices and transgressing the rights of others. At any rate, the stubborn disbelievers’ disputes with Satan on the Day of Resurrection removes the veil from their destiny. They censure the tempting devils for all the sins committed by them, but their companion, Satan, says:
“O Lord! I did not push him to disobedience nor did I force him to go astray, but he chose this way out of his own will and he was in astray far away.”
It is worthy of note that Satan does not intend to deny his role as the tempter, but he intends to say that he did not force anyone, but man welcomed his temptations out of his own will and desire. Thus, the blessed Verse in question is not inconsistent with another Qur’anic Verse8 saying:
“Then I will certainly mislead them all.”
The blessed Verse 27 apparently serves as a defense for Satan and no mention is made of disbelievers’ complaints against Satan, but taking into account their disputes on the Day of Resurrection in other Qur’anic Verses and the following One, their words become briefly apparent, since the blessed Verse 28 says:
“[Allah] will say:”Dispute not in front of Me, I had already sent you the warning”
and I have informed you in advance of this dire destiny. The blessed Verse on the one side alludes to God’s words unto Satan;
“[Allah] said: ‘Go and whosoever of them follows you, surely Hell will be the recompense of you – an ample recompense,” 9
and on the other, God Almighty had warned men thus:
“That I will fill Hell with you and those of them that follow you” 10 .
Such warnings are to be found in other Qur’anic Verses as well reflecting that God Almighty has given His Ultimatum to devils and men, warning them against tempting and being tempted. The blessed Verse 39 says:
“The Sentence [as to casting disbelievers into Hell] that comes from Me cannot be changed, and I am not unjust to [My] servants.”
The word Sentence (qawl) ad hoc refers to the warnings mentioned in different Qur’anic Verses examples of which were mentioned above. The Arabic word dallam is the intensified present participial form designating absolute negation of wrong-doing by God Almighty. In other words, the Most Gracious and Just Allah is by no means unjust to His servants. The blessed Verse in question and the like Qur’anic Verses bear testimony to human choice.
Footnotes