15. Surah Al-Hijr

الحجرThe Rock · 99 ayahsمعارف القرآن انگلش

Read Surah Al-Hijr in the Quran reader
Ayahs 15:31–41

اِلَّاۤ اِبْلِیْسَ١ؕ اَبٰۤى اَنْ یَّكُوْنَ مَعَ السّٰجِدِیْنَ Open ayah 15:31 in the Quran reader

except Iblis. He refused to be among those who prostrated.

قَالَ یٰۤاِبْلِیْسُ مَا لَكَ اَلَّا تَكُوْنَ مَعَ السّٰجِدِیْنَ Open ayah 15:32 in the Quran reader

He (Allah) said, "0 Iblis, what is wrong with you that you did not join those who prostrated?"

قَالَ لَمْ اَكُنْ لِّاَسْجُدَ لِبَشَرٍ خَلَقْتَهٗ مِنْ صَلْصَالٍ مِّنْ حَمَاٍ مَّسْنُوْنٍ Open ayah 15:33 in the Quran reader

He said, "I am not the one to prostrate before a human being whom You have created from a sound-giving clay made of decayed mud."

قَالَ فَاخْرُجْ مِنْهَا فَاِنَّكَ رَجِیْمٌۙ Open ayah 15:34 in the Quran reader

He said, 'Then, get out from here for you are an outcast.

وَّ اِنَّ عَلَیْكَ اللَّعْنَةَ اِلٰى یَوْمِ الدِّیْنِ Open ayah 15:35 in the Quran reader

And upon you is the curse upto the day of Judgment."

قَالَ رَبِّ فَاَنْظِرْنِیْۤ اِلٰى یَوْمِ یُبْعَثُوْنَ Open ayah 15:36 in the Quran reader

He said, "0 my Lord, then give me respite upto the day they (the dead) shall be raised."

قَالَ فَاِنَّكَ مِنَ الْمُنْظَرِیْنَۙ Open ayah 15:37 in the Quran reader

He (Allah) said, "Well, you are among those given respite

اِلٰى یَوْمِ الْوَقْتِ الْمَعْلُوْمِ Open ayah 15:38 in the Quran reader

till the day of the appointed time."

قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَاۤ اَغْوَیْتَنِیْ لَاُزَیِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ فِی الْاَرْضِ وَ لَاُغْوِیَنَّهُمْ اَجْمَعِیْنَۙ Open ayah 15:39 in the Quran reader

He said, "My Lord, since You made me go astray, I swear I shall adorn for them (evils) on the earth and shall lead all of them astray,

اِلَّا عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِیْنَ Open ayah 15:40 in the Quran reader

except those of Your servants from among them who are chosen (by You)."

قَالَ هٰذَا صِرَاطٌ عَلَیَّ مُسْتَقِیْمٌ Open ayah 15:41 in the Quran reader

He (Allah) said, 'To Me, it is the straight path.

The Command to Prostrate was Given to Angels - Iblis was to Follow Suit Addressing Iblis in Surah Al-A` raf, it was said: مَا مَنَعَكَ أَلَّا تَسْجُدَ إِذْ أَمَرْ‌تُكَ (What stopped you from prostrating when I ordered you? - 7:12). This shows that the command to prostrate was given, along with the angels, to Iblis as well. However, the verses you have gone through a little earlier apparently give the sense that the command was particular to the an-gels. This could mean that the command was originally given to the angels but, as Iblis too was present among the angels, therefore, he too was covered by this command as a corollary - because, when the command went forth for the most august creation of Allah Ta’ ala, that is, the an-gels, that they pay their homage to Sayyidna 'Adam (علیہ السلام) ، it was obvious that any other creation was bound to follow suit under this command. It was for this reason that Iblis did not respond by saying that he was never asked to prostrate to begin with, so he could not be charged with the crime of non-compliance of the order. Perhaps, the words of the Qur’ an here: ' أَبَىٰ أَن يَكُونَ مَعَ السَّاجِدِينَ ' (He refused to be among those who prostrated - 30) may contain a hint in that direction. Rather than say: أَبَىٰ أَن یَّسجُدَ 1 that is, 'he refused to prostrate', what was actually said was: ' أَبَىٰ أَن يَكُونَ مَعَ السَّاجِدِينَ ' he refused to be among those who prostrated. This indicates that the main prostraters were after all the angels but Iblis too, being present with them, was reason-bound to join the prostrating an-gels. So, the Divine wrath was against his failure to join.
Ayahs 15:42–43

اِنَّ عِبَادِیْ لَیْسَ لَكَ عَلَیْهِمْ سُلْطٰنٌ اِلَّا مَنِ اتَّبَعَكَ مِنَ الْغٰوِیْنَ Open ayah 15:42 in the Quran reader

My servants are such that you have no power over them except those who follow you from the deviators.

وَ اِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمَوْعِدُهُمْ اَجْمَعِیْنَ۫ۙ Open ayah 15:43 in the Quran reader

And the Jahannam (Hell) is the promised place for them all.

The Meaning of Shaitan Having No Power over Special Servants of Allah From the verse: إِنَّ عِبَادِي لَيْسَ لَكَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَانٌ (My servants are such that you have no power over them - 42), we learn that there are special and chosen servants of Allah Ta’ ala who are not affected by Shaitanic deception. But, within this event relating to Sayyidna 'Adam ill, it has also been said that the deception of Shaitan worked in the case of Sayyidna 'Adam and Hawwa' (علیہما السلام) . Similarly, about the noble Companions, the Qur’ an has said: إِنَّمَا اسْتَزَلَّهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ بِبَعْضِ مَا كَسَبُوا ۖ (Shaitan had but made them slip for some of their deeds - 3:155) which tells us that there was an occasion (during the Battle of Uhud) when the evil plan of the Shaitan worked against the Companions as well. Therefore, in the present verse, the sense of saying that the special servants of Allah are such that Shaitan has no power over them is that their hearts and minds never come under the power and sway of Shaitan to the extent that would just not become alerted to their error at all, be-cause of which, they would remain deprived of necessary repentance for ever, or that they fall into some sin the forgiveness of which would be-come impossible. As for the events mentioned above, they offer no contradiction be-cause 'Adam and Hawwa' (علیہما السلام) made their Taubah and this repentance was accepted. Similarly, the noble Companions referred to above had also made their Taubah. Thus, whatever sin they fell into because of the mechanization of Shaitan was forgiven.
Ayah 15:44

لَهَا سَبْعَةُ اَبْوَابٍ١ؕ لِكُلِّ بَابٍ مِّنْهُمْ جُزْءٌ مَّقْسُوْمٌ۠ Open ayah 15:44 in the Quran reader

It has seven gates. For each gate there is a group apportioned from them."

The Seven Gates of Jahannam About the statement: لَهَا سَبْعَةُ أَبْوَابٍ (It has seven gates - 44), according to a narration of Sayyidna ` Ali ؓ reported by Imam Alhmad, Ibn Jarir Al-Tabari and Al-Baihaqi, the seven gates of Jahannam (Hell) are in terms of seven levels, one upon the other. Some others have taken these as common gates where every gate will be reserved for a special kind of sinners. (Qurtubi)
Ayahs 15:45–47

اِنَّ الْمُتَّقِیْنَ فِیْ جَنّٰتٍ وَّ عُیُوْنٍؕ Open ayah 15:45 in the Quran reader

Surely, the God-fearing are in Gardens and streams:

اُدْخُلُوْهَا بِسَلٰمٍ اٰمِنِیْنَ Open ayah 15:46 in the Quran reader

'Enter here in peace, free of fear."

وَ نَزَعْنَا مَا فِیْ صُدُوْرِهِمْ مِّنْ غِلٍّ اِخْوَانًا عَلٰى سُرُرٍ مُّتَقٰبِلِیْنَ Open ayah 15:47 in the Quran reader

And We shall have removed whatever grudge they had in their hearts (making them) brothers, sitting on couches, face to face.

Commentary According to Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas ؓ ، when the people of Jannah will enter Jannah, first of all two streams of water will be presented before them. They will drink water from the first stream and all mutual grudges they had from their life in the mortal world - the effect of which naturally survived right through the end - will be totally washed away. In its place, they all will feel love for each other in their hearts because mutual bickering too is virtually a pain and punishment as such, and Jannah is free of all pain. As for the report appearing in Sahih Hadith: 'Anyone who nurses the least grudge in his heart against a Muslim will not go to Jannah,' it means the grudge and malice which is rooted in material ends, and is there by one's personal intention and choice, and because of which this person keeps looking for an opportunity to inflict pain or loss on his enemy. Being ill at ease in someone's company as a matter of natural temperament, a human trait beyond one's control, is not included here. Similar is the case of what is based on some Islamic legal ground. It is this kind of grudge which has been referred to in this verse and where it has been said that such grudge and temperamental distaste will be removed from their hearts. It is about this kind of grudge that Sayyidna ` Ali ؓ said: "I hope that I shall be, along with Talha and Zubayr, among those the dust of mutual anxiety from whose hearts will be removed while entering Jannah." The reference here is to the difference of opinion and resulting conflict which took place between Sayyidna Talha and Sayyidna Zubayr and Sayyidna ` Ali ؓ .