بسم ﷲ الر حمن الر حیم
The Covenant of God with Iblis (satan)
Discerning الرحمن “… the Bi-Merciful …” (Continued)
The three Covenants between God and Iblis, concerning
– The Exiled Angels
– The Humans
– The Prophets
The first Covenant, concerning the Exiled Angels (7:11-18)
The verses (7:11-18) that refer to the first Covenant (2:31-32-33) in the last (Al-FurQan Chapter 15) coincide with the expiration of the respite Granted to the seduced angels for prostration to Adam! The first Covenant takes place in the High heavens and in the presence of all the angels, the sinful and the faithful, all together. On this occasion, naturally, Adam is absent from the scene, and his absence or distance is pointed out in the way God Calls Adam (2:33): “O Adam.”
In this set of verses, the first confession of Iblis to his crime takes place in front of the angels only. Iblis is debased and demoted (under each verse, the explanation is given). Therefore, the contents of these verses are the words exchanged between God and Iblis, and the respite asked by Iblis, “until the day they are raised up” (verse 14), concerns the revenge of Iblis on his own group and crowd, the seduced angels present there with him on the occasion (who followed him at first, but then repented). Although they had repented, they were to be exiled temporarily, in order to wipe the sin (pollution) out of their system, down on Earth. He promised to take his revenge by seducing his group again (7:11-18).
7:11 “In fact, We Created you, then Gave you shape, then Said to the angels to prostrate for Adam, so they prostrated except Iblis, he refused to be of those who prostrated.”
(11) In this verse, the title and the issue of the event is recalled.
7:12 “He (God) Said, ‘What prevented you from prostrating when I Ordered you?’ He said, ‘I am better than he, You Created me from fire and Created him from clay.’”
(12) This is the first time that All’h Questions Iblis concerning his revolt. The point to be noted in this verse is that the name (of Iblis) is not proclaimed. In other words, “O Iblis” does not prefix the question, this indicates that the Speaker and the spoken to are in proximity of One another.
The Arabic word for “to prostrate” means “to accept and acknowledge the priority.” It does not necessarily entail the actual physical posture of falling down and touching the ground with the forehead, unless it is prefixed by the Arabic word for “falling to prostration” (7:120). The angels’ acknowledgement of prostration occurred in proximity to God and a far distance from Adam. This explains why you never see the word “falling” into prostration for angels, but (fagha’oo) = “Befall, occur, happen” in a position of prostration, being respectful (15:29) (Please excuse the repetition of certain things, that due to ages of false ideas about some words, cause deviation and ambiguity in some statements. It is wiser to remind once too often than not enough.)
7:13 “He Said, ‘Then, falloff (decline) from it, it is not for you to be arrogant in it, get out. For you are of the (eternal) debased ones.’”
(13) Iblis is debased from his position and rank, for the first time, in front of all the angels.
7:14 “He said, ‘Give me Respite till day they are raised up.’”
(14) Why “till day they are raised up” instead of just Day of the Resurrection (Youm Al-Ghiama)? The reason is that these two Events are not exactly the same. Day they are raised up concerns different events happening at the era of the end of the world, such as the raising up of the jinn, precisely in this verse, the raising up of Man from death, the raising up of the three Messengers (surah 36) for their mission, and the raising up of some people after death (21:95, 96, 97). All these events happen in the era of the end of the world (from now on, beginning with the Event of the second Opening of the Qur’an, till the End, year 2280).
7:15 “He (God) Said, ‘Be you of those who have Respite.”
(15) God Grants respite to Iblis to take revenge on his own kind.
7:16 “(Iblis) said, ‘As You Tricked me, I will lie in wait for them on Your Straight Path.’”
(16) The “Straight Path” of God, Being the same for jinn and Man, is the Path leading to God, Straight without deviation of idolatry, to the Highest Heaven.
7:17 “Then will I assault them, from before them and behind them, from their rights and from their lefts, and You will not Find most of them grateful.”
(17) The “rights and … lefts,” being plural, refer to the two Easts and two Wests of the two (parallel) planets (55:17) of jinn and Man. Planet Earth is “egg shaped” (79:30) (and not round), according to science. After a certain time, the planet will be reversed, east becoming west, west becoming east. Moreover, referring to 37:166 “And we are in fact the celebrators of praise,” the act of glorifying and praising the Lord is attributed to angels. Angels being made of Energy of God, the act of praising and thanksgiving charges their Energy. It is their provision (just as for us, acknowledgement of Blessings of God, multiplies the Blessings). And in 39:75 “And you will see the angels encompassing all around the Throne praising the Glory of their Lord it is decreed between them in justice and they are saying, ‘Praise to All’h, Lord of the people of the world.’” It concerns the group of angels/jinn whose conviction to the Lord has been proven in the world. Now they are back to High Heaven, glorifying and praising, as they used to. The sentence (7:17) “… and You will not Find most of them thanksgiving,” refers to those angels/jinn who will not make their way up and remain on Earth/Hell.
7:18 “He Said, ‘Get out from this, disgraced and exiled (driven to a distance), any of them (angels/jinn) following you, Hell will I Fill with you all.’”
(18) Here it becomes evident that the spoken-to is Iblis and the unappreciative angels of Iblis’s homogeny, who were present when Ordered to descend. In the sentence, “… Hell will I Fill with you all,” the word “you all,” refers to Iblis and his kind, gathered all there in close vicinity to God. The way to seduce jinn and Man for satan is nearly the same, and we can only distinguish the differences by these small details.
The Second Covenant and Second Confession of Iblis concerning Mankind
(15:26-43)
The contents of these verses are directed specifically to Man. This time, contrary to the preceding set of verses, it contains more information about Iblis’s crime, information which only mankind was not aware of. Hence, I draw your attention to them. The difference between this set of verses (15:26-43), and the preceding ones (7:11-18) is that in these, the contemptibility and expulsion of Iblis that occurred only in the presence of the angels (7:13) is not mentioned, as it has no direct connection to mankind, as they were absent at that occasion.
15:26 “And in fact We Created Man of sounding clay, of aged (stagnant, black) mud.”
15:27 “And the Jâan (angels) We had Created them before, from the fume (tempest) of fire.”
(26-27) The title is repeated, and for the first time, information is detailed about the Creation of Man (Clay, aged mud.) Facts to be discovered in our time by science, proving the veracity of the Qur’an. Plus, the information for humankind about the Creation of jâan “angels” that has occurred before their own.
15:28 “And when your Lord Said to the angels, ‘I Am (in the process of) Creating a human of sounding clay, of aged (stagnant, black) mud.’”
(28) In this verse, the important information (apart from the kind of mud in which Man was created) is for Man to know that his Creation has been through processes and evolution (and not just by a fairy-wand).
15:29 “When I have Proportioned (Equaled) him, and Breathed into him of My Spirit, then befall prostrating for him.”
(29) In this verse, for the first time God Reveals to the angels that He has Blown of His Spirit into Man. (Humans are the only Creatures holding the Spirit of God.) This being the reason of the priority of humans over the angels, now the angels know that they owe humankind prostration (the right of priority and respect). The word used with “prostrating” in here is “befall” meaning “establish/occur.”
15:30 “So all the angels prostrated, the whole lot of them,”
(30) In this verse, at last the angels become aware of the reason for the priority of humans over themselves. They all, the submitted and the rebelled ones, have prostrated. This is the reason for the sentence “the whole lot of them” being well specified.
15:31 “But not so Iblis, he refused to be amongst those who prostrated.”
(31) In this verse, the rebellion of Iblis, his refusal to honor the Spirit of God in Man is in a separate verse, although it makes part of the preceding one. This indicates the importance of the sentence for humankind to keep in mind as a whole, individual verse.
15:32 “He Said, ‘O Iblis, what is it that you are not among those who prostrated?’”
(32) In this verse, there are two points that clarify the difference with 1st Covenant:
7:12 “He Said, ‘What prevented you from prostrating when I Ordered you?’”
- In verse 32, Iblis is spoken to in proclamation (O Iblis), meaning he is at a far distance and no longer in the vicinity close to God. The issue of the first Covenant with angels — up in Heaven — is past at this occasion.
- God’s Question to Iblis is put in a different way just to show a different situation.
15:33 “He said, ‘I am not one to prostrate to a human, whom You Created from sounding clay, from aged mud’”
(33) In this verse, the word “human” is particularly mentioned, and in the Qur’an this is the second confession of Iblis to his rebellion.
15:34 “He Said, ‘Therefore get out of it (rank and place) for you are being stoned (expelled).’”
(34) The word stoned relates only to mankind and the material world. It is a must for humankind to remember the fact that satan is to be stoned and driven away, as having been also expelled by God (also symbolically ritualized in Mecca).
15:35 “And the curse (of humans) shall be on you till Day of the Religion.”
(35) This verse is about humans cursing satan, till the appearance of “the Religion” (Religion of the Creator/All’h) that clarifies all about satan, indicating the Straight Path of God (and the ending era of the world) for all people of the world.
15:36 “He said, ‘My Lord, then Give me Respite till Day they are raised;’”
(36) Referring to humans to be raised, the word “then” in this verse, indicates a repetition.
15:37 “He Said, ‘Respite is Granted to you,’”
(37) Respite is also Granted for revenge against man.
15:38 “Till Day of the time (everything be) known”
Such a time refers to the period of time when science would make everything known for people, informing them about the right and wrong concerning their inner and outer world, moreover, by informing the mathematical Proof of the authenticity of the Qur’an, people willingly or compellingly, must believe the Existence of God, hence through His Word, concerning satan, angels and jinn.
15:39 “(Iblis) said, ‘My Lord, as You Tricked me, I will adorn for them on the Earth, tricking the whole lot of them,’”
(39) To be seduced and tricked by the worldly adornments also is only attributed to mankind.
15:40 “Except those among your servants/worshipers, devoting (the worship) to You Alone.”
(40) This phrase, again being put in an individual verse, although belonging to the preceding one is the most important information for humankind to keep in mind. The only way to avoid being tricked by satan is to devote their worship only to God Alone (without associating prophets, imams and saints or other worldly idols).
15:41 “(All’h) Said, ‘This indeed is a Way leading straight to Me.’”
15:42 “As to My servants/worshipers, no authority shall you have over them, except the seduced ones who follow you;”
(41-42) These verses let us know that satan has no controlling power over us unless we allow ourselves to be overpowered by him to go astray.
15:43 “And truly Hell is the Promised place for the whole lot of them.”
(43) In this verse, “the whole lot of them” refers to mankind.
Conclusion: the verses in surah 15 inform us that the three Day/period/era, mentioned in the Qur’an, Day they are raised, Day of the Religion, and Day of the time (everything) known are contemporaneous. The interpreters and translators of the Qur’an up to now have considered all the three Days as the Day of Resurrection/Judgment Day — Youm Alghiama, but this is not so. The words “Day of the Resurrection” already exist in the Qur’an in (17:62) and scientific proof was presented earlier (refer Al-FurQan Chapter 13) that two different words having exactly the same meaning is nonexistent in the Qur’an. It is absurd to think that God would Use words simply to confuse us.
What is the purpose of mentioning three different Days, when most certainly God’s changing Words are NEVER without reason? We get our answers by digging into the meaning of these three statements deeply. This information is of fundamental importance to the people of our time. The following includes some explanations regarding the three Days.
1. Day of the Religion
First it is specified the Religion, and not any religion. “Day,” aside from meaning “period and era,” also means “enlightening, manifest, evident, clearness, daylight.” The essential meaning of the Religion is “universal Law,” the General Rule and Order that regulates the very essence of all things, in other words “the Way Advised by the Creator for the functioning system of all things.”
This “Day” is the Period/era of time when people would become enlightened by knowledge about the only Religion, the Religion of the Creator, the One that has Created everything and Knows the Rules and Religion for everything (as no one but God has ever created anything, not even a fly). The best Admonishment for humans’ wellbeing and health (of body and soul). The enlightenment of the Religion coincides with the manifestation of all sorts of rebellions, perturbations and diseases of Man’s inner and outer worlds. In the light of Knowledge, humans clearly see the outcome of rejecting God/Creator’s Rules/Religion. Since such a Day concerns humanity, it is brought up in surahs 15 and 38, and not in surah 7, concerning the angels/jinn.
2. Day of the time (everything becomes) known
This “Day” points to the time of people’s acquisition of science and knowledge, shedding light on all unknown things (i.e., The recent scientific discovery of the String theory/the theory of Everything). Today we are living in such a Day. All the discoveries of science of our time have not only brought knowledge about ﷲ “All’h” the Four forces of the Creation and our Creator, and ourselves, but have also correlated the verses of the Qur’an concerning the Religion of God. The quality and attribute of God’s Law for general wellbeing and health (of mind and body) keep being discovered by contemporary science, all the time. Actually, these discoveries are introduced to the people of our time through news and media, without our realizing that it is actually God’s Law that is introduced, and in fact they are all the Rules set in the Qur’an 1400 years ago. This is the true meaning of “Day of the Religion” and “Day of the time known,” corroborating one another, moving toward the same goal, that is the manifestation of God’s Religion.
3. Day they are raised/awakened
“Being raised” (meaning “to raise, rouse, awake, to draw forth, to cause to happen”) has been used in the Qur’an in the following applications:
– Being raised after death
– Being raised as Messenger
– In (2:55-56) some people of Moses being raised after having died by thunder and lightning, while others were watching
– In (21:95-96) some people being raised after death in this world in future or maybe, one of these days
– Jinn being raised for Judgment
– Calamity being raised
– Villainous men being raised (for ruling and governing)
– Witness being raised
Note well that any of the above could be part of Day they are raised, and the period and time of the three Events, Day they are raised, Day of the Religion, and Day of the time known are during the two last centuries before the end of the world, in other words, during our time now, as we are living the last two centuries of the world.
The Difference between Day of the Resurrection, Day of the Rising up (30:56) and Day they are raised:
Day of the Resurrection is the Judgment Day
This is the rising up of mankind altogether from dead, as well as the jinn. This is after the destruction of the solar system and this world altogether, keeping in consideration that the rising up of Man from dead is not the same as that of the jinn. The jinn do not possess material bodies, and hence do not have physical death, but they will be raised for judgment.
72:7 “And they (jinn) think as you thought, that All’h would not Raise up anyone (to Judgment).”
Therefore, Day of the Resurrection is specifically used as the resurrection of the whole mankind and jinn for Judgment, after the end of the world, and not for any other purpose in the Qur’an.
Day of the Rising up
30:56 “And said those endued with knowledge and faith, ‘In fact you tarried due to All’h’s Book till Day of the Rising up, then this is Day of the Rising up, but you were not aware.’”
This is the Day/era of the time that everything mentioned above (being raised/awakened), concerning the rising up of the three Messengers, and eventually some arising from death, without being the Resurrection Day.
Day they are raised
As mentioned above, it is applicable for Judgment, life and missionary. In (7:14), satan asks respite to take revenge on his own kind until “the Day they are raised” for Judgment, since jinn do not die physically, satan has time to seduce them until they are raised/stood up for Judgment. In (15:36), reference to some people being raised after death (21:95-96-97) as proof of Reality. This is the time when doors will open to Gog and Magog’ productivity, and the Hour (of the end of the world) is approaching. Satan asks respite to take revenge on humans till this event, as after this event, naturally the falsehood of satan will be manifest for humans.
In (38:79), reference to the “three Messengers of All’h,” Time, science and the Book, being raised, coinciding with Day of the Religion and Day of the time known. At this period, the respite is eventually coming to its end, as with the raising up of the three Messengers, the work and trickery of satan eventually becomes evident and everyone will know all about him, through Knowledge and the Book, also by the disastrous result on people who had followed his way in their lifetime. In (17:61-65), more information is given on the devil’s mode of operation as to how he seduces humankind. The verses emphasize the reasoning above, regarding Day of the Resurrection.
17:61 “And when We Said to the angels, ‘Prostrate to Adam,’ they did except Iblis. He said, ‘Shall I prostrate to one whom You Created from clay?’”
(61) Title of the subject
17:62 “He said, ‘You see this one that You Honor above me, if You Delay me till Day of the Resurrection, I will put barnacles on all his descendants, but a few.’”
(62) In this verse, besides referring to the animal nature of Man (a confirmation of Darwin’s theory), satan asks his retribution to be delayed, note well that it is different from asking respite for revenge.
17:63 “He Said, ‘Go away. Then any of them following you, verily Hell will be your recompense, an ample recompense.’”
17:64 “And provoke those whom you can among them by your voice (noise, sound), attract them by your cavalry and infantry, share with them in wealth and children and make promises to them. But the satan promises them nothing but deceit.”
17:65 “As for My servants, no authority shall you have over them, and enough Is your Lord as Advocate.”
(63-64-65) These verses provide people with more information about satan. He intrigues through sound and noise, he participates in wealth and children through illegitimacy, but the most important information is that satan has no power and no authority over anyone choosing God as his Guide and following His Way. Satan has no authority over a human, unless the human decides to allow him.
The Third Covenant/Affidavit concerning the Messengers and the End of-the name/title-Iblis in the Qur’an (38:65-88)
These verses concerning the Prophets and Messengers, have been the last Covenant that became a Treaty (verse 84). From this point on, the name Iblis is no longer mentioned, nor is his story told in the Qur’an. After his descent to Exile, to the Earth, he also loses his original name, Iblis, and will be known by the adjective-name al-shaïtan “the satan.” The root word of “shaïtan” is shatana, meaning “tying with a rope, opposing, nullifying, obstructing, distorting, thwarting, making barren” precisely all his basic nature. Consequently, anything said by the name al-shaitan in the Qur’an, points to his time on Earth, practicing his satanic schemes on Man and jinn/ (the fallen angels).
38:65 “Say, ‘Truly I am a Warner, and there is no god but All’h, the Only Conqueror;’”
(65) This group of verses, precisely starting with the sign of Warner/Messenger is the third and last Event of the Covenant with Iblis, concerning his respite to take revenge on God through His Prophets and Messengers. In this verse and the next one, there is the most important factor of Message and preaching of any Warner/Messenger of God, arising on Earth to retain and get admonished by, and which is the precise aim of satan to confuse and deviate people from:
– Knowing and recognizing the Warner, by the Signs and his proclamations
– Knowing that there is no other god but “the God/Creator,” who Is the Only Conqueror at the End
38:66 “The Lord of the heavens and the Earth and all between, the Almighty, the Oft-Forgiver;”
(66) The fact to remember is that the Real Lord of all angels in Heaven and people of the world Is none but All’h. To know that He Is Almighty and meanwhile He Is Oft-Forgiving the errors and sins, for those fallen into satan’s trap, by repenting. All of which the event of Iblis’s respite that is about to be declared.
38:67 “Say, ‘That is indeed a great news,’”
(67) Which I am about to inform, no others have known about it.
38:68 “From which you do turn away.”
(68) You do not realize the importance of this Event. You should concentrate and recognize the Signs in it.
38:69 “No knowledge could I have about the High above assembly (the court of Heaven) when they started antagonizing among themselves.”
(69) This being a divine information, as no Man could have known of what happened in High Heaven (scientifically, above the Planck wall) where the angels reside.
38:70 “If this has been Revealed to me, it is only because I am a manifest Warner.”
(70) Revelation only comes to Warners/Prophets and Messengers.
38:71 “When your Lord Said to the angels, ‘I Am (in process of) Creating a human from clay’”
38:72 “So, when I have Proportioned/Equaled him and Breathed into him of My Spirit, befall prostrating for him”
(71-72) The two verses above, are as titles, reminding us of the continuation of the event of 15:26-43, the Second Covenant with Iblis concerning his respite to take revenge on Man, and as this third Covenant concerns satan’s revenge on Prophets and Messengers, then the Event has taken place at the same time. Note well that the title does no longer start with the preceding word and, showing the end, and no more continuation of this matter from these verses onward.
38:73 “So all the angels prostrated, the whole lot of them,”
38:74 “Except Iblis, he conceited and became of the (ever) rejecters”
(73-74) Here we are informed of Iblis’s arrogance and his condemnation to perpetuity, something that had not been announced previously.
The reason for Iblis’s arrogance being mentioned here is that God had Chosen man to be His Representative on Earth instead of Iblis, and God’s Representatives on Earth are Prophets and Messengers.
38:75 “(All’h) Said, ‘O Iblis, what prevented you from prostrating to one whom I Created with My own Hands? You conceited, did you (think) you are of the ever sublime one?’”
(75) Creation by God’s Hands is a confirmation that the angels were not involved or present for the Creation of Man, and that Iblis had an exaggerated opinion of himself, thinking he was sublime. The only Ever Sublime One Is only God.
38:76 “(Iblis) said, ‘I am better than he, You Created me from fire and Created him of clay.’”
(76) This completes the three-time confession of Iblis to his guilt and violation of God’s Command.
38:77 “(All’h) Said, ‘Therefore get out of it (rank and place) for you are stoned (driven away).’”
38:78 “And My Curse shall be on you till Day of the Religion.”
(77-78) This verse, like (15:35) is about cursing satan, but in 15:35 is about the curse of humankind on satan, and his enmity toward humans, in this verse, it refers to God’s Curse as it concerns the enmity toward God, and his revenge from God’s Representatives.
38:79 “(Iblis) said, ‘My Lord Give me then Respite till Day they are raised.’”
(79) “Till Day they are raised” is the period of time that the three Messengers of God, Time, science and the Book, are raised and that is coherent with “Day of the time known.”
38:80 “(All’h) Said, ‘Respite then is Granted to you,’”
38:81 “Till Day of the time (everything be) known.”
38:82 “(Iblis) said, ‘Then, (I swear) by Your Might, I will trick the whole lot of them,’”
(80-81-82) This oath of Iblis is very significant, because as these verses concern the Messengers of God, then we are dealing with the “Might” of God.
38:83 “Except those among your servants devoted to You Alone.”
38:84 “(All’h) Said, ‘So, this is the fact, and I Speak the fact,’”
(83-84) God Confirms the fact about these Covenants, Giving His Word.
38:85 “That I shall certainly Fill Hell of you, and those among them who follow you, altogether.”
(85) This concerns the whole lot of jinn and Man together.
38:86 “Say, ‘I am not asking you for any reward for it, nor that I am compelled with obligation.’”
(86) Among the Signs of a Messenger is that they do not ask for any reward, and a Messenger has no obligation toward the people, but to declare God’s Message, and is in no way responsible for their rejection and deviation.
38:87 “This is but a Reminder for all the people of the world,”
(87) This is the Time everything is known, science bringing knowledge of everything, including the truth concerning the God, about satan and discovering remedies for satan’s damages, even genetic. Also, in bringing the mathematical Proof of the authenticity of the Qur’an, and the Word of God being confirmed scientifically. Thus, the Qur’an becomes the Reminder for all the people of the world, no matter the actual wrong opinion of the people about It.
38:88 “And you shall certainly be informed of It after a while.”
(88) Such a fact, concerning confirmation of science for the Qur’an, will certainly not take long to spread out and propagate, therefore everyone will soon be informed of it.