Welcome to our weekly programme "Path towards Enlightenment" in which we present you a fluent and easy-to-understand explanation of the ayahs of the holy Qur’an. We start from where we left you last Friday and here are ayahs 75 and 76 of Surah Saad:

"He said, ‘O Iblis! What keeps you from prostrating before that which I have created with My [own] two hands? Are you arrogant, or are you [one] of the exalted ones?"

"I am better than him,’ he (the Satan) said. ‘You created me from fire and You created him (that is, Adam) from clay."

Last week we said that at God's commandment, all angels, without any delay, prostrated to Adam, the first human being, except for Iblis or Lucifer, who was from the species called genie, and who became the Satan for disputing the divine commandment.

Here in the ayahs that we recited to you now, God questions Iblis as to why he doesn’t prostrate as commanded? Is it because of arrogance? Are you superior to what God has created himself?

Iblis, instead of acknowledging his act of disobedience or expressing regret, replies with an arrogance that he himself is superior since he has been created from fire, while Adam has been created from clay.

It is clear that what Iblis is saying is mere conjecture that lacks any logical base to prove that fire is superior to clay. Moreover, when God has commanded all to prostrate, Iblis has no excuse, and he is clearly disobeying divine orders. Another important point is that God has breathed into Adam the divine spirit, which means mankind is superior is essence to all creatures, including angels.

From these ayahs we learn that:

1. The criminal ought to be given the opportunity to explain the motives of his crime.
2. The creation of man is distinct from other beings, since all creatures, whether animate or inanimate, including the celestial angels and the invisible genies, have not been bestowed the lofty ranks of human beings, who have been granted the gift of intellect.
3. No irrational argument can stand in the face of divine commandment.
4. Arrogance, racist tendencies, and the assumption of superiority over others are parts of satanic thoughts and behaviour.

Now we listen to or read ayahs 77 and 78 of Surah Saad:

"He (God) said, ‘Begone hence, for you are indeed an outcast;"

"And indeed My curse will be on you till the Day of Retribution."

God Almighty, Who as a trial had allowed Iblis the genie to join the company of angels, expels him as the curse Satan, because of disobeying divine commandment. Iblis’s account is like that of a mountain climber who fails to reach the summit and in a moment of negligence falls into the abyss.

In addition to being expelled from the Divine Court, the curse of God will be on Iblis the Satan till the Day of Resurrection.

From these ayahs we learn that:

1. Arrogance and pride is nothing but being depriving oneself of the mercy of God and His blessings.
2. It is necessary that the undesirable elements and those who rebel against the rules of God are expelled from society.
3. Satanic elements who are jealous and arrogant, and never repent their sins, must face the consequences of their misdeeds.

AS/ME