Surah Al A'raf Notes (9-13)

(9)And those whose scales are light - they are the ones who will lose themselves for what injustice they were doing toward Our verses.

Zar bin Habaysh narrated Ibn Mas’ood was trying to break a siwaak branch from an araak tree and he had thin legs and the wind started to buffet him, so the people laughed at him. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, “What are you laughing at?” They said, “O Prophet of Allah, because his legs are so thin.” He said, “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, they will weigh more heavily in the Balance than Mount Uhud.” [Musnad Ahmad (1/420) No. 3991]

Narrated Abu Huraira that Allah's Messenger (SAW) said, "On the Day of Resurrection, a huge fat man will come who will not weigh, the weight of the wing of a mosquito in Allah's Sight." and then the Prophet added, 'We shall not give them any weight on the Day of Resurrection. (18:105)" [al-Bukhari (4729) and Muslim (2785)]

All Bounties in the Heavens and Earth are for the Benefit of Mankind

(10)And We have certainly established you upon the earth and made for you therein ways of livelihood. Little are you grateful.

- Allah says we give you tamkeen in the land.

- Tamkeen means authority

- Allah gave insaan authority however he proved to be ungrateful

Allah reminds of His favor on His servants in that He made the earth a fixed place for dwelling, placed firm mountains and rivers on it and made homes and allowed them to utilize its benefits. Allah made the clouds work for them (bringing rain) so that they may produce their sustenance from them. He also created the ways and means of earnings, commercial activities and other professions. Yet, most of them give little thanks for this.

Prostration of the Angels to Adam and Shaytan's Arrogance

(11)And We have certainly created you, [O Mankind], and given you [human] form. Then We said to the angels, "Prostrate to Adam"; so they prostrated, except for Iblees. He was not of those who prostrated.

- Allah created Adam with His Two Hands, out of respect for Adam

- Allah created 4 things with His Two Hands

- For everything else He said Kun fayakun ("Be!" and it is)

- Allah created Adam from hama

- Hama is a black mud altered

- The reason why iblis refused to bow to Adam is because of envy.

- He felt Allah had been unjust to him

- So iblis is on the war-path because Allah preferred man over him.

Mujahid narrated Abdullah ibn Umar (RA) said: “Allah created four things with His Hand; 1. The Throne 2. The Pen 3. Aadam and 4. The paradise of ‘Adn. He then said to the rest of the creation ‘Kun’ [Be] and it was.”  Tafsir al-Tabari (21/239), ‘The chain is authentic according to the conditions of Muslim.’]

And We did certainly create man out of clay from an altered black mud. (Al-Hijr 15:26)

Iblis was the First to use Qiyas (Analogical Comparison)

(12)[ Allah ] said, "What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you?" [Satan] said, "I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay."

("You created me from fire, and him You created from clay.'') "Iblis used Qiyas ﴿analogy﴾, and he was the first one to do so.'' This statement has an authentic chain of narration. Ibn Jarir recorded that Ibn Sirin said, "The first to use Qiyas was Iblis, and would the sun and moon be worshipped if it was not for Qiyas'' 

- Iblis declared here that he is better than man

- Iblis was the first racist

- As he refused to prostrate to Adam claiming that fire was better than clay

- Iblis was also the first Mu'tazila

- Mu'tazila is a rationalist - one who uses logic to practise Islam.

- We must practise Islam by revelation and not logic.

- Iblis was not intellectually convinced of this commandment and so he disobeyed Allah.

And (remember) when We said to the angels; "Prostrate to Adam." So they prostrated except Iblis (Satan).He was one of the jinns; he disobeyed the Command of his Lord. Will you then take him (Iblis) and his offspring as protectors and helpers rather than Me while they are enemies to you? What an evil is the exchange for the Zalimun (polytheists, and wrong-doers, etc). (Al-Kahf 18:50)

(13) (Allah) said: "(O Iblis) get down from this (Paradise), it is not for you to be arrogant here. Get out, for you are of those humiliated and disgraced."

(...get down from this...) "because you defied My command and disobeyed Me. Get out, it is not for you to be arrogant here,'' in Paradise, according to the scholars of Tafsir. It could also refer to particular status which he held in the utmost highs. Allah said to Iblis, 

(...Get out, for you are of those humiliated and disgraced...) as just recompense for his ill intentions, by giving him the opposite of what he intended (arrogance). This is when the cursed one remembered and asked for respite until the Day of Judgment.

- Iblis was thrown out of jannah because the inhabitants of jannah cannot contain diseases of the heart.

- Iblis displayed arrogance, Allah will disgrace the arrogant.

- Only Allah can be proud - Al-Mutakabbir - The Proud.

- We cannot compete with Allah in this, this is what Iblis did.

- The downfall of iblis was; pride

- as was the downfall of Firawn, Nimrod, Abu Lahab, Abu Jahl.

It is narrated on the authority of Abdullah bin Mas'ud that the Messenger of Allah (SAW), observed: He who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of pride shall not enter Paradise. A person (amongst his hearers) said: Verily a person loves that his dress should be fine, and his shoes should be fine. He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: Verily, Allah is Graceful and He loves Grace. Pride is disdaining the truth (out of self-conceit) and contempt for the people. [Sahih Muslim (1/93) No. 91]