“Satan said: 'Since You have led me astray, I shall surely sit in ambush for them on Your Straight Path. I will come upon them from the front and from the rear, and from their right and from their left. And You will not find most of them thankful.”
[Al-Quran- Sura Al-Araf 7:17]
Tafseer:
THE CHALLENGE
Satan would make use of the respite granted to him until the Last Day, and he would do so to prove that humans did not deserve a position superior to his. So doing he would expose how ungrateful and disloyal a creature humans are.
WHAT WAS SATAN GRANTED?
[Sura Bani Israel (Al-Isra) : 61-65]
–>Satan was granted the time and opportunity to mislead humans by appealing to their weaknesses.
–>Satan was not granted the power to lead humans into error against their will.
**All Satan can do is: **
-to cause misunderstanding;
-to make people cherish false illusions;
-to make evil and error seem attractive;
-to invite people to evil ways by holding out to them the promise of immense pleasure and material benefits.
THE FALSE ALLEGATION
As for Satan’s allegation that God Himself caused him to fall into error it is an attempt on the part of Satan to transfer the blame, which falls squarely on him, to God.
The underlying stupidity of the statement is too patently obvious to call for any refutation, and hence God took no notice of it.
LESSONS
Arrogance can bring downfall to even the most pious of worshippers.
We only have ourselves to blame for all our wrong deeds and sins.
Unlike Satan we should always be thankful for all that Allah has bestowed upon us.
[Compiled from “Toward Understanding the Quran” by Abul Ala Maududi, vol. III, p.10-11]
[Contributed by Br. Morshed Abul Ala, University of Toronto, St. George campus]
"This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. " al-Qur’an 5:3