The False Qiyaas of Iblis: Tafsir al-Sa’di

In the beginning of surah al-A’raaf, Allah mentions the well-known story of Iblis refusing
to obey Allah’s command to bow towards Adam. After the initial refusal, Allah informs
us of the following dialogue:
ُ ََْ َ َ ‫ا‬ َ ْ َ َ ُ ْ ِّ ٌ ْ َ َ َ َ َ َ ُْ َ َ ْ َ ُ ْ َ ‫َ َ َ َ َ َ َ َا‬
َ‫ي‬ ‫نَط‬‫َم‬
ٍْ ِ ِ ‫ه‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ق‬ ‫ل‬‫خ‬‫َو‬‫ار‬
ٍ ‫نَن‬‫َم‬ ‫ن‬
ِ ‫ِي‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ق‬ ‫ل‬‫َخ‬ ‫ه‬ ‫ن‬ ‫َم‬ ‫ي‬ ْ ‫اَخ‬ ‫ن‬‫َأ‬‫ال‬‫َق‬َۖ َ
‫ك‬ ‫الَماَمنعكَأَّلَتسجد َِإذَأمرت‬َ ‫ق‬

Allah said, “What prevented you from prostrating after I had commanded you?” Iblis
said, “I am better than him; You created me from fire, and him You created from clay.”
(7:12)

Sheikh ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Sa’di mentioned the following points of benefit under his
tafsir of this ayah:
‫ه‬ َ َ ‫َ َ َا‬
‫فوبخه اّلل عىل ذلك وقال‬: { ‫ رشفته وفضلته بهذه } َما َمن َعك أَّل ت ْس ُجد‬:‫ أي‬،‫بيدي‬
‫ا‬ ‫لما خلقت‬
‫ فعصيت أمري وتهاونت ب؟ ـ‬،‫لغيه‬ ‫ الت لم تكن ر‬،‫الفضيلة‬
Allah reprimanded Iblis for this behavior and said:
َ ُ َ ‫َ َ َ َ َا‬
َ‫اَمن َعكَأَّلَت ْسجد‬ ‫م‬

What prevented you from prostrating

to that which I created which My own hands? Meaning, I have honored and favored him
with this honor which was not done for any other, but you disobey My command and
treat it so flippantly?

‫ال } إبليس معارضا لربه‬ َ ‫ـ { َق‬: { ‫ثم برهن عىل هذه الدعوى الباطلة بقوله } َأ َنا َخ ْ ٌي م ْن ُه‬: { ‫َخ َل ْق َتت‬
ِ ‫ر‬ ِ
ْ ُ ََْ َ َ َ ْ
‫ي‬ ‫ط‬ ‫ن‬
ٍ‫ِ ِ ر‬ ‫م‬ ‫ه‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ق‬‫ل‬ ‫خ‬‫و‬ ‫ار‬
ٍ ‫ن‬ ‫ن‬ ‫م‬ِ } ‫لعلو‬ ‫طي‬ ‫ر‬ ‫من‬ ‫المخلوق‬ ‫من‬ ‫أفضل‬ ‫نار‬ ‫من‬ ‫المخلوق‬ ‫أن‬ ‫هذا‬ ‫وموجب‬
‫ ـ‬. ‫ فإنه باطل من عدة أوجه‬،‫ وهذا القياس من أفسد األقيسة‬،‫الطي وصعودها‬ ‫النار عىل ر‬
َ
ََ ‫ق‬
‫ال‬

Iblis said

in response to his Lord

ُ ْ َ ََ
َ‫أناَخ ْْ ٌي َِمنه‬

I am better than him

and then he supported this false claim of his by saying,
ْ ُ ََْ َ َ َ ْ ََْ َ
َ‫ي‬
ٍْ ‫َط‬
ِ ‫خلقت ِ ين َِمنَن ٍارَوخلقته َِم‬
‫ن‬

You created me from fire and You created him from clay.

This would entail that something created from fire is better than something created
from clay due to fire’s highness and rising nature. But this qiyaas (analogical reasoning)
is one of the most rotten examples of qiyaas, for it is false from a number of angles.
‫ه‬
‫ ألن‬،‫ فإنه قياس باطل‬،‫ والقياس إذا عارض النص‬،‫ أنه ف مقابلة أمر اّلل له بالسجود‬:‫منها‬
‫ ويكون‬،‫ يقارب األمور المنصوص عليها‬،‫ أن يكون الحكم الذي لم يأت فيه نص‬،‫المقصود بالقياس‬
ُ ‫ ويلزم من اعتباره‬،‫فأما قياس يعارضها‬
‫تابعا لها‬. ‫ ـ‬.‫ فهذا القياس من أشنع األقيسة‬،‫إلغاء النصوص‬

One of these angles is that it was offered in response to Allah’s command for him to
prostrate, however when qiyaas opposes an actual text, then that qiyaas is invalid. For
the purpose of qiyaas is to arrive at a ruling for which there is no text regarding it but
which is similar to some other issues which do have textual guidance, and so this new
ruling would follow those. But as for qiyaas which goes against an existing text and
would require those who give it credence to ignore the texts on that subject, then this
form of qiyaas is one of the most despicable types of reasoning.
ُْ َ ََ
‫ أن قوله‬:‫ومنها‬: { ‫ فإنه برهن عىل نقصه } أنا خ رْ ٌي ِمنه‬.‫بمجردها كافية لنقص إبليس الخبيث‬
‫ه‬
‫ وأي نقص أعظم من هذا؟” ـ‬.‫ والقول عىل اّلل بال علم‬،‫بإعجابه بنفسه وتكيه‬

Another of these angles is his statement:

ُ ْ َ ََ
َ‫أناَخ ْ ْ ٌي َِمنه‬

I am better than him

This statement alone is sufficient evidence of the filthy Iblis’ deficient reasoning, for this
demonstrates his deficiency, in that he is in a state of self-amazement and prideful
arrogance, as well as his speaking about Allah without knowledge. So what deficiency is
graver than this?

‫الطي فيها الخشوع‬

‫ فإن مادة ر‬،‫الطي والياب‬‫ أنه كذب ف تفضيل مادة النار عىل مادة ر‬:‫ومنها‬
‫ عىل اختالف أجناسه‬،‫ ومنها تظهر بركات األرض من األشجار وأنواع النبات‬،‫والسكون والرزانة‬
‫ ـ‬.‫ وأما النار ففيها الخفة والطيش واإلحراق‬،‫وأنواعه‬

And another one of these angles is that he lied in placing more value in fire than in clay
and dirt, for these earthy elements contain humbleness, calmness, and composure. And
also, out of these earthy materials the blessing of the earth – such as the trees and
various types of plant life – emerge. But as for fire, it is composed of haughtiness,
recklessness, and burning.

‫ ـ‬. ‫السافلي‬
‫ر‬ ‫ انحط من مرتبته العالية إىل أسفل‬،‫ولهذا لما جرى من إبليس ما جرى‬

So it was in this way that Iblis’ circumstance came to be, that he was sent down from
that highest level which he was inhabiting to being the lowest of the low.

[Taysir al-Kareem al-Rahman pg. 319]