Taking into consideration the explanation of the Surah Al-Hijr 39, how could Iblis (the devil) mention the earth and doomsday before Allah expelled them from Paradise and sent them to the earth?
Submitted by on Wed, 06/10/2010 - 19:22
Dear Brother / Sister,
1. The world existed before that event. Human beings did not live there. The structure of the world is appropriate for the Doomsday. Satan may have learnt about the strike of the Doomsday while he was together with angels. Although human beings did not live on the earth, the jinn including Satan lived on the earth. Therefore, the Doomsday was in question for them too.
According to some scholars, since Satan lived in al-mala al-a’la (the high place) and then in Paradise, he thought he was a person of Paradise. When he found out that he was going to be deported to the earth, he started to think that he was going to be executed and that he was going to die. Therefore, he begged Allah ‘to give him respite until the day they are raised up’. (See Ibn Ashur, the interpretation of the verse).
2. Allah knows best; probably the Doomsday would not strike in Paradise because it is the place of eternity. There may have been more information and talks that are not mentioned in the concise expression of the Quran. Satan may have found out that human beings would live on the earth and that the Doomsday would strike during those talks.
We think, as it is stated in the verse “I will create a vicegerent on the earth.”(al-Baqara, 2/30) that Angels and Satan learned that human beings would live on the earth after Allah stated that Hazrat Adam would be a vicegerent on the earth.
Besides, when we take into consideration the order of the verses in the chapter al-Araf, we will see two scenes.
In the first scene, Hazrat Adam was created; Satan was ordered to prostrate to him; Satan refused to prostrate; he was deported to the earth from the place where he was (according to some scholars, that place is not Paradise but al-mala al-a’la); Satan asked for a respite for his life. (al-Araf: 11-18).
In the second scene, Hazrat Adam settled in Paradise with his wife; he ate from the forbidden tree due to the seduction of Satan; he was expelled from Paradise together with Satan. And they settled on the earth. (al-Araf: 19-25)
It is understood from the explanations above that when Satan mentioned the Doomsday, he was on the earth not in Paradise. Therefore, it is normal that he mentioned the Doomsday.
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