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Al-A'raf (The Heights)

Verse 12of 206

قَالَ مَا مَنَعَكَ أَلَّا تَسْجُدَ إِذْ أَمَرْتُكَ ۖ قَالَ أَنَا۠ خَيْرٌۭ مِّنْهُ خَلَقْتَنِى مِن نَّارٍۢ وَخَلَقْتَهُۥ مِن طِينٍۢ﴿١٢

Translation (Sahih International)

[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."

Word-by-word meaning

قَالَqāla(Allah) said
مَاWhat
مَنَعَكَmanaʿakaprevented you
أَلَّاallāthat not
تَسْجُدَtasjudayou prostrate
إِذْidhwhen
أَمَرْتُكَ ۖamartukaI commanded you
قَالَqāla(Shaitaan) said
أَنَا۠anāI am
خَيْرٌۭkhayrunbetter
مِّنْهُmin'huthan him
خَلَقْتَنِىkhalaqtanīYou created me
مِنminfrom
نَّارٍۢnārinfire
وَخَلَقْتَهُۥwakhalaqtahuand You created him
مِنminfrom
طِينٍۢṭīninclay

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

مَا مَنَعَكَ أَلاَّ تَسْجُدَ(What prevented you (O Iblis) that you did not prostrate) 7: 12 meaning, what stopped and hindered you from prostrating after I ordered you to do so, according to Ibn Jarir. This meaning is sound, and Allah knows best. Iblis, may Allah curse him, said,أَنَاْ خَيْرٌ مِّنْهُ(I am better than him (Adam)), and this excuse is worse than the crime itself! Shaytan said that he did not obey Allah because he who is better cannot prostrate to he who is less.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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