this world, despite its being easy for them. And it is only right that a Balance upon which falsehood is placed tomorrow should be light.”

If it is asked: He says, “Whoever’s scales are heavy,” using the plural, whereas the Balance is one—then the answer is that its wording may be plural while its meaning is singular, as in His saying, “O messengers!” It is also said that every servant has a scale. Another view is that the original is one immense Balance, within which each servant has a scale suspended. It is also said that He used the plural because the scale comprises two pans, two supports, and a pointer; weighing is not complete except when all of these are brought together.

Allah, exalted is He, says: “We have certainly established you upon the earth and provided you therein with means of livelihood. Little are you grateful.” That is, We gave you authority; and what is meant by establishing you is granting possession and power. “And provided you therein with means of livelihood,” that is, the means by which you live throughout your lives: trade, earnings, food, and drink. The word rendered “means of livelihood” is the plural of “livelihood.” “Little are you grateful” for what I have done for you.

Allah, glorified and exalted is He, says: “We certainly created you, then fashioned you.” Ibn Abbas said: “We created you,” meaning your origins and your fathers; “then fashioned you” in your mothers’ wombs. Qatadah, al-Dahhak, and al-Suddi said: As for “We created you,” it refers to Adam; and as for “then fashioned you,” it refers to his progeny. Mujahid said regarding “We created you”: it refers to Adam; then “We fashioned you” in Adam’s back, using the plural because he is the father of humankind, and in his creation was the creation of those who would issue from his loins. It is also said: We created you in Adam’s back, then fashioned you on the Day of the Covenant, when He brought you forth like tiny particles. Ikrimah said: We created you in the loins of men, then fashioned you in the wombs of women. Yaman said: He created the human being in the womb, then fashioned him and formed his hearing, sight, and fingers. It is also said that the entire verse refers to Adam: He created and fashioned him, and “then” carries the meaning of “and.”

“Then We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate before Adam.’” If it is asked: The command for the angels to prostrate came before the creation of the children of Adam; so how can He say, “Then We said,” when “then” indicates sequence and delay? The answer is that, according to those who take the creation and fashioning to refer to Adam alone, this wording is straightforward. But according to those who take it to refer to his progeny, there are several answers:

The first is that “then” means “and”; that is, “And We said to the angels,” so it does not indicate sequence or immediate succession.

It is also said that what is meant by “then” is: Then I inform you that We said to the angels, “Prostrate.”

It is also said that the wording involves inversion, its intended order being: “We certainly created you”—meaning Adam—“then We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate,’ then We fashioned you.”

Allah, exalted is He, says: “So they prostrated,” meaning the angels, “except Iblis; he was not among those who prostrated” before Adam.

Allah, exalted is He, said: “O Iblis, what prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you?” That is, what prevented you from prostrating?