Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (750)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

36–39. “If an evil prompting from Satan should incite you, seek refuge in Allah. Indeed, He alone is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing. * Among His signs are the night and day, and the sun and moon. Do not prostrate yourselves to the sun or the moon; rather, prostrate yourselves to Allah, who created them, if it is truly Him that you worship. * But if they are too arrogant, then those who are with your Lord glorify Him night and day and never grow weary.”

After mentioning how an enemy from humankind should be treated—by responding to his mistreatment with kindness—the Most High mentioned how the jinn enemy is to be repelled: by seeking refuge in Allah and protection from his evil. He said:

“If an evil prompting from Satan should incite you”—that is, whenever you sense any of Satan’s incitements: his whisperings, his making evil appear attractive, his discouraging you from good, his leading you into some sins, or your obeying some of his commands—“seek refuge in Allah.” That is, ask Him, conscious of your need for Him, to grant you refuge and protect you from Satan. “Indeed, He alone is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing”: He hears your words and earnest supplication, and He knows your condition and your pressing need for His safeguarding and protection.

The Most High then mentioned that “among His signs”—which demonstrate the perfection of His power, the unfailing execution of His will, the vastness of His dominion, His mercy toward His servants, and that He alone is Allah, without partner—“are the night and day”: the day brings the benefit of its light and allows people to go about their affairs, while the night brings the benefit of its darkness and allows creation to rest. Also among His signs are “the sun and moon,” without which people’s livelihoods, their bodies, and the bodies of their animals could not properly be sustained. They provide benefits too numerous to count.

“Do not prostrate yourselves to the sun or the moon,” for both are governed, subjected, and created. “Rather, prostrate yourselves to Allah, who created them”—that is, worship Him alone, for He is the Almighty Creator. Abandon the worship of all created things besides Him, however immense they may be and however numerous their benefits. Those benefits do not originate from them, but from their Creator—Blessed and Exalted is He. “If it is truly Him that you worship,” then single Him out for worship and devote your religion sincerely to Him.

“But if they are too arrogant” to worship Allah Most High and refuse to submit to it, they will not harm Allah in the least, for Allah has no need of them. He has honored servants who never disobey Allah in what He commands them and who do whatever they are commanded. This is why He said: “Then those who are with your Lord”—meaning the angels brought near—“glorify Him night and day and never grow weary.” That is, they never tire of worshipping Him, because of their strength and the powerful motive within them to do so.

﴿٣٦ - ٣٩﴾ ﴿وَإِمَّا يَنْزَغَنَّكَ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ نَزْغٌ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ * وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ اللَّيْلُ وَالنَّهَارُ وَالشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ لا تَسْجُدُوا لِلشَّمْسِ وَلا لِلْقَمَرِ وَاسْجُدُوا لِلَّهِ الَّذِي خَلَقَهُنَّ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ * فَإِنِ اسْتَكْبَرُوا فَالَّذِينَ عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ يُسَبِّحُونَ لَهُ بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَهُمْ لا يَسْأَمُونَ﴾ . لما ذكر تعالى ما يقابل به العدو من الإنس، وهو مقابلة إساءته بالإحسان، ذكر ما يدفع به العدو الجني، وهو الاستعاذة بالله، والاحتماء من شره فقال: ﴿وَإِمَّا يَنزغَنَّكَ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ نزغٌ﴾ أي: أي وقت من الأوقات، أحسست بشيء من نزغات الشيطان، أي: من وساوسه وتزيينه للشر، وتكسيله عن الخير، وإصابة ببعض الذنوب، وإطاعة له ببعض ما يأمر به ﴿فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ﴾ أي: اسأله، مفتقرًا إليه، أن يعيذك ويعصمك منه، ﴿إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ﴾ فإنه يسمع قولك وتضرعك، ويعلم حالك واضطرارك إلى عصمته وحمايته. ثم ذكر تعالى أن ﴿مِنْ آيَاتِهِ﴾ الدالة على كمال قدرته، ونفوذ مشيئته، وسعة سلطانه، ورحمته بعباده، وأنه الله وحده لا شريك له ﴿اللَّيْلُ وَالنَّهَارُ﴾ هذا بمنفعة ضيائه، وتصرف العباد فيه، وهذا بمنفعه ظلمه، وسكون الخلق فيه. ﴿وَالشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ﴾ اللذان لا تستقيم معايش العباد، ولا أبدانهم، ولا أبدان حيواناتهم، إلا بهما، وبهما من المصالح ما لا يحصى عدده. ﴿لا تَسْجُدُوا لِلشَّمْسِ وَلا لِلْقَمَرِ﴾ فإنهما مدبران مسخران مخلوقان. ﴿وَاسْجُدُوا لِلَّهِ الذي خلقهن﴾ أي: اعبدوه وحده، لأنه الخالق العظيم، ودعوا عبادة ما سواه، من المخلوقات، وإن كبر، جرمه وكثرت مصالحه، فإن ذلك ليس منه، وإنما هو من خالقه، ﵎. ﴿إِنْ كُنْتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ﴾ فخصوه بالعبادة وإخلاص الدين له. ﴿فَإِنِ اسْتَكْبَرُوا﴾ عن عبادة الله تعالى، ولم ينقادوا لها، فإنهم لن يضروا الله شيئًا، والله غني عنهم، وله عباد مكرمون، لا يعصون الله ما أمرهم، ويفعلون ما يؤمرون، ولهذا قال: ﴿فَالَّذِينَ عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ﴾ يعني: الملائكة المقربين ﴿يُسَبِّحُونَ لَهُ بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَهُمْ لا يَسْأَمُونَ﴾ أي: لا يملون من عبادته، لقوتهم، وشدة الداعي القوي منهم إلى ذلك.