For thise henious crime, not only he but aslo the couple were expelled from the heavens and given an abode on the earth. The revered couple was to start a new life here on earth in true faith and live their life and their off spring in love of their Creator. While Satan had asked time off from his Creator till the dooms day to misguide the humans and lead them into a life hate, arrogance, lewdness and sin. However, he was categorically told by the Creator that no matter how much he tried, the humans will stay faithful to Allah, barring a few wo would follow him.
And this would go on, the tug of war between the good and the evil, till the Day of Judgement. And there to the utmost bewilderment of his followers, the Satan will disown them and tell them that he did not have any power to FORCE them to do evil, but he only MISGUIDED them to live a life of sin and lewdness, and thus he stands absolved of any claim that he forced his followers to leave the path of Allah.
This is the thme of the 22nd verse of Surah 14. Ibraheem (Abraham) being elobrated in this post.
The Verse (سورة ابراهيم, Surah 14. Ibrahim, Verse-22):
وَقَالَ الشَّيۡطٰنُ لَـمَّا قُضِىَ الۡاَمۡرُ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ وَعَدَكُمۡ وَعۡدَ الۡحَـقِّ وَوَعَدْتُّكُمۡ فَاَخۡلَفۡتُكُمۡؕ وَمَا كَانَ لِىَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ مِّنۡ سُلۡطٰنٍ اِلَّاۤ اَنۡ دَعَوۡتُكُمۡ فَاسۡتَجَبۡتُمۡ لِىۡ ۚ فَلَا تَلُوۡمُوۡنِىۡ وَلُوۡمُوۡۤا اَنۡفُسَكُمۡ ؕ مَاۤ اَنَا بِمُصۡرِخِكُمۡ وَمَاۤ اَنۡتُمۡ بِمُصۡرِخِىَّ ؕ اِنِّىۡ كَفَرۡتُ بِمَاۤ اَشۡرَكۡتُمُوۡنِ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ ؕ اِنَّ الظّٰلِمِيۡنَ لَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ اَ لِيۡمٌ
(14:22) After the matter has been finally decided Satan will say: "Surely whatever Allah promised you was true; as for me, I went back on the promise I made to you. I had no power over you except that I called you to my way and you responded to me. So, do not blame me but blame yourselves. Here, neither I can come to your rescue, nor can you come to mine. I disavow your former act of associating me in the past with Allah. A grievous chastisement inevitably lies ahead for such wrong-doers."
Before we disccuss the selected verse, let us briefly talk about Shayṭān (شَيْطَان) / Iblīs (إِبْلِيس):
- Origin:
- Created from fire (Surah Al-Kahf 18:50)
- Not an angel — but a jinn (Surah Al-Kahf 18:50)
- Name: Iblīs (before rebellion), Shayṭān (after rebellion)
- Iblīs = a specific name
- Shayṭān = a generic title, meaning "rebellious" or "devil"
- Reason for being expelled from Jannah/Heaven
- The Rebellion
- Surah Al-Baqarah (2:34): “And [mention] when We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate to Adam,’ so they prostrated, except for Iblīs. He refused and was arrogant and became of the disbelievers.”
- Why he refused:
- Arrogance: "I am better than him" (Surah A’raf 7:12)
- Pride: Created from fire, Adam from clay.
- Rebellion: He disobeyed a direct command from Allah
- Why Satan is so detested:
- He was arrogant against God
- His refusal wasn’t a mistake — it was willful defiance.
- He challenged God’s wisdom in choosing Adam.
- Arrogance against God is one of the gravest sins.
- He vowed to mislead humanity
- Surah Al-A’raf (7:16-17): Satan addressing God“Because You have put me in error, I will surely sit in wait for them on Your straight path...”
- He promised to:
- Deceive.
- Distract.
- Diminish gratitude.
- Lead to Hell.
- He’s not passive — he is on a mission of spiritual sabotage.
- He represents everything Islam warns against
- Arrogance vs Humility
- Rebellion vs Obedience
- Despair vs Hope in God
- Deception vs Sincerity & Truth
- Division vs Unity
- He manipulates, but takes no responsibility
- On Judgment Day (14:22), Satan says: “I only invited you — you followed me.”
- This abandonment of his followers shows:
- His true nature: betrayal, manipulation.
- That following him leads to nothing but loss.
- Psychological Symbolism (Though Not Only Symbolic): Even though Satan is a real being, he also represents:
- The inner whisper (waswasa) that tempts you.
- The ego's pride and resistance to guidance.
- The desire to justify wrong, blame others, or reject divine limits.
- His End
- He is condemned to Hell forever (Surah Sad 38:85).
- His goal is to drag as many as he can with him.
- But he knows his fate is sealed — which fuels his hatred.
- Final Reflection: Why Detested?
- Because Satan chose arrogance over obedience, revenge over repentance, and destruction over redemption.
- And he wants humans to do the same.
with this brief on Satan, now let us move on the Quranic verse being shared. We have already shared the detailed explanation / tafseer of the above quoted verse in our presvious post: The Day when Satan will declare his True Colours which can be accessed for detailed reading. Herein under we only present a short run down of the verse /ayat.
Context of Surah Ibrahim
- Surah Ibrahim is a Meccan surah that focuses on:
- The message of monotheism (tawheed).
- The consequences of rejecting divine guidance.
- A vivid picture of the Day of Judgment.
- The fate of both the righteous and the arrogant disbelievers.
Leading up to verse 22:
- Verses 17–21 describe scenes from the Day of Judgment: the arrogant rejecting truth, being dragged into Hell, and leaders followed blindly by their people.
- Then verse 22 presents a dramatic speech by Satan to his followers after judgment has been passed.
Verse 14:22 – Deep Explanation
- “Satan will say when the matter is decided…”
- After the judgment has been finalized — Hell is confirmed — Satan speaks to those who followed him.
- This moment is full of irony and regret. The deceiver distances himself from the deceived.
- “Allah promised you the promise of truth” - Refers to:
- The Qur’an.
- The reality of resurrection, accountability, and Hell.
- God's promises were always clear and truthful.
- “I promised you, but I betrayed you” - Satan admits he lied — his promises were false:
- That sins would bring pleasure without consequence.
- That Hell wasn’t real or worth fearing.
- “I had no authority over you”
- Satan denies coercion.
- He didn’t force anyone — he only invited, whispered, suggested.
- People made the choice to follow him willingly.
- “So do not blame me, but blame yourselves”
- Satan shifts responsibility back to the sinner.
- He emphasizes personal accountability.
- A clear Qur'anic principle: every soul is responsible for its own decisions.
- “I deny your association of me with Allah before”
- Some people treated Satan as if he had divine power — following him over divine command.
- Now, he disavows that association — rejecting their misplaced devotion or trust in him.
Thematic Takeaway
- Core Message: On Judgment Day, Satan will abandon those who followed him, leaving them to face the consequences of their own choices.
- Lessons & Reflections:
- Accountability: You are responsible for your choices — not Satan, not society, not anyone else.
- False Leadership: Blindly following anyone (even charismatic or influential figures) can lead to ruin.
- Deception of Evil: Evil often whispers, it rarely forces — its power lies in persuasion and illusion.
- Rejecting Victimhood: This verse shatters the idea that "the devil made me do it."
In Short, Surah Ibrahim 14:22 is a stunning expose of how Satan manipulates, how people willingly choose to follow him, and how — in the end — each person stands alone before God.
Aforesaid in view, let us take a self appraisal: Many of the beleivers, knowing / unknowingly, advertantly / inadvertantly fall prey to Satan in some way, big or small. While small errs may be forgiven, but sins that defy the Divine commandments will never be forgiven and will be persecuted as per the Divine law on the Day of Judgement, when Satan will try to artfully retract and have him absoved of his enticements. But then it will be too late: Both the Satan and his followers will be shown the door to Hell.
Time is now to get rid of Satanic machination and do our best not to be enticed by him and his cronies in shape of humans. May Allah forgive our past erring and bless us a eaceful life as being Divinely envisioned for us. Ameen
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
Refer to our Reference Page: Al Qur'an: Selected verses from Surah 14. Ibraheem fro more verses from this surah.
For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.
In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, references of other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites. ChatGPT has also been consulted for expansion of the above quoted verse.
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