Al-Mizan

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Satan's Objections ​

Qur'an 7:12 · Al-Aʿrāf

قَالَ مَا مَنَعَكَ أَلَّا تَسْجُدَ إِذْ أَمَرْتُكَ ۖ قَالَ أَنَا۠ خَيْرٌ مِّنْهُ خَلَقْتَنِى مِن نَّارٍ وَخَلَقْتَهُۥ مِن طِينٍ

(7:12) Said He, ‘What prevented you from prostrating, when I commanded you? ’‘I am better than him,’ he said. ‘You created me from fire and You created him from clay.’

The question ​

Can God's creation, His laws, and His treatment of Iblīs be questioned? Al-Ālūsī reports six objections Satan is said to have raised against the angels — and al-Rāzī holds that no one could answer them without giving up rational judgement of good and evil.

Views answered: the six objections reported by al-Ālūsī (Rūḥ al-Maʿānī) from al-Shahrastānī, al-Rāzī, the Ashʿarites, the Muʿtazilites

Al-Mizan's argument ​

Rūḥ al-Maʿānī reports a hypothetical debate between Satan and the angels after the prostration, quoted by al-Shahrastānī from a commentator of the Gospels. Satan asks: what is the point of creation, when God knew the disbelievers would end in hell? Why religious obligation, when nothing benefits or harms God? Why prostrate to Adam? Why curse and punish me? Why give me power over Adam's children? Why grant me respite? God replies that had Satan known Him, he would know none of His acts can be questioned. Al-Ālūsī quotes al-Rāzī that all creation together could not answer these objections while holding to independent rational values. Al-Mizan answers each objection in turn, explains why God cannot be questioned about His acts, examining the positions of the Ashʿarites and the Muʿtazilites on this question, and shows what human reason can and cannot say about God's creation and His laws.

Reading guide ​

Each part opens the commentary at that point.

  1. The hypothetical debate, from Rūḥ al-Maʿānī
  2. God's reply: “You do not know Me”
  3. Al-Rāzī: no way out of these objections
  4. Al-Mizan's response begins
  5. (1) The wisdom of creation
  6. (2) The purpose of religious obligation
  7. (3) Why prostrate to Adam?
  8. (4) Why curse and punish Satan?
  9. (5) Why give Satan power over Adam's children?
  10. (6) Why grant him respite?
  11. God cannot be questioned about His actions
  12. The Ashʿarite and Muʿtazilite positions
  13. Two forms of human knowledge
  14. The validity of human reason

Read the whole commentary on 7:12 →