Tafseer of The Cave · Al-Kahf · 18:51
I did not make them witness to the creation of the heavens and the earth or to the creation of themselves, and I would not have taken the misguiders as assistants.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The exposition of the explanation of the words of the Exalted: مَا أَشْهَدْتُهُمْ خَلْقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَلا خَلْقَ أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَمَا كُنْتُ مُتَّخِذَ الْمُضِلِّينَ عَضُدًا (18:51)
Allah, exalted is His admonition, says: I did not have Iblīs and his offspring witness the creation of the heavens and the earth — He says: I did not have them present at it so that I would use them as helpers therein in its creation. وَلا خَلْقَ أَنْفُسِهِمْ — He says: And neither did I have one part of them witness the creation of the other part, so that I would use him as a helper therein in his creation. Rather, I was alone in creating all of this without helper or support. He says: How then could they take His enemies as friends (awliyāʾ) in My place, while they are creatures of creatures that are equal to themselves, and they neglected My worship while I am the One who has bestowed favors upon them and upon their forefathers, and am their Creator and the Creator of those whom they love besides Me — standing alone in that without helper or support?
His words: وَمَا كُنْتُ مُتَّخِذَ الْمُضِلِّينَ عَضُدًا — He says: And I was not one who would take those who do not guide to the truth — but who led astray, so that whoever follows them is turned by them away from the straight path — as helpers and supports. This derives from the expression: "fulān yaʿḍudu fulānan" when he strengthens and helps him.
In nearly this same sense spoke a portion of the exegetes.
Mention of those who said this:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His words وَمَا كُنْتُ مُتَّخِذَ الْمُضِلِّينَ عَضُدًا : "That is, helpers."
Al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, saying: Maʿmar informed us, on the authority of Qatāda — with the same; and he means thereby that Iblīs and his offspring lead the children of Adam away from the truth and do not guide them to the straight path. It is also possible that by the misleaders (al-muḍillīn) he means those who are themselves followers upon error and companions on the way of the wrong direction.
