Tafseer of The Prophets · Al-Anbiyaa · 21:29
And whoever of them should say, "Indeed, I am a god besides Him"- that one We would recompense with Hell. Thus do We recompense the wrongdoers.
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.
Allah, exalted be His praise, says: And whoever among the angels would say, "I am a god besides Allah" — فَذَلِكَ — "then that one" who says it, نَجْزِيهِ جَهَنَّمَ — "We recompense him with Hell (jahannam)" — that is to say: We requite him for his statement with Hell. كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الظَّالِمِينَ — "Thus do We recompense the wrongdoers" — He says: just as We recompense with Hell the one among the angels who said "I am a god besides Allah," so do We recompense everyone who wronged himself through disbelief (kufr) against Allah and through the worship of others besides Him.
It has been said that this verse pertains to Iblīs. Those who say this adduced as their argument: there is none among the angels who said "I am a god besides Allah" except him alone.
Mention of those who said this:
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, concerning the words وَمَنْ يَقُلْ مِنْهُمْ — Ibn Jurayj said: "Whoever among the angels would say that he is a god besides Him — well, no one has said that except Iblīs, who summoned people to the worship of himself. So this verse was sent down concerning Iblīs."
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning the words وَمَنْ يَقُلْ مِنْهُمْ إِنِّي إِلَهٌ مِنْ دُونِهِ فَذَلِكَ نَجْزِيهِ جَهَنَّمَ كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الظَّالِمِينَ : "This verse was intended solely for the enemy of Allah, Iblīs, on account of what he said — may Allah curse him and make him rejected. And Allah said: فَذَلِكَ نَجْزِيهِ جَهَنَّمَ كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الظَّالِمِينَ ."
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning the words وَمَنْ يَقُلْ مِنْهُمْ إِنِّي إِلَهٌ مِنْ دُونِهِ فَذَلِكَ نَجْزِيهِ جَهَنَّمَ : "This is intended solely for Iblīs."
