قَالَ
مَا
مَنَعَكَ
أَلَّا
تَسۡجُدَ
إِذۡ
أَمَرۡتُكَۖ
قَالَ
أَنَا۠
خَيۡرٞ
مِّنۡهُ
خَلَقۡتَنِي
مِن
نَّارٖ
وَخَلَقۡتَهُۥ
مِن
طِينٖ
١٢
He said: What hindered thee that thou didst not fall prostrate when I bade thee? (Iblis) said: I am better than him. Thou createdst me of fire while him Thou didst create of mud.
— M. Pickthall
[Allāh] said, "What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you?" [Satan] said, "I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay [i.e., earth]."
— Saheeh International
(Allah) said: "What prevented thee from prostrating when I commanded thee?" He said: "I am better than he: Thou didst create me from fire, and him from clay."
— A. Yusuf Ali
Read Tafsir
Ibn Kathir (Abridged)
مَا مَنَعَكَ أَلاَّ تَسْجُدَ
(What prevented you (O Iblis) that you did not prostrate) 7: 12 meaning, what stopped and hindered you from prostrating after I ordered you to do so, according to Ibn Jarir. This meaning is sound, and Allah knows best. Iblis, may Allah curse him, said,
أَنَاْ خَيْرٌ مِّنْه
…مَا مَنَعَكَ أَلاَّ تَسْجُدَ
(What prevented you (O Iblis) that you did not prostrate) 7: 12 meaning, what stopped and hindered you from prostrating af
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