Surah Ibrahim (Abraham ) 14 : 22

Overview  (Verses 22 - 23)

Realities That Must be Faced

Matters have been settled and there can be no room for discussion or argument. Everyone has been shown their place in the life to come. But at this point we see a remarkable portrait: it is Satan, the one who did everything in his power to divert people away from the truth and turn them towards error and falsehood, who reproaches both the weak and the tyrants. His words may sound to them worse than the torture they will soon face: “And when everything will have been decided, Satan will say: ‘God has made you a true promise. I, too, made promises to you, but I did not keep them. Yet I had no power at all over you, except that I called you and you responded to me. Hence, do not now blame me, but blame yourselves. It is not for me to respond to your cries, nor for you to respond to mine. I have already disclaimed your associating me with God.’ Indeed, for all wrongdoers there is grievous suffering in store.” (Verse 22)

What an amazing scene. Satan is truly devilish! His personality appears here in its most striking colours, just as we have seen the true character of the weak and the powerful. Satan who was the constant whisperer, presenting every type of temptation, turning people away from the voice of truth is now stabbing his followers in the back. Now that matters have been settled, they cannot make any counter attack. They cannot even reply to him. It is he who says now, after the issues have been decided: “God has made you a true promise. I, too, made promises to you, but I did not keep them.” (Verse 22) He goes on to rub it in, reproaching them for responding to him when he had no power over them. It is they who gave themselves up to him, forgetting all the old enmity between themselves and Satan. They embraced his falsehood and abandoned the message of truth God had sent them.

“Yet I had no power at all over you, except that I called you and you responded to me.” (Verse 22) He not only rebukes them, but calls on them to rebuke themselves for having obeyed him: “Do not now blame me, but blame yourselves.” (Verse 22) He then adds insult to injury, lets them down unashamedly, and declares that he wants nothing further to do with them. Yet it was he who had previously given them all sorts of rosy promises. He went on to tell them that no one could ever defeat them. Now he will not even try to give them any support should they appeal to him for it, nor will they help him when he cries out: “It is not for me to respond to your cries, nor for you to respond to mine.” (Verse 22) There is no contact or relationship between us now. He then absolves himself of their associating him as a partner with God. “I have already disclaimed your associating me with God.” (Verse 22) He then finishes this Satanic speech with a devastating blow directed at those who followed him in every way: “Indeed for all wrongdoers there is grievous suffering in store.” (Verse 22)

This is what they receive from Satan, after they have followed him blindly into error. This is what they get from him for having abandoned God’s messengers who called on them to follow God’s guidance.

Before the curtains are drawn, we see on the other side the believers who have won the battle against Satan, and who are now enjoying their success: “ Those who believe and do righteous deeds will be admitted to gardens through which running waters flow, wherein they will abide, by their Lord’s leave. Their greeting shall be: Peace.” (Verse 23) Thus the scene ends. This is the outcome of the whole story between the message and its advocates on the one side and powerful tyrants who deny God and His messengers on the other.