The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

7: 27
The Heights 95
down. 12 God said, ‘What prevented you from bowing down as I commanded
you?’ and he said, ‘I am better than him: You created me from
fire and him from clay.’ 13 God said, ‘Get down from here! This a is no
place for your arrogance. Get out! You are contemptible!’ 14 but Iblis
said, ‘Give me respite until the Day people are raised from the dead,’
15 and God replied, ‘You have respite.’ 16 And then Iblis said, ‘Because
You have put me in the wrong, I will lie in wait for them all on Your
straight path: 17 I will come at them – from their front and their back,
from their right and their left – and You will find that most of them are
ungrateful.’ 18 God said, ‘Get out! You are disgraced and banished! I
swear I shall fill Hell with you and all who follow you! 19 But you and
your wife, Adam, live in the Garden. Both of you eat whatever you
like, but do not go near this tree or you will become wrongdoers.’
20 Satan whispered to them so as to expose their nakedness, b which
had been hidden from them: he said, ‘Your Lord only forbade you
this tree to prevent you becoming angels or immortals,’ 21 and he
swore to them, ‘I am giving you sincere advice’– 22 he lured them
with lies. Their nakedness became exposed to them when they had
eaten from the tree: they began to put together leaves from the Garden
to cover themselves. Their Lord called to them, ‘Did I not forbid
you to approach that tree? Did I not warn you that Satan was your
sworn enemy?’ 23 They replied, ‘Our Lord, we have wronged our
souls: if You do not forgive us and have mercy, we shall be lost.’ 24 He
said, ‘All of you get out! You are each other’s enemies. c On earth you
will have a place to stay and livelihood – for a time.’ 25 He said, ‘There
you will live; there you will die; from there you will be brought out.’
26 Children of Adam, We have given you garments to cover
your nakedness and as adornment for you; the garment of Godconsciousness
is the best of all garments – this is one of God’s signs,
so that people may take heed. 27 Children of Adam, do not let Satan
seduce you, as he did your parents, causing them to leave the Garden,
stripping them of their garments d to expose their nakedness to
them: he and his forces can see you from where you cannot see
them: We have made evil ones allies to those who do not believe.
a The Garden, cf. 20: 117.
b Conventionally translated as ‘private parts’, but the Arabic does not necessarily
have this meaning.
c Iblis is the enemy of mankind and vice versa.
d Of God-consciousness. This is one of the views reported by Razi.