The Quran

سورة البَقَرَة

Surah Al-Baqarah 2:36

The Cow · Verse 36 of 286

فَأَزَلَّهُمَا الشَّيْطَانُ عَنْهَا فَأَخْرَجَهُمَا مِمَّا كَانَا فِيهِ ۖ وَقُلْنَا اهْبِطُوا بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ ۖ وَلَكُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ مُسْتَقَرٌّ وَمَتَاعٌ إِلَىٰ حِينٍ

Abdul Mannan Omar

After sometime the satan caused them both to slip from this (order of not going near evil) and thus brought them out of (the happy state) which they were in. And We said (to them), `Go forth, some of you are enemies of others and for you there is a sojourn in this land and a provision for a time.´

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Then did Satan make them slip from the (garden), and get them out of the state (of felicity) in which they had been. We said: "Get ye down, all (ye people), with enmity between yourselves. On earth will be your dwelling-place and your means of livelihood - for a time."

Ahmed Ali

But Satan tempted them and had them banished from the (happy) state they were in. And We said: "Go, one the antagonist of the other, and live on the earth for a time ordained, and fend for yourselves."

12 more translations

Ali Unal

But Satan (tempting them to the forbidden tree despite Our forewarning,) caused them both to deflect therefrom and brought them out of the (happy) state in which they were. And We said, "Go down, all of you, (and henceforth you will live a life,) some of you being the enemies of others. There shall be for you on the earth a habitation and provision until an appointed time."

Daryabadi

Then the Satan caused the twain to slip on account thereof, and drave them forth from that which the twain were in. And We said: get ye down, one of you an enemy unto anot her, and for you on the earth shall be a resting-place and enjoyment for a season.

Faridul Haque

So the devil destabilised them in it and removed them from where they were - and We said, "Go down, one of you is an enemy to the other; and for a fixed time you shall stay on earth and feed in it."

Maulana Muhammad Ali

But the Devil made them slip from it, and caused them to depart from the state in which they were. And We said: Go forth, some of you are the enemies of others and there is for you in the earth an abode and a provision for a time.

Maulvi Sher Ali

But Satan caused them both to slip by means of it and drove them out of the state in which they were. And WE said, `Go forth hence; some of you are enemies of others and for you there is an abode in the earth and a provision for a time.'

Muhammad Asad

But Satan caused them both to stumble therein, and thus brought about the loss of their erstwhile state. And so We said: "Down with you, [and be henceforth] enemies unto one another; and on earth you shall have your abode and your livelihood for a while!"

Muhammad Musin Khan

Then the Shaitan (Satan) made them slip therefrom (the Paradise), and got them out from that in which they were. We said: "Get you down, all, with enmity between yourselves. On earth will be a dwelling place for you and an enjoyment for a time."

Muhammad Pickthall

But Satan caused them to deflect therefrom and expelled them from the (happy) state in which they were; and We said: Fall down, one of you a foe unto the other! There shall be for you on earth a habitation and provision for a time.

Muhammad Sarwar

Satan made Adam and his spouse err and caused them to abandon the state in which they had been living. Then We said, "Descend, you are each other's enemies! The earth will be a dwelling place for you and it will provide you with sustenance for an appointed time.

Muhammed ali Shakir

But the Shaitan made them both fall from it, and caused them to depart from that (state) in which they were; and We said: Get forth, some of you being the enemies of others, and there is for you in the earth an abode and a provision for a time.

Rashad Khalifa

But the devil duped them, and caused their eviction therefrom. We said, "Go down as enemies of one another. On Earth shall be your habitation and provision for awhile."

Shabbir Ahmed

But Satan caused them both (men as well as women) to stumble therein and got them out of the happy state they were in. And so We said, “Degraded you have become with wedges of discord among yourselves! There shall be for you habitation and livelihood on earth for a while.”

Commentary 2:36 Shaitânشيطان is derived from shatanaشطَنَ and means to be obstinate, perverse, become remote or far from the truth and far from the Mercy of Allâh.…

فَأَزَلَّهُمَا ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ عَنْهَا فَأَخْرَجَهُمَا مِمَّا كَانَا فِيهِ ۖ وَقُلْنَا ٱهْبِطُوا۟ بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّۭ ۖ وَلَكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مُسْتَقَرٌّۭ وَمَتَـٰعٌ إِلَىٰ حِينٍ

2:36 Shaitânشيطان is derived from shatanaشطَنَ and means to be obstinate, perverse, become remote or far from the truth and far from the Mercy of Allâh. Shaitân is the one who is not only himself far from the Truth, but also turns others away from it. A shaitân burns with hatred, jealousy and anger, and is lost. Râghib says, every insolent or rebellious one from among the jinn, human beings, and from among the beasts is shaitân. It is often translated as a term for a devil, or conflated with the name for Satan. However, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said that a single rider is a shaitân, a pair of riders is also a pair of shaitâns, but three riders are a body of riders (Abû Da`ûd). This Tradition lends support to the view that the term shaitân does not necessarily mean a devil. Shaitân also can refer to a (ring) leader, a rebellious, noisy, troublesome person or thing (cf. 14:22). It is a fact that some influential people misguide the simple and weak to bring them into trouble. Such people might be defined as Shaitân.

In the phrase fa-Azallâ-humâفَأَزَلَّهُمَا means “caused both to slip away”, Azallâ-humaأَزَلَّهُمَاis derived from zallaزلٌ and means to slip unintentionally, or to lapse (Râghib). It was not the serpent that misled Eve, nor did Eve mislead Adam as the Bible says (Gen. 3.1-6). The statement means that Shaitân (the evil suggestions in the human mind) made them both (the male and female) forget their respective duties, whereupon they commit an unintentional fault. We read in 20:115: وَلَقَدْ عَهِدْنَا إِلَىٰ آدَمَ مِن قَبْلُ فَنَسِيَ وَلَمْ نَجِدْ لَهُ عَزْمًا - “We had given a stern command to Adam before this but he forgot, and We found no resolve on his part [to disobey Us]” (20:115). Similarly we read of an incident in the story of Moses when he left with his comrade in search of knowledge: “He, [the young comrade of Moses] replied, قَالَ أَرَأَيْتَ إِذْ أَوَيْنَا إِلَى الصَّخْرَةِ فَإِنِّي نَسِيتُ الْحُوتَ وَمَا أَنسَانِيهُ إِلَّا الشَّيْطَانُ أَنْ أَذْكُرَهُ- “Did you remember when we betook ourselves to the rock for shelter (and rest), I forgot the fish; and none but shaitân made me forget to mention this to you” (18:63). Satan not only makes one forget ones duty, but also creates evil suggestions in human minds. Satan cast an evil suggestion into the minds of both Adam and Eve, as he casts evil suggestions into the minds of all of their offspring to divert them to the way of guile and deceit (7:20). This is what is indicated by the expression “slipping”; evil gradually tempts human beings from a higher to a lower state (cf. 36:60; 62-65).

There is a difference between the words Iblîs and satan. Iblîs stands for the one who is proud, arrogant, stubborn and who refuses to obey (cf. 2:34). These evils are confined to one person, whereas satan misleads and brings misfortune (cf. 2:14). The one who mislead and bring misfortune can be dictators, organizations, preachers, sermon readers, self-proclaimed religious leaders, writers of misleading books and similar.