Ash-Shu'ara · Makki · ayah 95 of 227

Ash-Shu'ara 26:95

وَجُنُودُ إِبْلِيسَ أَجْمَعُونَ

“And the soldiers of Iblees, all together.”

Saheeh International

Essence

Iblis swore to lead them all astray; here his whole army follows his promise to its end, every soldier, not one left behind.

A reflection

The two words of Iblis's vow, handed back

Read this ayah beside the one before it, and listen for two words.

In 26:94 the people thrown into the Fire are called al-ghāwūn, those who strayed. Here the list closes with ajmaʿūn, all of them together. Both words were chosen long before this Day, by someone else.

Now go back to the beginning of the human story. When Iblis refused to bow to Adam, he made a vow. He said he would make things attractive to them on earth. And he said, 'I will lead them all astray' (15:39). In Arabic: la-ughwiyannahum ajmaʿīn. The verb is from gh-w-y, the root of ghāwūn. The last word is ajmaʿīn. In another surah he swears it by Allah's own might (38:82).

He chose those two words himself: straying, and all. Allah answered him in the same words. 'Hell is the promised place for them all', ajmaʿīn (15:43). 'I will fill Hell with you and with those who follow you, all together' (38:85).

In these two ayat of Ash-Shu'ara, the vow and the answer meet. Those Iblis made stray are here, named by his own word. His soldiers are here, counted with his own word. He promised to gather everyone. He did gather a host, and it ended where he ends.

There is an unsettling lesson in that. Iblis never hid his plan. He announced it at the start, and the Quran repeats it in several surahs so we cannot miss it. Every temptation since has been part of a project declared in advance.

There is also a door left open. In the same exchange Allah made one exception: 'Over My servants you have no authority' (15:42). The vow was 'all'. The answer carved out those who belong to Him. Be one of them.

The full entry has 5 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.