Surah Al-A'raf 7:13
سُورَةُ الأَعۡرَافِ · Meccan · Verse 13 of 206
قَالَ فَٱهْبِطْ مِنْهَا فَمَا يَكُونُ لَكَ أَن تَتَكَبَّرَ فِيهَا فَٱخْرُجْ إِنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰغِرِينَ
Translation
God said, ‘Get down from here! This is no place for your arrogance. Get out! You are contemptible!’
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
Here, Allah addresses Iblis directly, rebuking him and decreeing his expulsion and humiliation after his arrogant refusal to prostrate to Adam. The precise choice of words reveals the depth of Allah's judgment.
The Divine Command: "Descend!"
Allah says: `قَالَ فَٱهْبِطْ مِنْهَا` (He said, "Then descend from it!"). The word `فَاهْبِطْ` (descend) signifies a forceful downward movement. Scholars like al-Zamakhshari and al-Jalalayn note that "it" (مِنْهَا) refers to the Jannah (Paradise) or the heavens, a place of honor and purity, fit for the obedient. The `Fa` (ف) at the beginning of `فَاهْبِطْ` acts as a direct consequence, showing that this command is a swift, immediate response to Iblis's defiant answer to Allah. It highlights that his refusal immediately merited removal from that elevated status (Ibn Ashur, al-Jadwal).
Why No Arrogance?
The verse continues: `فَمَا يَكُونُ لَكَ أَن تَتَكَبَّرَ فِيهَا` (for it is not proper for you to be arrogant therein). This is not merely a statement that Iblis *shouldn't* be arrogant, but a profound and absolute negation. As Ibn Ashur explains, `فَمَا يَكُونُ لَكَ` is a stronger denial and prohibition than simply "it is not for you." It declares that arrogance is utterly incompatible with that sacred space. The `Fa` here (فَما) acts as an explanation, clarifying the reason for the command to descend: your arrogance makes you unfit for this honorable place (Ibn Ashur, al-Jadwal).
Expulsion and Humiliation
Following this, Allah commands: `فَاخْرُجْ إِنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰغِرِينَ` (So exit, for indeed you are among the disgraced!). The command `فَاخْرُجْ` (exit) serves as an emphatic reiteration of the expulsion, reinforcing the finality of Iblis's banishment (Ibn Ashur, al-Jadwal).
The most striking part is `إِنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰغِرِينَ` (indeed, you are among the disgraced). This is a powerful declaration of Iblis's utter humiliation. Ibn Ashur notes that saying "you are *among* the disgraced" is far more impactful than just "you are disgraced." It means Iblis is firmly categorized within the company of the truly abased, his disgrace not just an external state but an inherent characteristic. Al-Razi and al-Zamakhshari highlight the profound justice in this: Iblis sought honor and superiority through arrogance, and Allah, in His perfect justice, clothed him instead in the garment of utter smallness and contempt. His self-exaltation led directly to his abasement.
Source: al-Muyassar, al-Zamakhshari, al-Razi, al-Jalalayn, Ibn Ashur, al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran
Sources: al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), al-Jalalayn, Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi)
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-A'raf 7:13 is discussed in 10 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Al-A'raf 7:13 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.