The Heifer (Al-Baqarah) 2:34-38                                                        11

Satan Exposed

34. Then we said to the angels, “Fall prostrate before Adam.” They fell prostrate, except Satan; he refused, and became arrogant; he turned unappreciative.
35. Then we said, “O Adam, live with your wife in Paradise and eat therefrom generously as you please. But do not approach this one tree, lest you become transgressors.”
36. However, the devil duped them and caused their eviction therefrom. Consequently, we said, “Go down * as enemies of one another. On Earth shall be your habitation and provision for awhile.”
37. Then Adam received from his Lord words, * whereby He redeemed him. He is the redeemer, the merciful.
38. We said, “Go down therefrom, all of you. * When guidance comes to you from Me, those who follow My guidance will have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve.

* 2:36 & 2:38 The use of the Arabic plural form here, rather than the two-persons form, indicates that the order is issued to all humans (Adam and Eve and their descendants) and all Jinns (Satan and his descendants).

* 2:37 Adam had to utter specific words, given to him by God, in order to be redeemed. Similarly, we can make daily contact with our Creator only by uttering the specific words given to us by God, namely, Sura Al-Fatihah (1:1-7) [see Footnote * * 2:3].