The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 374
CH. 15 AL-HIJR interpretation of this vision by Joseph himself showed that the sun and the moon in his vision represented his parents and the eleven stars his eleven brethren. In the verse under comment, the Quran refers to the solar system in order to illustrate how the protection of the Quran promised in verse 10 is to be effected. We are here told that just as in the material universe there is a sky (which is another name for the whole body of stars), similarly, in the spiritual universe there are various Prophets who form the spiritual heaven. Again, as each star serves as an ornament for the physical heaven and is guarding it by means of gravitation and other means, which are perhaps yet unknown to man, similarly, every Prophet is an ornament for the spiritual heaven and helps to guard it. Each Prophet appeared when his presence was really needed and every one of them had a definite task to perform which he alone could do. Similarly, every Prophet helped to guard the spiritual heaven, and served the Word of God, demonstrating its true nature as well as its holy influence in his own person and in the persons of his followers. Moreover, each Prophet fought and routed those wicked people who sought to distort the Word of God, and, as it were, fell upon them like fire and stones and frustrated their designs. The verse also points out that just as in the physical world satans, i. e. evil persons, exercise some sort of power or influence, and can cause a certain amount of injury to man but PT. 14 possess no power in the heavens, being unable to deprive men of heavenly blessings such as light and air and the wholesome influence of the stars, etc. , similarly, in the spiritual world, satans have no control over the Prophets and their true followers (v. 43). Again, just as satans have no power over the blessings which come from the physical heavens, similarly the blessings that are manifested through the spiritual heavens (i. e. Prophets), such as Divine revelation and heavenly signs, are beyond the control of satans. This is how the verse under comment explains verse 10. The word (rejected) signifies that such persons will be driven away from the truth and will not be able to accept Islam. Surely, those disbelievers who seek to attain salvation independently of the Prophets of God and do not follow the way which has been prescribed by Him are kept away from the truth and never accept it. Finally, it must be noted that by the word "satan" in this verse is not meant the forces of evil which serve as a trial for men. Here the word stands for any person who wishes to make spiritual progress independently of the ways revealed by God. As Satan wished to act independently of Adam and refused to obey him, so any person who seeks to attain salvation without following the Prophets of God is called a satan on account of his likeness to Iblis. The preceding verses speak of disbelievers (vv. 14-16); so the word "satan" in the verse under comment refers to such 1582