The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 138
CH. 20 ṬĀHĀ PT. 16 وَأَنَّكَ لَا تَطْمَوا فِيهَا وَلَا تَضْحى 120. And that thou wilt not thirst therein, nor wilt thou be exposed to the sun. "2328 suggestions to him. He said, 'O فَوَسْوَسَ إِلَيْهِ الشَّيْطَنُ قَالَ يَا دَمُ هَلْ But Satan whispered evil. 121 ادُلُّكَ عَلى شَجَرَةِ الْخُلْدِ وَمُلْكِ Adam, shall I lead thee to the لا يبلى tree of eternity, and to a kingdom that never decays?' 2329 2328. Commentary: "2:37; 7:21. of a kingdom which ushered in the era of social progress of man. 2329. Important Words: (Satan) is either derived from or bla and means, (1) the being who is not only himself far from truth but also turns others away from it; and (2) the being who burns with hate and anger and is lost (Aqrab & Mufradāt). See also 2:15. Commentary: The reference in this and the preceding verse seems to be to the amenities and comforts which are the concomitants of civilized life. These two verses point to the fact that to provide food, clothing and housing to its people which are their primary necessities of life is the first duty of a civilized government and that a society can only be called civilized when all its members are provided with these necessities. Mankind will continue to suffer from social upheavals and the moral tone of human society will never really improve unless economic inequalities of such a serious nature that some sections of society roll in wealth and others die of starvation, are done away with. Adam is told in these verses that he will live in a place where amenities and necessities of life will be adequately available to all its inhabitants. This state of affairs has been described elsewhere in the Quran in the words, And eat therefrom plentifully wherever you will (2:36). The verse under comment also shows and that with Adam began a new social order and that he laid the foundations signifies In common usage (1) the Evil Spirit i. e. Satan; (2) anybody who greatly transgresses proper limits and is excessively proud and rebellious; (3) any evil propensity or inclination. (Satan) is a very general term and is of much wider significance than (Iblīs), for whereas Iblis is the name given to the Evil Spirit who belonged to the jinn and refused to serve Adam, thereafter becoming the leader of the forces of evil, is any evil or harmful being or thing, whether a spirit or a human being or an animal or a disease, etc. The Quran mentions 2052 side by side wherever the story of Adam is given, but everywhere a distinction is observed