Two Types of Satan’s Descent

Regarding the issue of descent, sometimes the address is specifically directed at Adam and Eve, expressed in the dual form: “Get down (ihbiṭā), both of you, from it all together.” (20:123). This is because Satan had already been expelled from Paradise and had descended prior to this. However, in the verse under discussion, the command “Get down (ihbiṭū)” is in the plural form, including Iblīs as well. This indicates that he was present in Paradise in such a way that made him subject to this command. This raises a question addressed in the discussion of subtleties and allusions: How did Satan manage to infiltrate Paradise again after his initial expulsion?

Evidence of Satan’s presence in Paradise can be seen in his conversation with Adam and Eve, where he said to Adam, “Shall I direct you to the tree of eternity and a kingdom that never decays?” (20:120). Alternatively, he addressed both Adam and Eve, saying, “Your Lord did not forbid you this tree except that you become angels or become of the immortal” (7:20). It is also mentioned, “And he swore [by God] to them, ‘Indeed, I am to you from among the sincere advisors’” (7:21) Furthermore, God addresses Adam, saying, “So We said, ‘O Adam, indeed this is an enemy to you and to your wife.’” (20:117).

It is clear that these conversations between Adam and Iblīs necessitate the physical presence of both parties, and the use of the demonstrative “this” (hādhā) confirms the presence of Iblīs.

From what has passed, it appears that Satan had two types of descent:

First, a descent from the status and position of the angels, which occurred after his refusal to prostrate before Adam out of arrogance. This descent led to his expulsion from Paradise as a lofty status and position, as indicated by the verse: “He said, ‘Then get down from it, for it is not for you to be arrogant therein. Get out; indeed, you are of the debased’” (7:13).

Second, a descent from Paradise as a temporary dwelling, where he gained access to deceive Adam and Eve. This descent took place after Satan successfully deceived Adam and Eve and occurred along with their expulsion.

It might be argued that this explanation is problematic because it assumes Satan’s participation in the command “Get down” (ihbiṭū) as a settled matter.(136) However, the plural form of the command “Get down” may instead include the offspring of Adam and Eve, as Amīn al-Islām has suggested.(137) This interpretation views Adam and Eve as the progenitors of all human beings, and as such, they represent the entire group of their descendants.

Essentially, Satan was not included in this specific command because, having already descended from the angelic status after his refusal to prostrate, he had also left Paradise. Therefore, a second descent would not be applicable. His brief and temporary infiltration into Paradise to carry out his deception does not constitute a dwelling or an ascent that would require another formal descent (or fall).

Consider the point that Satan is not included in the address “Get down”. The verse states, “Get down from it, all of you,” suggesting that while the address “Get down” is in the dual form—implying that Satan is not included—the addition of the phrase “all of you” indicates the inclusion of the offspring of the two addressees, Adam and Eve. Further evidence comes from the verse, “We said, ‘Get down from it, all of you. And when guidance comes to you from Me…’” (2:38) mentioned as a continuation of the verse under discussion. The phrase, “And when guidance comes to you from Me,” clearly refers to Adam, Eve, and their descendants. Therefore, considering the unity of context, the command “Go down” logically pertains to them.

The answer to this is as follows:

Firstly, the central theme of the beginning of the verse is shaped by Satan’s hostile misguidance (iḍlāl) towards Adam and Eve, resulting in their lapse, and his hostile expulsion towards those afflicted with being expelled. In this context, the verse’s conclusion, where enmity is the focal point, naturally refers to the enmity of Iblīs towards Adam and Eve. If hostility exists among their offspring, such as between disbelievers and hypocrites on one side and believers on the other—where believers are instructed to be “forceful against the disbelievers” (48:29)—the root cause of all these enmities, specifically between disbelievers and hypocrites towards believers, can be traced back to the hostile plotting of Iblīs.

Secondly, verse 38, which will be discussed shortly, also includes Iblīs. This is because Satan is from the jinn, and the jinn, like humans, are subject to divine legislation and are obligated to accept the divine religion, i.e., Islam, and are never outside the realm of duty and obligation. With this understanding, it becomes evident that the inference made by al-Zamakhsharī(138) regarding Iblīs not being included in the command “Go down” (ihbiṭū), as well as Ṣadr al-Mutaʾallihīn’s preference to restrict the address to Adam and Eve, is incomplete.(139)

Reminders:

a) The descent of Iblīs was a descent from his status, whereas the descent of Adam, while preserving his dignity, was a descent to the earth. This means that settling on the earth was common between Adam and Iblīs; however, Iblīs entered the earth with the loss of his previous rank, while Adam (a.s.) settled on the earth while maintaining his previous status.

b) From what has been mentioned, the justification for ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī’s (may his soul be sanctified) view regarding the address to descend becomes clear. He(140) states:

The address “Go down” (ihbiṭū), directed to Adam, Eve, and Iblīs, is equivalent to combining two other addresses: first, the address specifically directed to Iblīs in Sūrah al-Aʿrāf: “So go down from it, for it is not for you to be arrogant therein” (fa-hbiṭ minhā fa-mā yakūnu laka an tatakabbara fīhā) (7:13). And second, the address specifically directed to Adam and Eve in Sūrah Ṭāhā: “Go down from it, all of you” (ihbiṭā minhā jamīʿan) (20:123).

The explanation of this statement is that the status from which Satan fell with the command “Get down” (ihbiṭ), and from which Adam and Eve descended with the command “Get down, you two” (ihbiṭā), refers to a comprehensive status encompassing both types of descent, rather than being specific to either. This means that the issuance of the combined address “Get down” (ihbiṭū) in the verse under discussion does not require the status from which Adam and Eve descended (described in Sūrah Ṭāhā as, “Indeed you will neither be hungry therein nor be naked; And indeed, you will not be thirsty therein or be hot from the sun”(141)) to be identical to the status from which Iblīs descended after receiving the command “Get down” (ihbiṭ).

The status referred to in the verse “So get down from it” (fa-hbiṭ minhā), and to which the pronoun “from it” (minhā) refers, is the status of the angels, where Iblīs resided before refusing to prostrate to Adam out of arrogance. Iblīs fell from this angelic status with the command “Get down from it.” This status is distinct from the paradise of Adam and Eve. Nevertheless, the issuance of the common command “Get down” (ihbiṭū) is not restricted or prevented by these differences in their respective statuses.