( يَقُصُّونَ عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتِي) (relating to you My verses): The Messengers related to people about the Messengers, starting from Adam (PBUH) to Prophet Mohammad (saws) and recited the revelations which prove the existence of Allah (swt). Messengers were sent to convey Allah’s (swt) Path of Guidance, so that there would be no excuses for not believing. Allah (swt) says:
قُلْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ أَنَّهُ اسْتَمَعَ نَفَرٌ مِّنَ الْجِنِّ فَقَالُوا إِنَّا سَمِعْنَا قُرْآنًا عَجَبًا
(Say, [O Muhammad], “It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened and said, ‘Indeed, we have heard an amazing Qur’an.) (Al-Jinn: 1)
The jinn were eavesdropping.
(وَيُنذِرُونَكُمْ لِقَاءَ يَوْمِكُمْ هَٰذَا) (and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours?): They were warned against what will happen on the Day of Judgement then followed by the indictment. Someone may ask: Are there any messengers who were sent to jinn? Scholars have different opinions about this matter; however, it is clear that when the Messengers were sent to mankind, the jinn knew about them and knew the truth. Allah (swt) says:
وَقَالَ الشَّيْطَانُ لَمَّا قُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَعَدَكُمْ وَعْدَ الْحَقِّ وَوَعَدتُّكُمْ فَأَخْلَفْتُكُمْ ۖ وَمَا كَانَ لِيَ عَلَيْكُم مِّن سُلْطَانٍ إِلَّا أَن دَعَوْتُكُمْ فَاسْتَجَبْتُمْ لِي ۖ فَلَا تَلُومُونِي وَلُومُوا أَنفُسَكُم ۖ مَّا أَنَا بِمُصْرِخِكُمْ وَمَا أَنتُم بِمُصْرِخِيَّ ۖ إِنِّي كَفَرْتُ بِمَا أَشْرَكْتُمُونِ مِن قَبْلُ ۗ إِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
(And Satan will say when the matter has been concluded, “Indeed, Allah had promised you the promise of truth. And I promised you, but I betrayed you. But I had no authority over you except that I invited you, and you responded to me. So do not blame me; but blame yourselves. I cannot be called to your aid, nor can you be called to my aid. Indeed, I deny your association of me [with Allah] before. Indeed, for the wrongdoers is a painful punishment.”) (Ibrahim: 22)
So, Satan knows that Allah’s promise (swt) is the truth.
There is also the time when the damned Satan said to Allah (swt):
قَالَ فَبِعِزَّتِكَ لَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ (82) إِلَّا عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِينَ (83)
((82) [Iblees] said, “By your might, I will surely mislead them all
(83) Except, among them, Your chosen servants.”) (Saad: 82-83)
Satan relies on the fact that Allah (swt) does not need our worship of Him (swt). This is what he meant by: (By your might). Satan then says:
قَالَ رَبِّ فَأَنظِرْنِي إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ (79) قَالَ فَإِنَّكَ مِنَ الْمُنظَرِينَ (80) إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْوَقْتِ الْمَعْلُومِ (81)
((79) He said, “My Lord, then reprieve me until the Day they are resurrected.” (80) [Allah] said, “So indeed, you are of those reprieved (81) Until the Day of the time well-known.”) (Saad: 79-81)
Satan asked Allah (swt) to reprieve him until the Day of Judgment; when Allah (swt) calls both mankind and jinn:
يَا مَعْشَرَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنسِ أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِّنكُمْ يَقُصُّونَ عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتِي
(“O company of jinn and mankind, did there not come to you messengers from among you, relating to you My verses)
( قَالُوا شَهِدْنَا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِنَا) (They will say, “We bear witness against ourselves”): Not only will they answer affirmatively; moreover, they will testify against themselves. Allah (swt) says:
يَوْمَ تَشْهَدُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَلْسِنَتُهُمْ وَأَيْدِيهِمْ وَأَرْجُلُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
(On a Day when their tongues, their hands and their feet will bear witness against them as to what they used to do.)
(An-Noor: 24)
( وَغَرَّتْهُمُ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا) (and the worldly life had deluded them): The worldly life is but a delusion. Human beings can be seduced by money, offspring, and other adornments of this life. Allah (swt) says:
إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا مَا عَلَى الْأَرْضِ زِينَةً لَّهَا لِنَبْلُوَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا
(Indeed, We have made that which is on the earth adornment for it that We may test them [as to] which of them is best in deed.) (Al-Kahf: 7)
They were deluded by the worldly life, they thought that their money is everlasting and that it is the ultimate goal. But soon the days went by and they realized that this life and all its joys are only temporary. Abdulla bin Omar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated to us from the Prophet (saws):
“Be in the world like a stranger or a wayfarer”[1]
The Prophet (saws) also said:
“What do I have to do with the world! I am not in the world but as a rider seeking shade under a tree, then he catches his breath and leaves it.”[2]
They said about life:
What if you own everything on earth,
And all lands yield to you, then what?
Will you not end up in the pit of a grave,
And be buried whole under the earth?
They were deceived by this life, forgetting that it is a changeable world. Humans start young, then they grow old; they are healthy, then they become ill; they are rich, then they become poor; they are alive, and then they die.
( وَشَهِدُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا كَافِرِينَ) (and they will bear witness against themselves that they were disbelievers): They admit that they disbelieved in Allah (swt), that they were ungrateful for His blessings, and that they became arrogant and grew in insolence.
[1] Sahih al-Bukhari, the Book of Ar-Riqaq, Hadith No. 6053.
[2] Sunan-Adturmudhi, the Book of Zuhd, Hadith No. 2377.