وَإِنَّ عَلَيكَ لَعنَتي إِلىٰ يَومِ الدّينِ

And indeed My curse will be on you till the Day of Retribution.’

EXEGESIS

Laʿnatī (my curse). Laʿn literally means driving away and the casting out of that which is good.^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Lisan, 13/387; Raghib, p. 741; Tibyan, 8/584.”][1][/su_tooltip]} Here it means excluding Iblīs from God’s mercy. Alternatively, it could mean that the expulsion mentioned in the previous verse would continue until the Day of Retribution,^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Razi, 26/414.”][2][/su_tooltip]} but the former is more suitable.

Here the curse is attributed to God, although elsewhere we read, And indeed the curse (al-laʿnah) shall lie on you until the Day of Retribution (15:35). This latter is more general and includes others, as per, they shall be cursed by Allah and cursed by the cursers (2:159).^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Muhit, 9/175.”][3][/su_tooltip]} This is further evidence that the cursing of the angels and believing men and jinns occurs only in compliance to God’s curse.^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Alusi, 12/218. See also Mizan, 17/226.”][4][/su_tooltip]}

EXPOSITION

The Day of Retribution here means the Day of Judgement, when people will face the consequences of their actions.^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Tabari, 23/119.”][5][/su_tooltip]} This does not mean that after that the curse will be lifted from Iblīs. Rather, it means that Iblīs will face on that day such a punishment and curse that anything prior to that will seem like nothing.^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Zamakhshari, 4/108. Or as Qurṭubī puts it, the reality of the curse will manifest itself on that day (Qurtubi, 15/229).”][6][/su_tooltip]} This is because even the accursed who are removed from God’s special mercy (raḥīmiyyah) will still enjoy His general mercy (raḥmāniyyah) in this world, but not so in the hereafter.

[1] Lisan, 13/387; Raghib, p. 741; Tibyan, 8/584.
[2] Razi, 26/414.
[3] Muhit, 9/175.
[4] Alusi, 12/218. See also Mizan, 17/226.
[5] Tabari, 23/119.
[6] Zamakhshari, 4/108. Or as Qurṭubī puts it, the reality of the curse will manifest itself on that day (Qurtubi, 15/229).