إِلّا عِبادَكَ مِنهُمُ المُخلَصينَ

Except Your exclusive servants among them.’

EXEGESIS

Mukhlaṣīn (exclusive) as discussed in the commentary on verse 46 means to purify something by removing all impurities from it. There it was used to describe the prophets, God’s righteous servants whom He had chosen and purified so that they only thought of the hereafter. Similarly here, the passive participle form mukhlaṣ means that these people are the objects of purification. In a way Iblīs is building on his deterministic attitude of the previous verse, wishing to say that even those few who escape his clutches only do so because God has purified them, not because they have earned any merit.

EXPOSITION

Although Iblīs claimed that he would misguide all of mankind, he knew that he has no power over them except his corrupting whispers (ighwāʾ). That is why he immediately follows his threat with a caveat, explaining Except Your exclusive servants among them, realising that if God purified some servants he could never mislead them, as their only focus was God and the hereafter.

There is a close parallel between this verse and verses 73-74 in which the angels all submitted to God with Iblīs being the only exception. Here Iblīs thinks similarly, that only the few exclusive servants would be outliers and exceptions, and the rest would follow him.

For more on the concepts in this verse see the commentary on 15:40.

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

Rāzī argues that Iblīs mentions this exception so he would not have lied in his promise to mislead all mankind. Rāzī says that even Iblīs is wary of lying, far be it from a Muslim to lie.^{‎[1]Razi, 26/415.}

INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS

1. We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.^{‎[2]1 John 5:18-19.}

Note: The expression ‘born of God’ seems to be conveying the same idea as exclusive servants, someone who is given protection by Him.

1. Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.^{‎[3]Ephesians 6:11.}

[1] Razi, 26/415.
[2] 1 John 5:18-19.
[3] Ephesians 6:11.