And when the meaning was: There are verses that command you to oppose Iblis, so do not believe his assumption regarding his claim where he said: ﴿If You delay me until the Day of Resurrection, I will surely seize the descendants of Adam, except for a few﴾ [Al-Isra: 62]. He said, confirming the denial of anyone who would believe Iblis's assumption about him: ﴿And certainly﴾, meaning that in that there are prohibitive signs against following the devil, while he has already ﴿confirmed﴾. And when he was predominant in misleading them by causing them to commit what their minds testify is misguidance, he indicated that with the tool of elevation, saying: ﴿Upon them﴾, meaning upon the descendants of Adam, peace be upon him.

And when it was in the context of affirming the greatness of Allah and what He has of goodness and His complete authority, which calls for turning towards Him and focusing one's aspirations solely on Him, He expressed it by saying: "Iblis" who is from [the root] of balas, which means that he has no good with him - and al-iblās - which is despair from all good - so that this would be greater in reproach and admonition. ﴿His assumption﴾, meaning in his saying: ﴿I will surely seize the descendants of Adam, except for a few﴾ [Al-Isra: 62], ﴿And I will surely mislead them all﴾ [Al-Hijr: 39], ﴿Except Your sincere servants﴾ [Al-Hijr: 40], ﴿And you will not find most of them grateful﴾ [Al-A'raf: 17]. It is as if when he said that as a mere assumption, his assumption was taken as true in the execution of his schemes, until that assumption - this is according to the reading of the majority with the lightening, while according to the reading of the Kufans with the strengthening, the meaning is that he made his assumption, which could have been denied before verification, true, such that no one could deny it. And for that reason, glorified and exalted is He, He caused His saying: ﴿So they followed him﴾, meaning with utmost effort, with the inclination of nature and the enjoyment that leads to deviation and some of them throwing themselves into disbelief and some into outright disobedience.

And when the one being spoken about is the collective of people, he defined the exception of the few who are saved by saying: ﴿Except for a group﴾, meaning people who have the ability to separate the word of the people of disbelief and to disperse their gathering, even though they are, in relation to them, like a white hair in the skin of a black bull. ﴿Of the believers﴾, meaning those deeply rooted in faith, so they were sincere for Allah, devoted in their worship of Him. As for others, they inclined with him, and among them are those who are few and among them are those who are many with minor and major slips and sins.