Quran Universe
7:14

قَالَ أَنظِرۡنِيٓ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ يُبۡعَثُونَ

Qala anthirnee ila yawmi yubAAathoona

[Satan] said, "Reprieve me until the Day they are resurrected."

Word by word
  1. قَالَ(Shaitaan) said
  2. أَنظِرۡنِيٓGive me respite
  3. إِلَىٰtill
  4. يَوۡمِ(the) Day
  5. يُبۡعَثُونَthey are raised up
Al-A'raf · 7:14Makkah

He asked for time, not forgiveness.

What Iblis did with his last request

His request
Iblisjust expelled
asks for
timeuntil the Resurrection
Two ways to answer a fall
give me timeto keep going my way
forgive meAdam's way back

Just thrown out, Iblis made one request. He did not ask to be forgiven. He asked for time until the Day people are raised. The tafsir contrasts him with Adam, whose nature led him to return to Allah, admit his error, and ask forgiveness.

You got caught: a lie, a shortcut, a harsh word. You can ask for room to keep doing it more carefully. Or you can ask for forgiveness and change. Both are requests. Only one goes somewhere good.

When I get caught, I just need to be more careful next time.

After a fall, the question is whether I ask for time or for forgiveness.

Try this

Turn one mistake from this week into a sincere istighfar tonight.

Related15:36
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 7:13)

(Allah) said: "(O Iblis) get down from this (Paradise), it is not for you to be arrogant here. Get out, for you are of those humiliated and disgraced. (13)(Iblis) said: "Allow me respite till the Day they are raised up (the Day of Resurrection). (14)(Allah) said: "You are of those respited.") Allah ordered Ibli (15)

فَاهْبِطْ مِنْهَا

(Get down from this) "because you defied My command and disobeyed Me. Get out, it is not for you to be arrogant here," in Paradise, according to the scholars of Tafsir. It could also refer to particular status which he held in the utmost highs. Allah said to Iblis,

فَاخْرُجْ إِنَّكَ مِنَ الصَّاغِرِينَ

(Get out, for you are of those humiliated and disgraced.) as just recompense for his ill intentions, by giving him the opposite of what he intended (arrogance). This is when the cursed one remembered and asked for respite until the Day of Judgment,

فَأَنظِرْنِي إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ - قَالَ فَإِنَّكَ مِنَ الْمُنظَرِينَ

(Then allow me respite till the Day they are raised up. (Allah) said: "Then you are of those respited.")[15:36-37]

Allah gave Shaytan what he asked for out of His wisdom, being His decision and decree, that is never prevented or resisted. Surely, none can avert His decision, and He is swift in reckoning.