Quran Universe
17:62

قَالَ أَرَءَيۡتَكَ هَٰذَا ٱلَّذِي كَرَّمۡتَ عَلَيَّ لَئِنۡ أَخَّرۡتَنِ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ لَأَحۡتَنِكَنَّ ذُرِّيَّتَهُۥٓ إِلَّا قَلِيلٗا

Qala araaytaka hatha allathee karramta AAalayya lain akhkhartani ila yawmi alqiyamati laahtanikanna thurriyyatahu illa qaleelan

[Iblees] said, "Do You see this one whom You have honored above me? If You delay me until the Day of Resurrection, I will surely destroy his descendants, except for a few."

Word by word
  1. قَالَHe said
  2. أَرَءَيۡتَكَDo You see
  3. هَٰذَاthis
  4. ٱلَّذِيwhom
  5. كَرَّمۡتَYou have honored
  6. عَلَيَّabove me
  7. لَئِنۡIf
  8. أَخَّرۡتَنِYou give me respite
  9. إِلَىٰtill
  10. يَوۡمِ(the) Day
  11. ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ(of) the Resurrection
  12. لَأَحۡتَنِكَنَّI will surely destroy
  13. ذُرِّيَّتَهُۥٓhis offspring
  14. إِلَّاexcept
  15. قَلِيلٗاa few
Al-Isra · 17:62Makkah

Give me time, said Iblis, and I will mislead his children.

The enemy's stated plan

His plan
Iblisjealous of Adam's honor
asks for
respiteuntil the Day
to
lead them astrayall but a few
Who is targeted
other peoplethe weak ones
every child of Adamincluding me

Iblis spoke to his Lord with insolence, and the Lord bore it patiently. Ibn 'Abbas said he meant: I will dominate his offspring. Mujahid said: I will surround them. Ibn Zayd: I will lead them astray, all but a few.

Your enemy told everyone his plan in advance. Surround you. Wear you down. Keep you scrolling, delaying, doubting. Knowing the plan is half the defense. Aim to be in the few.

I am not really a target, I am just an ordinary person.

Shaytan has openly declared his plan against me, so I stay alert.

Try this

Say a'udhu billahi min ash-shaytan ir-rajim the next time you feel the pull to delay a prayer.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 17:61)
And (remember) when We said to the angels: "Prostrate yourselves unto Adam." They prostrated themselves except Iblis. He said: "Shall I prostrate myself to one whom You created from clay? (61)He said: "See this one whom You have honored above me, if You give me respite to the Day of Resurrection, I will surely, seize and mislead his offspring, all but a few! (62)

Allah mentions here the enmity of Iblis, may the curse of Allah be upon him and his progeny. This is an ancient hatred, dating from the time that Allah created Adam, when He commanded the angels to prostrate to Adam, and all of them prostrated except Iblis, who was too arrogant and he haughtily refused to prostrate to him. He said in a tone indicating contempt:

 قَالَ أَأَسْجُدُ لِمَنْ خَلَقْتَ طِينًا

(He said: "Shall I prostrate myself to one whom You created from clay?") According to another Ayah, he said:

أَنَا خَيْرٌ مِّنْهُ خَلَقْتَنِي مِن نَّارٍ وَخَلَقْتَهُ مِن طِينٍ

(I am better than he. You created me from fire, and You created him from clay.)[7:12] He also said, speaking to the Lord with disbelief and insolence, but the Lord bore it patiently:

قَالَ أَرَأَيْتَكَ هَٰذَا الَّذِي كَرَّمْتَ عَلَيَّ

(He said: "See this one whom You have honored above me...") 'Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn 'Abbas said, "He is saying, 'I am going to dominate his offspring, all but a few.'" Mujahid said (it means), "I am going to surround them." Ibn Zayd said (it means), "I am going to lead them astray." All of them are close in meaning, and the meaning of the Ayah is, "Do You see this one whom You have honored and made greater than me? If You give me time, I will lead his descendants astray, all but a few of them."