Quran Universe
34:20

وَلَقَدۡ صَدَّقَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ إِبۡلِيسُ ظَنَّهُۥ فَٱتَّبَعُوهُ إِلَّا فَرِيقٗا مِّنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ

Walaqad saddaqa AAalayhim ibleesu thannahu faittabaAAoohu illa fareeqan mina almumineena

And Iblees had already confirmed through them his assumption, so they followed him, except for a party of believers.

Word by word
  1. وَلَقَدۡAnd certainly
  2. صَدَّقَfound true
  3. عَلَيۡهِمۡabout them
  4. إِبۡلِيسُIblis
  5. ظَنَّهُۥhis assumption
  6. فَٱتَّبَعُوهُso they followed him
  7. إِلَّاexcept
  8. فَرِيقٗاa group
  9. مِّنَof
  10. ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَthe believers
Saba · 34:20Makkah

Iblis guessed most would follow him, and he was right.

Except a group of believers

Iblis's prediction
Iblisyou will not find most thankful
proved true by
those who followedtheir desires
a group of believersthe exception
Which side
I am like most people
I can be the exception

After Saba, Allah speaks of all who follow Iblis and their desires. Ibn 'Abbas linked this to Iblis's vow: I will come at them from front and back, right and left, and You will not find most of them thankful. His guess came true, except for a group of believers.

Everyone at work pads their hours. Everyone in your class shares answers. Following the crowd feels normal. That is exactly what Iblis predicted. The verse names an exception, and you can be in it.

If most people do it, it must be normal and fine.

Iblis bet on most people. I want to be in the group that proves him wrong.

Try this

Notice one thing you do only because everyone does it. Do the opposite once today.

Related17:627:17
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And indeed Iblis did prove true his thought about them, and they followed him, all except a group of true believers (20)And he had no authority over them, – except that We might test him who believes in the Hereafter, from him who is in doubt about it. And your Lord is Watchful over everything (21)

How Iblis' thought about the Disbeliever proved True

Having mentioned Saba' and how they followed their desires, and the Shaytan, Allah tells us about their counterparts among those who follow Iblis and their own desires, and who go against wisdom and true guidance. Allah says:

وَلَقَدْ صَدَّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ إِبْلِيسُ ظَنَّهُ

(And indeed Iblis did prove true his thought about them,) Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, and others said that this Ayah is like the Ayah where Allah tells us about how Iblis refused to prostrate to Adam, peace be upon him, then said:

أَرَأَيْتَكَ هَٰذَا الَّذِي كَرَّمْتَ عَلَيَّ لَئِنْ أَخَّرْتَنِ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ لَأَحْتَنِكَنَّ ذُرِّيَّتَهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا 

(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!)(17:62)

ثُمَّ لَآتِيَنَّهُمْ مِنْ بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ وَعَنْ أَيْمَانِهِمْ وَعَنْ شَمَائِلِهِمْ ۖ وَلَا تَجِدُ أَكْثَرَهُمْ شَاكِرِينَ 

(Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left, and You will not find most of them as thankful ones.)(7:17) And there are many Ayat which refer to this matter.

وَمَا كَانَ لَهُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ سُلْطَانٍ

(And he (Iblis) had no authority over them,) Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him said, "This means, he had no proof."

إِلَّا لِنَعْلَمَ مَنْ يُؤْمِنُ بِالْآخِرَةِ مِمَّنْ هُوَ مِنْهَا فِي شَكٍّ

(except that We might test him who believes in the Hereafter, from him who is in doubt about it.) means, 'We gave him power over them only to show who believes in the Hereafter and that it will come to pass.' The people will be brought to account and rewarded or punished accordingly, so that he will worship his Lord properly in this world – and to distinguish these believers from those who are in doubt about the Hereafter.

وَرَبُّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَفِيظٌ

(And your Lord is a Watchful over everything.) means, despite His watching, those who follow Iblis go astray, but by His watching and care, the believers who follow the Messengers are saved.