Surah al-A`raf (The Elevated Places) 7 : 25

Explanatory Note

They all fell down, descending to this earth. But where were they? Where is Heaven? All that belongs to the realm which remains unknown to us except in so far as God, who holds the keys to that realm, tells us. Any attempt to discover that realm after revelations have ceased is bound to be futile. Any denial of it based on what is familiar or what is known today to human beings is a mark of arrogance. Man’s knowledge certainly falls short of trying to discover this unknown world without the proper tools and means. Man is both conceited and arrogant when he denies the existence of that realm which lies beyond the perception of his senses, when it is all around him. In the world of matter, which is within man’s own world, what is unknown is much greater than what is known.
 
All of them: Adam and his wife, Iblīs and his host, fell down to earth where they began their fight fuelled with hostility. The battle rages between two natures, one of them devoted completely to evil while the other has a dual aspect which responds to good and evil. Thus the test begins and God’s will is done.
 
Adam and his offspring are destined to remain on earth where they have the power to build it and to enjoy its comforts for a while. On earth they live and they die, before they are resurrected, when they return to their Lord at the end of their great journey. He then assigns them either to heaven or to hell.
 
The first round in the battle is over, but it is to be followed by numerous rounds. Man will also be victorious when he seeks help from his Lord and follows the path He has shown him. He will end up in defeat whenever he defers to his enemy.