Sūrat an-Nisāʾ
Section 21 of 28 · Surah Studies · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
The Promise of Shayṭān
Allah (swt) then has a number of verses treating of the problem of Shayṭān. Shayṭān appears again, saying — Allah says:
لَّعَنَهُ ٱللَّهُ ۘ وَقَالَ لَأَتَّخِذَنَّ مِنْ عِبَادِكَ نَصِيبًا مَّفْرُوضًا وَلَأُضِلَّنَّهُمْ وَلَأُمَنِّيَنَّهُمْ وَلَـَٔامُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُبَتِّكُنَّ ءَاذَانَ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ وَلَـَٔامُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلْقَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَمَن يَتَّخِذِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ وَلِيًّا مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ فَقَدْ خَسِرَ خُسْرَانًا مُّبِينًا
“whom Allah has cursed. He (the Satan) said, “Surely I will take an appointed share from Your slaves, and I will lead them astray, and I will tempt them with false hopes, and I will command them, whereby they shall slit the ears of cattle, and I will command them, whereby they shall alter the creation of Allah.” Whoever takes the Satan for friend, instead of Allah, incurs an obvious loss.” (4:118–119)
Laʿanahu Allāhu wa-qāla la-attakhidhanna min ʿibādika naṣīban mafrūḍā: Shayṭān promises: I am going to take a great many people with me; there is a portion of people that I am going to mislead. Wa-la-uḍillannahum: I am going to mislead them; I am going to fill them with hopes. One of our greatest failings is hoping for more than we can manage, or hoping for what is ḥarām. Wa-la-āmurannahum: and I am going to command them in a very particular way — fa-la-yubattikunna ādhāna al-anʿām: they will disfigure the ears of animals. This shows that they will practise some cruelty upon animals, or alter them. Today people do more than that. They alter bodies; they mutilate bodies; they change men into women and women into men. A great deal goes on today, because all of that is now possible, according to the medical community — though it is generally not a full change; they must keep taking hormones. Wa-la-āmurannahum, and I am going to order them, fa-la-yughayyirunna khalqa Allāh: they will change the creation of Allah. A very relevant verse. Wa-man yattakhidhi al-shayṭāna waliyyan min dūni Allāh: but whoever takes Shayṭān as a walī, as a friend, besides Allah, or leaving Allah out, is in utter loss. That is verse 119.
يَعِدُهُمْ وَيُمَنِّيهِمْ ۖ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ مَأْوَىٰهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ وَلَا يَجِدُونَ عَنْهَا مَحِيصًا
“He (the Satan) makes promises to them, and he tempts them with hopes. The Satan does not make a promise to them but to deceive. As for such people, their refuge is Jahannam, and they shall find no escape from it.” (4:120–121)
Yaʿiduhum wa-yumannīhim: he will constantly promise you things, and fill you with various desires and hopes. But Shayṭān gives you nothing but deception. Ulāʾika maʾwāhum jahannam: these people, their end is in the Hellfire.