The Shayṭān in the Form of Surāqah

Before the end of the chapter there are a few verses to point out. Allah (swt) — and this is verse 48:

Wa idh zayyana lahumu al-shayṭānu aʿmālahum: the Shayṭān, when he made their deeds seem fair to them, when he misled the Makkan army, the disbelievers — he misled them. And what he did was to say to them lā ghāliba lakumu al-yawma mina al-nās: none can overcome you today; do not be troubled; you will walk over them. He gave them that false assurance. Wa innī jārun lakum: and I am here to defend you.

What happened exactly is that the Shayṭān persuaded the Quraysh, who were perhaps of two minds. A few things happened, which will make it clear. He persuaded them to attack the Muslims. And how did that come about? This persuasion might have come by a whispering in their hearts. But in fact, in the manner in which Allah (swt) mentions it here, and as Ibn Jarīr quotes in his tafsīr from Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with him), what happened is that as they were leaving their homes, the people of the Quraysh grew apprehensive of the neighbouring tribe of Banū Bakr — there was a tribe of Banū Bakr near them who were their enemies — and they feared that if they went out to attack the army of the Prophet (peace be upon him), these Banū Bakr would attack their homes in their absence. And a man would rather protect his own than go and attack another.

So, to remove this apprehension, the Shayṭān appears to them in the form of a man called Surāqah, who was known to them. Surāqah is not there; but Surāqah comes along — the Shayṭān comes in his form, as Surāqah — and claims that through his tribe he will protect their homes and their families against any attack from Bakr. So do not trouble yourselves about Bakr; I shall take care of them; go and do what you have to do.

Thereafter, when they left and departed, he joined them at Badr as well. So when the army of the Quraysh reached Badr, he joined them there. And when they began to grapple with one another, and he saw the angels descend — he could see them; he saw the angels descend — that is when he fled. Hence Allah (swt) says fa-lammā tarāʾati al-fiʾatāni nakaṣa ʿalā ʿaqibayh: he turned upon his heels. Wa qāla innī barīʾun minkum: he says, I have nothing to do with you, and disowns them. I have nothing to do with you any more. Innī arā mā lā tarawn: I see what you do not see. I can see the angels. Wa innī akhāfu Allāh: and I fear Allah. Wa-llāhu shadīdu al-ʿiqāb.

So that is the Shayṭān for you. That is why he can never be trusted. And that is why the only way to protect oneself from the Shayṭān, even when important meetings are held and important decisions are being made — for the Shayṭān may come and whisper into someone's mind, and of a sudden he puts forward a different notion. You supposed everything settled, everyone of one mind, and of a sudden someone comes with a strange idea and simply ruins it. That is why one of the only ways of preventing this is to make the dhikr of Allah, even in a meeting to make some dhikr of Allah. Let there at least be some dhikr, so that, in shāʾ Allāh, the Shayṭān may keep away and the discussion may be fruitful.