وَلِتَصْغَىٰٓ إِلَيْهِ أَفْـِٔدَةُ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ وَلِيَرْضَوْهُ وَلِيَقْتَرِفُوا۟ مَا هُم مُّقْتَرِفُونَ 113
Translations
And [it is] so the hearts of those who disbelieve in the Hereafter will incline toward it [i.e., deceptive speech] and that they will be satisfied with it and that they will commit that which they are committing.
Transliteration
Wa-litasgha ilayhi af'idatu alladhina la yu'minuna bil-akhirah wa-liyardawhu wa-liyaqtarifoo ma hum muqtarifun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to the speech of devils who adorn falsehood and temptation for disbelievers, causing their hearts to incline toward it. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, Allah permits the devils to embellish evil for those who reject the Hereafter, so they become pleased with and commit greater sins, fulfilling their predetermined fate of misguidance. The phrase 'liyaqtarifoo ma hum muqtarifun' emphasizes that sinners are already inclined toward sin, and the devils merely facilitate what they are already disposed to do.
Revelation Context
This ayah concludes the discussion in Surah Al-An'am (verses 112-113) about how Allah makes adversaries—devils from jinn and humans—whisper seductive speech to those who reject belief in the Hereafter. The Meccan context addresses the polytheists' rejection of the afterlife and their susceptibility to satanic influence, explaining the spiritual root of their disbelief.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The Devil sits on the road of the son of Adam and sits on the path of Islam' (Sunan Ibn Majah). Additionally, the hadith on the Devil's whispers to the heart relates to this concept of satanic beautification of sin (Sahih Muslim).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that while Satan works to beautify evil for those who reject divine truth, we retain moral agency and responsibility for our choices; awareness of satanic deception and firm belief in the Hereafter serve as the strongest protection against being swayed toward sin.